Access Request - weird story

[Rob Marshall]

Isn’t the only way it should be done is thru your pro?

[Ally Mcintosh]

I have to say - as I have before - that the whole etiquette around this kind of thing makes me very uneasy, because I never feel like I’m too far away from making a serious faux pas.


As someone who works on golf courses yet has limited time if and when travelling, I’m obviously keen to see some of the great US courses that might spark ideas and creativity in me.


But how to do that seems like a black art sometimes.


Needless to say, I’m glad I live and play where I do - open invitation to all on here to get in contact if and when coming to Dublin.

[David Wuthrich]

John K, that was not my headcover, just a picture that I found on the internet.
I figured people might want to see what you were talking about!

[Peter Pallotta]

Ally -
I think most of us modern secular types look back smugly at past eras that were proscribed by rigid rules & commandments; but as I said to a friend recently, at least those eras only had 10 commandments, and all of them very clear and explicit -- whereas nowadays, in our supposedly more free and liberal age, we have like 200 of them, but we don't know what any of them are until someone slams us on social media! And then they keep changing.
Which is to say: I know exactly how you feel -- uneasy! I'd be much happier with just the 10.

[Tim Martin]

Ally -
I think most of us modern secular types look back smugly at past eras that were proscribed by rigid rules & commandments; but as I said to a friend recently, at least those eras only had 10 commandments, and all of them very clear and explicit -- whereas nowadays, in our supposedly more free and liberal age, we have like 200 of them, but we don't know what any of them are until someone slams us on social media! And then they keep changing.
Which is to say: I know exactly how you feel -- uneasy! I'd be much happier with just the 10.

There are another 190 ways to f- -k up that I was unaware of!? Damn. I hope this doesn’t interfere with joy of being a lapsed catholic.

[Ian Mackenzie]

I have to say - as I have before - that the whole etiquette around this kind of thing makes me very uneasy, because I never feel like I’m too far away from making a serious faux pas.


As someone who works on golf courses yet has limited time if and when travelling, I’m obviously keen to see some of the great US courses that might spark ideas and creativity in me.


But how to do that seems like a black art sometimes.


Needless to say, I’m glad I live and play where I do - open invitation to all on here to get in contact if and when coming to Dublin.

Ally, not to worry, mate.
I wish I never started this thread.


What I found odd was the way in which this lad approached it:


He sent me cold-call email asking for access to a club where I am not even a member based on the referral of a "friend of a friend" who was always unnamed.


I was curious if this kind of thing actually happened more than we were aware.


I am always happy to host friends for a round.
I am usually happy to host their friends.


I kinda drew the line when some random "friend of a friend of a friend" asked me to spend half a day with he and his father so that he could notch his belt on a course where I am not a member.


It's like I say to my 84 year old mother:


"Mom, i'm always interested in your health. And, I am interested in the well-being of your friends. However, when you begin discussing the ailments of your friends' friends, then I have to call a time out!!"

[David Wuthrich]

Well spoken Ian

[Peter Pallotta]

Tim - let me tell you, it's a lot more fun being a lapsed Catholic than a lousy one!


Ian: good one! Brought back memories of my own mother, who near the end couldn't remember much of anything -- except the obscure illnesses of a cousin thrice removed, in 1951! 

[Craig Sweet]

Ally Macintosh, I'm in Dublin a lot and never think to contact you. September 2020 I plan to be there for a month with a buddy that has never been to Ireland...actually, I'm going to a Buddhist retreat for a week, and then he's coming over to join me for some golf and the tourist thing.  Where are you working?

[Ian Mackenzie]

OK, this is thread from 2 years ago that you can see in my OP.
Basically, a random guy emailed me in 2019 looking for access to a course to which i do not belong and me basically telling him that he is crazy.


so, I get an email from this kid this am telling me that in the last year, he solicited and got access to playing:


1. CGC
2. Shinny
3. Friars Head
4. Seminole
5. Fishers


Sends me pictures of the clubs shaming me for telling him that he was nuts to "cold call" members asking for aceess for him and his dad in exchange for cash payment.


Turns out (perhaps) this dude played 5 of the worlds top courses by using col-call email outreach from Canada.


Go figure...the world is indeed a changing place.

[Tim Martin]

OK, this is thread from 2 years ago that you can see in my OP.
Basically, a random guy emailed me in 2019 looking for access to a course to which i do not belong and me basically telling him that he is crazy.


so, I get an email from this kid this am telling me that in the last year, he solicited and got access to playing:


1. CGC
2. Shinny
3. Friars Head
4. Seminole
5. Fishers


Sends me pictures of the clubs shaming me for telling him that he was nuts to "cold call" members asking for aceess for him and his dad in exchange for cash payment.


Turns out (perhaps) this dude played 5 of the worlds top courses by using col-call email outreach from Canada.


Go figure...the world is indeed a changing place.

Pictures? Perhaps is the key word in your post.

[Peter Pallotta]

He harbours a grudge for two full years and then sends a spite email not to crow about the great golf but mostly just to shame you? Are you sure it isn't actually Larry David (in full Curb-mode) instead!?

[Tim Martin]

He harbours a grudge for two full years and then sends a spite email not to crow about the great golf but mostly just to shame you? Are you sure it isn't actually Larry David (in full Curb-mode) instead!?

Peter-That’s a great analogy. Latte Larry versus Mocha Joe in “The Spite Store” episode was one of my favorites. Remember the no public flush toilets.

[Andrew Harvie]

From Canada? Wow. The golf community up here is very small. I wonder if I know him!

[JESII]

I’ll bet dollars to donuts he spent $2,500 or more in each pro shop as well…

[Michael Chadwick]

From Canada? Wow. The golf community up here is very small. I wonder if I know him!

Unless you just doxxed yourself, Drew 

[Rob Marshall]

I find it hard to believe a member of one of those clubs would even respond to the request. I having your pro call is fine but blind calling members?


On another forum a poster said the he got a FaceTime call from his buddy while the buddy was on the patio of a prestigious club in the Northeast. Buddy brags about how he called the club claiming to be the head pro of another equally prestigious club and asked if he could get one of his “members” out as an unescorted guest. The scam worked and this guy was bragging about it. For the life of me I just don’t get the balls some people have. How would you like to be the pro who’s name they used. I found out someone I knew scammed a round at Lahinch using my name. Long story but it really pissed me off. I would think the pro would be furious.






 

[Michael Moore]

This thread is in the John Kavanaugh hall of fame - I needed a laugh this afternoon, thanks for pulling this up.
 
"After a lifetime of my haberdasher being the members of various member/guest committees I am at a loss on what to do with my wardrobe.  I can think of nothing less than to quit taking my golf shirts to the dry cleaner and letting nature take its course. On a side note my dry cleaner did burn down a couple of years back and sent me a check for $1750. I hope that doesn't cost me my amateur status."

[Tim Martin]

From Canada? Wow. The golf community up here is very small. I wonder if I know him!

A search revealed that there are close to 5.7 million golfers in Canada out of a population of more 38 million. That doesn’t seem that small to me.

[John Kavanaugh]

It’s not lost on me that this thread is from December of 2019. Proof that it wasn’t Covid that made me crazy.

[JMEvensky]

I’ll bet dollars to donuts he spent $2,500 or more in each pro shop as well…

Thought the same thing--easier to prove access when you're wearing a shirt with a Club X logo.

[Ian Mackenzie]

It's all the more spectacularly dumbfounding that this kid apparentlky hit a the quinella of elite tier courses. Must of told thgem all he has "stage 4" cancer.


Or, he's just yanking my chain.


Being a former Silicon Valley tech-douche, I looked at the 1) naming conventions 2) time stamps and 3) the "meta data" of the photos and became suspicious....;-)


Hadn't thought about this in 23 months, but apparently he had...;-)

[Kyle Harris]

Wondering if the response/reaction would be any different if this were a hand-written and mailed note.


A simple no would do if you’re not interested.

[Mike_Trenham]

It's all the more spectacularly dumbfounding that this kid apparentlky hit a the quinella of elite tier courses. Must of told thgem all he has "stage 4" cancer.


Or, he's just yanking my chain.


Being a former Silicon Valley tech-douche, I looked at the 1) naming conventions 2) time stamps and 3) the "meta data" of the photos and became suspicious....;-)


Hadn't thought about this in 23 months, but apparently he had...;-)

So are you saying he needed to have owned 5 different cameras and a time machine?

[Mike Hendren]

So I’m guessing it’s not a good time to offer my CPC Ping Moon Bag for access to a top 25 venue?


Bogey