Member "No Shows"

SEORG

I was wondering what do your clubs do when a member doesn't show when they are on the timesheet.

It's definitely bad form and unacceptable behaviour, especially with limited daylight at this time of year.

Do any clubs impose a sanction on members if this happens?

gypsy79

**** all

Empty threats hidden in documents in emails

Luckycharm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058228492/member-no-shows

I would normally ring them or get pro to ring them to see if turning up. Sometimes you will find they have been put on by friends and didn't even know were on on Timesheet.

blue note

I sent a motion into our place suggesting we charge them something for no shows on the Sunday competition. The day after I sent it in I arrived for a fourball only to find that none of the three I was down with showed up. One had taken his name off the timesheet on the morning (I was playing at 9:10). This was a Saturday, maybe I should have suggested penalising for that day too.

There are lots of genuine reasons you don't make the round on a Sunday. But I'd be glad to pay a fiver for something outside of my control so that more people get out on a Sunday. Because a 5 euro charge will stop people booking a whole line and not bothering to take the names off.

finglashoop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118490396#Comment_118490396

this.....

and club shop will happily tell you that the two ball gone off ahead of you always book the four slots so nobody else joins the line

Golfgraffix

We charge them the full comp fee. Soon sorts it out

slingerz

Nothing happens for us but repeat offenders are contacted and warned to their future conduct. Having the fee taken from then comp purse would be the right job

golfguy1

comp fee is taken by club and suspension from next 2 comps which is being enforced (also suspensions handed out for non return of cards in comps)

in general we have very few no shows

BohToffee

Comp fee is charged but that doesn't stop the odd no show. Saw 4 groups yesterday with 1 missing and plenty on the waiting list..

AyeGer

Our club sent out an email to all members pointing out that at this time of year with so little daylight its unacceptable to be taking up valuable slots and then not turning up. Not sure if its made much difference though. Bad form.

Seve OB

its very frustrating

im in 2 clubs, members club is very good, rare there is last minute drop out and nearly never a complete no show

in the other club ive seen more no shows in last year (and i've played very little there in 2021) than in 30 years in main club

saw a lad in a team comp , big day, shotgun, left on his own. rang club, turned out a couple of them just changed team and went to a different tee box as they checked in and said nothing. another event i was also left in similar situation standing on a tee box miles away as my team teed i up on another hole after rejig because of no shows.... (pro shop poor, didn't inform me of change)

it is my understanding that you are charged, (and it could be as much as €35 - credits membership) but there is still a hell of a lot of no shows from what i see and hear

i was mortified 2 weeks ago, sunday afternoon i turned to wife, "holy crap, cant believe what i've done" she thought i just committed a crime or something, but i just remembered i had booked in for 9 that morning and totally forgot about it. thankfully when i checked, i had only considered booking it and didn't actually follow through!

FixdePitchmark

It has got out of hand at my club - waiting lists of 30 + and everyone getting on the time sheet in the end. The good thing is the modern booking systems help. But I guess they enable bad behavior too, as there is no consequences .

The waiting list whilst it is a great facility - it is awkward place to be too , am I playing golf or not - how many clowns will remove themselves at 0200 hrs from Club M or Tamangos.

As for the lads playing in the same 4 ball every week of their life - there has to be more to life than that, but good luck to them.

IAmTitleist

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118493355#Comment_118493355

On this point...many people want to play with their mates and have no interest in playing with strangers or even having 1 stranger join a group of 3 friends.

Doesn't personally bother me too much but certainly look forward to a round more when i know im playing with mates rather than a random jumping in with us.

big_drive

Money is the thing that talks. So probably a non refundable charge for the slot when booking is the only effective way really

FixdePitchmark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118493377#Comment_118493377

Yes each to their own - I do see groups who are actually uncomfortable with someone coming in. It is an interesting dynamic.

I do feel that, that attitude is a little against the spirit of golf. If you join in with much older gents in a club - they are delighted with the company , actively say nobody should ever be left behind - or "would you like to join us" .

Extreme cliques in golf clubs are not for me - in fact, a bit worse than that at times.

blue note

I don't mind people playing in their own groups each week. But if someone isn't coming and they don't free up that spot because they don't want a randomer, they can go fuk themselves!

FixdePitchmark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118493663#Comment_118493663

Even the expression "randomer" is all wrong.

Mundo7976

Long time since i was a member of a club, can't believe all this cr@p is still going on.

Heavy fines & comp suspension is the only answer.

spacecoyote

You've got till 4pm the day before in my place to cancel your booking or its locked in and you're charged for the comp.

Had 2 brothers in particular who were booking themselves in to midweek opens and booking GUEST on to the spare slots on their line. Then turning up on the day and saying their guest dropped out.

Were caught our for doing it on an almost weekly basis, and told if they did it again they'd have the full visitor fee credited from their accounts

coillcam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118493663#Comment_118493663

Our club effectively eliminated guest bookings last year due to a few idiots abusing the feature to hold spots for their clique or stop "randomers" joining as you say. Absolutely no repercussions for them but now it's a massive pain in the hole to get a guest time for all members. I have to ring the pro shop to do this, the day after the slots went live and then pay the guest fees over the phone. This ends up being an impossible task as Saturday is really the only day and it's usually blocked booked out with societies before going live already.

The only workaround is to book a slot online using actual member names before calling pro-shop the following day to amend. This is frowned upon for obvious reasons and those members may already want to play a few holes on Saturday. If they would just accept payment online for guests when the tee sheet goes live it would stop all of this nonsense or punish the original offenders.

The net result is that bad behaviour is never disincentivized AND the club misses out on thousands in green fees over the course of a year. The figure could easily be over €10k for green fees (333 guests X €30 green fee). Based on a guest per day and the figure could be even higher with lost pro shop and bar/restaurant takings.

blue note

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118493893#Comment_118493893

I was off for a couple of months in between jobs and didn't always manage to get to play in the midweek opens because of this type of thing. The timesheet wouldn't me anything like full, but there would be no spots next to anyone. So you could chance heading out and joining a group that tried to avoid paying with you essentially, or you could head out and find the groups are actually full.

It's the lack of consideration for fellow members more than anything that bothers me. If people acted like that in my hurling club they'd be put in their place. In golf clubs it seems far more acceptable.

FixdePitchmark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118494147#Comment_118494147

To generalize - golfers could be on the selfish side in the equation of life.

blue note

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118494237#Comment_118494237

Well..... as golfers yes. But realistically they're the same people. It's more context. If it's acceptable in a golf club people will do it. If it's not they won't. I'm sure there are golf clubs where it's accepted and golf clubs where it isn't.

Mantis Toboggan

Simple way to solve this just charge them if not cancelled by 6pm the evening before.

BraveDonut

It has become an issue in my club where we usually have weekend waiting lists.

Lads not turning up or taking their name off at 2am - leading to someone coming off the waiting list without being aware of it.

We have just introduced 10 euro fine if you take your name off after 16:30 the day before the competition. You are not eligible to win anything until this has been paid and there will be 1 week playing bans for repeated offences.

We also have 1 week bans for failing to return a score

FixdePitchmark

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118494818#Comment_118494818

Great stuff.

mjsc1970

mjsc1970

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118492254#Comment_118492254

Yep, same in our place

gypsy79

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118491852#Comment_118491852

One of the things I tried fix before been kicked off the committee. Its so disfunctional a committee it is REALLY scary

bobster453

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118493377#Comment_118493377

I take your point but strangers will always be strangers if no one bothers to play with them.Worse still it might put people off playing at all and where would that leave clubs??..with a few buddies playing in a field as cant afford greenkeepers and upkeep thro lack of new members

IAmTitleist

Appreciate all the points being made here.

I actually find myself playing better golf when playing with strangers. When amongst friends you relax that bit more, concentrate that bit less and talk a hell of a lot more sh!te.

Still if you gave me the option though i'd rather play worse with mates than better with people i don't know.

A Shaved Duck?

Its an interesting subject as I joined a line of 3 last year and they were all sound lads and they usually always play as a fourball..One of them had a quiet word and told me one of the lads has a bit of a temper and not to pay any attention to the inevitable club throwing. They preferred to play as a four as the guy was their mate and didn't want people getting distracted from their own golf.

It didnt bother me but its just another reason some guys block book the 4 slots on a line..

Russman

Have to admit to being a little on the fence on this one. I can totally see the frustration of turning up to find nobody to play with or not getting a game but 3 groups never showed up. At the same time I can see how someone might think "....I pay €1k a year to play my hobby/obsession and I want to be able to choose who I spend my Saturday with...."

I think if a club has waiting lists then its a big no, no. If the timesheet is pretty open, then less of an issue. Like someone mentioned above the context is important and each club will be different. We're lucky, or unlucky, depending on how you view it, in that our timesheets are not full, and the members in general would be very accommodating. I'd never not go up just because I'm not on the sheet, I'd almost always get out within half an hour or so. I know at the time I play there'd be say, 4 lines on the sheet with the same 4 names on each line all the time. Would all 16 players turn up ? Sometimes, but not 100% of the time. However we'd mix and match if say only 2 turned up on one line, someone would drop back and we'd have two 3's, if that makes sense. Nobody hanging around on spec would ever be left.

Of course it is wrong not to turn up, but as I get older I can see how you mightn't fancy it when you look out and its p1ssing down and blowing a gale at the last minute and decide "nah, feck that". I'll play with anyone, at least once anyway, but there's one group of oul lads I know who want to get round in 2h 45m more than they want to shoot a good score, and the last thing they want is some randomer going through his routine, pacing yardages, using his rangefinder from 50 yards, holding them back 😁😁. I can see their point too without fully agreeing with it.

blue note

I understand the points you're making but don't even agree a little bit with them! It happened to me a couple of times that I wanted to play in a midweek open. The timesheet was nowhere near full, but there were no spaces next to anyone. So I'd have no-one to sign my card. I went out to the club anyway, didn't fancy waiting around too long and ended up playing on my own.

As for people doing it on a Sunday because there's always slots left - still completely unacceptable. People like playing early in particular. I'm annoyed at the thought of having to take a 12pm tee time so that lads can play in 3s early on. And just going out to the club to slot in somewhere is not something people should have to do. Waiting half an hour isn't the worst, but it's an unnecessary inconvenience.

If someone wants to book one or two extra spaces so they don't have to play with others I think they could make a good case for it if they pay a couple of extra memberships. But even then, I'd say consideration for your fellow clubman should overrule that. We've all played with people we didn't particularly like. But it should be part and parcel of being in a club.

Russman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118511231#Comment_118511231

Oh I don't really disagree with much of that. My main point is that, purely IMO, its not always as black and white. From what I see, usually one guy in every group does the booking and he books the line, the lads arrive on Sat morning and sometimes they're in the car park wondering if Joe is turning up today, or one of them will say they got a text last night and Joe won't be coming. Its not ideal and its unfortunate if someone couldn't get a game that would have liked to play at 7.30am with them, but it happens. Its not so much that they're booking "blockers" per se, its just that's the way things have evolved. We're never going to have a situation where every name on the sheet turns up, even on a Captain's Day.

I know one club that only allow a single player to book a single slot, not a line. My friend was a member and hated it because he could never depend on being able to play with his friends as they'd all have to be online at 6am on a Thursday, booking on the same line and hoping that nobody else was trying for that line too. Personally I couldn't stand an arrangement like that.

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118506789#Comment_118506789

That makes complete sense really, to play better with strangers because you will be concentrating that few % more on your shots. Worst thing though about strangers if you’re having a good round is the immediate ‘Jesus you won’t be off that handicap long anyway’ type person who you know will be straight into the lads saying how you’re a ‘bandit

Luckycharm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118511449#Comment_118511449

6am booking time 😯

bobster453

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118513191#Comment_118513191

A lot of clubs have a 6 or 7 am booking time for the following week.

BraveDonut

"Strangers" = Other members

I like to meet and play with as many other members as possible as part of a "Club"

BoardsMember

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118525301#Comment_118525301

This is pretty insightful. I'm in my 40s. In my Dad's generation everyone knew everyone else, the idea of being a member meant something. My age group in the club is similar, but a little bit of a sign of cliques emerging, particularly with new members who know existing members and being happy with that small group and not understanding the idea of club. The age group below me seems even more like that, which is not great. I'm a member of another sports club which is completely different, great sense of club.

Shank Williams

I’m pretty shameless when it come to getting myself chucked in with 2 or 3 balls when visiting other clubs when on holiday / travelling for opens , only once detected a little bit of annoyance when I rocked up- couldn’t give a flying ## ** to be honest

Ottoman_1000

This is one of my pet hates, our course always has a waiting list for Saturday and Sunday comps but without fail come competition time you will see groups of 3 going around from lads putting their mates down because they didn't want the spare spot been taken up with someone they didn't know! I was on a waiting list one time and got a phone call late on Friday evening from the club house to say a slot had come up first thing Saturday morning for the comp so I said yes put me down. Rocked up on to the tee box that morning and one of the guys in the group was absolutely disgusted that his mate had taken himself off the list and hadn't told him. Barely looked at me the whole round as if I did something wrong!

act0fgod

For those of you at clubs that charge for no show or late cancelations, are there exceptions for poor weather?

BraveDonut

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118533660#Comment_118533660

Only if the comp is called off - otherwise it would be up to members to decide what they feel defines poor weather

I am lucky enough to live close enough to the course to go over and see if the others on my line want to play or not - if we agree to not play and the comp goes ahead, we still have to pay the comp fee

moycullen14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118531430#Comment_118531430

Absolutely crazy stuff. What are they doing on the course - the mind recoils! Like most, I have my buddies that I play with on the weekend but frequently enough I find myself on my own. Rock up and play with whoever is on the tsheet. Never once have I had any issue with that and, frankly, I'd be disgusted if I did. It's a round of golf, FFS, not a marriage. Unless the person is a complete a**hole, why would you have a problem playing with them? Do unto others, etc.

No shows? You have to pay the competition fee, and maybe a bit extra. It's so simple and obvious, I'm amazed all clubs don't do it. And I'd worry about any club that doesn't do it, tbh. Why allow or even encourage bad behaviour?

newport2

No shows at our place get a 2 week suspension, which is enforced. Would support stronger measures for multiple offenders if it happens.

At a friend's club, they also have a 2 week suspension. But they have just brought in that a second no-show is a 6 week suspension and for a third offence your membership is up for review.

Ottoman_1000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118560894#Comment_118560894

I actually think that is the best way to deal with it to be honest!!! It would quickly put an end to this block booking craic if suspensions and membership reviews were the punishment for the offenders. As far as I am aware there is no punishment at all for no shows at my place!