No shows and non returns

Dotzie

Does your club have any rules that they enforce on those who don't show for tee times and those who don't return a card when they have entered a comp?

pakman

No shows are fine with my club, but if you fail to put in a card, you are chased up and asked to explain. If you don't answer you get a penalty round which just seem to maintain your handicap.

fungie

I'd argue that no show is far worse and should be punished accordingly. You can be left stranded without a partner, ruining others day. Obviously in case of emergencies, it can happen but that's generally not the reason.

Golfgraffix

We use the purse option on our tee time booking system, it takes your money at booking. If you cancel anytime before 11pm the night before you get a refund, if you cancel after that or don’t turn up you don’t get a refund. It eliminated about 80% of our no shows.

Members who don’t put in a card are put on the “naughty list” once on the list you are ineligible to play in the next two competitions, do it twice and it’s the next 4 competitions, more than twice it’s a suspension.

Works well.

slave1

It's a bit of a joke, my weekends are busy so never 100% committed to a round on a Saturday, I look at timesheet and it's full so I don't go, then there's times I do go and timesheet is packed, get out there are no sign of anyone in front or behind, habitual just booking for the sake of it.

Also noticed folks in two or three balls blocking the four ball slot with names of mates which is another joke as I was out a few weeks back in a 4 ball, and supposed to be two four balls behind us and they turned out to be 2balls which slowed us up as we (rightfully) let them through.

NR are another joke, played an Intermediate Scratch cup last weekend and the amount of NR was embarrassing, if I have a sh1te round I'm not embarrassed and the round gets logged, I think folk can have a horror and embarrassed to have other members looking at their score.

NRs should be treated with a month's ban from competitions and WHS counting rounds and no shows should have booking rights removed for a month (unless justifiable reason for not turning up but even then folk have plenty of time to remove themselves from the timesheet)

rant over

big_drive

My club also use the purse system and it's eliminating a lot of the previous carry on of people booking and then not showing. Like most things losing money makes everyone think twice

Russman

I think something like this is going to be very dependent on the individual club's circumstances tbh. Like, if they've got full timesheets, waiting lists etc etc. I don't take quite as hardline a view as some with regard to no shows, although I would differentiate if you're on a line with 3 strangers versus on a line with your regulars. Maybe I'm lucky/unlucky that my club doesn't have a full timesheet and there's always plenty of space. I know in my own regular fourball we have an almost unspoken understanding along the lines of "...I'll see you up there, weather permitting...." We play early and the first 4/5 slots are all guys who will mix and match to ensure nobody misses out or is left on their own. Like I say we've little timesheet pressure anyway, the sheet will be probably empty by midday on a Saturday. Putting down a blocking name would be bad form alright. But is it a blocking name if its someone who's 50/50 as to whether they'll be able to play ?

TBH the very idea of not going up purely because I'm not on the sheet just doesn't register with me, can't get my head round it. You'd virtually always get out in our place or it would be more than unusual not to, unless it was a big comp or something. I totally get that that's the way it is in many clubs - I only had the conversation with my boss a few weeks ago, asking him did he play one Wednesday evening and he said no he wasn't on the sheet, I couldn't process that at all ! I guess its both a strength and a weakness of my club that bar weekends you don't need to book if you want a game on a summer evening or that there's usually plenty of spots at the weekend.

I'd be far harsher on NR's, but probably much less so than under CONGU. I absolutely think all cards should be returned no matter what, but I wouldn't be worried about the guy who loses a ball and doesn't bother going back and NRs - as long as he returns his card. I also think coming in early is ok. I know there are some souls who'll carry on no matter what the weather, but honestly there have been so many times even in the last couple of months where we played but by the time you get back near the clubhouse after say 6 or 9 holes, you're soaked, your gear is soaked and you just say "F--- that" and come in. Usually to find half the field have done the same. When conditions get bad in this country I can guarantee nobody is out at the farthest end of the course thinking "I can't go in, weather is not an acceptable reason...."

redhill

Mentioned this a few years back in another thread, purse is the best way to go with fines and weeks of the timesheet for repeat offenders

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/112274941#Comment_112274941

spacecoyote

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120959184#Comment_120959184

We have a pair of twin brothers that are members in our place who were up to that, booking names onto their line and then saying they were last minute cancels/no shows just so they could play on their own.

They were caught for it, and had guest rate green fees taken off their purse, which would be more expensive than a members comp fee.

They learned that lesson very swiftly

Golfgraffix

Not sure I fully get this, when you book a guest does tge guest fee not come off your purse ?

spacecoyote

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120966385#Comment_120966385

It does come off your purse, but is at the discretion of the pro when you're checking in as to whether he removes the charge

billy3sheets

Another related issue I've encountered twice in recent weeks is where guys were abandoned by their playing partners because they didn't feel like playing on. In one case, the weather was moderately bad and in the other it was perfectly fine. In each case the guys were left with nobody to mark their cards. Captain did put a note in our newsletter advising members of their obligations to complete a round if another member needs wishes to and needs a marker.

Golfgraffix

Why not at the time of booking, surely that makes more sense ??

billy3sheets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120967253#Comment_120967253

Why not what?

Golfgraffix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120968377#Comment_120968377

Why not take the guest fee from the members purse at the time they book the guest in.

billy3sheets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120968455#Comment_120968455

Guest fee? These were all members @Golfgraffix 😀

In one case, one of the guys said he had a cold and didn't want to get wet, so he went in somewhereon theback 9. 2 others were his buddies and decided to join him, leaving the 4th member to continue on his own with nobody to mark his card.

Golfgraffix

Sorry I was talking about the comment about members booking guests in a slot so that another member wouldn’t join them and then having no guests play in the end.

But I do get your point about members walking in early, it’s quite frustrating. I have been guilty of it in the past but I’ve never left someone on their own.

spacecoyote

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120968455#Comment_120968455

It's a bit of a weird one. You have to make sure that there is enough in your purse to cover their green fee, when you book them in. But you don't actually get charged at the time of booking, its more like a hold

Golfgraffix

So you can’t spend that money once booked ? Seems very odd.