Quote:
Originally Posted by Papa_lecki
I don’t think the courses are this way due to lack of trying. It seems that, given the resources that are available and being spent on the problem, the powers that be can come up with a solution. It’s not like this is a new problem since Jan 2024.
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I don't think there is any one solution.
First of all, while not the whole problem, El Nino and a fungus have caused more problems than usual in our high season, which is why I believe this year has the worst course conditions I've seen in 10 years here (not that most winters are great, but this is probably the worst)
Secondly, I have to believe that the scale of golf maintenance in TV is an enormous problem. We can cite conditions at Juliette Falls, Golden Ocala and Bay Hill all we want, but it has to be easier to take care of 18-36 holes than the 693 holes we have here. The next largest complex I know of in FL is PGA National with 90 holes, and even the conditions at the Squire course are sub-optimal. I think BrianL has a solution---divide the courses into smaller groups and get a first class agronomist in charge. No matter how I add it up, I believe the money as already there.
Lastly, everyone needs to be responsible for the damage they cause. Why do some golfers think they don't have to fill divots, fix ball marks and rake traps? Why do some, especially those with CAP tags, think it is OK to drive up to the edge of greens, between greenside bunkers, and ignore the restrictions of "cart path only" days? My friends son is an assistant pro at a very exclusive club in Boca. They have cameras on every hole, trackers in every golf cart and a central monitoring room where someone is watching all the screens. If you fall behind, you get a warning, and if you don't catch up, you are asked to move up a hole as well as get a "demerit". If you don't rake a trap or fill a divot----demerits. Get a few demerits and you are banned for a week, then a month, and then ejected from the club. With a $150,000 non-refundable bond, you can imagine that everyone avoids demerits.
Obviously we can't do that here, but I would advocate giving the ambassadors more power and have management back them. Let them move people up a hole if warranted. Let them issue a "demerit" for not raking or filling. Yes, a very few ambassadors will go on a power trip, but they'll get weeded out in a hurry and asked to experience "alternative career opportunity enhancement". Possible penalties for accumulating demerits could include banning tee times for a period of time, or my favorite, charging double the greens fee so we can pay someone to clean up the damage these "entitled' golfers cause.