[Miboater]

I think the only thing worse than unrepaired ball marks are the golfers who don't pick up their feet when they walk across the green wearing golf shoes. Played Evans Prairie today and every green was scuffed up by someone dragging their feet. You could see everywhere they walked on the green. Our whole foursome was tapping down the scuff marks.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

I think this is a topic where we can definitely blame snowbirds for this egregious behavior!

[Teed_Off]

Originally Posted by dano121

Isn't it part of the "Ambassadors" job to fix divots etc. It wouldn't hurt if they "Gently" kept play moving, as well.

You are relying on the Ambassadors to do what??

[kkingston57]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

I've been around & in the golf business for 30+ years. Ball marks, not raking bunkers and not filling divots and people complaining about it, is never going to change ... until golfers call out those who don't do it.

If I see someone in front of me, walk through a bunker and not rake it, I call them out. If I'm close enough to see them not fill/replace a divot ... I say something.

Barring clubs providing babysitters on every hole, the only way it's going to change, is for golfers to call out their playing partners and others they see, abusing the golf course. See something, say something.

Said this before and saying this again. All courses need the wider rakes.Takes 2-3 more strokes to rake sand with the narrow rakes in TV(champ and exec courses).

[kkingston57]

Originally Posted by D&BSmith

The last thing we need is for some of these people to bend over to try and repair a ball mark. Half of them can't even get their ball out of the hole without a ball retriever on the end of their putter. Fixing a ball mark will lead to falling over head first and next we have a medical emergency on our hands. I will gladly fix two ball marks on every green.

True and good thought. Bet most people who hit the ball high enough to cause a ball mark do not need to use those devices

[Jim1mack]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Which brings us to another problem----horribly damaged edges of cups. People should learn to take the ball out correctly----gently place hand palm facing flagstick and carefully remove ball. Better yet, take the flagstick out before putting like we had to do for 700 years prior to the new rule. DO NOT stick your putter in the cup, carelessly use a suction cup or other such device, nor forcefully yank the flagstick out to get the ball to pop out. Thank you---now go do it!!!!!

Luckily the many people I play with do not do that.

[Jim1mack]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Which brings us to another problem----horribly damaged edges of cups. People should learn to take the ball out correctly----gently place hand palm facing flagstick and carefully remove ball. Better yet, take the flagstick out before putting like we had to do for 700 years prior to the new rule. DO NOT stick your putter in the cup, carelessly use a suction cup or other such device, nor forcefully yank the flagstick out to get the ball to pop out. Thank you---now go do it!!!!!

Originally Posted by mrf6969

I still do not have any idea what so called ambassadors do, especially on the executive courses but also on the Champs.
Of course, it is the players responsibility to rake the traps and fill in divots and repair ball marks and drive carts in a 90-degree fashion to preserve the fairways.
The ambassadors drive around the course doing nothing in my opinion. Could they not when they see a golfer not doing their due diligence say something?
Someone needs to monitor those that commit the infraction.

It would be nice if there was a sand box on every executive and par 3 champion courses tee to allow ease of repairing divots. Or, if you generally take a divot take your sand bootle with you before you tee off.

The tee boxes are getting eaten up. The ambassadors should be monitoring that and sanding those divots.

[Jim1mack]

Originally Posted by Rocksnap

New to TV, moved here FT last October. I’ve done my share of executive golf. I always get to know whom I’m golfing with. My observations are the snow birds are more prone to not fixing ball marks on the green nor filling divots with sand elsewhere.

I’m also here full time and look at the courses as ‘my’ courses and take care of them as such. Our winter residents come here for three months or so and don’t give a d man.

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

My favorite is a bunker with footprints on the way in and on the way out within 1 foot of the rake. I'm surprised the idiot didn't trip over it. The other is a fairway bunker behind my house that is about 40 yards long. One day a "golfer" hit it in the bunker, hit it 5 yards, then another, then another 5 or 6 times and then exited the far side without even glancing at a rake. I couldn't resist, so I ran out of my lanai and raked the trap while the "golfer" was still only 20 yards out of it, so I yelled "your welcome". He gave me a one finger salute. You have no idea how close I was to removing his finger.

According to ambassadors you was trespassing on golf course. Good thing you held your temper.

[Jim1mack]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

My favorite is a bunker with footprints on the way in and on the way out within 1 foot of the rake. I'm surprised the idiot didn't trip over it. The other is a fairway bunker behind my house that is about 40 yards long. One day a "golfer" hit it in the bunker, hit it 5 yards, then another, then another 5 or 6 times and then exited the far side without even glancing at a rake. I couldn't resist, so I ran out of my lanai and raked the trap while the "golfer" was still only 20 yards out of it, so I yelled "your welcome". He gave me a one finger salute. You have no idea how close I was to removing his finger.

I applaud you. Golfed a championship yesterday. One in our group’s drive landed in the far lip of a bunker. It was kept up on the lip in a deep foot print some one didn’t rake.

[Jim1mack]

Originally Posted by dano121

Isn't it part of the "Ambassadors" job to fix divots etc. It wouldn't hurt if they "Gently" kept play moving, as well.

There should be a prominate sign at every starters shack the reads ‘It is required that you repair ball marks and divots’

[Jim1mack]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

I think this is a topic where we can definitely blame snowbirds for this egregious behavior!

I believe so. I’m full time and do not see this in summer.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

According to ambassadors you was trespassing on golf course. Good thing you held your temper.

The pro on that course deputized me

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Jim1mack

There should be a prominate sign at every starters shack the reads ‘It is required that you repair ball marks and divots’

I agree 100%, but I would make the sign PROMINENT

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Jim1mack

I’m also here full time and look at the courses as ‘my’ courses and take care of them as such. Our winter residents come here for three months or so and don’t give a d man.

That's ridiculous.

I play 100+ rounds/year in The Villages and if anything, it's the exact opposite. The folks who live here all year around, think the courses are theirs or they hold some sort of exalted status, as a full-time resident and are above raking bunkers or fixing divots.

Ask anyone who's ever belonged to a Private Club. Visitors/guests are always the 1st to fix a divot or rake a bunker ... it's always the Members who feel entitled and don't bother.