The Ambassador's Tale
 

Today I was playing an exec course and came upon a hole with a lake between tee and green. I saw an ambassador drive his cart down to the lake shore and get out. He had not seen me and it was a slow day. He began ball hawking. I was in no hurry and took about a half dozen practice swings, watching him between swings and thinking, "What a nice gig, he has. Minimum wage for ball hawking ain't bad." It appeared that he found a couple of balls before he finally noticed me and moved back to the cart path. I teed off and he came to the tee. Asked if I needed water. Well I was standing by the tee box's water cooler, so I declined his generous offer. He seemed a little nervous and began a conversation.

Ambassador: Emmm...gotta pick up the paper.
Me: Huh?
Ambassador: Uhh...that's my job...picking up trash and stuff. Uhhh, sometimes I find a ball, but I don't keep 'em....I give most of them away.
Me: I don't even bother to pick them up since they aren't likely to be my brand. (I am such an elitist)
Ambassador: Well, I give them to my friend. He is in charge of cleaning them and sending them to our veterans overseas.
Me: OK, later.

As I drove off he began washing the balls he found, and I gave him a mental high five for his artistry at BS.

As Ralph Kramden would say:

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Perfect.

Did the ambassador slow you down to the point you were getting antsy? The ambassador probably thought you were one of the privileged/entitled and was trying to change your mind about dimeing him out to management. Contrary to some popular beliefs, not everyone is flush with money here in TV, like some privileged/entitled are (or act like they are), and some of the employees of GMS do need these minimum wage paying jobs.

Ambassadors are nice people

Especially Caroline Kennedy.

I'm sure that most of them are, but I don't understand what their job is other than to offer water and sand.

I always bring a large bottle of water and get plenty of sand before I tee off so I don't need anything from them.

I was playing a few days ago after the storm and the golf course was obviously very wet. There were large signs at the starters booth stating, "CART PATHS ONLY". It also stated that there was no exception for those with handicap flags. The starter also told me that the course was wet and I had to stay on the cart paths everywhere.

I played the first hole and the second green comes back to where the first tee is. As I'm coming up the second hole, I see a couple with their golf cart right in the middle of the first fairway. What's worse is there was an ambassador standing by the tee chatting with the starter and watching these people. I watched as I played subsequent holes and they drove their cart all over the grass and were never spoken to.

If the ambassadors behave this way to avoid annoying people, it's not working. I was very annoyed. Not because I had to stay on the paths and they didn't, but because they are ruining a golf course that I play on quite often. In fact where we pay for the golf courses, you could almost say that we, as a group of residents, are, in a way, part owners of these courses.

I am tired of seeing unrepaired ball marks, unfilled divots and unraked traps. Buy not speaking to people who fail to follow the rules and common procedures, the ambassadors are offending those of us that do.

From what I see, most ambassadors do their job quite well.

I heard the purpose of Ambassadors is to irritate a minority of Villagers.

Mission accomplished.


:gc:

And gullible me, I find the ambassador's explanation entirely believable. Maybe I just don't jump to the conclusion people are lying to me as the first option. Many a time ambassadors have noted what color ball Mrs Blueash uses and offered her some matching item from their cart. I have seen balls at the starter shack offered for free.

As to whether the friend sends them overseas, I have no idea. Even if he does not that does not mean the ambassador is aware his friend is keeping or selling the balls rather than shipping them.

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Why offer you water when you are next to a water cooler? I asked once.. sometimes you learn something that way. The water cooler water has been there all day and the water in the cart is much fresher. The ambassador told me some golfers think the fresher colder water tastes better. So there's the reason. Nice of him to offer.

It is obvious to me that they are doing, or not doing what they are told to do, or not do. It takes five minutes to figure out that our golf here in The Villages is NOT like golf in our past life. They are AMBASSADORS not Marshalls and follow along with the obvious philosophy of not being hard nosed about rules here.

It is not THEIR fault.

I'm pretty sure the policy for ambassadors is NO BALL HAWKING while on duty. This ambassador knew it, and he knew there was a witness. It may only be minimum wage, but if you want the pay, then follow the rules. If you are too poor to afford golf balls, then maybe golf isn't for you.

I would like to think that people would not report this person to the powers that be and have them lose their job.

If it were unethical for this ambassador to do so, then he should consider the stress involved, in possibly getting caught.

This is a minor episode. IMHO

BTW - I have always received good treatment from the golf ambassadors!

OP, enjoyed your Ambassador story but then I like stories. Your read that most of the encounter was BS may be entirely correct. The Ambassador likely thought he needed to explain as you saw him ball hawking. Maybe one of his jobs is to pickup trash, paper etc. out of the lakes too----probably is one of his jobs.

Not a big deal and I wouldn't expect him to leave a golf ball next to a piece of paper. Thanks for sharing an interesting story. Fore!

and are our neighbors.................

What do you base this "pretty sure" on?

Wow, cut them some slack.
It really isn't that big of a deal. It's a retired person just like most of us enjoying getting out and interacting with people.
They aren't the golf police. Just making sure everything looks good and helping people out if they need help.
Let's just enjoy life while we can for as long as we can. :)

The guy didn't annoy me. He didn't bother me. I don't give a damn what he does or doesn't do during his duty hours. I just thought it was amusing that he behaved like his mom had just caught him watching porn.

Taking a half dozen practice swings ( and pausing in between), can result in the group behind you lobbing a couple shots in your direction.

When you play in temperatures only suited to mad dogs and Englishmen, there are no groups in front or behind you.

Only if they are very, very stupid.

While lawsuits and/or criminal charges involving people being hit by golf balls accidentally are mixed, if it can be proved that someone intentionally hit a ball toward someone, the one who aimed toward the other golfer(s)... better call their lawyer.

If they still have any working fingers after being confronted for assault...that is.

I would offer this caveat its a waste of time to fish a ball out of a pond because when first entered the ball becomes addicted to water and will soon return to what it likes best:D

In 10 years here I have found maintenance people to be most courteous.

What annoys me are those golfers who literally take their practice to the game.... er rather feel entitled to practice while playing. I've been with guys who hit three or four balls off a tee. Some on executive courses who continue even after 13 strokes and apparently never heard the term in the pocket. Some who want to have a 20 minute conversation between golf holes. This is essentially damaging in prime season and to my thinking somewhat selfish and certainly thoughtless.

I can be as sociable as the next guy but I prefer to do it on the 19th hole . While always remaining polite I do get impatient with golfers who do not understand the need for ready golf. I also get short with patience when playing with guys who all want to be the last one to putt and lay back spending endless seconds to see who is going to give in first but I digress

Funny thing, I can't hit golf ball very far till some ah drives one at or through us. All sudden I can hit that ball 300 yards back down the fairway.

Common sense.

This is not true on the championship courses, they have the authority to ask you to move faster. I am not positive about the executives. Like every job, some are better at it than others.

Yesterday was a perfect example of why it gets frustrating. We played Evans Prairie, Killdeer to Egret (Osprey closed). On the front nine we were 10 plus minutes over a very forgiving 'time par'

As we turned to Egret, the ambassador stopped by on the first hole asking what the heck happened on the front nine. I was surprised by the response of someone in the group, stating that the ambassador did not do his job.

The ambassador said, I am sorry about that, I have already spoken to a group 2 ahead of you and will check back on them. I ask that you keep up when they speed up.

I wanted to hug him.

So, it really is not policy.

Good to hear. I didn't know there was a difference but it really makes sense. I have heard if someone lodges a complaint against an ambassador they will get fired. BUT I am pretty sure that is a rumor.

Yawn! As usual...
 

the ignorance of the conspiracy theorist wins out over common sense. Lots of ambassadors ball hawk...when I was one I did not...seemed like a waste of time. It's a thankless job done by folks who need time filled. Some are good and some not so good...who cares!

Have you ever met anyone who is flush with money who is nice and kind and fair and reasonable and responsible and quiet about it and who got their "flushness" by working very hard and not spending foolishly?

I have.