Where are the Ambassadors?
 

Played Glenview yesterday, 0742 tee time. After making the turn, we immediately started experiencing 14 minute holes. By hole 6 on Talley Ho, we called the pro shop and asked them to send someone out...we had not seen an ambassador since we began the round on Stirrup Cup. Our complaint was the 14 minute holes. An ambassador showed up within minutes of our call, explained a group three holes ahead of us was playing slow since they teed off, and they were warned once, but not asked to skip holes. The ambassador said they now have two ambassadors for three nines, and it's been that way for some time. He said that's the reason they can't get around to check on everyone or keep players on pace. If this bothers you, call golf administration and encourage them to have one ambassador for every nine. Golf Administration phone number is 352.753.3396.

Maybe I misunderstood the OP, but isn't 14 minutes the estimated time per hole based on the scorecard.

https://www.golfthevillages.com/cham...s/GLENVIEW.pdf

14 min/hole is roughly two hours for nine holes. Not out of line imo.

A beautiful day!

Again a prime example of the first few tee times playing fast and hitting the backside of the wave on the next nine. When that happens you "think" play is slow on the back. Did you happen to ask the Ambassador where "you" were on "your" time for the holes you played? Did he tell you? I bet you were at least twenty minutes ahead.

It is amazing that when you think you are playing slow, it really doesn't end up that way. You might have a slow group in front, or they look slow, but in the end you are finished within the four hours. I know that waiting on the fairway or on the tee too long can ruin your momentum., and you could have been done in 3 and a half hours. Don't fret, the beer will still be cold.

The ambass's don't do and can't do squat.

Never have, Never will.
We are no longer in Kansas Toto.
It's The Villages, full of old people.....it's four hour rounds.
Once in a while, +4 hours.
Leave the chart children alone.


:ho:

Just wait until the minimum wage goes up to $10.00 in September, with an annual further increase of $1.00 an hour each year until it reaches $15.00. I doubt The Villages is willing to pay that much for a person to pass out sand and water.

Sure they will.
Plans are in place already.
Reduction of golf discounts.
:thumbup:

When I retired in NY in the early 2000's, my wife still worked and I was bored. One of the local golf courses asked me to be a Ranger. I could work 3 weekdays, so I was still off weekends. I was paid $8 an hour and could play all the golf I wanted during the other weekdays or after work for free. If was an easy job because I had the power to move slow golfers along, and the free $55 weekday greens fees with a cart were a great incentive. If the weather was rainy, I would run the pro shop and the pro would take off. They give the ambassadors here squat.

They get 1/2 price golf, which is :coolsmiley:

You are correct 4 hour rounds are the norm. BUT you are incorrect about the ambassadors. Maybe before you make a false statement that they can't do "squat" you should check with course management. Or become one and find out what the real situation is.

And employee discounts on merchandise. There are other "perks" depending on what you do extra

Thanks! And we do take offense at the "don't do squat" BS

No, that's not exactly how it will go down. From my experience working in a state where minimum wage went up every year while I was working in a minimum wage job:

1. They will expect employees to do more for their money.
2. Those who are on various programs (food stamps, social security) will discover their higher income cuts into their eligibility or full amount, and will either quit their jobs or ask for a reduction in hours, thus making room for someone else to fill the slot.
3. In some places (probably not the Villages, where they have bare-bones staff to start with) they'll reduce hours of low-wage employees or eliminate positions entirely, or put a freeze on new-hires.
4. They'll reduce/remove benefits previously offered to low-wage part time employees.

chilout

I golf with four abass's on a regular basis and they know their value to society.

Lighten up.

:1rotfl:

Pretty good summary.

Then choose your words carefully please

My sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Evans, didn't have any luck with those instructions either.
:a040:
:clap2::clap2::clap2:
:a040:

Education went downhill when they did away with corporal punishment.:)

:bigbow:

Most of the Nines here show 2 hours and 12 minutes +/- on the card, even though many could play in 1 1/2 hours easy if by themselves.

Only takes a couple players to have a couple bad holes and the whole group can fall behind the group in front of them.

Ambassadors have no real authority except to request folks pick up the pace.

Most employee complaints I see regarding job changes when a higher minimum wage is introduced, is staff reductions, and the survivors take up the slack.
Wage rises are not always the panacea they seem, but always look good at the next election!

Very true. Sounds like a great idea but in reality often hurts those it tries to help.

Well maybe the four you play with don't do their job, BUT as I said before, before you make blanket statements get the true facts.

:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Oh Honey, I know exactly what Abass's do & don't do; should & shouldn't do; can & can't do.



Just grab your clipboard and don't worry so much about what others think about your job.


:cryin2:

How fast does your fivesome play?:bigbow:

true
 

this is true. I am ambassador at Palmer and have to ride 2 courses. This was done due to COVID 19 and hasn't changed. My guess is they are trying to prepare for $15 min. wage and cutting down to only 2 ambassadors on Championship courses?

Well said!

We stay right on the chart time, but we don't rake traps and we throw our cig butts where every we want.

Most of the slow play problems I have seen are due to what I call 'ego' players. The people ahead of them may be 300 yds away, but they still won't play because they think they can drive the ball that far.

I always laugh at the $0.25 putts.
Gotta putt everything, gotta mark & take turns, gotta scope out from all four sides.
Love it. :ohdear:

Yeah, I resigned last year(due to COVID and injury), and was looking to return, but noticed the schedule has blacked-out some Champ Amb positions, and learned why. I suspect(ed) that some changes would be coming, and probably permanently? As for the min wage hike, I wouldn't be surprised to see the discount get reduced? As for the "can't/won't do anything", that is totally incorrect. We were trained otherwise, but there definitely is/was some Ambassadors that would not speak to anyone. I had some that sent their late group onto my 9 holes, leaving me to deal with them. I did speak to them, but it's usually too late by then. You talk to them once(nicely), then time them a second time, and depending on the result... Enough said.

No, should be 8 minutes.

As long as they are within the par time on the card, what's the problem? They paid their money just like you did.

Ambassadors not responsive
 

We played Glenview last week and had a worse experience . We were playing Stirrup nine and were the last group of the day. When we got to the 9th tee, a couple was just teeing off. Luckily (we thought) an Ambassador was right there. We asked him what was going on and he said they couple had played number 1 and decided to play 9 back to the club house. We asked him to move them off the hole and he drove away in the opposite direction. We stood on the tee for nearly 10 minutes as they hacked their way to the green almost another 10 while they chipped back and forth before putting out. It was a terrible way to end the round and since we were playing so late, cost us at least two additional holes of play. With behavior like this we don’t need ambassadors, we need rangers who understand the game and enforce the rules designed to make the game fun for all customers.

Love those people with range finders. Takes forever to get the measurements and who is good enough to hit the ball that close. Gps is just as effective and much quicker to give you the approx. measurement.

And this has relevance to the discussion how?

The discussion was also about slow play