Many, residents of TV do not know golf's responsibilities!!
 

This post is inspired after playing the Belmont course today. The greens were in horrible condition. It is absolutely staggering how many ball marks are on the greens with obviously no attempt having ever been made to repair the ball marks. Disgustingly irresponsible of any of you who play and do not repair ball marks on the greens. Do you know it is just common responsibility to do so? Yes, even the ones you do not make!

Do some of you think it is someone else's responsility to do this? Clean up after those who know no better or give a * * * * ?

Shame on those who contribute to making a mess of our golf courses?

If ya wanna play learn what your supposed to do while standing around on the greens....

btk

I'm with you all the way...except here. Fix your own for sure. Fixing one more is good practice. But "responsibility" to fix others' ball marks.? Just ain't so.

I suspect he meant everyone should repair their own - and he is absolutely correct! I played an executive course last week and found the same thing - many un-repaired marks. It would help if the ambassadors or starters kept reminding each group, but the ambassadors are too afraid of making waves, so I rarely hear them say anything.

Being an Ambassador/Starter I take exception to the statement “ambassadors are too afraid of making waves, so I rarely hear them say anything.” I, (we) do instruct, ask, ALL golfers to fix, fill and rake. But sadly it sometimes falls on deaf ears. I have been told by a golfer that it is NOT their job to repair a ball mark but it is the job of the ambassador since we get paid! But that is not the rule, MOST golfers are VERY nice and try to do the right thing!

I'm with you btk, and I would add raking the traps!

Absolutely and completely and totally agree with Billy AND the Ambassador. They are not given "the teeth" of marshals anywhere else in the golfing world.

Agree.

The issues with non raker bunkers and ball pocked grees on Exec courses in TV is the worst that I have ever seen. Reminders should be prominently posted on starter shacks, on score cards and ambassadors and starters should politely suggest that golfers "help us out by fixing ball marks and raking". I don't recall seeing reminders anywhere and have never had an ambassador suggest that we could help.

My hubby and I took the Good Golf School that is offered free for all residents. They do a good job explaining rules here in The Villages. I know that some think that they know the rules but perhaps they need to know the rules here in The Villages. Many of the people attending the class had many years of golf experience but still learned things that are unique to The Villages. The instructor went over many rules including what to do in a medical emergency. I think that fact alone was well worth the time.

IMHO, the Good Golf School should be mandatory for all resident golfers.

I agree. No way I'm fixing marks made by someone else, I'd be on the green for 10 minutes! I think that part of the problem is the older folks can't bend down, they have trouble getting the ball out of the cup so they use a suction cup or a grabber on the end of their putter.
What we need is another attachment to fix divots without bending over. Maybe I'll invent one. I already invented special golf socks and if you buy them from me you're guaranteed to get a hole in one!

That's too bad. If we all left the course a little better than we found it, it would be better for everyone. Don't fix ALL the ball marks, just yours and 1 or 2 others. That would be a big help.

greens
 

I always fix my mark, and look for 2 more to fix. Doesn't take that long. And if everyone took that approach, our greens would look great.

Remember it is our course, play like you own it. If repairs have to be made , it comes out of our funds.

This device has existed since I was a young man cutting greens for a summer job. Now we just need to get the price uner $19.99 ...

Greenskeeper Golf Ball Mark Repair Tool - OnlineSports.com

I would always LOVE to fix my ball marks on the green, because I'd be so proud to land on the green once in a while! But, I do fix others also.

Amazing how there is a complaint about just the greens. How about all the other rules. Like private property do not enter. Stay out of areas that are clearly marked water areas and mashes. The list goes on and on. 95% of the full time golfers here do comply. But when the snow birds come. All hell break loose.
As I waited for my tee time yesterday. I watched as a male golfer goes over next to a rec-center and starts swinging his club taking large peaces of grass out of the lawn. I suggested that was not the place to do that since it was clearly not part of the golf course. His reply (well I don't use those kind of words). And another quote. "I paid for golf time and I can swing my clubs where ever I want to" . Then his friend comes over looks at me. laughs and takes his club and starts hitting the plants. " Don't like he tells me. Try and do something about it."
Welcome to the villages when the snow birds are here.
As for the Ambassadors. They can't really do much about it. The villages will not let them do what is needed to stop this kind of thing from happening. Please remember this is about making money not about playing golf.

"Snowbirds"
 

Its a good thing that our seasonal friends aren't here during hurricane season or they'd get blamed for that too.

What makes you so sure these folks were snowbirds? Did they have a sign on their forehead?

WOW without these Snowbirds you could probably not afford to be playing on these courses or eating in any decent restaurants etc etc. Their cost is also 2-3 times your cost because they are here only a few months. Tbankfully, most of the people I come in contact. with do not share your point if view. 99.4% friendly. Join the club.

The snowbirds that I know don't act like this. Don't paint them with a broad brush.
Your new friends you met on the golf course are just jerks. Probably were bullies on the playground as well. Wanting to start a fight..........is so macho!

It works pretty well too. I was traveling and stopped and played a course in Tennessee that had one at every hole . My course up north has several for the maintenance staff and they send out a kid every morning to fix what the players did not. It is a shame it has come to that.....

As a new golfer I agree, and will be looking for when and where I can take the class. Thanks for the info.

Now is that just one guaranteed hole-in-one? Or is it one per pair of socks purchased??!!?? :^0

Since I came to TV, I have believed there is an issue on the executive with golf etiquite.

For many people, exective golf is the first golfing experience they have had...they pay for it in their amentiy fees and they'll be darned if they are not going to play.

They learn the rules but the subtle nuances of golf etiquite are completely foreign to them.

Among the things, that I have observed first hand, missing from their understanding are:

• Fixing ball marks,
• Raking traps,
• Fixing divots with sand,
• Walking while you are putting,
• Talking while you are hitting,
• Keeping carts away from (off of) the greens,
• Keeping up with the group in front of them, not keeping ahead of those behind them,
• Not being on the tee while others in the group are hitting to watch the balls,
• Not moving to the next tee before straightening their golf bag out,
• and my favorite...sitting in the golf cart until the riding partner has hit then driving 15 yards to their ball, getting out, choosing their club, setting up and hitting!

I agree that eveyone who plays golf here in TV should have a sticker on thier ID Card that indicates that they have atteneded Golf 101 or has passed a simple rules / etiquite quiz.

Having been a golfer since childhood and a former caddy, I did not go to Golf 101 but am not sure if these things are taught or not. But I would be willing to take a quiz to qualify to play!

My sentiments--- exactly:clap2:
Now how do we make it happen?

It is not only the snowbirds. Last September when I was down I played with two guys that made fun of me because I was not full time yet. It was all in fun joking and stuff. The first green was so bad I started repairing ball marks, could not putt to the hole without doing it. The one guy said I can't improve my shot. I just looked at him and he was serious. I told him that you are suppossed to fix your marks everytime and he said that was the ambassadors job. I told him that they don't sit there waiting for him to make a mark and fix it. It was a long round, they only made one ball mark. The tees were not in the right place that day:)

Great post. If I offended Ambassadors with my comment that they rarely say anything about repairing ball marks, I'm sorry, but Im speaking from my experience. The only time I've ever had anyone say something about repair ball marks, rake traps, etc., is over at Lopez, and possibly Orange blossom. I've never been warned on an executive course, and I play them about once a week. Also, I have a couple friends that are Ambassadors on the golf course, and they've told me stories about how if they reprimand players, ask them to hurry up, or whatever, the players will turn them in and get them in trouble with their boss, so they tend not to say anything - just give them water and sand, and try to avoid any confrontation. If you are an exception to the rule, I'm glad to hear it.

no I did not intend that we should do greens maintenance and repair all the marks....yours if you are having a good day and hitting the greens. And While waiting your turn get one or two others.

If everybody did this the greens would be oh so much better.

I personally do not think it is related to snow birds. There will always be those who we all know that think rules are for everybody else. And there are way too many that just do not know.

TV or some golf related group would be nice offering golf 101....or TV could have a do and don't package handed to every property owner with golg 101/expectatios....how to drive round abouts...etc.

Sometimes wonder about the basic courtesies that some just do not participate in:ohdear:

btk

I am currently a snowbird and I can tell you I am very cognizant of good golf etiquette and course maintenance! I always look over the green as I am going to my ball, and fix any ball marks I see,including my own. Additionally, I have played with dozens of full time residents, many of whom do not ever repair a ball mark or rake the trap. I have played golf for fifty years and still went to the good golf school two years ago in order to learn the local expectations and founditvery informative. Incidentally, I have played with two couples in the last year, both of whom were full-timers that actually parked their carts on the fringe, one had a person who was limited physically, but the other couple appeared to be fine. Guess it depends on the person and not the time they spend in TV!

Heron also
 

:mademyday:This post is inspired after playing the Belmont course today. The greens were in horrible condition. It is absolutely staggering how many ball marks are on the greens with obviously no attempt having ever been made to repair the ball marks. Disgustingly irresponsible of any of you who play and do not repair ball marks on the greens. Do you know it is just common responsibility to do so? Yes, even the ones you do not make!

Do some of you think it is someone else's responsility to do this? Clean up after those who know no better or give a * * * * ?

Shame on those who contribute to making a mess of our golf courses?

If ya wanna play learn what your supposed to do while standing around on the greens....

btk[/QUOTE]


:agree::mademyday:

You are so right. AND Salybow's Post above mine is so right and it isn't snowbirds OR frogs, it is anyone who doesn't respect the rules and etiquette of golf. These are OUR courses and we need to treat them like they are.

If I could change one thing about The Villages, I would change the Ambassadors to Marshals like all the other courses in the world.

Good post.. So true. Also a caddy when very young :) never saw it this bad.
But..or add a cute one. They are playing the exec courses.. These people believe they are playing in the US Open on how they look at putts, address their shots, adding to the slow play along with getting in and out of carts.

How about RENTERS, I think they treat our community as if it were a resort and someone else will clean up after them.

I spent several years in Germany and played a lot of golf at one of the military courses. We shared the course with a German club. Before the German club would let one of its members on the course, they had to pass a written rules test and a written etiquette test. They also had to demonstrate a minimum playinf ability by playing with someone with an established hndicap. It's extreme - but you never or at least rarely saw a German member leave an unrepaired ball mark!

If you are going to fix a ball mark on a Bermuda green, please do it correctly. Most of us who have played golf, up north, have been fixing ball marks on Bent Grass greens. An improperly repaired ball mark on a Bermuda green can do serious damage. Most starter shacks on the championship courses have an illustrated handout, explaining the proper procedure for repairing ball marks on Bermuda greens. If you can't find one at the executive starter shacks, please ask for some to be made available.