Off the Fringe, “Golf’s best short read.” The award winning newsletter, sent twice monthly, that provides an unconventional perspective on the golf world.
Gail Briner
Solvang
2008-07-12
$76 (cart included), played on Saturday, July 2008 at 8am
TO WHO IT MAY CONCERN:
THE COURSE ITSELF IS BEAUTIFUL AND FUN TO PLAY. BUT... WE HAVE PLAYED THIS COURSE ABOUT 10 TIMES OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS, 2 TIMES IN A TOURNAMENT WITH OUR OUT OF TOWN GOLF CLUB. VIRTUALLY, EVERY TIME WE PLAY, WE HAVE SOME KIND OF PROBLEM WITH THE STAFF. THIS IS UNCOMMON IN THE GOLF INDUSTRY. USUALLY, STAFF MEMBERS ARE ACCOMMODATING, CORDIAL, AND POSITIVE,
THE LAST TIME WE PLAYED, ABOUT A WEEK AGO, WE GOT THE TEE TIMES MIXED UP AND THEN WE WERE TOLD THEY WERE TOO BUSY TO GET US ON. THERE WERE ONLY 10 CARS IN THE PARKING LOT. WE FIRST EXPLAINED AND ASKED FOR A SOLUTION, BUT THEN COMPLAINED.
THEY MANAGED TO "SQUEEZE" US IN. WE HAD TWO TWOSOMES IN FRONT OF US AND WE DID NOT SEE THE GROUP BEHIND US FOR 8 HOLES! IT CLEARLY WAS NOT BUSY. IT WAS SURPRISING THAT WE HAD TO URGE THE THE EMPLOYEE TO ACCEPT OUR $500 PLUS FOR OUR GROUP AND ALLOW US TO PLAY.
WHEN WE FINALLY MADE IT TO THE TEE BOX THE STARTER WAS GRUMPY AND EVEN YELLED AT US OVER THE P.A. SYSTEM AS ONE OF OUR FEMALE PLAYERS HAD TEE,D A BALL UP ON THE LADIES TEE BOX AND WAS JUST STANDING AROUND SWINGING HER CLUB AND WAITING. HE YELLED AT US ON THE PA SYSTEM AND SAID THAT WE WERE NOT CLEARED TO GO. I THINK A VETERAN STARTER KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WARM-UP SWING AND WHEN YOU ARE ADDRESSING THE BALL TO HIT IT, PLEASE....
ANOTHER TIME WHEN WE PLAYED THERE, WE WERE WAITING FOR THE MEN TO TEE OFF AND HE SNAPPED AT US SAYING THE LADIES TEE BOX IS DOWN THERE! THIS SAME MAN HAS BEEN THERE MOST EVERY TIME WE HAVE PLAYED. MY HUSBAND DROVE UP TO HIM AND SAID HELLO AND ASKED HIM HOW HIS DAY WAS GOING. TO OUR SURPRISE, HE LOOKED AT HIM AND DID NOT SAY A WORD! IS THIS THE ATTITUDE YOU WANT GREETING THE CLIENTS ON THE FIRST HOLE? TO BE HONEST, WE WERE HAPPY TO BE ON VACATION AND PLAYING SUCH A NICE COURSE. THE LAST THING WE WANTED WAS CONFLICT.
DURING A TOURNAMENT ON A HOT AUGUST WEEKEND LAST YEAR, THE STAFF WOULD NOT LET US USE THE PATIO AFTER THE TOURNAMENT BECAUSE THEY HAD AN EVENT GOING ON. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO HAVE ADVANCED NOTICE FOR OUR GROUP OF OVER FORTY PLAYERS, SO WE COULD HAVE MADE OTHER ARRANGEMENTS TO SPEND OUR MONEY ON FOOD AND DRINKS. THEY ALSO RAN OUT OF ICE. IT WAS A VERY HOT DAY. I AM SURE THERE IS SOME PLACE TO BUY ICE IN TOWN ONE MILE AWAY!
DURING A TOURNAMENT BEFORE THAT WE WERE ON THE PATIO SPENDING LOTS OF MONEY ON FOOD AND DRINKS WHEN THEY CLOSED THE PRO SHOP. IT WAS BEARLY SUNSET. SOMEONE COULD HAVE GIVEN US SOME NOTICE. WE HAD TO GO BACK THE NEXT MORNING TO POST THE SCORES FOR EVERYONE.
IN CONCLUSION, I WOULD SAY THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SATISFACTION SHOULD BE THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. IF A CUSTOMER IS UNHAPPY ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH THEY WERE TREATED, THEY TEND TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH OTHERS. ON THE OTHER HAND, WHEN YOU PLAY AT COURSES WHERE PUBLIC RELATIONS AND SERVICE ARE TOP PRIORITIES, THAT INFORMATION IS SHARED.
SUGGESTIONS:
GET MR. GRUMPY OUT OF THE STARTER ASSIGNMENT. HE IS QUITE RUDE, AND NOT JUST ON ONE DAY. HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN LESS THAN NICE OR CORDIAL. THERE IS A MUCH NICER MARSHAL WE SEE OUT ON THE COURSE THEY COULD USE IN THIS ASSIGNMENT, OR EVEN THE HAPPY DARK HAIRED, SLENDER CART GIRL WHO WAS VERY NICE AND ACCOMMODATING.
THE COURSE IS VERY NICE. PERHAPS WE CAN ENCOURAGE THE STAFF TO SMILE JUST A LITTLE MORE AND GREET THE CUSTOMERS AS IF THEY WERE ACTUALLY HAPPY TO HAVE OUR BUSINESS. IT GOES A LONG WAY. WE REALLY DO NOT KNOW IF WE WILL RETURN TO THIS FACILITY, OUR GOLF CLUB NO LONGER DOES BUSINESS WITH THEM BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF SERVICE. I WOULD HOPE THEY WILL TAKE THIS CONSTRUCTIVE CRITIQUE FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH.
$76 (cart included), played on Saturday, July 2008 at 8am
TO WHO IT MAY CONCERN:
THE COURSE ITSELF IS BEAUTIFUL AND FUN TO PLAY. BUT... WE HAVE PLAYED THIS COURSE ABOUT 10 TIMES OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS, 2 TIMES IN A TOURNAMENT WITH OUR OUT OF TOWN GOLF CLUB. VIRTUALLY, EVERY TIME WE PLAY, WE HAVE SOME KIND OF PROBLEM WITH THE STAFF. THIS IS UNCOMMON IN THE GOLF INDUSTRY. USUALLY, STAFF MEMBERS ARE ACCOMMODATING, CORDIAL, AND POSITIVE,
THE LAST TIME WE PLAYED, ABOUT A WEEK AGO, WE GOT THE TEE TIMES MIXED UP AND THEN WE WERE TOLD THEY WERE TOO BUSY TO GET US ON. THERE WERE ONLY 10 CARS IN THE PARKING LOT. WE FIRST EXPLAINED AND ASKED FOR A SOLUTION, BUT THEN COMPLAINED.
THEY MANAGED TO "SQUEEZE" US IN. WE HAD TWO TWOSOMES IN FRONT OF US AND WE DID NOT SEE THE GROUP BEHIND US FOR 8 HOLES! IT CLEARLY WAS NOT BUSY. IT WAS SURPRISING THAT WE HAD TO URGE THE THE EMPLOYEE TO ACCEPT OUR $500 PLUS FOR OUR GROUP AND ALLOW US TO PLAY.
WHEN WE FINALLY MADE IT TO THE TEE BOX THE STARTER WAS GRUMPY AND EVEN YELLED AT US OVER THE P.A. SYSTEM AS ONE OF OUR FEMALE PLAYERS HAD TEE,D A BALL UP ON THE LADIES TEE BOX AND WAS JUST STANDING AROUND SWINGING HER CLUB AND WAITING. HE YELLED AT US ON THE PA SYSTEM AND SAID THAT WE WERE NOT CLEARED TO GO. I THINK A VETERAN STARTER KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WARM-UP SWING AND WHEN YOU ARE ADDRESSING THE BALL TO HIT IT, PLEASE....
ANOTHER TIME WHEN WE PLAYED THERE, WE WERE WAITING FOR THE MEN TO TEE OFF AND HE SNAPPED AT US SAYING THE LADIES TEE BOX IS DOWN THERE! THIS SAME MAN HAS BEEN THERE MOST EVERY TIME WE HAVE PLAYED. MY HUSBAND DROVE UP TO HIM AND SAID HELLO AND ASKED HIM HOW HIS DAY WAS GOING. TO OUR SURPRISE, HE LOOKED AT HIM AND DID NOT SAY A WORD! IS THIS THE ATTITUDE YOU WANT GREETING THE CLIENTS ON THE FIRST HOLE? TO BE HONEST, WE WERE HAPPY TO BE ON VACATION AND PLAYING SUCH A NICE COURSE. THE LAST THING WE WANTED WAS CONFLICT.
DURING A TOURNAMENT ON A HOT AUGUST WEEKEND LAST YEAR, THE STAFF WOULD NOT LET US USE THE PATIO AFTER THE TOURNAMENT BECAUSE THEY HAD AN EVENT GOING ON. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO HAVE ADVANCED NOTICE FOR OUR GROUP OF OVER FORTY PLAYERS, SO WE COULD HAVE MADE OTHER ARRANGEMENTS TO SPEND OUR MONEY ON FOOD AND DRINKS. THEY ALSO RAN OUT OF ICE. IT WAS A VERY HOT DAY. I AM SURE THERE IS SOME PLACE TO BUY ICE IN TOWN ONE MILE AWAY!
DURING A TOURNAMENT BEFORE THAT WE WERE ON THE PATIO SPENDING LOTS OF MONEY ON FOOD AND DRINKS WHEN THEY CLOSED THE PRO SHOP. IT WAS BEARLY SUNSET. SOMEONE COULD HAVE GIVEN US SOME NOTICE. WE HAD TO GO BACK THE NEXT MORNING TO POST THE SCORES FOR EVERYONE.
IN CONCLUSION, I WOULD SAY THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SATISFACTION SHOULD BE THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. IF A CUSTOMER IS UNHAPPY ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH THEY WERE TREATED, THEY TEND TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH OTHERS. ON THE OTHER HAND, WHEN YOU PLAY AT COURSES WHERE PUBLIC RELATIONS AND SERVICE ARE TOP PRIORITIES, THAT INFORMATION IS SHARED.
SUGGESTIONS:
GET MR. GRUMPY OUT OF THE STARTER ASSIGNMENT. HE IS QUITE RUDE, AND NOT JUST ON ONE DAY. HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN LESS THAN NICE OR CORDIAL. THERE IS A MUCH NICER MARSHAL WE SEE OUT ON THE COURSE THEY COULD USE IN THIS ASSIGNMENT, OR EVEN THE HAPPY DARK HAIRED, SLENDER CART GIRL WHO WAS VERY NICE AND ACCOMMODATING.
THE COURSE IS VERY NICE. PERHAPS WE CAN ENCOURAGE THE STAFF TO SMILE JUST A LITTLE MORE AND GREET THE CUSTOMERS AS IF THEY WERE ACTUALLY HAPPY TO HAVE OUR BUSINESS. IT GOES A LONG WAY. WE REALLY DO NOT KNOW IF WE WILL RETURN TO THIS FACILITY, OUR GOLF CLUB NO LONGER DOES BUSINESS WITH THEM BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF SERVICE. I WOULD HOPE THEY WILL TAKE THIS CONSTRUCTIVE CRITIQUE FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION.