What Ever Happend To True/Real Hospitality At Golf Courses???

Starfire at Scottsdale Country Club

Yesterday I booked a tee time via GolfNow.com to play for today (5/16/09). The rate posted for a 5:50 pm tee time was $5.00. So for $5.00 I can play nine holes at a nice golf course. I walked in the golf shop with my friend to check in. As we walked in, the “golf shop guy” looked at his watch with the look as WTF are these guys doing here. Seriously! That’s the vibe he gave off . There was no “welcome” in his tone of voice. I gave my name for a 5:50 pm tee time. His reply was, “you only have one hour, the carts have to be in by 7:00.” I replied with: ‘It does not get dark until 7:45!’ His reply was, “the cart guy is not going to wait for YOU!” He then goes off by explaining why the $5.00 rate was posted. Reading this guy like a book, what he was really saying was: “look you cheap mofos, you are only paying five bucks!” Next he said, “if you can live with that!” My reply: ‘I can live with that, we are here to play.’

It’s a shame to be treated this way. If he was so concerned about a 7:00 pm curfew, then why post a late tee time, right? My hunch was that a late tee time would mean that there would be no one in front of us…and I was right. I knew we would finish with 9 holes before 7:30 pm. It turned out that we finished at 7:20 pm.

Is this lack of non service happening here only at Arizona golf courses? Did we not fit the “Scottsdale look?” Did “golf shop guy” assume we are cheap hacks, chops, trunk-slammers, and duffers. When I play for pay, I am customer like everyone else. I wore my “vacation clothes.” My attire was a Coors beer cap, long shorts, and Nike’s (non golf shoe). If service is this bad, then a kiosk to check in to pay to play would be of better use. I would have no problem with swiping my credit card to pay and receive the cart key from a machine.

I am very curious to hear what others around Arizona are experiencing. Please feel free to comment on this blog, phone me, or email me at rcamacho at azgolfinstructor dot com. And, if you have experienced outstanding hospitality, please inform me.

Happy Golfing,

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