We (foursome) had a tee time for 830am on Sunday May 29th.
We paid up and checked in at 810am, the man behind the counter told us we were up next. Our wives were getting our gear ready when the man from the clubhouse announced "-----foursome to the tee box". This was at 815am. So I panicked and dropped my coffee while getting my gear ready. 820am we are walking up to the tee box and the man announces "-----foursome I need you to start now or the other groups will fall behind because of you".
Really? We have a tee time for 830am...we all are thrown off by this, but I enter the tee box hit my ball, then my friend does followed up by my wife. She mis-hits her ball and it rolls 2 feet off the tee. I tell her not to worry and try again. As she approaches the ball for her drive he announces "this isn't a driving range folks, pick it up and just play best ball". This is at 825am, I point to my watch and gesture - what's the problem. He announces "you are late". My friend went inside to talk to the man, while we walked out to my ball to play best ball (friends wife didn't even get to drive).
This was done in front of other golfers and was rude and unprofessional. Where the golf etiquette!?
We all were thrown off and continued to play despite the start. But we could not stop talking about it.
This is the type of thing that discourages people from playing this wonderful sport. I'm lucky I have such a strong partner who won't be discouraged by this. We will continue our weekly golf tradition - but never again at Gleneagles. read more