This is a great muni course, often in good shape, with challenging holes and a great course design by Robert Trent Jones.
What kills it are the employees.
If you aren't familiar with employees of Monmouth county municipal courses - their basic attitude is: "The Customer Comes Last". Often surly towards customers, they would never have jobs on private golf courses. They know, because they are working for a local county government that they answer to no one.
I have played this course more than 10 times, along with other county courses like Shark River, Charleston Springs and Howell Park.
A perfect example was my outing last Saturday. A very hot summer day, exceeding 95 degrees. There's a warning about no water on the golf course. I ask the people at the desk if there is a cart-person who will be working the course so I can get water. They tell me yes.
Just in case I use the vending machine to buy two bottles of water (at $2.50 each).
We go to play 18 holes, and see a cart-girl on the 4th hole. By the 4th hole i'm already done with my water and buy two more waters.
We continue to play - no cart girl shows up for the rest of the round. I'm dying. Really thirsty, and kind of upset. Even try to use the vending machine and they are out of everything by 4pm. Water, Gatorade, Iced Tea, Lemonade.
I talk to the golf shop person, and mention about the lack of water on the course. He points to a sign about no water is available. I told him that before even starting I asked if a cart-person was working. If I had known that I would see them ONCE in 18 holes, I literally would have drove to a local store and bought a 6 pack of water before I started playing on a 95 degree day.
My first suggestion was immediately shot down by the employee - "Maybe hire a 2nd cart-person?"
"No, sir, we don't control that - they aren't run by the county, they are separate from the course." he says to me in a very condescending tone.
I reply, "Maybe you guys can get a large bucket with ice and sell a few cases of water?"
"Oh, with everyone putting their hands in the bucket and spreading Covid?", he snidely replies.
"Well you could hire someone to hand them out, maybe - or just have employees do that? It can't be that difficult to sell water. The vending machines are all out.", I add.
"Sorry, sir, the vending machines aren't controlled by us, they are independent from the course.", he says with his government annoyed tone - like how DARE I suggest such an idea.
Bottom line. I love playing here, but hate the employees who work here. It makes it difficult to rate the course. The course itself is 4-5 stars. The employees are -5 stars. My rating would then be a three star for this. Sure, I will play again, but you really have to just be prepared to deal with the a**hole employees that work here.
Another quick example. If it is "Cart Path Only", and you have two wheels of your cart on the cart path and two wheels on the grass - the ranger will find you and give you a verbal warning: BOTH WHEELS ON THE PATH, SIR!
Again, it just seems that everyone here needs a training in customer service, but that would be a joke since they are all hired by the county and know that their jobs are never in jeopardy. read more