We are extremely disappointed with our experience at Bluewater Bay Golf Course today. Three local…read morefamilies who have regularly supported this course and play often, both fathers and sons, will no longer be spending our time or money here after the way our teenagers were treated by the new course Marshall and by Holden.
Our 15-year-old boys, who are respectful, responsible, and have played this course many times before, arrived for their tee time ready to enjoy the day together like they have so many times before. They were not only denied access by the course marshal because they are not yet 16 but aggressively belittled and made fun of. This age restriction was not clearly stated on the course website, and they were not made aware of it before booking.
To make matters worse, they did not receive a full refund. We were told the money had gone to the booking company and that there was nothing that could be done in the most condescending and unprofessional manner. Our families were paying about $40 per teen for their experience and were happy to do so as it meant our kids could spend an afternoon being active together, but we left feeling dismissed, disrespected and targeted.
The most disappointing part was the way the situation was handled. The course marshal and another employee, Holden, spoke to these young men in a way that felt unnecessarily rude and aggressive. We have also had previous concerns about this marshal's interactions with these teenagers, including comments about their appearance and accusations regarding the course that had no merit whatsoever.
When one of the boys' mothers came to address the refund issue and make sure they were treated fairly, the interaction continued to be disrespectful. The biggest issue was not the policy itself. If this situation had been handled with even an ounce of professionalism toward these teenagers and their parent, there would have been no issue. We would have understood the policy, accepted it, and simply chosen to play somewhere else.
Instead, the way this was communicated made these young men and their parent feel disrespected and belittled. A policy can be enforced without making customers, especially teenagers, feel like they are unintelligent, unwelcome, or beneath the person enforcing it. The tone and attitude shown during this interaction were completely unnecessary and not what we would expect from a business serving this awesome community.
We understand that golf courses have rules and policies, and those policies should be followed. However, rules can be communicated professionally and respectfully, especially when dealing with young customers who are trying to enjoy the sport.
It is unfortunate that the actions of a few employees have resulted in three families who have supported this course choosing not to ever return. We hope management takes a serious look at how young golfers and families are being treated.
