You have probably encountered people who work at golf courses who don’t know the first thing about golf. Do you care?
If they have any kind of impact on the course of play, of course they should know about golf. Course attendants or marshals need to know how things work to do their jobs effectively. Pro shop workers need to be able to assist golfers when necessary. The cart girl needs to understand etiquette out there but does she need to know anything else? What about 19th hole workers?
I have talked with some people about this and opinions vary. Some guys I’ve talked to don’t care as long as the person in question is a hot chick. Some actually want them to know as little as possible because they think they’re more likely to impress them if they’re golf dumb. Some feel the opposite – “the more they know, the better I’ll look.” Some like a cute, giggly “what’s a birdie” question so they have an in to chat with her. Some like to make golf small talk with the bartender as s/he’s pouring their pre-round bloody mary.
What do you think? Here’s a quick poll to let your opinion be heard.
Poll Closed. Thanks for voting!
April 16, 2008 at 3:53 am
My feelings are split.
As a paying customer, it doesn’t bother me much if golf course employees don’t have a lot of golf knowledge. I’m fairly easy going.
However, as a former golf course worker, it bothers me because I don’t think an employee can adequately serve the needs of his/her customers if he/she doesn’t understand what those needs are.
Roaring the beer cart up when people are trying to tee off, or doing a poor job with maintenance are things that reduce the value of the experience for the paying customer.
It may not be important to understand the intricacies of the game, but not understanding etiquette can make for a bad situation. Maintenance workers that don’t understand how the course will be used can’t always prepare it as well as they should (i.e. knowing what “putting” means and what players expect when they reach the greens, for example).
April 16, 2008 at 5:02 am
“Some guys I’ve talked to don’t care as long as the person in question is a hot chick.”
Hey, I like a hot chick as much as the next guy…maybe more. But for me, if a girl is smart and knows her stuff, she is instantly hotter. If she can swing a club on top of that…look out because I’m in love.
As for worker’s needing to know the details of the game, as long as they know the parts that enable them to do their job effectively, it’s all good. There’s no reason why the cart girl should be out of a job because she doesn’t know that an albatross and a double eagle are the same thing. And while the guy in the pro shop should know the gear, the waiter/waitress doesn’t need to know squat in my book as long as s/he is friendly, prompt, and gets my order mostly right.
April 17, 2008 at 3:49 am
A few of the groundsman at my local range are amazing when it comes to hitting the ball. They always stop by and hit my husband’s clubs for a few balls to brag about their accuracy. It is really amusing!
As for the “hot chick” thing – a wise golfer once said something along the lines of Eric’s comment. He was more inclined to like women that could hit a ball.
April 20, 2008 at 12:31 am
For me it depends on the course. At my local struggling muni I’m happy to have someone that can operate the greens mower. For a splurge at a resort or name course my expectation level rises with the price.
Good question, Bob.
April 5, 2009 at 11:31 pm
I still cant get over Tiger Woods 16 foot birdie.
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