Golf Shop Exeriences

[charnockpro]

I have worked in the golf industry for about 9 years now and there are some classic terms that club members use that get right on my nerves

Customer:Can i have the earliest available tee time please
Me: (Looks and finds the earliest available) 7.48am.
Customer:have you got any earlier? !!!! how annoying is that!!!

they think i keep secret tee times back or something????

Customer: how much is this driver?
Me:£200
Customer:how much for cash?
Me:the same
Customer:Members discount?
Me:the same!!!!
In the end i end up showing our trade price list to show just how little we make

Also annoying is the member who asks for help with his game standing in the pro shop and u give him your free time and advice, even though i always say that ball flight is the easiest way to tell a fault, they then proceed to go on the golf course and abandon your advice after 2 holes and bad mouth you round the clubhouse, grrrrrrrrrrrrr

anyone else have any experiences like this???

[Kilted Arab]

Originally Posted by charnockpro

I have worked in the golf industry for about 9 years now and there are some classic terms that club members use that get right on my nerves

Customer:Can i have the earliest available tee time please
Me: (Looks and finds the earliest available) 7.48am.
Customer:have you got any earlier? !!!! how annoying is that!!!

they think i keep secret tee times back or something????

Customer: how much is this driver?
Me:£200
Customer:how much for cash?
Me:the same
Customer:Members discount?
Me:the same!!!!
In the end i end up showing our trade price list to show just how little we make

Hahaha! I like this thread, made me smile..

But..on the two points above...I have often asked for the earliest tee-time (at different courses) then asked the "anything earlier" question to be told...well, we could squeeze you in at xxx. My theory is that some pros just take a quick look at the times, spot an earlyish gap and try to fit you in there. If it's a time the customer can do, then no harm done. If the customer asks for an earlier time and gets the line.."well, I could squeeze you in.." he may think he's been given a favour so the pro looks good. Again, all happy campers!

Also...on the discount thing, we get that a lot here. Maybe it's part of the Arab haggling culture. Doesn't work in every shop, but it's not uncommon to get a decent discount if you ask.

[obagain]

Customer: I need a new driver.
Me: How do you hit your old one.
Customer: Not bad.
Me: Are you looking for more distance.
Customer: I am not sure.
Me: how far do you hit your driver.
Customer: 300 yards.
Me: Then you are looking for more control, do you hit yours left or right.
Customer: I hit it pretty straight.
Me:????
I can help you, I can show you drivers that will hit it high. low, left or right but if you are going to lie to me I can't do anything.

[SiberianDVM]

Me: I need a new driver.
Pro: whats wrong with the Hogan?
Me: It's obviously defective.
Pro: Why
Me: It slices, it hooks, it skys.
Pro: How far does it go when you don't try to smash the ball to atoms?
Me: About 200 yards.
Pro: It's not the driver that's defective.

[Rockford35]

Ha! This is a good thread.

My favorite posts in forums such as this are these ones:

"Hi. I'm looking for a good driver that will help me get the ball lower. Right now I have a high ball that I hit straight, but I need something that will get the ball lower for more distance. I've read in Golf Digest that drivers today have higher launch angles resulting in a more controllable shot. But, in the same magazine, the new Hogan driver caught my eye. I really wanna get one of those. Anyone have any experiences with this driver?"

Some people just don't get it. They obviously have no idea what they want, or why, for that matter. Plus, why not go hit the damn thing? What works for one will be dogshit for the next guy.

No offense to anyone that's posted like this here or anywhere else. It just makes me laugh to see the same posts come up every couple of weeks.

It's entertaining, to say the least. And I'm not above adding in my $0.02 towards recommending or shunning something I've had experience with!

R35

[Don]

Totally agree with you Rockford35. What's really bad is when someone tells us he hits the ball too high or too low and they want a fix. But when I ask them what their launch angle is and what the ball speed is, they have no idea. If someone has no idea what their launch angle is, how do they know it's a problem. Unfortunately, most golfers have no idea what the best launch angle is for their ball speed.

[charnockpro]

Glad you appreciated the post, i have loads of other experiences

1.Threatened with violence because range balls had run out

2.Told club member his shoes leaked because 50% of them was a hole and he believed me!!!

3.Had people ask me what is the pro secret!!! and they think there is just one secret to unlock the door!!! i think not

4.Hit the only bad shot of my round only to be witnessed by about 20 members!!!, i always refer them to my course record card of -6 in the clubhouse.

My new gripe is with the EGTF organisation, there is a guy trying to muscle in on my patch and has had 1 weeks training and he plays off 11!!!, the training cost him £1200, and he had a playing ability test whre he had to shoot below +14 for one round!!! joke me thinks

Our PGA course runs for three years and costs £4000+ the P.A.T you have to shoot +9 or less over 2 rounds abd have to play at least 7 tournaments a year as well as distance learning and yearly exams and we have been established 100 years +

Any comments welcomed

[Kilted Arab]

Originally Posted by charnockpro

4.Hit the only bad shot of my round only to be witnessed by about 20 members!!!, i always refer them to my course record card of -6 in the clubhouse.

Any comments welcomed

tell us more about this bit!

Both the bad shot and the course record. But especially the bad shot...we hackers love to hear about stuff like that...

[EnglishGolfer]

Originally Posted by charnockpro

My new gripe is with the EGTF organisation, there is a guy trying to muscle in on my patch and has had 1 weeks training and he plays off 11!!!, the training cost him £1200, and he had a playing ability test whre he had to shoot below +14 for one round!!! joke me thinks

Our PGA course runs for three years and costs £4000+ the P.A.T you have to shoot +9 or less over 2 rounds abd have to play at least 7 tournaments a year as well as distance learning and yearly exams and we have been established 100 years +

Any comments welcomed

I jusy looked at the EGTF website, what a dodgy looking organisation they are! Paying money does not make you a pro, being a very good golfer who has studied with the PGA makes you a pro so how are they getting away with this? Imagine calling yourself a professional golfer and teaching others when you play to 10 handicap or whatever. I'm amazed.

[charnockpro]

With the wet weather coming in the UK, there is another old classic being trotted out.

Customer: Course open?
Me:No
Customer:Will it be open tomorrow?
Me:i wont know until the morning
Customer:what do you think?
Meoesnt matter what i think, it's what the greenkeeper thinks
Customer: so what should i do?
Me:Ring tomorrow
Customer:what are the chances?
Me: Whats 6 inches and goes down on you? (Click) He He !!


All time classic

[Wheelerm]

Originally Posted by charnockpro

I have worked in the golf industry for about 9 years now and there are some classic terms that club members use that get right on my nerves

Customer:Can i have the earliest available tee time please
Me: (Looks and finds the earliest available) 7.48am.
Customer:have you got any earlier? !!!! how annoying is that!!!

they think i keep secret tee times back or something????

Customer: how much is this driver?
Me:£200
Customer:how much for cash?
Me:the same
Customer:Members discount?
Me:the same!!!!
In the end i end up showing our trade price list to show just how little we make

Also annoying is the member who asks for help with his game standing in the pro shop and u give him your free time and advice, even though i always say that ball flight is the easiest way to tell a fault, they then proceed to go on the golf course and abandon your advice after 2 holes and bad mouth you round the clubhouse, grrrrrrrrrrrrr

anyone else have any experiences like this???

Lol i like the thread made me have a giggle

[charnockpro]

Had a few to add to my list of gripes!!!

Customer:Course Open?
Me: No Sorry
Customer:Why?
Me:Too wet
Customer:Whats that due to?
Me:Erm, too much rain me thinks!!!!
(Click)

Also people in newsagents who just stand there and read golf magazines and dont buy them!! for godsakes just buy them there is always something in between the adverts and Travel sections!!!!

Discuss away