On being a course marshall

[chiantibro]

Anyone considering/participating (in) marshalling this season? I have a little free time and was considering getting involved at a course in some way. Maybe someone with previous experience might have an opinion on being a course marshall...

cheers...

[Grass Roots Tour]

I was considering it myself but Im not certain I have any time left in my schedule and the marshalling would probably cost me golf time.

I always thought a marshal is the type of employee that should be seen but rarely, rarely heard from. The mere presence of the course marshal is often more than enough to get the message accross if a pairing is slow.
In the event you feel its absolutely necessary to say anything to a pairing, make damn sure your information is accurate (ie. if you think theres a big gap in front of them, make sure to check what time they teed off as compared to their position on the course) BEFORE saying anything.
Again, if you must say something, be damn sure your extremely polite as these people are CUSTOMERS and to a lot of people, the customer is always right.

Im sure theres plenty more on those lines. Im sure Chantibro knew all that before I pointed it out as well. He's a stand up guy I'd give the job to.

[chiantibro]

I was considering it myself but Im not certain I have any time left in my schedule and the marshalling would probably cost me golf time.

I always thought a marshal is the type of employee that should be seen but rarely, rarely heard from. The mere presence of the course marshal is often more than enough to get the message accross if a pairing is slow.
In the event you feel its absolutely necessary to say anything to a pairing, make damn sure your information is accurate (ie. if you think theres a big gap in front of them, make sure to check what time they teed off as compared to their position on the course) BEFORE saying anything.
Again, if you must say something, be damn sure your extremely polite as these people are CUSTOMERS and to a lot of people, the customer is always right.

Im sure theres plenty more on those lines. Im sure Chantibro knew all that before I pointed it out as well. He's a stand up guy I'd give the job to.

Thanks, Will, both for the input as well as the compliment. I'm trying to get my schedule in order for the season, and am hoping to participate in the GRT outings too. Should know soon. Hope to see you at Copetown next month.

James

[kingplayer]

In my opinion, course marshals are only as good as the course lets them be. By this I mean most courses do not understand how a golf course should be "loaded" (tee time intervals). The wrong interval is used and the result is the course has too many players too close together and the marshall has has no chance in doing his job! Marshalling can be a great, fun job if the golf course gives you the proper tools to do the job, that being some training, tracking sheets, starters relaing a consistant message, and the proper tee time interval. If the course doesn't do this, I'd stay away!

[Corkster]

You know, being a marshall is a thankless job. You probably get free golf, and very low pay. I believe a good Marshal must be a golfer first and truly understand the dynamics of the game.

You have several choices in how you perform your duties but most Marshals choose 1 of the following 2 behaviours:

1. Be a jerk and hassle people without really understanding the situation.

2. Say nothing because you are intimidated by the golfers.

Neither one works. I have seen many a Marshal go way beyond his boundaries to the point where I want to tell him off (like at GA in Oakville). Or conversely, say nothing at private clubs because of the intimidation factor.

Bottom line...seldom do I see a Marshal that gets respect for what he does and in most cases it is warranted.

[sbell0524]

Regardless... Marshalling is my dream retirement job :)

[Focker Singh]

I marshalled at Angus Glen last summer and it was fun and relaxing. Just make your rounds and be present as much as possible. When golfers don`t see a marshall, they think nobody is watching. Being respectful, polite, helpful and friendly are the key things. Marshalling is more than just making sure everyone is keeping pace. Its also customer service, there were numerous times I had to drive customers back to their cars cause they had to go home due to an emergency. Other times, you might supply a bandaid or grab them a glove or box of balls from the pro shop. You represent the golf club and if you give a good customer service experience than they will come back or refer.
Note though that marshalling at AG usually involves a lot more tasks than your typical course. AG runs hundreds of tournaments every season and pace of play is heavily emphasized along with course setup. On a non tournament day, they go off double tee`s and thats can sometimes be hair splitting cause you have to make sure your lead group doesn`t cross too fast and your last group doesn`t play too slow. Good luck!