The Golf course should open earlier!

I'm not sure if anyone has raised this on a previous thread but I've just got back from Condado and wanted to make a point about the opening time of the golf course in the summer months and see if I can drum up any interest for fellow golfers to email IRM!

I just cannot believe that the golf course does not open at first light.  I'm sure I'm not alone in being a golfer that would prefer to get up early and play a round at first light, so that I can be back at a reasonable time to join the rest of the family round the pool?  Not only that, there is normally the benefit of no wind and a cooler temperature to play in!

Given the current economic climate and the need for the golf course to make money (to be able to fill the lakes!?), they must be missing out on so many green fees by refusing to open any earlier.  Like in the UK, I appreciate you would have to give the green keepers priority and wait if they were cutting the green on the hole you were playing, but this only takes a few minutes out of your round.  A couple of staff being there an hour or two earlier would easily be covered by the additional green fees it would generate.

When I challenged the manager at the club, he said he could see my point but I was told they were the rules and I should email IRM, as all complaints go to the head office (allegedly!)  So if anyone feels the same way, please fire off an email to reservas@irmgolfexperience.com !

Cheers

The problem they about opening on condado earlier is that they like to have the greens cut before you play and the ground staff do alot of their work early in the morning and are not keen on having golfers around them when they work.They only have 9 green staff now due to the lack of money. The marshall situation is also problematic as they only have 1 marshall on and he is expected to work from dawn to dusk. They didnt even have a marshall today and the girls in the pro shop were here at 7.30 to get all the buggies out.

The 1st tee times were 8.50 which i agree is too late in the day especially if you wanted an early walk in the cool air. Luckily they have were only charging twilight deals all day and 1/2 price buggies till thursday due to the hollow tining.

However they have continued the weekly unlimited golf offer which was 160 e in june, july and aug and although slightly higher is still excellent value at 180 e especially as you can share a buggy for free if you play with someone on the same deal.So thanks to Kev Nicol for joining me this week for some great golf and a free buggy!

The course is recovering quickly from the hollow tining and its  just a shame that the gota frio missed us so we didnt get much rain to try and fill the lakes.The faireays are in fantastic conditon and the fact they now have a 1st cut makes play alot more enjoyable. However it would be nice to see the bunkers raked or the machine put through them as many of them are far too compact. 

Hi George

In the UK, this happens all the time with golfers and green keepers on the course in the early morning.  The green keepers at our course start in the dark so that the first few holes are ready to play.  I'm sure if these green keepers weren't willing to do this, there are others currently unemployed who would! The same goes for the receptionists and marshalls (or even employ two marshalls for shorter hours).

I don't mean to sound harsh, but generating more money will mean the course is in better condition as well as pleasing those golfers that want to play early.

I obviously don't run a golf course but if you say the first tee was at 8.50 today, I'm assuming you could get at least 8 more tee times in before then (start 7.30).  Say at a minimum that was a two-ball for each tee off at €50 euros each a round, that is €800 per day they are missing out on.  In June and July you would get many more tee offs in than that as you could start even earlier, and probably quite of them would be four-balls.  Even with my light estimate, that is approx €72,000 euros over 3 months, but probably a lot more.  Enough to pay for additional green keepers !!

We only saw 7 golfers tee off in the 1st couple fo hours. I know its hollow tining but most people here just want to play in the society once a week! Too many blokes under the thumb-lol

But thats one of my points!  If you started earlier, those you call "under the thumb" who only play once a week would play more!

The trouble is Ruley you have a british business sense not a spanish one and for many of us living here it is very frustrating but something we have to live with

After all it would be a great idea to half fill the lakes with rubble to produce duck islands and therefore reduce the water required. We would also have a drinks/food trolley going round all the time. We would reduce green fees to get more people playing the course and make the money back on food and drink.

This is Spain and it wont happen. After all we suggested moving the temporary club house when the course opened and how many years did it take till that happened and how much revenue was lost in the meantime!And when Camposol GC was in trouble we advised them to slightly reduce the annual membership  and make it 1 course memership only,after all who wants to drive to la torre regularly!,scrap  the 8 e playing fee and we could get them at least 50 new members. Did they listen. No ,- instead they have scraped the 1 course membership and upped the prices. Very very frustrating as we will now have less members and therefore less guaranteed income!

The early start is a non starter for me when I come over, there is no way the significant other will get up earlier than 8.30 to carry my bag! also it will be too cold for her to walk around the course in her bikini smeared with jam to keep the mosquitos off us, so I am stuck with the later times!

Dakey

Starting work very early is generally a foreign concept over here so there's that mountain to overcome as well, although the current rate of employment must give encouragment.

No issues with them opening at 8:30, would be nice if it was 7:30.  but that wont happen in spain.

However they do need to realise that the 1st tee time is 8:30 thus for people to pay etc...they need to be opening aty least 20 mins before the 1st tee time

Just been told that the shop will now open at 8:45, the reason we were given is so that the staff that arrive at 8:30 will have the time to sort themselves out before the doors open for business, so the first tee time has moved 15mins and the slots are now 9mins apart rather than 10.     Would of thought just getting the staff to arrive a few minutes earlier would of been a better solution, but hey ho.

explaine the price increase-not! customer service - not! only in spain- yes!

The society has a huge say in what happens and you guys should really have a go at them about this. as well as the multi course annual fee which is a joke!