Shotgun Starts with groups already on course?

[irish26]

I just joined a local club. I have zero prior private club experience. I booked the second tee time this morning, solo. This was to be my first round on the course as a member. The starter let me start early and I was the first one on the course. There were several other foursomes warming up for their round. 

 

Fast forward to hole 14 and I see carts flying all around the back 9. It was immediately obvious a shotgun start was kicking off. As I wrapped up 14, I see several carts gathering on 15 tee. I packed it up and left, somewhat annoyed.

 

Is this pretty common? I teed off at 7:20 and the shotgun started around 9ish. I looked back at the online tee sheet and they had foursomes booked every 8 minutes from 7:20 all the way up until the shotgun start was scheduled at 9:04. Doesn't it defeat the purpose of a shotgun start if the course already has groups playing?

 

Yes the shotgun start was noted on the tee sheet. I did not bother looking at the rest of the sheet once I booked my early time. 

[Roody]

I think even though it was noted on the tee sheet that there'd be a shotgun start, the starter/pro probably should have verbally mentioned that to you before you teed off. And you probably should have capped yourself at 9 holes for the day. 

[Abh159]

Is it common? No, definitely not. I have heard of courses who will let people play right up until the shotgun start time. However, they always let people teeing off know that they have to be off the course by XXXX time.

 

My guess is that either the person doing the tee sheet that day was completely aloof, or this is a regular (albeit completely idiotic) practice at your club and they just assume that everyone knows about it. 

Edited June 11, 2021 by Abh159

[Gsea]

It is common, what should of been relayed to you was that you need to be off the course by 9 or just not past 14. This was a scramble starting on 15, courses that don't do that loose money. We do it a lot but the early birds are given the info so they can choose to take the tee time or not. 7:20 also seems late to be the first one off.

[Jc0]

All a shotgun does is get all the groups on the course at the same time. You can still have groups on course if you plan it right which it sounds like what they were trying to do. If you are the first tee time at 720 and take 2 hours to play 9, in theory the 9am shotgun should not interfere with you as you shouldn't reach 10 until 920. So everyone one on the back is shotgun, everyone on the front is a standard tee time, but if you play faster than 2 hours you run into the middle of it. Pro shop still should have warned you.  

 

[golfgirlrobin]

Were they only going back to 15? Because that’s pretty common where I play.  Most groups teeing off at 7:20 won’t run into a shotgun that starts on 15 at 9’ish. 
 

If they were going to send off singles or 2-somes, they should have informed you up front. 

[oyamtr]

Exact thing happened to my group of 12 today.  Except the shotgun start for 84 golfers occurred before we teed off.  Somehow we ended up in the middle of their captain's choice tournament.  Long, long day.

[jholz]

I have certainly been in this position before and I can't say that I was entirely pleased. A course I used to play in Georgia would allow folks to schedule "tournaments" in the middle of scheduled play on the weekend. 

 

The only answer from the Pro Shop was "we really need the money." The only response from the "tournament" players was "we paid for it, so go suck an egg."

 

It's not the practice that infuriates me, it's the attitude. 

[5 O'Clock Charlie]

3 hours ago, irish26 said:

I just joined a local club. I have zero prior private club experience. I booked the second tee time this morning, solo. This was to be my first round on the course as a member. The starter let me start early and I was the first one on the course. There were several other foursomes warming up for their round. 

 

Fast forward to hole 14 and I see carts flying all around the back 9. It was immediately obvious a shotgun start was kicking off. As I wrapped up 14, I see several carts gathering on 15 tee. I packed it up and left, somewhat annoyed.

 

Is this pretty common? I teed off at 7:20 and the shotgun started around 9ish. I looked back at the online tee sheet and they had foursomes booked every 8 minutes from 7:20 all the way up until the shotgun start was scheduled at 9:04. Doesn't it defeat the purpose of a shotgun start if the course already has groups playing?

 

Yes the shotgun start was noted on the tee sheet. I did not bother looking at the rest of the sheet once I booked my early time. 

 

Yes this happens and it happened to me and my wife earlier this year. Our club is booking lots of weekend outings (we are at a private club). College and AJGA events on Sat and Sunday. The tee sheet was booked solid off of # 1 from 10-1 for the college event, we got out at 7:15. What could go wrong, they are behind us?

We get to 16 tee and there are like 20 carts on 17 tee. 3 groups on 17 and another 3 on 18 starting their day. I saw a coach and he said that the course knew they were shot-gunning them off the back, in addition to tee times on the front, they just didn't block the tee sheet accordingly or bother to tell us what to expect.

[Carolina Golfer 2]

This is what I do for a living.  As @JCO and @Gseasaid it’s not uncommon at all. And done properly both the outing snd early birds can exist without issue.   
 

We have a usual first off foursome at 6:30 everyday.  There are plenty of times where they will play and be done before the 9:00 full field shotgun.   There are other days where they know If they play too fast they will run into the reverse shotgun if it was an 8:30 start  snd they are ok with that.  They will either play the final holes behind them or just come in for the day.  
 

it sounds like some of the above situations were poorly w executed by the course. 
 

 

[larrybud]

On 6/11/2021 at 4:03 PM, Gsea said:

It is common, what should of been relayed to you was that you need to be off the course by 9 or just not past 14. This was a scramble starting on 15, courses that don't do that loose money. We do it a lot but the early birds are given the info so they can choose to take the tee time or not. 7:20 also seems late to be the first one off.

 

No prob if players are told, but to automatically assume courses lose money if they don't allow this is the short sightedness so many in golf management seem to have. They don't look long term in which membership and play is lost because of making this a common occurrence.