Dear Spring Run Members,
The Golf Operations would like to thank everyone that participated in this year’s survey. Our goal is to answer your questions and provide feedback on various topics of the survey. We also want you to know that we are striving daily to provide you with the best overall golfing experience at the Club. Thank you very much for your support of Golf Operations. We value your participation in the survey and please contact me anytime with your comments at golfpro@springrun.com Looking forward to the upcoming season!!
Jeff Carter
Head Golf Professional
Q: Do not understand why there are special groups of men get to have weekly blocked times??
A: The Golf Shop does not block weekly times for any special groups. All members have equal access to tee times via the Chelsea Tee Time Reservation system. The system is a points-based system meaning the more points you have relative to the other members, the less likely you are to receive your ideal time. The only tee times that “reserved” are for leagues or any club events.
Q: Have rangers understand better when play needs to speed up and when not to tell a group to speed up when they are stymied by a group right in front.
A: All rangers undergo training on how to properly deal with on-course pace issues. The Professional Staff are always working, training, and assisting with rangers to ensure proper pace of play is followed on the course.
Q: Maybe you should change your reservation System so we could reserve on line instead of having to call the golf shop when the tee times appear online. It would be more efficient and less time-consuming.
A: The Golf Shop continuously looks for ways to improve the member experience when reserving a tee time, and your feedback will be taken into consideration. This comment will be forwarded to Chelsea Tee Time System.
Q: Improve the invoice time between Golf Guys and Spring Run
A: We apologize for any delays; with the Golf Guys being a third party, it can be a challenge to control the invoice timing. The Professional Staff will continue to work diligently at improving the member shopping experience between The Golf Guys and Spring Run which will include timeliness.
Q: As a single person, I did not feel safe sharing a cart with another random club member. I felt I had to choose between my health and safety and playing golf. I think the club should have allowed the option of single cart use for those without a spouse/partner. As a result of my reluctance to share a cart, I only played golf 3-4 times this season. Not enjoyable. I would have paid extra for the option of single cart use.
A: We understand your concern. The club has 80 carts in the fleet and member demand for tee times could not accommodate this season for single riders.
Q: In order to increase revenue, it may not be possible, I would consider a way to allow at least some play on Wednesdays since Spring Run is loved by Reciprocals. Possible Options:
– Only Close Every other Wednesday
– Have Tee Times Until 10 Only and Front 9 would then be available to work on sometime after Noon.
– Have an 8:00 AM Shotgun and, again, the course would be available for work sometime after Noon.
There are probably good reasons the Course has to be Closed every Wednesday, but being the Financial Person I am, I am always looking for ways to get a few more Dollars in Revenue.
A: Thank you for your feedback. The course is closed every Wednesday to allow for a full day of maintenance in the off season to prevent any negative on-course conditions.
Q: We think there is too many events that take away tee times.
A: The golf staff along with the board create a calendar of events that balances out regular member play and special events that take place. We will take your input into further consideration.
Q: Rangers need to be eliminated or given instructions as to what their duties are. I would hear comments from rangers saying, things will clear up after hole 4. The ranger would be on hole 3 going to 2. I am of the opinion he should be at 4 attempting to speed things up. Also, they will say its’s really slow today. Never saw a ranger attempting to speed things up all season.
A: We appreciate your feedback and these comments will motivate us to improve the experience with our rangers and how they manage pace of play. We are looking to improve ranger training so that all rangers have clear expectations of how to mitigate any pace of play issues.
Q: I have not played golf this year.
A: If you have not played for any specific reasons, please contact a member of the golf staff to share any thoughts or concerns.
Q: Our staff is very courteous, helpful and professional without being stuffy. My wife deals with Kelsey through the nine-hole Ladies and she is a pleasure to work with and a great addition to the staff. Nothing but good praise for our golf staff.
A: We enjoy hearing such kind words! Thank you and we will continue making your experience and exceptional one here at Spring Run. They’re the best!!!!!
Q: I think the tees that women use for the golf league should be based on handicap at the start of the season rather than randomly picking what is used. An unfair advantage is given to good golfers who choose the 6-tee box.
A: Thank you for your feedback. The SRWGA bylaws states that members get to choose their tees for league play.
Q: Front-9 should be the Back-9 and v-v
A: Thank you for the feedback and we will take this concern to the golf committee.
Q: Favorites get early tee times same people. Same winners often.
A: For open play, all members have the same access to request a tee time through the Chelsea Tee Time system 3-7 days in advance. Chelsea will place members in tee times based on their points relative to other members. For league play, tee times are based off of either handicap or randomized by Golf Genius. The Golf Professional staff along with the handicap committee work diligently to ensure the integrity of all leagues at Spring Run.
Q: Having been at another golf course other than Spring Run for 19 years, you FAR Exceed the other club, events, friendliness, helpfulness, golf shop items. My husband & I have found out final place in SR.
A: We are so excited to hear this! We value our members and want them to have the best experience possible. Thank you for the kind words.
Q: For me the tee times were fine; however, I have an issue with allowing PGA Pass People to take blocks of prime tee times from our members. This is a private club. Yes, I realize these Passes bring in some revenue but those prices could be higher, to benefit us if our block of tee times are taken out of service. PGA Pass people love our course no matter what condition it is in. I do not think the Pass people should be allowed to bring in their own coolers. Some did.
A: Thank you for your constructive feedback. By putting in requests through Chelsea 3-7 days in advance, the Spring Run membership will always have first access to tee times. PGA Pass players are allotted the leftover tee times that are not initially taken by the membership. With our course being in such good condition, Spring Run is a very desirable place to play in the summertime. We will continue to look at pricing and will make any adjustments deemed necessary. The policy of the club is that no outside players are permitted to bring coolers on to the golf course. We apologize if any coolers have been seen on the course and we will reinforce this rule with all of the staff members to ensure this does not happen moving forward.
Q: PGA players during Nov. & December make Spring RUN A SEMI-PUBLIC golf course. False advertising to prospective buyers to say we are a private club.
A: Spring Run is a private club that does allow limited access to a select population of non-members. The staff at Spring Run will always do our best to describe the golf course accurately. In the high-season, we only allow play from members and their guests. During the slower season, we do allow for reciprocal and PGA Pass play, along for hosting outing events.
Q: The golf staff has grown together very well under Jeff’s leadership! They are a well-trained team with many special and unique traits. It has been a pleasure to see Kelsey grow into her role at SR. Scott is so patient with questions and continues to make Golf Genius work for us. Patti and Susie do a great job with merchandising and ordering. Always lessons available from the team. Particularly enjoyed the Pop-up events. Should be more and better attended. A big plus for the club. Thanks, Jeff, for a great year despite adverse conditions. I am very happy with the condition of the golf course! I don’t remember a season in 21 years that the fairways have been any better. A little damage to the greens but so what. Enjoyable season all around!
A: We appreciate the kind words! The staff is always looking for new, innovative ways to create a memorable experience for our members at Spring Run. Your feedback is much appreciated.
Q: We need to train the younger bag boys to be more thorough. Several times our club covers were NOT put back on. Luckily, we found them in the lost and found. The older men are very good.
A: We apologize for any inconveniences you have experienced regarding outside services, and please know that we find this to be unacceptable. We will put our best foot forward to ensure that with proper training, this does not happen again. We look forward to giving you a pleasurable golf experience moving forward.
Q: Why can’t the 18-hole ladies’ league have 9:00 shotguns??
A: Due to daylight issues in the high season, the 8:00 am shotguns allow for a second shotgun at 1:00 pm, ensuring all players have adequate access to sunlight.
Q: How about a 9-hole couples event Sunday pm?
A: The Professional Staff is always looking for new, creative ideas. For all events, not only golf is involved but food & beverage is as well. Thank you for the idea and we will take it into consideration moving forward.
Q: I feel the rangers are a waste of money.
A: We appreciate this honest response. We will do our very best to lead the rangers so they can exceed all expectations in the future. Not only are rangers responsible for preventing and handling any pace of play issues, but they also are player assistants when a club is lost or a player needs a ride in. Rangers are also responsible for stocking the on-course restrooms with cups, straws and lids, and are usually the first to notify the golf shop when a restroom needs assistance.
Q: Stay longer than 5 pm. Why do we have a “blackout” and are unable to look at golf things, scores etc. in the late afternoon? Why can’t this be done later in the evening?
A: The Chelsea Tee Time system turns “off” every day between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. for tee sheet placement. During this time, members can call the Golf Shop if they would like to put a request in or book a tee time. Our scoring program, GHIN, does not turn off and you are able to access it at all times of the day. Chelsea must be turned off during golf shop operating hours. This allows the professional staff to ensure a correct tee sheet and input any league play or general tournaments into the tee sheet.
Q: Slow play needs to be addressed!
A: The Golf Shop will continue to do our best at educating the membership on how to improve pace of play. We do our best to send out e-mail communications to members, and will continuously educate staff and golfers on the importance of keeping up with the pace of play.
Q: Golf staff – Name tags with bigger lettering, would be appreciated.
A: This valuable feedback will be taken into consideration. Thank you!
Q: Thank you, Kelsey, for trying to accommodate personal preferences when it came to scheduling either earlier or later times for league play. Greatly appreciated. Staff did an outstanding job.
A: We are always striving to make our membership happy, and we are glad that we were able to do that. We will continue to put our best foot forward in accommodating our members!
Q: With the Chelsea system for tee times it seems you get punished for playing often.
A: The Chelsea Tee Time system is a points-based system and is designed for equity purposes so that those who have not played golf, get an opportunity to play. We do offer the ability to play golf without receiving a Chelsea point. By booking a tee time on the day of or 1-2 days in advance, you will not receive a Chelsea point. Thank you
Q: All new members should have spent time with one of the pros and learn local rules, golf etiquette, golf operations (booking tee times, etc.), and meet the whole golf team including the head Professional.
A: Most new members are given an introduction to the golf operation and rules of Spring Run. The staff is always available to assist members, and if a golf professional is not available at that moment, we will happily schedule a time to meet. We will take your advice into further consideration as we move forward and strive to empower all Spring Run members with the information they need.
Q: The new personnel should wear name tags.
A: It is protocol at Spring Run that each staff member wears a name tag, and we apologize if that has not been the case. We will make sure to enforce this standard moving forward.
Q: Kudos to all in this year of the pandemic. All went above and beyond to make golf a safe and fun way to live thru this time, we were thankful to be here and live in a beautiful area to walk, walk and play golf, ride and play golf with cart dividers and then without. None of this would have happened without the wonderful staff. We were far better off than any of our other friends no matter what community they lived in in Bonita Bay, Bentley @VI, Pelican Sound
A: We value your kind words, that is what keeps us motivated to give our best every day to the Spring Run community! The staff wants all members to feel proud to be at Spring Run, and we will continue to strive for excellence.
Q: Kelsey had done a great job in her new position. We took lessons from her – excellent instructor. She is customer service oriented and was very helpful with the Ladie-9 events. Outside Services guys are super – Trevor, Brian, Pete and Al are so helpful. They work so hard. I hope they all return next year.
A: We thank you for your kind words, they mean so much to all of us. Each one of us hopes to continue providing you with an excellent experience here at Spring Run!
Q: Why do we need rangers? You have GPs in house and can see and correct any problems. With 5 of 6 people in the pro shop, why should the phone usually go to voice mail?
A: Rangers have a multitude of responsibilities. Not only do they act to prevent and mitigate any pace of play issues, they also assist golfers with lost clubs and bringing players to and from the course when needed. Rangers also drive the course to spot any potential hazards/issues, and also are responsible for stocking the on-course restrooms with cups, towels and lids. The Golf Shop does have access to GPS; however, many on-course issues that arise are able to tended to in a timelier manner with the use of rangers.
The phone should only automatically go to voicemail during non-operating hours, from 5 pm to 7 am the next day. The golf staff always does our best to make sure every phone call is answered. There are only two phones at the golf shop counter, and in the rare case that they are both are in-use, we ask that you please stay on hold or hang up and call again.
Q: PGA play has really torn up our course, they don’t take care of our course the same way as members do. I would appreciate their play ending prior to our season beginning end of October. I would rather pay more in fees and not have them at our club at all particularly now with course in the condition that it is in presently.
A: All outside players, including PGA Pass play, are given a speech from the starter regarding “care for the course” and pace of play information. If proper care of the course is not being done by non-members, they will no longer have golfing privileges at Spring Run. We understand your concern and value your feedback.
