May 17

Ironhorse Golf Club in Illinois just doesn't get it

For all you golfers out there looking for honest, unbiased golf course reviews, let me give you a glimpse of what we here have to deal with sometimes. Kiel Christiansen wrote a good, objective review of the Ironhorse Golf Club in Tuscola, Illinois. It was overwhelmingly positive.

But, here comes director of golf Jerry Williams. He wants to nit and pick the few negatives Christiansen wrote about. For example, he didn’t like Christiansen’s comment about the flowers, for god’s sake.

“I don’t want quoted as saying, what many people are complaining about
…I just don’t think that is necessary,” Williams wrote in an e-mail. “We are trying to focus on the positive and improve this facility and I don’t want comment on any negative messages/issues.”

In other words, he doesn’t want YOU to know about anything that may affect your decision on whether or not you want to pay to play there. Who suffers? The golfing public, not the facility who takes their money. This doesn’t happen all that often, even on those reviews that are negative. But, every now and then, people like Williams come along, people who want to have EVERYTHING peaches and cream, even if there are negatives the public should know about.

I’ve always said the people who are the proudest and most confident of their facility are the ones who complain the least. Clearly, Williams and Ironhorse aren’t in that group.

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10 comments

Comment from: CLG [Visitor]

I thought the review was very well written, even to the point of closing with a ringing endorsement.
Criticism is a part of being in the public eye, counting on them for your bottom line.

05/21/05 @ 12:02

Comment from: E.C. [Visitor]

Iron Horse isn't worried about conveying "negatives" to it's walk-in customers - A sign prominently displayed at check in states they will not honor American Cancer Society coupon books (or others) for 2005. They kept the name but not the honor...

05/26/05 @ 10:32

Comment from: Wesley Tilley [Visitor]

I don't agree with you that Ironhorse Golf Club doesn't get it. I think it it is a very challenging, well maintained and pleasant Golf Course. The atmosphere in the Golf shop and Restaurant add an additional delight to the course layout and structure.

Ironhorse is well worth the fees to play a round or two.

WT
Tennessee

06/29/05 @ 11:02

Comment from: Jerry Williams [Visitor]

Tim McDonald, tell me why you can critique courses and say what you want but when someone questions you or your writers' reviews, well...that is just unacceptable? What exactly makes you perfect and above everyone else? Just a thought.

Jerry Williams

07/01/05 @ 20:29

Comment from: S.D. [Visitor]

Mr. McDonald, I only have one thing to say. The course review was alright to the point where you had to start nit-picking on littles things such as the flowers. If you couldn't find anything to criticize that would actually matter to an everyday golfer why couldn't you just swallow your pride and leave it at that? But instead you choose to try to make yourself seem important and criticize things that have no relavence what-so-ever to the course play. And to the eye of someone who has never been there when you do things such as that you deter their mind into thinking that the course itself has flaws. No I'm not a writer, but this shouldn't suck as near as bad as your review.

07/06/05 @ 16:24

Comment from: Brian [Visitor]

I'm not sure who you normally play with, but everyone I know actually does consider dandelions in the fairway something of "relevance" as to whether we'll play a course or not. For $40, I expect not to have to see issues like that.

And keep in mind, the original article DID say the problem was being addressed, which is a compliment to their diligence.

07/20/05 @ 10:11

Comment from: Tony Cameron [Visitor]

I drove 500 mile round trip to play Ironhorse and was not disappointed. The staff was particularly personable and helpful.

08/17/05 @ 10:19

Comment from: dave berner [Visitor]

As a fellow golf writer, and someone who has played Ironhorse - I have two things to say:

1. Golf writers are not public relations writers, and sometimes we're going to piss people off.

And 2. Too many PGA members who run and work at golf courses expected golf writers to be public relations writers. When they finally figure out that No. 1 on this list is the bottom line, and that a golf writer is not their personal promotions manager, then they may actually focus on growing the game through their customers and stop expecting us to be their cheerleaders.

08/23/05 @ 08:34

Comment from: L,W. [Visitor]

I just came across this article. Oh boy Tim hits the nail on the head. And yes the "club" membership following the "improvements" went from 120 to 30 at a guess. I was a season pass member before the increase in season pass fees. I didn't ever refer to myself as a member of the club because those a private. I payed as I played in '05 and the "upscale course" seemed to play just like the year before. But what would I know: 20 handicap and little plasma screen experience.

02/01/06 @ 15:19

Comment from: L.W. [Visitor]

I just came across this article. Oh boy Tim hits the nail on the head. And yes the "club" membership following the "improvements" went from 120 to 30 at a guess. I was a season pass member before the increase in season pass fees. I didn't ever refer to myself as a member of the club because those are private. I payed as I played in '05 and the "upscale course" seemed to play just like the year before. But what would I know: 20 handicap and little plasma screen experience.

02/01/06 @ 15:24

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