by DAVID WALSH
ON FRIDAY APRIL 13, 2007 AT 1PM OUR FOURSOME WAS RETURNING FROM OUR FIRST 18 HOLES AND WE MEETING UP WITH ANOTHER FOURSOME FOR A SECOND 18. OUR PLANS WERE TO PLAY 2 MORE ROUNDS EACH ON SATURDAY AND 2 MORE ON SUNDAY. THIS HAS BEEN OUR PRACTICE FOR YEARS AND THIS WAS OUR 12TH TRIP BACK TO CALLAWAY GARDENS GOLF COURSE. UNFORTUNATELY, IT WAS OUR LAST EVER TRIP TO YOUR FACILITY.
ONE OF THE NEW ARRIVALS HAS A HIP INJURY AND HAD TROUBLE WALKING, ONE OF OUR GROUP ASKED ONE OF THE BAG DROP PERSONNEL IF WE COULD TAKE THE CART TO THE VEHICLE WHICH WAS IN THE CLOSEST PARKING SLOT TO THE BAG DROP, APROXIMATELY 50 FEET AWAY. THE BAG BOY SAIS IT WOULD BE OK. IN THE PROCESS OF LOADING CLUBS WE WERE CALLED OUT BY YOUR BAG DROP SUPERVISOR AND ASKED WHAT WE WERE DOING IN THE PARKING LOT WITH THE CART. WE EXPLAINED THAT WE ASKED PERMISSION FROM THE BAG BOYS AND RECEIVED PERMISSION. INSTEAD OF JUST ASKING THAT WE RETURN TO THE BAG DROP AREA THE SUPERVISOR ASKED THE BAG BOYS WHO AUTHORIZED THIS. HE THEN ASKED US AGAIN WHO AUTHORIZED US TO ENTER THE PARKING LOT WITH THE GOLF CART. HIS ATTITUDE, IN EFFECT, CALLED US LIARS, AND HE HAD TO PUT US IN OUR PLACE. WHEN WE ASKED HIM TO DROP THE ISSUE HE KEPT RIGHT ON ASKING WHO AUTHORIZED OUR CART IN THE PARKING LOT, AND HE WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE THOUGHT WE COULD TAKE THE CART TO THE PARKING LOT. WE ASKED HIM TO GET AWAY FROM US. WE AT THAT TIME TURNED IN ALL OF OUR CARTS AND PROCEEDED TO THE PRO SHOP TO CANCELL OUR AFTERNOON PLANS. HE STILL WOULD NOT SHUT UP, HE WANTED TO SHOW US WHO WAS IN CHARGE AND PUT US IN OUR PLACE. WE LOADED UP AND WENT TO A CANONNGATE COURSE WHERE WE PLAYED ON FRIDAY. WE WERE ABLE TO GET TEE TIMES AT WHITE COLUMNS FOR SATURDAY .
YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE AT FIRST IMPRESSIONS. AS A FOURSOME WE HAVE PLAYED ALL OVER THE WORLD. FROM COLONIAL TO PEBBLE BEACH AND HAVE NEVER HAD A DISCOURTEOUS BAG BOY. I SHOULD THANK YOU THOUGH, BECAUSE YOUR BAG DROP SUPERVISOR SAVED ME $1200 WHEN WE CANCELLED AT CALLAWAY. I WAS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF MPI(MEETING PLANNERS INTERNATIONAL) AND I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH INHOSPITABLE BEHAVIOR BY SOMEONE WHO IS THE FIRST PERSON YOU MEET AT A FACIILITY. YOUR BAG DROP SUPERVISOR IS NOT DOING YOU ANY FAVORS.
I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A LIMITED LABOR POOL IN A RURAL AREA, BUT YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN A REJECT CAST MEMBER FROM "DELIVERENCE". REMEMBER, THIS IS THE FIRST PERSON YOUR GUEST COMES IN CONTACT WITH. YOUR SALES STAFF TRAVELS TO ALL OF THE TRADE SHOWS AND TRAVEL EXPO'S TRYING TO PROMOTE YOUR FACILITY AND ALL OF THEIR WORK CAN BE DESTROYED BY AN INEPT AND IGNORANT PERSON TRYING TO TAKE CONTROL. PLEASE NOTE, HE IS HAVING A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE BAG BOYS HE SUPERVISES, THEY DON'T KNOW WHICH WAY TO TURN.