by Willie Uys
As a Golf Club Manager of a rather small Club in South Africa, I find the various comments interesting. Our Club has just broken into the top 100 courses in SSA and we are very proud of this as we believe that, not only the condition and playability of the course but also the way in which our members and guests are welcomed and treated makes our Club one which they want to visit again.
We as managers in South Africa, and I believe world-wide, cannot afford to be the least bit arrogant as we have so much opposition in the many other courses potential players can visit rather than our own.
I personally welcome people who have played our course to give us their opinions as it will help us to improve our offering to future visitors.
"Course critics" are welcome to visit our Club at any time but please do so without announcing yourself so that we can get a true report and NOT one tainted by the free-bees, drinks, meals and "put on" friendly welcome you received.

by pat brockwell
Just checked again, and yes, under New Mexico you still have a story on a Nicklaus course in Mexico. If you guys don't know what country you're talking about, how do you expect people to have any faith in your course reviews? By the way, if you ever do figure out where New Mexico is you will find outstanding golf and maybe write about something other than some GM with an attitude. All you really have to do to give him what he deserves is write nothing about his place.

by pat brockwell
Can you imagine a critic, especially a mainstream media type, announcing his title to a GM before writing a piece on his facility? So fess up, did you pay, did you expect special treatment? By the way, last month when I checked on New Mexico(USA)golf on your site, I got a page on Pueto Vallarta (MEXICO), after two calls to talk to a human nothing changed on your site.

by Tony G
When you talk of regal arrogance I presume you mean Henry VIII (eighth)NOT Henry XIII (thirteenth).
Annoyed Brit.

by Rene Uzee
I find it interesting that you mentioned FOX as being easy on the Republicans and a couple of Editors at the New York Times as being easy on the Democrats, but you failed to mention CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, and most major newspapers in the US as being biased for the Democrats. Believe it or not, there are those of us out here that can see the liberal bias that comes at us from all media, even in golf articles that come over the internet.
Stick to writing about golf Chris, you're not much good at politics.
Rene Uzee

by Bill Bracht
1.) Revenue, particularly advertising revenue, is a big reason most media sources are "uncritical reviewers." Any media outlet that relies on advertising revenue is going to shy away from writing anything negative. Ever seen a negative review of new equipment in a golf mag, or of a golf resort on a chamber of commerce web site? No one wants to risk the wrath of a financial supporter. The golf industry is only one example of this all to common phenomenon.
2.) Stick to golf and avoid politics. Your mention of FOX and the New York Times is hornets' nest best left alone and a poor metaphor at best..

by Jim McLellan
My hats off to Tim McDonald and Chris
Baldwing at Travel Golf. While I'm
at it I think I will clap and whistle.
Arrogance in our industry is rampant and the hot shots that think they are doing us a favor to play "their" course___need a wake up call. Of course I am in the amen corner when it comes to this sort of realistic reporting. Check it out at____
http://www.theantipro.com & in particular the article "Hate Golf"?
Jim McLellan
The AntiPro
www.mcgolf.com

by David Terry
Chris Baldwin, have you ever stopped to consider that maybe the tone you receive from some golf course general managers and professionals is a result of the lack of golf knowledge you exude. As someone who has hosted you, it didn't take long to realize you are clueless about all aspects of the game. It is quite frustrating to consider that this person who just shot 150 is going to make judgements about the "playability" of the golf course.

by Tim Govern
I agree with you that many golf courses have a long way to go to appreciate their patrons more.
I was wondering though did you call out that particular general manager in a review?, and where could I find it.
Thanks;
Tim Govern

by Don Kruse
I usually try out 10-20 new courses per year, and have found the most reliable reviews on websites with input from average paying golfers, not professional writers. When they rate a course highly, it is for the right reasons, a quality course at a reasonable price. I have found some real jewels in the middle of nowhere (Wildhorse in Nebraska comes to mind) based on their reviews. I have also been stuck with some poor courses by relying on "top ten places to play" rated by major golf magazines and organizations. (Apache Stronghold-Az), or for courses that used to be top notch that have deteriorated in recent years (Las Sendas- Az). The paying public has nothing to lose by posting a accurate review of courses played. The few nut cases are easy to spot.

by Sam Bogan
I am an avid golfer and I have been disappointed with the treatment of guests in the various golf courses I have played. It seems that the more I golf the more I feel that it was not worth the time I lost.
I recently played at the Ritz Carlton in Jamacia and the course was in great shape but the course should have been closed since it was raining heavily. They closed the cart paths and I did not understand why until after the 5th hole. We had no choice but to take the cart path and when I came around a corner we saw our golf partners in the cart on it's side.
The course did not do anything to help us other then they would bring our clubs back to the club house. When we arrived back at the club house there was no one from the course to meet us to determine what had happened. This was after the gentleman that was injured was taken to the local Hospital.
The course did not offer any apologies nor anything else. We went into the Pro Shop and all they did was refund us a pro-rated amount for the holes we did not golf.
The greens fee were $159.00 and I feel all they wanted was our money and did not care if the golfer was OK or not.
With the current state of things in the golf world where there are some many courses, they need to start to focus on customer service. When are they going to realize that the greatest referral is word of mouth.
Sam Bogan

by Steve Franklin
Your piece in the newsletter concerning golf course arrogance was right on the money.
As a traveling golfer, I would love to be able to rely on the many reviews offered on golf courses throughout the country and indeed, the world but can't.
I find myself looking for alternative sources to determine what I'd like to know about a particular course.
I guess what I fail to understand is why the "reviewers" don't get it.
Much like food critics, we, the public lose all confidence in their opinions once we've taken their word and traveled to a new restaurant that they gave a rave review only to find out it truly sucked. The portions were small, the service was non-exitstant and the prices were crazy high.
How should we view their next review?
I'd really love to have a reliable source for golf course reviews but don't know of any.
Why can't it be that if the sand traps suck, say so? If the greens are half dead, tell us.