Volunteer Program Cancel The title field is required!

1. Lockhart Jeremiah S

   
   9/22/2011 9:09 AM

   We are currently looking to begin a volunteer program in exchange for golf. Our main target is folks who are retired looking to play some golf for free. Curious to know if anyone else has implemented a program like this and some of the tasks that were given to the volunteers. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
   
   Jeremiah Lockhart, GCS
   River Pointe GC

   
   
   
   
2. McDonagh Patrick

   
   9/22/2011 10:09 AM

   We have a volunteer stater/ranger program using mostly seniors. While the savings in labor is nice the management of our program is lacking. No clear expectations were established for the volunteers and they receive very liberal benefits for what they provide us.
   
   Pat McDonagh
   RedTail Golf Club

   
   
   
   
3. Douglas Eggert

   

   1 posts
   
   9/22/2011 11:09 AM

   I'll second that comment, we use them everyday, but heaven forbid they don't get their free golf or their perceived clubhouse discount....
   
   We come in an hour before the first tee time everyday and during the week, they are standing on the 1st tee ready to tee off 30 minutes before the first start.
   
   My staff is inconvenienced by them, I've topdressed greens with their balls laying on the 1st green, I've irrigated the 1st fairway with them standing in it...I've sent them back to the tee and made them wait until the 1st tee time, which now puts back the paying customers 20 minutes behind.
   
   Pro uses the excuse that they save us money, but to be honest, they cost my department time and money due to them getting in our way.
   
   If it was up to me, they would be on a very short leash.

   
   
   
   
4. Neidhardt John J

   
   9/22/2011 11:09 AM

   [b][/b]BE CAREFUL ! We are a State run facility and we ran into BIG legal problems. We actually turned a good number of paid positions into an all volunteer force of Cart/Starters. One disgruntled former paid employee contacted the US Dept. of Labor and it was concluded that it was illegal to do what occurred. We ended up having to back pay them for their volunteer time and return those "paid" positions. I suggest getting legal advice before turning an existing "Paid" position into a "Volunteer" position.

   
   
   
   
5. Wahlin Scott B

   
   9/22/2011 11:09 AM

   Our Rangers are paid and receive free golf on stand-by. There are high expectations placed upon them to keep the pace of play and they meet these expectations. I have never worked with Rangers as professional as these. If I went somewhere else I would send my Rangers to go work with these people for a week to see what being a good Ranger is all about. Everyone who works as a Starter at my place is a Class A PGA Pro. This was all set up and maintained by my predecessors Joe Sciortino and Dan Hager. Pace of play is a worthy niche for a daily fee golf course.

   
   
   
   
6. Gregory Meyer

   

   0 posts
   
   9/23/2011 8:09 AM

   We had a volunteer program at my last course. If a person worked 8 hours a week, they would receive unlimited balls for the range and free golf. Alot of the volunteers worked at the driving range as pickers. My volunteer would come in every morning and do setup and hand rake bunkers. A non employed person could not run equipment because of insurance reasons.
   
   
   Gregory Meyer
   Louisville, Ky

   
   
   
   
7. David Brandenburg

   

   3 posts
   
   9/24/2011 12:09 PM

   We have used some "volunteer" starters/marshals but now stay away from it. We just pay the guys and expect a good job out of them with set schedules and responsibilities.
   
   As hard as it is to fire a employee it is ever harder to fire someone who doesn't get paid. The conversation was similar to the Seinfeld episode where Kramer has a business exec's job. Employee - "Are you firing me? I don't really even work here, you don't even pay me." Me - "That's what makes this all the harder."

   
   
   
   
8. Smith Tim

   
   9/27/2011 12:09 PM

   Yes we have them for starters,rangers, and range pickers. Pretty useless! They just waste gas and barely do the job they are supposed to.But I blame most of it on the pro shop for not training them what to do.

   
   
   
   
9. Larned Fred

   
   10/14/2011 5:10 AM

   tmjer said: Yes we have them for starters,rangers, and range pickers. Pretty useless! They just waste gas and barely do the job they are supposed to.But I blame most of it on the pro shop for not training them what to do.

   
   
   Amen to that. Our volunteers here are a waste of space and you are right it is the pro shop that allows them to get away with it.