I live on one of Sun City’s golf courses and observe many golfers every day. In my opinion, 75% of golfers who use our courses have no respect for the course or the game.
1. What happened to following the 90-degree rule? There are signs posted at the tee boxes with graphics showing 90-degree turns, but very few golfers I see comply with this rule. These courses are located in the desert where rainfall is measured in tenths, not inches, and they are being watered only rarely.
2. The course near me does not allow carts to be driven next to the greens and sand traps, but this rule is being ignored. The course only allows three carts per foursome in an effort to save wear and tear.
3. Notice the poor conditions of the roughs. Driving golf carts all over the roughs and fairways further damages the courses. There are many patches of bare dirt where grass will never grow back without significant reseeding and water.
4. Other Valley courses do not allow disrespectful players. They are given warnings and asked to leave on a second offense.
5. Many players come through after 5 p.m., playing with as many as six balls at a time. This is the equivalent of six rounds of golf, five of which are unpaid.
Perhaps a solution is to charge green fees plus a $10 surcharge and hire more rangers so there is one for every nine holes. Pay rangers $15/hour. They would need to be trained and accountable for monitoring offensive and disrespectful players.
Perhaps a committee should be established to look at alternative ways to manage Sun City course conditions and disrespectful golfers. Nearby courses like Palmbrook, Sun City West and The Grand are much better managed and in much better condition.
Editor’s note: This writer is using a pen name. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.
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