The Willmotts/Seniors’ Roll Ups – How should we organise?

Background/History

The purpose of the Willmotts roll ups is for like-minded players over 55 years of age, and of all abilities, to play social golf and socialise with colleagues in the clubhouse afterwards.

Option 1.

Historically, on Monday and Thursday mornings, Willmotts would arrive at the club where groups of four balls would be drawn at random via numbered discs so that play could begin from the first tee at 08.00. This procedure ensured an ideal social golf structure, where players seldom played with the same group. One option for us is to return to the system of drawing random playing groups just before 08.00 as we did pre-COVID 19. We will call this option 1.

However, the negative side of this procedure was that players could arrive around 07.30 and yet find themselves drawn in the later groups and, depending on the numbers present, not able to tee off until 09.00 or later. This often caused frustration.

The booking system introduced due to COVID-19 improved the situation by eliminating the frustration of waiting around as players knew exactly when they would tee off and arrived accordingly. The negative side, however, was that due to booking congestion, in order to guarantee a tee time, many players formed four ball groups where one player would reserve tee times for all of them and consequently this became their regular playing group.

When we return to regular roll ups what could be done to eliminate waiting around?

Option 2.

One way to deal with this would be to conduct more than one random draw on the day, perhaps one at 07.50 for the early arrivals – say for two or three 4 balls, and then another at, say, 08.10 for another two to three 4 balls and, perhaps another at 08.20 or 08.25 for later arrivals. We will call this option 2

Players are accustomed now to booking social golf seven days in advance and competitions a number of weeks ahead. So it is likely that most players can predict, other than for illness, injury or the unforeseen, that they intend to play golf on Monday and Thursday at least a week ahead.

Subject to Willmotts agreement, we could introduce a system where players could email a nominated co-ordinator indicating the dates that they intend to play a roll up. The co-ordinator could then draw out four balls groups and email a start sheet and indicative start times to all those who have emailed their intent. We will call this option 3.

It is important to recognise that start times cannot be absolutely guaranteed as, in the event that other club members turn up to play they would have the right to feed in. However, we know before COVID 19 that it was a very rare occurrence for anyone other than Willmotts to be at the club between 08.00 and 09.00. The exception may be when there is a mid- week Stableford on the last Thursday of each month.

We should ensure that those who need to play early, for any legitimate reason, could indicate this in their email and the co-ordinator would take that into account when making the draw.

To accommodate Willmotts who do not use emails a sign-up sheet could be placed on the notice board so that a player can indicate dates where he is intending to play roll up.

The email booking system would be arranged to operate weekly or even monthly in advance.

If a player has to withdraw from a roll up once a start sheet has been issued, he should advise the co-ordinator who can revise and re-issue the document. (we could use the Willmotts web-site to keep the start sheet up-to-date).

Option 3

Who should co-ordinate option 3?

The co-ordinator should be a voluntary position and have no other responsibility so (ideally) should not be a serving committee member. If we can achieve a pool of volunteers the position could be changed monthly to lessen the workload unless someone expresses a wish to serve for a longer period.

The above applies to roll ups only between 08.00 and 09.20 or later for Willmotts intending to play 18 holes. (Assumption; 24 to 36 attendees making 6 to 9 four balls at 10min intervals all playing from the first tee.)

For those players who wish to roll up and play 9 holes, it is highly likely that they could roll up and tee off from 08.00 to 08.30 on the 10th tee, so that they tee off before any early starters from the first tee reach the 10th hole.

With regard to the procedure for drawing random groups for our proposed re-established roll ups, please let Alan Moore know on alanmoore103@yahoo.com, which of the three options proposed you would favour. Or, should you have any alternative suggestions, please include these in your reply to Alan.

The objective is to ensure that we re-establish the Willmotts/Seniors roll ups in a way that most participants will support.

Finally, as option 3 involves having a co-ordinator/s, please let Alan know if you wish to take on this roll either individually or as part of a team of co-ordinators.

In summary the options proposed are:

Option 1 – the system used pre COVID-19. Arrive between 07.30 and 08.00 take a numbered disc and place in bag. Captain or committee member undertakes a random draw for 4 ball matches.

Option 2 – as above, but more than one draw is undertaken to support players who prefer an early or later tee time.

Option 3 – Players indicate in advance that they wish to play in a given roll up. A co-ordinator undertakes a random draw and emails the draw to players prior to the roll up day. Players are able to specify in advance that they wish to play in an early or later tee time. Players who haven’t signed up in advance can be slotted in on the day.

Please send your preference to Alan Moore by email by Friday 20th August.

15th August 2021