Confessions of a Golf Course Starter
A starter’s main focus is
to make sure golfers have
a great time and keep
coming back.
trying to fit in walk-ons. “The pro shop
may not know of openings,” says Stacy,
“but we will.”
While the best starters may be omni-
scient where they earn their minimum
wage (if that) is in customer relations.
Speaking with customers if not Job One is
Job 1A. “All customers have paid to have
a good time, so there is no reason to have
an angry conversation about the rules,”
says Stacy.
Prior to sendoff it was important to
Stacy to impart some design history and
agrarian basics (grass, greens, fairways)
of Independence’s 7,000-plus yards. He
would often highlight a particular hole
characteristic. To newcomers, he’d proffer,
“Guys, I bet you can hit it a long way. We
have a sucker hole out here.” Then he’d
describe it and suggest a line of play.
For starters, it’s all about the logistics:
preparing carts, monitoring the pace of
play, assisting golfers, and much more.
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“I can’t tell you how many times they’d
come back and say ‘you’re right.’ My pur-
pose was for them to have a good time and
come back. That’s the name of the game—
especially at $70 a crack.”
Or Stacy might venture a “You look
about my age” and suggest a set of tees.
“I’d watch them warm up and gauge
their ability level. Sometimes just look-
ing at the clubs you could tell. We’d
give players balls to hit and made a real
effort to pair singles up with players of
like abilities.”
TRAFFIC COP
Often underappreciated and misunder-
stood is the role of the marshal. As the
starter’s eyes, ears and partner in crime,
he advises, via radio: signs of slow play,
open holes and opportunities for walk-ons.
Done effectively, he is a logistics profes-
sional moving multiple groups from tee to
green in a timely fashion.
“A good marshal can keep a four-hour
round from creeping towards five,” says
Stacy. “At Independence, marshals posi-
tioned themselves with a view of the third
and fourth holes, ready to jump on any
laggards. We knew if players were falling
behind because we wrote down cart num-
bers and notified the marshal of group
departure time.”
At Independence, a pleasant manner
was paramount. “When I addressed people
I’d be very polite,” he says. “I’d get out of
vsga.org
AT THE READY
“The starter is the one person on the golf
course who should and needs to know
almost everything going on. He’s got to be
alert, up and moving,” says Stacy.
No surprise here—communication—
with both fellow employees and the pay-
ing public is key. It facilitates flow and
begins at dawn when the starter first sees
the grounds crew or converses with the
superintendent. Invariably the starter is
the one person most current on detailed
course conditions and is the person who
gets the call if the grounds crew is going to
water a green, not the pro shop.
As the day goes on and gets more com-
plicated, it behooves others (especially
the front office) to check with the starter
before deciding to take action. A spot
check is imperative on busy days when