Charleston residents,
I have long been troubled by our Muni and the impossibility to book tee times for anytime before 3:30pm.
As I watched Strapped South Carolina on our Muni, I noticed a nefarious character who prompted an investigation. There is a group of elderly only “Rascals” who have Monday, Wednesday, and Friday(!) morning tee times reserved for them every single week.
This would be no problem if they had an open sign up system, however the sign up is controlled by a “Rascal Board Member”
https://www.charleston-sc.gov/2813/Blitzes-Leagues-and-Group-Play
"# The Rascals
The ‘Rascals’ have been a Muni staple since the early 90’s. With times on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, this group has provided a league setting for senior golfers in the Charleston community to meet new golfers and regularly participate in a ‘blitz’ format game. While the Rascals are inclusive of anyone interested, space may be occasionally limited with a waitlist. Those interested in joining this popular group can reach out to the golf course at golf-course@charleston-sc.gov, and a Rascals board member will be notified to reach out to any inquiries."
Would anyone believe that this is a totally open enrollment system? Or does the “board” give priority to their regulars and friends?
Even worse, is a group called the Jenkins Links Golf Association, which regularly features Saturday and Sunday morning blitzes for their group.
" * ## JLGA Weekly Blitzes
Weekly blitzes are available for anyone to participate on Fridays (afternoon skins game), Saturdays (morning blitz), and Sundays (morning blitz). While you do not have to be a JLGA member to join these events, more information and league registrations can be found on the [JLGA Website.)"
If you follow through their event sign ups, the sign up sheets can be viewed with a regular group of the same people playing every weekend.
I emailed the course manager asking about these groups and the lack of morning tee times available and in his response was “The blocks for group play are all public too, but there are roughly 1,000 people on these lists; so there are waitlists for these as well.”
How are the same people getting on to weekend tee times for these groups with lists of 1000+ people.
I believe that our Muni’s most premier tee times (Friday, Saturday, Sunday morning) has been taken over by groups of people who can select their members while the general public has to fight over the remaining scraps of late afternoon times when the course is jam packed and slow.
Anyways, let me know if I am being crazy and a complaining Karen, or if I am correct in my theory that this “Rascal” has destroyed the sanctity of public golf.