Eravel

As you know, I have already responded to your original comment which you have chosen to repost again. This is all I will add in the hopes that you will finally understand why I am disappointed in your club.

My underlying complaint and this blog interaction (and management's continued responses to it) point out precisely why there is a customer service problem at East Bay. Initially, instead of attempting to accommodate a request from a long time customer for the possibility of an early tee time, or explaining in a calm, thoughtful way why such an accommodation was not possible, management decided just to spitefully and rudely cancel the long time customer's reservation. Similarly, instead of responding in a considerate and measured manner to my complaint posted on this site, management has chosen to be openly defensive and blame their customer. No company I know that values its business would possibly treat its customers this way. Even if you disagree with a customer, you treat them politely, use kind words and stick by the maxim "the customer is always right" even if you believe that they are wrong. Could one ever imagine a professional organization such as Apple or Amazon or Nordstrom or another golf course like Pebble Beach treating their customers the way East Bay has here? Or responding to a complaint on a blog site like this in such a manner? Our point about East Bay management's poor treatment of their customers has been made by their own responses and words.

It is unfortunate that a third person wrote this review and was not present at the time referenced and is unaware of the issues at hand. East Bay GC staff goes out of it’s way to accommodate all customers. The gentleman and his wife know this to be a true statement. Expectations of demanding the FIRST TEE TIME that wasn't available, playing ALONE as a twosome and expecting to play 18 holes in 2 hours cannot be accommodated. The early am preparation of the golf course ie: mowing greens, rolling greens, cutting cups, raking bunkers cannot be accomplished for the entire 18 hole championship course ahead of a two hour race around the course and causes much interference with the grounds maint staff. I would hope anyone familiar with golf etiquette as it relates to being paired and common golf course operation understand this dilemma.

The male golfer in question is almost 80 years old and his wife is over 74 years old.. Anyone who has looked up any definition of "elderly" would know that this couple would fall into this category. I don't know what you mean by "competent" but yes, they are not scratch golfers, which is why they were justifiably stunned by your treatment of them and your club's policies.

Instead of telling yourself that these golfers were trying to be polite towards the club and other golfers when they informed you that they were fast golfers, you took the action you took, which led me to post this bad review. This couple no longer come to your club based on your arbitrary action when they live right near your course so your club just lost them as potentially excellent and regular customers.

Since you cited the GCSAA in your previous comment, let me remind you that among the responsibilities of the General Manager is to "[m]aintain[] positive and productive relationships between the golf facility and its ... golfers [and] guests." Along, among the functions of the General Manager is to "[k[eep[] golfers adequately informed of the activities of the golf facility and encourage[] their participation. Ensure[] that sound relationships are maintained between staff and customers and/or members, and that proper consideration is given to customer and/or member complaints and suggestions."

The couple is far from elderly and the Dr. is very competent.

Thank you for posting your comment so that other people on this site can see how you treat some of your customers. The elderly couple in question had spoken about this problem with others who had also had unfortunate experiences with the manager concerned, so it is not true to say this couple knew that your staff go out of its way to accommodate all customers. You should look at the comment from October below if you want to see how someone else felt about your staff. The couple I am concerned with did not speak to other staff members at this course last month when this unfortunate incident had occurred with the manager, so this couple only raised a concern about the club's manager, whom, from your comment, does not accommodate all customers. This person allegedly yelled at this couple and cancelled their account just after the male golfer had asked the manager one question, "What is the possibility that my wife and I can play at your course as early as possible today since we tend to play quickly through the course?" The manager knows and has known that English is not this couple's first language, which is why I wrote this review. I have been to this club before and did not see this manager address this couple even with a smile. This couple lives near the club, so it was not in their best interests to upset anyone at this club. This was why they couldn't understand why this manager made no effort to encourage customers like them to play more at the club instead of turning them away in such an abrupt manner. This couple is aware of golf etiquette having played golf for almost 40 years at different clubs in Florida, in the US and around the world. Up until now, this couple has never encountered the kind of managerial style at a club as they have seen at this club. This couple did not demand that the manager do anything. They simply asked a question. There's a big difference between what this club is trying to portray about this couple and what had actually happened. It is absurd to claim that this couple demanded that they play even before the grounds had been maintained. What this club is claiming this couple had demanded are actually services other golf clubs have provided to this couple and continue to provide to their customers. Yes, other clubs have sometimes granted this couple the first tee time. This couple has sometimes played as a twosome. They have sometimes played quickly around the course out of consideration to the other golfers behind them. What kind of club is this to say these golfers can never play first if that first tee time is free and that they should play golf in, say, 4 hours rather than 2? I looked at the rules of the USGA, GCSAA and the site for the Golf Channel/Golf Advisor (the PGA refers to the USGA rules) and did not see any of these so-called demands this club mentioned to be contrary to the rules of golf. In fact, page 19 of the 2016 USGA rules specifically states, "The game of golf should be played in the correct spirit and in accordance with the Etiquette Section in the Rules of Golf. In particular...play at a good pace and be ready to invite faster moving groups to play through." (see also page 27 of USGA Rules). On May 29, 2015, another customer on this site said he spent only 2,5 hours playing on your course, which didn't seem to be a problem for this club with that customer. See also page 28 that defines a group as including "a single player" so it is wrong for this club to say that according to the rules, this club can't have a couple play a round a golf. In fact, the club even said on October 7, 2015 on this site that it accommodates singles, so what was this club's issue with a couple telling the club the two of them intended to play? I can go on. We hope this review helps other customers see how they might be treated too if they rub the manager at the club the wrong way for whatever reason. You may not get an apology for any misunderstanding or inconvenience and now the readers of this site know what kinds of (in our opinion, non-accommodating and arbitrary) rules this particular club has if they ever want to play at that club! We really hope you, the customers on this site, never have the kind of experience this couple had with the manager at this club.

It is unfortunate that a third person wrote this review and was not present at the time referenced and is unaware of the issues at hand. East Bay GC staff goes out of it’s way to accommodate all customers. The gentleman and his wife know this to be a true statement. Expectations of demanding the first tee time, playing alone as a twosome and allowed to play 18 holes in 2 hours cannot be accommodated. The early am preparation of the golf course ie: mowing greens, rolling greens, cutting cups, raking bunkers cannot be accomplished for the entire 18 hole championship course ahead of a two hour race around the course and causes much interference with the grounds maint staff. I would hope anyone familiar with golf etiquette as it relates to being paired and common golf course operation (USGA, PGA, GCSAA and the Golf Channel/Golf Advisor) would understand this dilemma.