Meunclemichael

I brought three clients to play St Margaret’s because I knew it was a very good, well maintained golf course. We had a particularly busy schedule but managed to get time for a round. First thing that went wrong was at check in when I was informed our tee off time was 35 minutes later than I booked. When I said this, the guy looked at his screen and told me I was mistaken. I KNOW I wasn’t mistaken as a lot of planning had gone into the day and I knew precisely the time I booked. If he apologised and said there’s been a delay I could have taken it, but to be made look foolish in such a dismissive way in front of clients was embarrassing. We made our way to the first tee at the revised time where there was a queue waiting. I felt like cancelling the who thing there and then. And I should have, because we had to wait over every shot and 5 hours 35 minutes later we finished our round. A member of staff (ranger?) came along on a buggy as we waited on the 8th box. We complained about the exceedingly slow pace of play. He went ahead to see if he could identify the cause. We never saw him again and the snail pace continued to the painful end. Were my clients impressed? No! It was quite clear to me that St Margaret’s had let out too many players at too short intervals because the delay was along the whole course, not after any particularly slow group. And that might also explain our tee time being put back by 35 minutes. We were late for a subsequent dinner appointment where our companions had to wait for us. I will never play St Margaret’s again which is a pity because it’s a lovely course and well maintained. BUT NEVER AGAIN!

The pace of play was awful. We had to stand and wait at every tee box and on our fairways shots, and for each green. Five hours and ten minutes! A ranger approached us at the 8th tee. We complained it had taken two hours and fifteen minutes to get that far!! He went ahead to see what the problem was. That’s the last we saw of him. St Margaret’s are obviously interested only in getting as many green fees out on the course as possible, not in the players’ experience! My buddies and I vowed never again, not even if we got it for free!!