Glenn's 1st Day Training as Marshal w/ Bob

Video taken by me, with my Motorola Droid Cell phone:
(The way to keep Bob talking for the video was to keep asking silly questions)

Today, from 11AM to 3PM, I practiced and started to apply what I had learned from Robert Joiner and Senior Tour Player, Pete Nuncio. I was supposed to be at Southwyck by 12 noon but came in much earlier (11 a.m.) to make sure that I knew more about the role of a marshal in golf, particularly at Southwyck Golf Club, here in Pearland, Texas. I knocked at David's door office, and there he was happy to see me. Right away, he got in touch with Robert (Bob) Joiner who was checking on a group at the ninth hole. In a jiffy, Bob was there in front of me asking if I was Glenn, "the new kid in town". Robert was kind enough to brief me in detail -- step by step, as to how to accommodate golfers coming in for the day to play golf. A portion of this briefing with Robert was documented with my Motorola Droid cell phone. Here's the link to my upload at You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cigNgY374pw

Btw, I have not told you the reason why I decided to apply as marshal. I have played this game of golf since the mid-seventies and have had a lot of good and a few bad experiences with marshals.

I thought that I would probably better understand them by being one of them, even for a short stint. True enough, I immediately found out that it was not that easy to be a marshal.  I was pretending to be a marshal when I actually had had a very short training session with Robert.  Why was it not easy? 

Being a marshal meant you must have a  readable watch. I was not carrying one.  I thought my Motorola Droid cell phone's digital time would be good enough.  The heat and the glaring light from the sun did not help either.  They made it hard for me to see the tiny numbers in my cell phone.  It was also cumbersome, changing from my sunglasses to my reading glasses.  In addition, with many golfers forming a long line, waiting to tee-off, I had to check their receipts, verify and mark them as current, get, at least, one of the golf members' name, note the number of their golf cart and write down the exact time they teed-off.

Each 6X7-inch nametag of golfers who booked in advance had to be placed in front of the golf cart for identification. Each golf cart had to have a scorecard and a pencil and no trash left by the previous golfers. The very efficient Matthew, a young lad, was there to assist me in parking the carts and keeping them clean.

After each hour, I would have to drive the golf cart to the ninth hole to get the group's cart numbers. The time difference between where they first teed-off and the time they set foot on the ninth green is called, the "turn in time" or pace of play. Using my "walkie-talkie", I then report the "turn time" to central office. And all these had to be complied with while I continue to greet, smile and have conversations with the incoming golfers who were always eager to tee-off for their game.

At 3 p.m., I went to the main office to submit my tee sheets. I looked for David Esch. When I saw him in the other room, he asked, "So, Glenn, how was your day as Southwyck's marshal?"  "Fine," I said, "it was easy and a bit boring."  "Boring?" David said, "wait until you get more golfers coming."  "yeah, you're right," I said, "the pace today was just right for me."

After I submitted my tee sheets, walkie-talkie, and a club cover handed to me by one of the players, David asked me to go to the front desk to get my ticket for two rounds of golf. Well, that felt good.

I planned on practicing my golf lessons with Jack after marshaling, but, having worked, on and off, under the heat of the sun for four hours, I was a bit sleepy so I went home again. After my forty winks, I headed for Alvin, Texas to pick Lorna up from her work. The convertible BMW with a pretty girl driving wakened me up a bit, enough to get my sleepy head to Alvin, Texas, safely.

When I arrived in Alvin, I would usually call Lorna to tell her that I already got there to pick her up. But, this time, I didn't. I made myself comfortable and slept again until she knocked at our car's door.

On our way back to Pearland, I had wished that the intense heat from the sun would dissipate so I could go back ... and practice my golf swing. I convinced the young Alex to join me so we could follow up on his golf lessons. He agreed.

And what happened that made Lorna laughed loud? I slept again until it got dark!

Category:

Sports

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• golf