Let me start by saying all staff is trained that members and guests always have the right away. We understand pace of play and the need to keep moving. However, there are many times we are doing necessary work to make your experience better and can't immediately drop what we are doing to get out of the way. Also, every maintenance task can't be done in the morning ahead of play.
Let me share a story from today that involved me personally. This was about 3pm, not many on the course at all. There was no on in front of or behind this twosome that would necessitate the need to rush. After the group teed off on 11, I went out to the fairway to quickly finish working on an irrigation head. Without getting into great detail, I got to an unexpected point where I couldn't move my position or else the sprinkler head would have turned on. I needed another 20 seconds to finish the repair. At this point the I hear whistling- to make me aware that they arrived to their drives and ready to hit the 2nd shot. With my one hand occupied on the sprinkler head out of necessity, I motioned with my other hand that it would be one moment. It was about 7 seconds later that the first golf ball landed about 15 yards away. 5 seconds after that, I finished the repair. The point: I didn't want to be in that fairway anymore than the twosome wanted me to be. However, we have an antiquated irrigation system with tired, 25 year old sprinkler heads. I can assure you, that they don't work like new. Let's also be honest that very few of us hit the ball with such accuracy that we know with certainty, it's velocity and trajectory. After all, hitting a 30 yard wide fairway isn't always easy.
A golf ball can leave a club head with the speed of as much as 150mph. I don't want to be in the way of that and neither I, nor any of my staff, deserves to be on the receiving end of that. It is pure and simple, disrespectful. I would ask, for our safety, that if you see us in the line of play, give us another few seconds to finish and allow us to get out of the way. We understand golfers come first. Some jobs would be damaging to the turf or dangerous to the operator to abruptly stop. Other jobs, like spraying, would risk missing or over applying an area that could result in damaged turf. We are here to make HCC a better golf course for you. 99% of time, my staff is aware of what's going on and will move as fast as humanly possible. If you wouldn't intentionally hit into a group of your fellow members playing in front of you, I think it's fair to ask that staff be treated the same. For the sake of their health and families they provide for, use common sense. The USGA even addresses the issue in this video: