GUI VOICHERS as golf prizes discontinuation

getoffthepot

I see these have been discontinued by golf Ireland. We used to get these as prizes. Allowed flexibility as to where you spend them.

What do other clubs give as prizes?

Golfgraffix

Lots of clubs now put the winnings back on your competition purse, shop purse or bar purse.

prawnsambo

That's a pity. They were very useful

Actually can't find any reference to this. Have you a link?

Ok, found it. So the books are discontinued, but you can download a template from the Golf Ireland website.

Template is available here: https://www.golfireland.ie/club-hub-detail/prize-vouchers

Not sure where they will be accepted, but would imagine they'll be the same as before.

spacecoyote

Yeah, my place just puts it into your account in the club now

prawnsambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120360447#Comment_120360447

We used to do that, but found that it led to dysfunctional behaviour. People were waiting for wins to top up their competition fees balance and so were running up big negative balances. We dealt with that by setting the competition entry system to reject entries where there were insufficient funds. But then we also found that people weren't using their prize funds in the shop and were just letting balances build for entry fees.

So we went back to vouchers even though it was a bit of a pain.

spacecoyote

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120360503#Comment_120360503

Yeah, we have a distinction in our place, your purse for competition fees is distinct from you account, so you can't use the winnings to enter comps

prawnsambo

Had a bit of a think about this. The downloadable voucher template comes with advice to agree with local shops etc. to accept them. Clearly this has now limited their usefulness with regard to the golf shops like McGuirks and Halpenny etc.

Those outlets won't be keen to have a bunch of different templates that they'd have to check against to be sure they were genuine. Otherwise it would turn into a 'print your own money' scheme. On the other hand it could end up costing them revenue.

Not great, not great at all.

slave1

This is a shame, I dislike playing my home course constantly so play opens all over the island, I have a good few places where the "prize" is picked up locally only and for the pro shop, prizes that are forgotten and not honoured by clubs when I've passed by a year or so later.

GUI vouchers were perfect here because the (were) accepted for green fees in all other GUI affiliated golf clubs

Seve OB

ive never won any, never even seen any. most clubs ive been lucky to win anything in always gave a voucher for their own shop

it perplexes me from a business point of view that any club would want to give you a prize which you can spend somewhere else??

only exception would be clubs with no shops or bars/restaurants. but i guess there is probably about none of them 😁 sure even corballis has a tiny shop.

my club has always given credit for the pro shop. pre this (maybe 15 years ago) you got an actual prize, which most people probably handed back for shop credit anyway.

but just as Space says, it's shop credit. can not be used for comp entries. makes you spend your money in your club.

i mean even if you are only grabbing a few balls, a glove, a bottle of water/bar/coke/coffee etc you can eat into it

prawnsambo

Stand around in McGuirks in Leopardstown around Christmas and you'd think GI vouchers were the only form of legal tender in the country. 🤣

slave1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120362121#Comment_120362121

"it perplexes me from a business point of view that any club would want to give you a prize which you can spend somewhere else??"

It's an Open, golfers travel to an Open and an Open should reflect that visitors may win a prize and not be from the locality, we're not talking big bucks here, even a first prize is barely over visitor rate

Seve OB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120366014#Comment_120366014

An open is a way clubs sell their course/club and boost revenue. It should absolutely not have to reflect anything other than their own club. It should not be their concern whether or not people are from the locality and if they have travelled once to play it, they can come back and use the voucher to play it again or eat in the restaurant. Or hell, pick up the phone and ask them to stick a T-Shirt in the post. We are talking running a business here, I know they are clubs and not for profit etc, but they need to do their best for their clubs and not give away business to McGuirks up in Leopardstown.

tayto lover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120360447#Comment_120360447

Yes and you can use it to pay subs etc.