Emerald Hills Golf Course

Man, you need to climb up and down hills every hole, and we're talking about 25ft up and down hills, probably the most in and decline 9 hole course ever. Except Hole 1 with a big slope and you don't get to see the green from tee box, not much design here but surely it's a fun mountain climbing plus golfing.

One of the marshals (an older white man) in a golf cart approached my group aggressively, claiming we were “going too slowly.” This accusation came from a man two holes away who shouted at us, even though our group was consistently being mindful of our pace and following proper etiquette by waiting until the group ahead had cleared the fairway before taking our shots. The marshal then began yelling at us for not having our own full golf sets, as if that was a legitimate reason for holding up play (wouldn’t it make us faster if anything?). It was clear he was just looking for a reason to yell at us. In short, come to this golf course if you want to lose your ball in overgrown grass and get yelled at by angry strangers. I didn’t know it was possible for people to be so upset on a golf course in such nice weather.

I’ve been going to Emerald Hills Golf Course for years and have always respected the honor system—often paying after the round or using the drop box. Every time, I’ve entered the pro shop using the ramp. I didn’t even know there was another door—there’s no signage indicating it. On this particular visit, the ramp was closed and there were employees up on the balcony. I figured the pro shop was closed, so I proceeded to the drop box like I’ve done in the past. As I walked toward the first tee, an employee named Steve—who was very respectful—drove up and mentioned that the employees upstairs said we had just walked on. I explained everything I mentioned above, and he was completely understanding. He told me it was no problem, let my family wait at the first tee, and even gave me a ride to the pro shop so I could pay. That’s when things went south. I walked into the pro shop and was met with an extremely rude and aggressive employee named Jen. The first thing out of her mouth was, “DID YOU GUYS JUST WALK ON?”—said in a very confrontational tone. I began to explain that the ramp was closed and I assumed I was supposed to pay via the drop box, as I’ve done before, and that there was no signage. She cut me off and said, “YEAH NO, WE PAY HERE BEFORE.” Totally condescending. She then asked, again very rudely, “Do you even have a tee time?” I calmly responded, “Ma’am, I’m sorry for the mix-up,” but she interrupted me mid-sentence: “Do you even have a tee time?” I answered, “As a matter of fact, I do,” and gave her the name. She confirmed it and snapped back, “Well you pay now.” I said, “Okay,” staying calm despite being treated like a criminal. I explained that I was with two seniors and a Youth on Course member—it was my family member’s birthday. She then said, “Am I just supposed to believe you?” At this point, I was completely baffled by how I was being treated. She reluctantly charged me for the two seniors. When I mentioned the Youth on Course member, she demanded to see ID. I was shocked—she was now asking for a minor’s ID. I told her the minor was already down at the tee box and I didn’t have ID on me for them, so I said, “Just put them as regular.” She then gave me the nastiest look—as if I was trying to scam her. I paid and began walking back toward the closed ramp. As I did, another younger employee, arms crossed, looked me up and down and said, “Can’t go this way.” I chuckled in disbelief and walked off. Then, outside near the parking lot, I overheard three employees talking about how many people have just been walking on and how there needs to be signage. As I walked by, I said, “Yeah, you’re 100% right—there needs to be signage.” One of them responded sarcastically, “Oh yeah? What kind of place can you just walk on?” I pointed at the honor box and said, “Hmm, I don’t know—maybe the one that has an honor box,” and kept walking. He had nothing to say after that. This whole experience ruined the round of golf and my family member’s birthday. After the round, I went to try to speak with anyone about my treatment from Jen. Since the ramp was still closed, I entered through the bar and saw her sitting there drinking, with the pro shop empty. I spoke to a younger employee instead, who apologized for her and said she’s just under a lot of stress from people walking on. I explained that while I understand stress, it does not excuse treating people like criminals—especially when I was being honest and respectful the whole time. Sadly, after years of supporting this course, I won’t be coming back. It’s unacceptable to be treated this way. Management seriously needs to evaluate how staff, particularly Jen, are handling customer interactions. There’s a right way to address walk-ons—and this definitely wasn’t it.