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New tee-time system has glitches

Asbury Park Press 2/24/00 By SHERRY CONOHAN

MIDDLETOWN -- Golfers who play the Monmouth County Park System courses may be in for some trying days when they try to reserve tee times for the new season opening March 15.

David M. Compton, superintendent of parks, cautioned the Monmouth County Board of Recreation Commissioners that, just two weeks before the park system's new tee-time reservation system is supposed to go on line, there are still some very real problems.

The golf shops open March 1 to sell the photo identification cards required by the new system being installed and operated by The Golf Network, of Ocean Township. Reservations will begin to be taken at 8 p.m. March 8, one week before the opening of all courses March 15.

With the new system, golfers have two options in how to make reservations. They may either book them directly over the Internet or call an 800 number and place them with a live operator. Under the old system, they called an automated phone bank with a touch-tone phone and with push buttons answered a series of questions to get their tee times.

Compton reported at the board's meeting Tuesday night that all the software changes that are needed to get the new system operating are supposed to be made within a week, then he and park system staff will sit down and meet with the folks from The Golf Network.

"These are things that aren't working," he explained.

He said the web page is up and loaded, although not yet accessible to the public.

"It will be a tough couple of months," he predicted. ""We are where we were in June 1990" when the former, now discontinued, system of Fairway Systems was introduced.

"We're trying to get a new system used to us and us used to a new system," he said.

Golf Network was awarded the contract for the tee times reservations system in December with a bid that came in at less than half that of Fairway Systems. Golf Network bid $3,913.04 per month and $179,999.84 for the 46-month period of the contract, beginning on March 1, while Fairway Systems bid $9,978.46 per month and $459,009.16 for the 46 months.

"Are we in trouble?" asked board member Dr. Anthony E. Muscella, who at the time the contract was awared to Golf Network said, "This is a cheaper way, but a leap of faith."

"Don't know yet," Compton replied. ""It's a new system. We're under the gun.

"We had one system that already crashed," he continued. "We had one photo ID computer crash. We had to come in and completely rebuild it. It's electronics."

But, he added of the new system's owners and staff, "They're good people. They are top-of-the-line people."

Two of Monmouth County's six golf courses Shark River and Bel-Aire are open all year round, weather permitting. The other four open March 15 and close Dec. 23. The county keeps 20 percent of tee times open and available to walk-ons on a first-come, first-served basis, with the exception of Bel-Aire, which is not on the reservations system and is open to walk-ons on a first-come, first-served basis at all times.

Some 22,000 people use the county's tee time reservation system.

Sherry Conohan: (732) 922-6000, Ext. 7753. Copyright 1997-2000 IN Jersey. http://www.thnt.com/news/app/story/0,2110,252021,00.html

-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), March 19, 2000