The Honor Box
The Honor or Honesty Box is a collection device that is used by golf courses, mostly in rural or sparsely inhabited locals. The advantages in using an Honor Box collection device are in the savings in labor cost over a dedicated staff position. Though not as prevalent in the United States, the Honor Box system is very much alive and in practice in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. The Honor Box, in a way, is a throw back to the way golf was and the true spirit of integrity that is found in the game. Former Technical director for the USGA, Frank Thomas was kind enough to reflect on the Honor Box and golf and contributed the following thoughts.
The “Honesty Box” concept is what life is all about and in fact what golf is all about. Only you know why you play and even though you can’t express it very well it is truly a self-evaluation process and you only cheat yourself if this is what you choose to do.
Man has a subconscious urge to evaluate himself and only really recognizes this, when offered a club which will hit the ball straight and 270 down the middle every time AND he rejects it knowing that this reward should only come from hard work and skill.
The true golfer will reject this club (if it were ever available) as there would be no point in going to the tee to play the next shot if he knew exactly where it will come to rest. One may as well start the game (that hole) from the 270-yard mark in the middle of the fairway.
Rejecting this 270 yard club, which the golfer may have WANTED, but realizes after a short period of time, he doesn’t NEED positions him as close as he will ever be to a philosophical understanding of the game and its fundamental elements.
The honesty box is only a microcosm of the game. If we violate the rules knowingly we are only cheating ourselves.
A conscience is the strongest mental force man has. Only a clear conscience will allow him to enjoy the rest of his life to the full.
True golfers will not cheat and the success of an “Honesty Box” is a clear exhibit of this.
Hope this gives you an inkling of my thoughts and something to think about.
I wish we could have more “honesty box” concepts around to challenge people’s conscience. I think we would be surprised how well it works when we are left to be our own judge and jury.
Below are some examples of Honor Boxes and their facility.
Scarista Links
Isle of Harris, Sotland
Scarista Links is a 9-hole facility located on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides. The land is common ground and volunteers and members of the community perform the maintenance. It is the home to Harris Golf Club. Green fees are £5.00 (approx. $10.00 USD). Interesting story to go with this course is that on his way to the Masters one year, Nick Faldo stopped and played the course leaving a signed fiver in the honesty box. The fiver was framed and an annual competition for “The Faldo Fiver” is contested among the members.
The Isle of Seil Golf Club
Argyll, Scotland
The Isle of Seil Golf Club in Argyll, Scotland offers 9 holes and multiple tee markers for full 18-hole play. Green fees are £10 (approx. $19.00 USD) for a day pass. The course was founded by local community members and relies heavily on the use of the Honor Box but is staffed for member competitions and on weekends during the peak tourist season. In email communiqués with founding member Ray Chisolm he noted that collection rates are highest when there is a staff member present and that the Honor Box probably collects 70% of players fees. He also mentioned that fellow players and members often act as unofficial starters as they wait in queue.
Figure 1 Sign at Isle of Seil Golf Club
Figure 2 Frank Thomas at Isle of Seil
Inveraray Golf Club
Argyll, ScotlandInveraray Golf Club is a parkland course with 9 holes. A single handyman hired for greenskeeping maintains the facilities. There is a starter shack that has a changing room and small common area for scorecards, pencils and social gathering. There is a deposit slot in the exterior of the building for green fee deposits and guests are to attach a day ticket to their bag as proof of payment. The sign at the first tee states, “ Please ensure you have paid before playing. Ticket checks are in operation.”
Figure 3,4,5 Inveraray Golf facility
Spean Bridge Golf Club
Inverness, ScotlandSpean Bridge is a 9-hole course that offers day passes for £12.00 (approx. $23.00 USD). Local veterans of the 2nd World War, who designed and built the original course, formed the club in the 1950’s. All the maintenance and course development is still carried out by the members today.
Children’s Course at North Berwick Golf Club
East Lothian, ScotlandThe Children’s Course at North Berwick is a unique facility in that adults are not allowed to play unless accompanied by a junior player. The facility has utilized an Honor Box in the past but according to Managing Secretary John Douglass it has had to be removed due to lack of compliance and vandalism. Mr. Douglas stated that compliance began to drop when tourism increased and vandalism wasn’t an issue until about five years ago.
Assorted “Pasture Golf” facilities in Oregon
Kinzua Hills Golf Club, Fossil
Woodburn Golf Club, Woodburn
Christmas Valley Golf Club, Christmas Valley
Condon Municipal Golf Club, Condon
Bear Valley Golf Club, Seneca“Pasture Golf” facilities are an association of rudimentary facilities that provide golf opportunities to remote and undeveloped areas. Most facilities are an object of love for the owner of the land and lay no claims to being “championship caliber”. Many courses are dormant or unused pastures with just an area mowed for the green or like at Woodburn employ sand greens. Green fees for a majority of pasture golf facilities range from $5.00 - $10.00 for a day pass.
Figure 4 Condon sign, “Golfers must sign in and pay prior to playing golf or be subject to prosecution for trespassing and/or theft of services”
Figure 5 Condon Municipal Honor Box
Figure 6 Bear Valley Honor Box
Yanchep Golf Course
Yanchep, AustraliaYanchep Golf Course is located within Australia’s Yanchep National Park. With the course operation falling under the government jurisdiction fee collection is operated in the same manner as camping sites. Green fees are $6.00AUD for 9 holes and $9.00AUD for 18 holes (approx. $5.00USD and $7.00USD). Each guest places their fee in a numbered envelope and retains a receipt portion for verification. The envelope is then deposited into an Honor Box for collection.
Figure 7, 8 Yanchep Sign and Deposit envelope
The Honor Box has a place in golf and is in harmony with the traditions of golf. Respect, integrity and honor are key components to golf and the success of an Honor Box system. In conversations with Honor Box facilities, I found out that compliance tends to be between 50 and 90 percent with Yanchep claiming 95 percent capture rate of green fees. They attributed this to the receipt system and the psychological factor this has on guests. All facilities did posses a concern about theft and vandalism. Each stressed the importance of a strong and secure drop box that is emptied nightly.
Figure 8 Oasis brand drop box
Most facilities offered day passes that offered the ability for guests to return later in the day for additional golf. Fees need to reflect the service provided and should not be a deterrent to entice a guest to enjoy the facility.
Figure 1 Sign at Isle of Seil Golf Club
Figure 2 Frank Thomas at Isle of Seil
Figure 4 Condon sign, “Golfers must sign in and pay prior to playing golf or be subject to prosecution for trespassing and/or theft of services”
