# Is always playing stableford stopping you getting a lower handicap ??



## User101 (May 5, 2018)

Since I've been on here it's clear the game of choice for the majority is stableford, which is fine if that's what you like but something makes me think it's a cop out and is restricting folk from having a lower handicap. 

Argue your case otherwise, to me, you're taking an easy option rather than battling hard to put a score together.


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## Liverpoolphil (May 5, 2018)

Regardless of what strokeplay format you play your handicap and any reductions are always based on your Stableford score

So no is the answer to your question


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## fundy (May 5, 2018)

ok ill bite, handicaps are calculated on stableford basis whether playing medal or stableford so doesnt actually matter, as for cop out and restricting from a lower handicap nah, its a game we play for fun, play the version which gives you the most fun


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## MendieGK (May 5, 2018)

Liverpoolphil said:



			Regardless of what strokeplay format you play your handicap and any reductions are always based on your Stableford score

So no is the answer to your question
		
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This.

And wouldnâ€™t it work the other way round in that if anything stableford enables a lower handicap?


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## MendieGK (May 5, 2018)

Liverpoolphil said:



			Regardless of what strokeplay format you play your handicap and any reductions are always based on your Stableford score

So no is the answer to your question
		
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Also concerns me the amount of people that donâ€™t know this! One terrible hole doesnâ€™t need to ruin a round for handicap calculation


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## bigslice (May 5, 2018)

Liverpoolphil said:



			Regardless of what strokeplay format you play your handicap and any reductions are always based on your Stableford score

So no is the answer to your question
		
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 What he said


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## Lord Tyrion (May 5, 2018)

As per the other replies.

The obsession with strokeplay is just golf snobbery.


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## Liverpoolphil (May 5, 2018)

Lord Tyrion said:



			As per the other replies.

The obsession with strokeplay is just golf snobbery.
		
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Sorry but first I guess you mean medal play as strokeplay covers both medal and Stableford

And playing a medal and looking to shoot the lowest you can is the main way of playing the sport - in what way is it â€œsnobberyâ€

Scratch comps all use medal because then itâ€™s pure and just the lowest score wins 

The handicap system is great but at times there also needs to be rewards for people that score the best score 

Medal is the toughest format - in Stableford you can mess up a hole badly but still win , itâ€™s tough to do that in a medal 

Too many people throw around the snobbery word with no thought


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## Papas1982 (May 5, 2018)

I always try to play with strokeplay in mind. Generally i'm playing folk where we score it in stableford bu i find i work harder not to just blob a hole if i'm concerned with total score.


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## louise_a (May 5, 2018)

I am surprised that more stableford is played, its about 3:1 in favour of medal in our section


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## Lord Tyrion (May 5, 2018)

Liverpoolphil said:



			Sorry but first I guess you mean medal play as strokeplay covers both medal and Stableford

And playing a medal and looking to shoot the lowest you can is the main way of playing the sport - in what way is it â€œsnobberyâ€

Scratch comps all use medal because then itâ€™s pure and just the lowest score wins 

The handicap system is great but at times there also needs to be rewards for people that score the best score 

Medal is the toughest format - in Stableford you can mess up a hole badly but still win , itâ€™s tough to do that in a medal 

Too many people throw around the snobbery word with no thought
		
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I gave it plenty of thought thanks. The snobbery is in the way Stableford is looked down upon and the way people who like it are looked down upon. It's a different format and one that is enjoyed by many.

I have no issue with scratch comps but that wasn't raised by the op.

Anyway, too nice a day to get involved in one of your epic, pedantic arguments. Fill your boots with a reply if you feel the need.


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## Hobbit (May 5, 2018)

I see it as one and the same. Play well in Stableford and you'll get a cut, and if anything its easier to get a cut. You could throw in a quad bogey but it'll only count as a double, hence only 2 shots dropped for handicap calcs.


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## ScienceBoy (May 5, 2018)

Thinking of this differently. 

If itâ€™s not about the scoring mechanism, as they both use the same.

Is there a difference mentally that makes a difference? Would playing more medals help you improve mentally and improve course management? Therefore lowering scores and handicap?


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## pokerjoke (May 5, 2018)

ScienceBoy said:



			Thinking of this differently. 

If itâ€™s not about the scoring mechanism, as they both use the same.

Is there a difference mentally that makes a difference? Would playing more medals help you improve mentally and improve course management? Therefore lowering scores and handicap?
		
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I think you could be right.
People like Stableford because it allows them to blob or have a major meltdown but still continue the round.

One thing that winds me up slightly is the one that come in with 39 points and their next words are with 3 blobs.

IMO medal or scratch is the true test of golf,playing Stableford all the time gets people used to blobbing.

Funny enough there are a lot of players that won't enter the medals.


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## jim8flog (May 5, 2018)

I think when comparing the two forms of play there is always more pressure playing medal stroke play than stableford so if you can learn to handle the pressure it will make you a better player and therefore in turn should lower your handicap.


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## Deleted member 16999 (May 5, 2018)

Itâ€™s Golf, love it, any format, any chance I get.


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## HomerJSimpson (May 5, 2018)

Stableford is more sociable and more inclusive and so players wanting to play in a large roll up and enjoy being part of the group and still be competitive enjoy that format more. We have more than enough medal events (weekend and weekly medals every month, plus numerous honours board events). Constantly playing medal is non-inclusive and a fast track to regular slow play on a social weekend round


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## bladeplayer (May 5, 2018)

Im going back to a few s'ford comps to try find my game . Playing alot of scratch cups and .1's building up .  Its 2 r 3 bad holes killing me . Few s'ford and maybe society outing r 2 will hopefuly bring the good vibes back


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## jusme (May 6, 2018)

I think its a no brainer that playing more medals would make you a better golfer. In S'ford if I mess up a hole I care not a dot about it as I know it will matter little in the bigger picture. You don't have such a comfort zone in medals and as such you approach it different. Course management is a much bigger element in medals. I for one take more risks in S'ford


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## BrianM (May 6, 2018)

As someone who wants to start playing medals this year, if I have a blow up hole and take an 8, would that just count as a double bogey looking at it from a handicap perspective, the same as a stableford?


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## Imurg (May 6, 2018)

BrianM said:



			As someone who wants to start playing medals this year, if I have a blow up hole and take an 8, would that just count as a double bogey looking at it from a handicap perspective, the same as a stableford?
		
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You've got 2 separate things going on.
Firstly, in the Medal competition, the score is the score. If you take 10 then you put it on your card and that number counts towards your total. Take off your handicap and that's your nett score and the lowest nett score wins
Secondly, for handicapping, the worst you can score is a nett double bogey, or the lowest number that doesn't score a point in Stableford.
So a 10 on a par 3 hole with a Stroke index of 18, so you get one shot, will count as a 6 for handicapping but a 10 in the competition.


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## JamesR (May 6, 2018)

They are both the same thing. 
You play the hole with the aim of taking as few shots as you can. You then write the score in the box.
The only difference is that in one you can stop playing the hole once you reach nett double bogey and in the other you canâ€™t.


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## Imurg (May 6, 2018)

I suppose Stableford allows you to take more risks in the competition than Medal does.
You often hear of Stableford winners having a blob, less often do you win a Medal with a 10 on the card.
Stableford allows you to hit a shot you may not play normally as the penalty isn't as severe.
As far as handicapping goes, it's the same and as I'm playing for my handicap first and foremost it makes little difference.


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## Canary_Yellow (May 6, 2018)

I was just about to post similar imurg; my primary objective is getting my handicap down, winning a comp is secondary. So stableford or medal, it makes no difference to me.


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## bladeplayer (May 6, 2018)

Its a  confidence thing tho Ian . Well for me anyhow  i play alota scratch cups as usualy its bit easier to get cut but when u.out of form strokes eat away at u 

 Like someone said earlier , the i had 42 points with 2 scratches and 2  1 pointers i hard to hear 
In my opinion some1 that doesnt complete the 18 holes should not win an 18 hole comp ( i know u can finish a hole and scratch it aswell ) 
If u want to get better . Play all ur shots . Hopefuly take less next time .  Annoying time wise as it mayb be u learn nothing from quittin and picking up ur ball .  
Possibly ok for experienced golfers but starting out only way to get better is to know how much u need to do 

Not the popular answer i know  just an opinion


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## Canary_Yellow (May 6, 2018)

bladeplayer said:



			Its a  confidence thing tho Ian . Well for me anyhow  i play alota scratch cups as usualy its bit easier to get cut but when u.out of form strokes eat away at u 

 Like someone said earlier , the i had 42 points with 2 scratches and 2  1 pointers i hard to hear 
In my opinion some1 that doesnt complete the 18 holes should not win an 18 hole comp ( i know u can finish a hole and scratch it aswell ) 
If u want to get better . Play all ur shots . Hopefuly take less next time .  Annoying time wise as it mayb be u learn nothing from quittin and picking up ur ball .  
Possibly ok for experienced golfers but starting out only way to get better is to know how much u need to do 

Not the popular answer i know  just an opinion
		
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If I say I had a blob, I just mean I didnâ€™t get any points, not that I didnâ€™t finish the hole. Is that not a blob?


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## ScienceBoy (May 6, 2018)

The worst thing to do in a medal is have a bad hole, rip the card and walk in. 

If people had told me at the beginning I could NR a hole on a medal card, score the rest and still make buffer, I would have had a lower handicap.

Is OK to pick up on a medal card and play on. If you have to NR a whole 9 however...


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## User101 (May 6, 2018)

Liverpoolphil said:



			Sorry but first I guess you mean medal play as strokeplay covers both medal and Stableford

And playing a medal and looking to shoot the lowest you can is the main way of playing the sport - in what way is it â€œsnobberyâ€

Scratch comps all use medal because then itâ€™s pure and just the lowest score wins 

The handicap system is great but at times there also needs to be rewards for people that score the best score 

Medal is the toughest format - in Stableford you can mess up a hole badly but still win , itâ€™s tough to do that in a medal 

Too many people throw around the snobbery word with no thought
		
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This is actually what I meant when I started the topic, far too many people on here from what I see take an easy option by playing stableford, though strokeplay and medal play means the same to me, putting a score together. 

If playing stableford suits how you like to play then fine but it's a cop out and will continue to allow you to just plod along.


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## User101 (May 6, 2018)

One of my PP's had a 10 on the 4th yesterday and had a net 73 with the css of 73, that to me is how put a score together, you lot taking the easy option of stableford would just write it off rather than having the mental strength to put that 10 behind you and compile a score, and that folks is why you'll always be what you are.


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## patricks148 (May 6, 2018)

Cabby said:



			One of my PP's had a 10 on the 4th yesterday and had a net 73 with the css of 73, that to me is how put a score together, you lot taking the easy option of stableford would just write it off rather than having the mental strength to put that 10 behind you and compile a score, and that folks is why you'll always be what you are.
		
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in that case surely he will get a cut then because the 10 will be cut down to a double???


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## Deleted member 16999 (May 6, 2018)

Cabby said:



			This is actually what I meant when I started the topic, far too many people on here from what I see take an easy option by playing stableford, though strokeplay and medal play means the same to me, putting a score together. 

If playing stableford suits how you like to play then fine but it's a cop out and will continue to allow you to just plod along.
		
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It may seem as though people are playing a lot of Stableford as weâ€™ve only just started the season and in winter, a lot clubs play non-qualifiers and ind stab comps.
Now the season has started the majority of ind comps will be stroke.
Our place only does ind stab or 4bbb Nov - Apr, now the season is here, between now and Oct we have 15 Ind Stroke comps and only 4 Ind Stab.
I agree with your point if people purposely avoid ind Stroke comps, personally Iâ€™ll play every weekend regardless of comp.


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## Capella (May 6, 2018)

Almost all our club competitions are Stableford and as with the CONGU system, the German handicap system uses the Stableford-scores for handicap calculations. But I do see the op's point here, though. I know that I sometimes take on very risky shots in a Stableford round which I surely would not do in a medal. Because a nett bogey will still give me one point, but if I play a nett double, triple or quadruple bogey does not matter. I think in terms of "I am running out of shots here" instead of "I have to stop the bleeding and somehow get this ball home"


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## DaveR (May 6, 2018)

Cabby said:



			One of my PP's had a 10 on the 4th yesterday and had a net 73 with the css of 73, that to me is how put a score together, you lot taking the easy option of stableford would just write it off rather than having the mental strength to put that 10 behind you and compile a score, and that folks is why you'll always be what you are.
		
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What will we always be?


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## Fish (May 6, 2018)

Cabby said:



			One of my PP's had a 10 on the 4th yesterday and had a net 73 with the css of 73, that to me is how put a score together, you lot taking the easy option of stableford would just write it off rather than having the mental strength to put that 10 behind you and compile a score, and that folks is why you'll always be what you are.
		
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And with statements like this is why you will never be respected on this forum and the sooner your gone the better imo.


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## BrianM (May 6, 2018)

Imurg said:



			You've got 2 separate things going on.
Firstly, in the Medal competition, the score is the score. If you take 10 then you put it on your card and that number counts towards your total. Take off your handicap and that's your nett score and the lowest nett score wins
Secondly, for handicapping, the worst you can score is a nett double bogey, or the lowest number that doesn't score a point in Stableford.
So a 10 on a par 3 hole with a Stroke index of 18, so you get one shot, will count as a 6 for handicapping but a 10 in the competition.
		
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Thanks for this.


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## USER1999 (May 6, 2018)

Medal, stableford, makes no difference to my score, or the way I play. Most of my no score holes in stableford are missing a putt for a 1 pointer. I dont shoot double figures on a hole.

I also play sh or bust golf. Always. If a shot has a 5% chance of coming off, i am going for it. Why sit in the club house thinking about all the percentage chip outs you had? No fun.

My handicap is junk. I could halve it, it would still be junk. I will never be a pro, so i am doomed to being a chopper. But, i can sit in the club house, and remember that one shot that came off.

Golf is meant to be fun. If I am judged on my handicap, that is pathetic.


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## upsidedown (May 6, 2018)

I tend to agree with the OP as I feel grinding out a medal score will in the long run make you  a better player.
At Montrose on Friday I had a 9  on the 6th which put paid to any chance of a prize but I was still encouraged to go for the buffer as my next target, not that lasted any time with an 8 in the last.
Medal to me is the purest form and if you do well/OK in medals you'll do well in Stableford but don't  feel that a good stableford player will do so well in medals.
When I tee it up I look to shoot as low as gross score as possible


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## JamesR (May 6, 2018)

Cabby said:



			One of my PP's had a 10 on the 4th yesterday and had a net 73 with the css of 73, that to me is how put a score together, you lot taking the easy option of stableford would just write it off rather than having the mental strength to put that 10 behind you and compile a score, and that folks is why you'll always be what you are.
		
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Have you not considered the fact that itâ€™s the club not the member who decides the format of the weekly event?


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## Hobbit (May 6, 2018)

Cabby said:



			One of my PP's had a 10 on the 4th yesterday and had a net 73 with the css of 73, that to me is how put a score together, you lot taking the easy option of stableford would just write it off rather than having the mental strength to put that 10 behind you and compile a score, and that folks is why you'll always be what you are.
		
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Fish said:



			And with statements like this is why you will never be respected on this forum and the sooner your gone the better imo.
		
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:thup: His fishing expeditions are rather tedious. He'll probably be a really nice guy..... when he grows up.



murphthemog said:



			Golf is meant to be fun. If I am judged on my handicap, that is pathetic.
		
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:thup: Maybe if we did it for a living it would be worth worrying about.


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## virgilvdk (May 6, 2018)

We have a fair mix at my current club, Although both formats have the same effect on my handicap as its calculated, at least for now using stapleford. 
I Guess even the new system will have a max score for a given hole.


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## virgilvdk (May 6, 2018)

Hobbit said:



			:thup: His fishing expeditions are rather tedious. He'll probably be a really nice guy..... when he grows up.



:thup: Maybe if we did it for a living it would be worth worrying about.
		
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 Tedious is the speed at which someone gets called a troll or is fishing on here.


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## User101 (May 6, 2018)

patricks148 said:



			in that case surely he will get a cut then because the 10 will be cut down to a double???
		
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Indeed he will, probably about a shot, which is the point I'm making, had it been rubbish stabelford he wouldn't get cut, just nothing scored on that hole. He hung in there and respect to him, takes mental strength to grind out a score after that.


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## User101 (May 6, 2018)

upsidedown said:



			I tend to agree with the OP as I feel grinding out a medal score will in the long run make you  a better player.
At Montrose on Friday I had a 9  on the 6th which put paid to any chance of a prize but I was still encouraged to go for the buffer as my next target, not that lasted any time with an 8 in the last.
Medal to me is the purest form and if you do well/OK in medals you'll do well in Stableford but don't  feel that a good stableford player will do so well in medals.
When I tee it up I look to shoot as low as gross score as possible
		
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Cheers fella, finally someone who can see the woods for the trees. :thup:


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## HomerJSimpson (May 6, 2018)

I like to think my club has it right and a decent enough mix of both formats to keep members happy and make competitions interesting. The only thing I don't quite understand is why we hold qualifiers all year long, subject to the weather (snow, waterlogging etc) but from November to February they are stableford only and why the club doesn't put medals on. At the end of the day I'm going to play whatever the format and try my best each time


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## User101 (May 6, 2018)

We have two stableford comps all year, they are the two least played comps all year.


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## bladeplayer (May 6, 2018)

Canary_Yellow said:



			If I say I had a blob, I just mean I didnâ€™t get any points, not that I didnâ€™t finish the hole. Is that not a blob?
		
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Not sure if u missed the bit in the ( ) or chose to ignore it 
I was actualy agreeing with your OP .. 

But hey ho..


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## User101 (May 6, 2018)

BrianM said:



			As someone who wants to start playing medals this year, if I have a blow up hole and take an 8, would that just count as a double bogey looking at it from a handicap perspective, the same as a stableford?
		
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I think you and a few others are missing the point and that's the difference, cause if folk think stableford and strokeplay is the same thing then I'm kidding myself on trying to make my point.


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## NWJocko (May 6, 2018)

Cabby said:



			Indeed he will, probably about a shot, which is the point I'm making, h*ad it been rubbish stabelford he wouldn't get cut, just nothing scored on that hole*. He hung in there and respect to him, takes mental strength to grind out a score after that.
		
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Given handicap adjustments are made based on stableford not sure how this would be the case!? You get cut the same medal or stableford I think? Could be wrong though, don't play many qualifiers that are stableford


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## williamalex1 (May 6, 2018)

The difference is a player could possibly have 2 or 3, 10s on his card = 3 blobs but could still win a stableford comp, but would have no chance winning in a stroke play medal.


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## BrianM (May 7, 2018)

Cabby said:



			I think you and a few others are missing the point and that's the difference, cause if folk think stableford and strokeplay is the same thing then I'm kidding myself on trying to make my point.
		
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Who thinks they are the same thing?
Im well aware i'm not going to win a strokeplay with 2 or 3 blobs on the card, all i asked was about how the handicap was worked out for a medal.
I'm also aware of your point where you think playing medals will lower your handicap / make you a better player, it might for some it might not for others, just go out and try your best every time you go out and your handicap will take care of its self, regardless if its a medal or stableford competition.


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## Slab (May 7, 2018)

Far from being a â€˜cop outâ€™ it could just be that itâ€™s just two different ways to score your round and players will see the scoring formats differently and they probably do produce different styles of play, both capable of getting your handicap down 

For me medal is the safe option, it promotes playing the % game and protecting your score to avoid blow ups and because plenty canâ€™t/wonâ€™t then playing to handicap will always be a good result (in the tortoise & hare analogy this is Shell-boy)   
Stableford lends itself to a â€˜go for itâ€™ approach because you know 36 pts just wonâ€™t cut it for prizes, so its Monte Carlo or bust

Always doing medal will probably make a player more consistent but maybe less exciting (a Matt Kuchar style of player)
Always chasing points will make it more dramatic (+ & -) and adds more uncertainty to the results (McIlroy always seem to have a Stableford mindset going on)

So there it is if you want to one day get the 59 approach it like Kuchar
If a 48 pointer floats your boat play it like Rory would




(actually Rory seems to be much more like a match-play mindset where he's playing against the course... but heâ€™s always dormie down!)


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## Griffsters (May 7, 2018)

I'm new to club membership and most of the rounds at my club are stableford. 

So far this season I've completed each hole so I get a full scorecard as this is how I measure my own progress. Its a small club, doesn't get too busy so doesn't hold things up. To me at this stage of my golfing its the gross score that matters most, it seems a true measure of my consistency and improvement.

However, Stableford keeps things interesting from a competition point of view. I'd imagine once I have stabilised and found my 'level' I'll mellow a bit from this.


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## Cake (May 7, 2018)

Slab said:



			Far from being a â€˜cop outâ€™ it could just be that itâ€™s just two different ways to score your round and players will see the scoring formats differently and they probably do produce different styles of play, both capable of getting your handicap down 

For me medal is the safe option, it promotes playing the % game and protecting your score to avoid blow ups and because plenty canâ€™t/wonâ€™t then playing to handicap will always be a good result (in the tortoise & hare analogy this is Shell-boy)   
Stableford lends itself to a â€˜go for itâ€™ approach because you know 36 pts just wonâ€™t cut it for prizes, so its Monte Carlo or bust
		
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This all day long - itâ€™s all about your definition of â€˜better golferâ€™ and which type of scoring promotes those characteristics.

I know that for the vast majority of people the lower score consistently is â€˜betterâ€™ and I am coming to appreciate this having been a member of a club for just over a year and having a handicap... however having previously played 3 or 4 times a year I actually feel like a not ad good golfer... I am much more consistent and definitely have a lower average round score, but my number of gross birdies (and eagles) is fewer as I am managing the course more, rather than going for everything with each shot... 

Much as I am enjoying trying to improve my handicap (which is 18 at the moment) a large part of me misses that gung-ho way of playing as I found it more enjoyable in a different way.  Iâ€™m not yet at the point where I just hit the safe shot each time, but I assume as I play more comps where every shot counts that might become prevalent.

All depends on mentality, and Cabby clearly sees overall score as king, so medal is his game... Iâ€™m leaning more towards Stableford as risk/reward is still there for us higger handicappers.


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## DCB (May 7, 2018)

I used to think Medal play was the real game, we only had one Stableford comp during a season, everything else was Medal play.  Since I have returned to golf after my accident my views have changed, Stableford certainly still gives me a chance to put a respectable points score together over 18 holes.  I now understand why people like this format. Yes, for scratch golfers Medal is the real test, but, for the rest of us  Stableford gives us a chance do well if we are on our game. 

As long as we enjoy our golf does it really matter how we score? We are paying for fun and enjoyment after all.


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## Val (May 7, 2018)

Cabby said:



			Indeed he will, probably about a shot, which is the point I'm making, had it been rubbish stabelford he wouldn't get cut, just nothing scored on that hole. He hung in there and respect to him, takes mental strength to grind out a score after that.
		
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The mental part is the only real difference. If more people played in medals with a stableford mindset on their score rather than freezing when the have a bad hole then scores would tend to be better.

Your man hung in because he could forget the 10 on his card, same as anyone would/should in stableford with a blob on their card.


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## Val (May 7, 2018)

williamalex1 said:



			The difference is a player could possibly have 2 or 3, 10s on his card = 3 blobs but could still win a stableford comp, but would have no chance winning in a stroke play medal.
		
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Correct.


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## Canary_Yellow (May 7, 2018)

bladeplayer said:



			Not sure if u missed the bit in the ( ) or chose to ignore it 
I was actualy agreeing with your OP .. 

But hey ho..
		
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I think you misinterpreted my comment, not everyone on here is an angry troll!

I was clarifying  use of the word blob, as I thought I might be using it incorrectly based on how you were using it (I.e - hole not being finished). 

But looking at your post again, I donâ€™t think we are using it differently.


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## richart (May 7, 2018)

Val said:



			The mental part is the only real difference. If more people played in medals with a stableford mindset on their score rather than freezing when the have a bad hole then scores would tend to be better.

Your man hung in because he could forget the 10 on his card, same as anyone would/should in stableford with a blob on their card.
		
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Agree with this. I donâ€™t have many handicap cuts, but can remember at least two medal ones when I have had a nine on the card. Perhaps a high medal score on a hole makes the round easier, as you relax knowing you are not competing to win ?


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## User101 (May 7, 2018)

Everyone can just keep on keeping on with your stableford game and if you think there is no difference to putting a score together over 18 holes then crack on but you're only kidding yourself :thup:

My work here is done.


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## User20205 (May 7, 2018)

Cabby said:



			Everyone can just keep on keeping on with your stableford game and if you think there is no difference to putting a score together over 18 holes then crack on but you're only kidding yourself :thup:

My work here is done.
		
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I donâ€™t disagree with you. Most club golfers in England are brought up with a stableford mindset. They talk about nett scores, how many blobs etc.
Check out most clubs starts sheets. Stablefords will be over subscribed, medals rarely unless club champs etc


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## User101 (May 7, 2018)

therod said:



			I donâ€™t disagree with you. Most club golfers in England are brought up with a stableford mindset. They talk about nett scores, how many blobs etc.
Check out most clubs starts sheets. Stablefords will be over subscribed, medals rarely unless club champs etc
		
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That explains a lot doesn't it, lack of ambition and desire, I'd also bet there are few cat 1 golfers playing stableford every week.


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## richart (May 7, 2018)

therod said:



			I donâ€™t disagree with you. Most club golfers in England are brought up with a stableford mindset. They talk about nett scores, how many blobs etc.
Check out most clubs starts sheets. Stablefords will be over subscribed, medals rarely unless club champs etc
		
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 Not at my place. Both medals and stablefords are fully booked. if you don't get your name down as soon as the start sheet becomes available you struggle to get a game. Most of the board comps are medals, plus a monthly one. There are definitely less stablefords than medals. Medals and stablefords are just a game of golf as far as I am concerned. if you don't enter you don't get a game, or you are teeing off late afternoon.


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## Deleted member 16999 (May 7, 2018)

pauldj42 said:



			It may seem as though people are playing a lot of Stableford as weâ€™ve only just started the season and in winter, a lot clubs play non-qualifiers and ind stab comps.
Now the season has started the majority of ind comps will be stroke.
Our place only does ind stab or 4bbb Nov - Apr, now the season is here, between now and Oct we have 15 Ind Stroke comps and only 4 Ind Stab.
I agree with your point if people purposely avoid ind Stroke comps, personally Iâ€™ll play every weekend regardless of comp.
		
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Cabby said:



			That explains a lot doesn't it, lack of ambition and desire, I'd also bet there are few cat 1 golfers playing stableford every week.
		
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If we enjoy playing comps and play every weekend, as per my reply above, you may have no choice in what the competition is.
Nothing to do with ambition or desire.


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## DRW (May 7, 2018)

Golf is a game I choose to play, handicap is not important just a reflection of how I score when having fun.
I like playing, cant get enough of it. I play more defensive in medals and tend to score better tbh , but it is boring doing that, I like to have fun.

A handicap is not the be all and end all of golf to some people and a handicap is a number, fun is where the action is at, life really is to short not to have fun.


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## JamesR (May 7, 2018)

richart said:



			Not at my place. Both medals and stablefords are fully booked. if you don't get your name down as soon as the start sheet becomes available you struggle to get a game. Most of the board comps are medals, plus a monthly one. There are definitely less stablefords than medals. Medals and stablefords are just a game of golf as far as I am concerned. if you don't enter you don't get a game, or you are teeing off late afternoon.
		
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Same here.
Full start sheet for the medal on Saturday, same the previous week for the Stableford.
Plus, the cat 1 players play the Stableford as well.


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## User101 (May 7, 2018)

pauldj42 said:



			If we enjoy playing comps and play every weekend, as per my reply above, you may have no choice in what the competition is.
Nothing to do with ambition or desire.
		
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I've already said, if folk are happy playing that style of game, crack on and if the club decides it's stableford then stableford it is but surely it's the members that decide on the fixtures not some office boffin.


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## SwingsitlikeHogan (May 7, 2018)

therod said:



			I donâ€™t disagree with you. Most club golfers in England are brought up with a stableford mindset. They talk about nett scores, how many blobs etc.
Check out most clubs starts sheets. Stablefords will be over subscribed, *medals rarely unless club champs etc*

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Not at my place - starting least year we have had to extend the period for booked a tee slot in medals as our medals were way over-subscribed.  In Saturday's medal there were 117 playing - and on a normal Saturday you could add the 5 of us playing an away match at Hersham.


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## Dasit (May 7, 2018)

Medal rounds always take longer, which is bad as weekend golf is already painfully slow. Everyone finishing every hole when it would be a pickup in another format.

At my place it is easy to lose a slightly wayward shot that ends up in the rough as you so often canâ€™t see where a ball lands as it is blind... this has happened to my group several times recently, we canâ€™t believe the ball is not around but once 5 minutes are up you have no choice but to walk back


I personally prefer medal as it is a purer form, but for convenience of weekly play i am happy with stableford


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## Deleted member 16999 (May 7, 2018)

Cabby said:



			I've already said, if folk are happy playing that style of game, crack on and if the club decides it's stableford then stableford it is but surely it's the members that decide on the fixtures not some office boffin.
		
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Itâ€™s not in the summer, fixtures are 95% set comps, ie, board comps or monthly medals etc..
Your opinion has been set on here on what youâ€™ve read since you joined, as explained the switch comes from winter to summer.
Your claiming Stableford is some sort of cop out and thatâ€™s plain daft. Daylight is reduced, less people can play, a lot courses stop qualifiers, Stableford should be quicker.


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## User101 (May 7, 2018)

It's a fair enough format out of season, afterall, who cares about how or what you play out of season but in season qualifiers strokeplay is the proper format folk should be striving for, and please spare me the stableford is strokeplay guff.


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## Deleted member 16999 (May 7, 2018)

Cabby said:



			It's a fair enough format out of season, afterall, who cares about how or what you play out of season but in season qualifiers strokeplay is the proper format folk should be striving for, and please spare me the stableford is strokeplay guff.
		
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:thup:


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## JamesR (May 7, 2018)

Cabby said:



			It's a fair enough format out of season, afterall, who cares about how or what you play out of season but in season qualifiers strokeplay is the proper format folk should be striving for, and please spare me the stableford is strokeplay guff.
		
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Stableford is a strokeplay format!


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## User101 (May 7, 2018)

JamesR said:



			Stableford is a strokeplay format!
		
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Aye ok, if you say so, I'm bored of this now.


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## JamesR (May 7, 2018)

Cabby said:



			Aye ok, if you say so, I'm bored of this now.
		
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I do!


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## Fish (May 7, 2018)

Cabby said:



			Aye ok, if you say so, I'm bored of this now.
		
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And were all bored of you....


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## doublebogey7 (May 7, 2018)

Fish said:



			And were all bored of you....
		
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This
And,  handicap changes are made following an assessment of your stableford score no matter the format of the quatlifying competition played.  So anyone truly wishing  to reduce their handicap would adopt a stableford stategy no matter what format of competition.  So no, playing stableford rather than medals should, with the right mindset, enhance your ability to lower your handicap.


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## virgilvdk (May 7, 2018)

doublebogey7 said:



			This
And,  handicap changes are made following an assessment of your stableford score no matter the format of the quatlifying competition played.  So anyone truly wishing  to reduce their handicap would adopt a stableford stategy no matter what format of competition.  So no, playing stableford rather than medals should, with the right mindset, enhance your ability to lower your handicap.
		
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How do some of you escape bans? I mean you , fish , d4s , liverpoolphil to name a few  are  obnoxious beyond belief . Others are allowed opinions that don't match yours, you can politely disagree you know.


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## HankMarvin (May 7, 2018)

Give me stroke play all day where you need to put a number in each box and finish every hole. Stableford is a poor format that any duffer can play and talk more about good old Mr Blobby and what could have been


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## Old Skier (May 7, 2018)

Wonder how the OP rates original Stableford. We play that for fun once a month and that can concentrate the mind.


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## williamalex1 (May 7, 2018)

HankMarvin said:



			Give me stroke play all day where you need to put a number in each box and finish every hole. Stableford is a poor format that any duffer can play and talk more about good old Mr Blobby and what could have been
		
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I agree, but leave me , mr blobby out of it  at mine we only have 2 Stableford comps a year, and they're no quicker than normal medal rounds.
Why don't the pros play Stableford in their comps  ?


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## HankMarvin (May 7, 2018)

williamalex1 said:



			I agree,  we only have 2 Stableford comps a year, and why don't the pros play Stableford in their comps  ? 

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Because it's to make duffers feel better about their golf :whoo:


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## Capella (May 7, 2018)

Actually, there is a Stableford comp on the PGA Tour (the Barracuda Championship). Just saying ...


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## Old Skier (May 7, 2018)

williamalex1 said:



			Why don't the pros play Stableford in their comps  ? 

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They do once a year and it has been screened on Sky. It's for some cup or other.


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## virgilvdk (May 7, 2018)

It's an excellent format for society golf as quite often it's the only time some even play. I'd agree that allowing someone to essentially have some catastrophic holes but still win makes it a lesser format


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## Fish (May 7, 2018)

HankMarvin said:



			Because it's to make duffers feel better about their golf :whoo:
		
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Itâ€™s about time you ventured out of Scotland Sam to show us all your superior golfing ability, weâ€™ve been short changed with the offerings from some of your stablemates who huff & puff the same as you, but like you, they talk a good game but they always come up short and are never in the fame, maybe you can lead from the front and give them some support and confidence being the leader that you are ðŸ˜œ


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## Capella (May 7, 2018)

Also, if I understand the rules changes correctly. it will be possible to set a max score for a whole and pick up once that is reached in medal play as well starting next year. That was one of the rules changes proposed, was it not? That will effectively make Stabelford and medal play almost equal anyway.


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## williamalex1 (May 7, 2018)

Old Skier said:



			They do once a year and it has been screened on Sky. It's for some cup or other.
		
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I stand corrected


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## williamalex1 (May 7, 2018)

Capella said:



			Actually, there is a Stableford comp on the PGA Tour (the Barracuda Championship). Just saying ...
		
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Oops


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## williamalex1 (May 7, 2018)

Fish said:



			Itâ€™s about time you ventured out of Scotland Sam to show us all your superior golfing ability, weâ€™ve been short changed with the offerings from some of your stablemates who huff & puff the same as you, but like you, they talk a good game but they always come up short and are never in the fame, maybe you can lead from the front and give them some support and confidence being the leader that you are ðŸ˜œ
		
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Robin, the problem is they don't want to play with duffers like us


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## HankMarvin (May 7, 2018)

williamalex1 said:



			Robin, the problem is they don't want to play with duffers like us 

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Would rather go to a Spear & Jackson convention Old Boy :whoo:


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## doublebogey7 (May 7, 2018)

virgilvdk said:



			How do some of you escape bans? I mean you , fish , d4s , liverpoolphil to name a few  are  obnoxious beyond belief . Others are allowed opinions that don't match yours, you can politely disagree you know.
		
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Perhaps you should read some of the stuff the OP has posted on here before accusing others.  
Having said that I am happy to withdraw the first comment,  as such comments are out of character for me.  
But I'd like the OP to address the second point as I am not the first to point this out and he continues to ignore it but carries on   insulting those that prefer stableford.


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## HankMarvin (May 7, 2018)

virgilvdk said:



			How do some of you escape bans? I mean you , fish , d4s , liverpoolphil to name a few  are  obnoxious beyond belief . Others are allowed opinions that don't match yours, you can politely disagree you know.
		
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Post of the year :thup:


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## User101 (May 7, 2018)

doublebogey7 said:



			Perhaps you should read some of the stuff the OP has posted on here before accusing others.  
Having said that I am happy to withdraw the first comment,  as such comments are out of character for me.  
But I'd like the OP to address the second point as I am not the first to point this out and he continues to ignore it but carries on   insulting those that prefer stableford.
		
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What have I missed here, what is what second point ?? Tell me who I insulted ? 

Tell me this is not the old "I'm insulted on someone's behalf" is it ? 

It's a rubbish format, that's my opinion, those who prefer it over strokeplay are copping out in my opinion, still awaiting who I've insulted, not a single person nor member on here but no doubt I'll be the one who takes the wrap cause I question things that certain members don't agree with....


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## PhilTheFragger (May 7, 2018)

Cabby, you are more than welcome to your opinion re the Stableford format and you have voiced that opinion several times, no problem there.

However being a Forum that caters for golfers of all ages and abilities and persuasions one thing you cannot do is to force it down our throats which is what you are doing at the moment.

People will disagree with your views, accept it, agree to disagree and move on
&#128077;


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## User101 (May 7, 2018)

PhilTheFragger said:



			Cabby, you are more than welcome to your opinion re the Stableford format and you have voiced that opinion several times, no problem there.

However being a Forum that caters for golfers of all ages and abilities and persuasions one thing you cannot do is to force it down our throats which is what you are doing at the moment.

People will disagree with your views, accept it, agree to disagree and move on
&#62541;
		
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I'm only countering subsequent replies, I've neither insulted anyone on here nor anyone specifically, but fair enough.

btw, do you think Fish has noticed I'm ignoring him yet ?


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## doublebogey7 (May 7, 2018)

Cabby said:



			What have I missed here, what is what second point ?? Tell me who I insulted ? 

Tell me this is not the old "I'm insulted on someone's behalf" is it ? 

It's a rubbish format, that's my opinion, those who prefer it over strokeplay are copping out in my opinion, still awaiting who I've insulted, not a single person nor member on here but no doubt I'll be the one who takes the wrap cause I question things that certain members don't agree with....
		
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I've no problem with the opinion you hold although you would make debate far easier if you backed it  up rather than just  endlessly repeating your opinion whilst accusing others of "copping out",an insult in my opinion,  and one used to stifle proper debate.


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## User101 (May 7, 2018)

doublebogey7 said:



			I've no problem with the opinion you hold although you would make debate far easier if you backed it  up rather than just  endlessly repeating your opinion whilst accusing others of "copping out",an insult in my opinion,  and one used to stifle proper debate.
		
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I don't see it as an insult, the whole reason for starting the topic, despite what a few may think, was to change mindsets. I said on a number of occasions, fair enough if that's what you enjoy playing, though that is obviously ignored. 

If you, not you specifically but one can battle away, grind out a score, one will become a better player but if one is given an easy option to "take a blob" then to me, that's a bit of a cop out, an easy option as it were. I also believe I encourage debate more than most on here rather than stifle it, it's just some, just don't like my differing opinion to theirs.


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## doublebogey7 (May 7, 2018)

Cabby said:



			I don't see it as an insult, the whole reason for starting the topic, despite what a few may think, was to change mindsets. I said on a number of occasions, fair enough if that's what you enjoy playing, though that is obviously ignored. 

If you, not you specifically but one can battle away, grind out a score, one will become a better player but if one is given an easy option to "take a blob" then to me, that's a bit of a cop out, an easy option as it were. I also believe I encourage debate more than most on here rather than stifle it, it's just some, just don't like my differing opinion to theirs.
		
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As I have said I have no problem with your opinion and it does have some merit,  but you have on this thread time and time again simply restated your opinion rather than engaging in full debate.  

For instance  you say in your original post that playing stablefords restrictes players from lowering their handicap,  I and other have pointed out that handicap changes are based on the stableford scoring system so can be used to help players lower their handicaps and each time you have ignored that point.  

Personally I have no problem with either stroke play format,  though prefer match play,  and feel that both can help us all play better golf if they are approached in the right way.   At our club we play an equal number of stableford and medals in official competitions but the main roll up on a weekend is always stableford and almost all the top players at the club play in that one (we have been county scratch league champs more than any other club in the county over the last 25yrs).  

As for the insulting remarks I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on that one.


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## User101 (May 7, 2018)

These stableford comps must be more an English thing then cause as I said earlier, we have two a year, or should I say season, and most dislike them. 

I also said in an earlier post where I quoted LP that I actually meant make you a better player rather than the initial handicap lowering. I get why certain players like it but I do suspect cat 1 players would choose strokeplay over stableford any time.


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## JamesR (May 7, 2018)

Cabby said:



			These stableford comps must be more an English thing then cause as I said earlier, we have two a year, or should I say season, and most dislike them. 

I also said in an earlier post where I quoted LP that I actually meant make you a better player rather than the initial handicap lowering. I get why certain players like it but I do suspect cat 1 players would choose strokeplay over stableford any time.
		
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Iâ€™m cat 1, I play either medals or Stableford. They are both strokeplay events. You play a hole, mark the score in the box and move onto the next hole.
Maybe the fact that lower handicapped players rarely take more than double bogey means we arenâ€™t affected by the difference as much as higher, less consistent, handicappers.


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## doublebogey7 (May 7, 2018)

Cabby said:



			These stableford comps must be more an English thing then cause as I said earlier, we have two a year, or should I say season, and most dislike them. 

I also said in an earlier post where I quoted LP that I actually meant make you a better player rather than the initial handicap lowering. I get why certain players like it but I do suspect cat 1 players would choose strokeplay over stableford any time.
		
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May well be an English thing as it was invented here and maybe why you don't see its merits.   It could also be the reason  there is not a player in the worlds top 100 from north of the boarder 

Can't see where you said that but eh oh at least we've sorted the misunderstanding!!


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## User101 (May 7, 2018)

Not too many in the top 100 playing stableford week in week out either


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## Fish (May 8, 2018)

Cabby said:



			Since I've been on here it's clear the *game of choice* for the majority is stableford, which is fine if that's what you like but something makes me think *it's a cop out* and is *restricting* folk from *having a lower handicap*. 

Argue your case otherwise, to me, *you're taking an easy option* rather than battling hard to put a score together.
		
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Firstly, members don't get the choice of the format they are going to play in qualifying competitions, some clubs due to the make-up of their members will have more stableford comps than strokeplay and visa-versa, so they, the membership, don't have any say in the format, so, how is that the 'game of choice' and how is it a 'cop out' and why doesn't it offer them an opportunity of a lower handicap? 



Cabby said:



			This is actually what I meant when I started the topic, far too many people on here from what I see take an *easy option* by playing stableford, though strokeplay and medal play means the same to me, putting a score together. 

If playing stableford suits how you like to play then fine but it's a *cop out* and will continue to allow you to just *plod along*.
		
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Maybe many people like to 'plod along' and the handicap is simply an end result of how they like to enjoy their game and time on the course and enjoy the company they play with, rather than being in an overly competitive mindset all the time, which for some, may not be as enjoyable. 

But as has been repeatably stated, which you seem to choose to ignore, strokeplay is scored as a stableford format for the use of handicaps, so getting a 8 on a par 4 for is netted down to a non-scoring double bogey, so it only (potentially) puts them out of the adjoining comp but has no real bearing for handicap adjustment as it's simply a blob in the grande of things, and seeing as the basis of your post was all based handicaps and improvement, your argument is flawed simply based on this fact!



Cabby said:



			One of my PP's had a 10 on the 4th yesterday and had a net 73 with the css of 73, that to me is how put a score together, *you lot taking the easy option* of stableford would just write it off rather than having the mental strength to put that 10 behind you and compile a score, *and that folks is why you'll always be what you are.*

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If you don't think this is insulting or belittling then your a bigger fool than what I had you down for..



Cabby said:



			These stableford comps must be more an English thing then cause as I said earlier, we have two a year, or should I say season, and most dislike them. 

I also said in an earlier post where I quoted LP that I actually meant make you a better player rather than the initial handicap lowering. I get why certain players like it but I do suspect cat 1 players would choose strokeplay over stableford any time.
		
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Again, members don't get a choice of the competition format for qualifying comps at their respective clubs and it will be set by the competition and greens committee mainly and will be based on the membership which will be different from club to club all over the UK.



Cabby said:



*I don't see it as an insult*, the whole reason for starting the topic, despite what a few may think, was to change mindsets. I said on a number of occasions, fair enough if that's what you enjoy playing, though that is obviously ignored. 

If you, not you specifically but one can battle away, grind out a score, one will become a better player but if one is given an *easy option* to "*take a blob*" then to me, that's a bit of a *cop out*, an *easy option* as it were. I also believe I encourage debate more than most on here rather than stifle it, it's just some, just don't like my differing opinion to theirs.
		
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This again is just repetitive nonsense as per all the answers that have already been made by many on here, which you choose to ignore as you attempt to force-feed everyone with your uneducated opinion!

What's the difference in knowing you've got a 8 netted down to say a 6 and having a blob, absolutely nothing!! A couple of pars with shots and you've got that hole back in stableford, in the medal you've reduced the deficit by 50% with the potential to stay in contention of the comp. Both situation mean you've 'ground out a score but your OP was based on handicaps and being better, and getting the blob back has achieved that!  



Cabby said:



			I also believe I encourage debate more than most on here rather than stifle it, it's just some, just don't like my differing opinion to theirs.
		
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This is just comedy gold :rofl:

You start posts and reply to some in such a combative way that it doesn't encourage anything other than divide and rule! You deliberately, in my honest opinion, post to antagonize the forum members on here looking for a rise, of which some won't have played for very long and they will see your posts as belittling and insulting, and just when golf is attempting to become more inclusive and welcoming, you are, with your comments doing totally the opposite!

People play for different reasons, some will now prefer certain formats as it suits the way they wish to enjoy the game, whether that's because of age or ability, not everyone wishes to push themselves constantly and will simply see it as a social pastime, a hobby, so to belittle people by saying they are 'copping out' and 'taking the easy options' is both insulting and quite simply rude imo.


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## DCB (May 8, 2018)

Now you've got that off your chest Fish, let's all settle down a bit. The thread isn't really going anywhere, so unless people agree to disagree, this will end up with the thread being locked before it descends into the depths &#128521;


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## chrisd (May 8, 2018)

My club, deep in the heart of Kent only have one main competition as a Stableford, the rest being medal. I personally prefer medal as I feel that when I blob a hole, especially early on, that I start chasing the points but in a medal round I know I don't need to do that, It's bonkers but that's the way my thinking goes and I end up playing career best shot attempts to recover the lost points.


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## Liverpoolphil (May 8, 2018)

Cabby said:



			These stableford comps must be more an English thing then cause as I said earlier, we have two a year, or should I say season, and most dislike them. 

I also said in an earlier post where I quoted LP that I actually meant make you a better player rather than the initial handicap lowering. I get why certain players like it but I do suspect cat 1 players would choose strokeplay over stableford any time.
		
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I play golf for fun , I enjoy meeting up on the tee with my mates and then going out and enjoying 18 holes with them - Iâ€™m cat 1 and couldnâ€™t care what format is played as long as Iâ€™m playing golf - it can be Medal , Stableford , bogey , Matchplay 4BBB etc doesnâ€™t matter Iâ€™ll approach each game with the same mindset of enjoyment


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## Fish (May 8, 2018)

chrisd said:



			My club, deep in the heart of Kent only have one main competition as a Stableford, the rest being medal. *I personally prefer medal as I feel that when I blob a hole, especially early on, that I start chasing the points but in a medal round I know I don't need to do that*, It's bonkers but that's the way my thinking goes and I end up playing career best shot attempts to recover the lost points.
		
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I don't get this Chris, what's the difference in thinking you've got to chase back the shots because of a blob and reducing the shots deficit when you've stuck a 10 on the card, they're the same thing, your still looking to get those shots back somehow, even when netted down to just a double bogey, which is the same as a blob?


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## virgilvdk (May 8, 2018)

Fish said:



			I don't get this Chris, what's the difference in thinking you've got to chase back the shots because of a blob and reduce the shots deficit when you've stuck a 10 on the card, they're the same thing, your still looking to get those shots back somehow, even when netted down to just a double bogey, which is the same as a blob?
		
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You can get away with a lot more in SF, a double digit hole isn't the end of the world and many a stableford will have been won with a blob or 3 on the card, the same is not true of a medal round. As the OP has been saying, the pressures are different.


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## garyinderry (May 8, 2018)

Imposing medal pressures on high handicaps is pointless.  They have the high handicaps for a reason.  All is does is make rounds silly long.

The argument that cat 1 guys prefer medal may hold true as they have a little more chance of taking a win.  At the same time, for them to do that they must put in a decent gross score or they won't score well no matter what the format. 


Will medals make you a better player.  In short no.  You will still duff shots relative to your handicap.


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## Fish (May 8, 2018)

virgilvdk said:



			You can get away with a lot more in SF, a double digit hole isn't the end of the world and many a stableford will have been won with a blob or 3 on the card, the same is not true of a medal round. As the OP has been saying, the pressures are different.
		
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I understand that, but it has no bearing on improving your handicap though, which the OP was basing his argument on, your still looking to get those shots back during the round if you want to compete in the competition still or simply write off the comp and pinch a couple back and get back to buffer or better, either way, the handicap will take care of itself, if you stop enjoying the game by putting pressure on yourself, in any format, then pack it in......


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## Garush34 (May 8, 2018)

I look to play stableford and medal the same, just going out to shoot the lowest score I can on the day. We don't have many stablefords at our place, I think about 3 through out the season. 

Played a medal at the weekend and ended 1 shot out of buffer, but due to taking an 8 at a par 4, this was obviously rounded down and I made buffer, so it worked out well for me. I knew I was out of the competition but I tried to get it low enough to make buffer or a small cut if CSS went up.


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## Canary_Yellow (May 8, 2018)

Thinking about this and how I approach my rounds, I actually think playing stableford helps me have a lower handicap.

I start every hole whether playing medal or stableford the same at the outset of the round; trying to shoot the lowest score I can, I make the same risk / reward decisions.

If I make a mistake, when playing stableford I will then take more risks to try and score points without worrying about a big score. Playing medal, I play conservatively to protect my overall score for the purposes of the comp.

As the round goes on, in both stableford and medal I will adjust my risk / reward decisions based on what I need to make the buffer. 

I canâ€™t really see how either makes me improve at a faster rate. If anything, stableford freeing me up to take on a riskier strategy is more likely to leave me with a lower handicap than playing conservatively. It also helps me learn my limitations, I.e if I go for a risky shot and it doesnâ€™t work, it will improve my decision making in the future. Constantly grinding out scores doesnâ€™t give the same opportunity for learning.

Thereâ€™s a place for both formats of the game and I donâ€™t see how either results in a player progressing more quickly than the other, and if anything, I would argue stableford trumps medal in this regard.

Ultimately though, doesnâ€™t it come down to the attitude of the player in either format? If you are the type of person that grinds scores out when itâ€™s hard, youâ€™ll score well in either format consistently, if youâ€™re not, you will not be as consistent.


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## Slab (May 8, 2018)

Canary_Yellow said:



			Thinking about this and how I approach my rounds, I actually think playing stableford helps me have a lower handicap.

...................................................

Ultimately though, doesnâ€™t it come down to the attitude of the player in either format? If you are the type of person that grinds scores out when itâ€™s hard, youâ€™ll score well in either format consistently, if youâ€™re not, you will not be as consistent.
		
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Far too much sense, so much so I'm not even going to quote it all. If you could see your way to adding a comment to belittle a group or even a veiled insult that would be cool, thanks


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## Val (May 8, 2018)

Cabby said:



			That explains a lot doesn't it, lack of ambition and desire, I'd also bet there are few cat 1 golfers playing stableford every week.
		
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Yip, and i'll give you one who would wipe the floor with everyone on this board.

Josh McMahon


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## Canary_Yellow (May 8, 2018)

Slab said:



			Far too much sense, so much so I'm not even going to quote it all. If you could see your way to adding a comment to belittle a group or even a veiled insult that would be cool, thanks
		
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ðŸ˜‚ how about, â€œevery single person on this forum that lives in Mauritius and plays golf there is horribleâ€ (as they make the rest of us terribly envious)?


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## Slab (May 8, 2018)

Canary_Yellow said:



			ðŸ˜‚ how about, â€œevery single person on this forum that lives in Mauritius and plays golf there is horribleâ€ (as they make the rest of us terribly envious)?
		
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Easy fella, that was a bit raw!


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## chrisd (May 8, 2018)

Fish said:



			I don't get this Chris, what's the difference in thinking you've got to chase back the shots because of a blob and reducing the shots deficit when you've stuck a 10 on the card, they're the same thing, your still looking to get those shots back somehow, even when netted down to just a double bogey, which is the same as a blob?
		
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I cant understand it either Robin, its simply a mental thing when I'm playing Stableford


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## garyinderry (May 8, 2018)

I am amazed that seemingly lots of clubs in England play mostly medals when rounds are taking 5 hours on a normal weekend. 


There is only a small percentage of the field realistically battling for the lowest gross.


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## r0wly86 (May 8, 2018)

garyinderry said:



			Imposing medal pressures on high handicaps is pointless.  They have the high handicaps for a reason.  All is does is make rounds silly long.

The argument that cat 1 guys prefer medal may hold true as they have a little more chance of taking a win.  At the same time, for them to do that they must put in a decent gross score or they won't score well no matter what the format. 


Will medals make you a better player.  In short no.  You will still duff shots relative to your handicap.
		
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Best post on this thread for me sums it up perfectly.

Also without trying to put the cat among the pigeons I would say singles matchplay is the best format for learning to cope with pressure as not only does every shot count but your are playing not just the course but your opponent.


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## Liverpoolphil (May 8, 2018)

garyinderry said:



			I am amazed that seemingly lots of clubs in England play mostly medals when rounds are taking 5 hours on a normal weekend. 


There is only a small percentage of the field realistically battling for the lowest gross.
		
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I expect that clubs donâ€™t give lowest gross as the main prize expect in club champs with the medals all being best Nett


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## Val (May 8, 2018)

Liverpoolphil said:



			I expect that clubs donâ€™t give lowest gross as the main prize expect in club champs with the medals all being best Nett
		
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We have, as I suspect most do, a gross order of merit


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## Fish (May 8, 2018)

Val said:



			We have, as I suspect most do, a gross order of merit
		
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and us. We have a lowest gross prize equivalent to the first prize of best nett then the normal 2nd, 3rd etc. 

We also have the Lane Cup which is a board prize of the best gross order of merit, over any 6 strokeplay comps I think it is.

All our board and monthly comps are strokeplay, we do stableford mid-week only as roll-ups, NTR's.


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## Liverpoolphil (May 8, 2018)

Val said:



			We have, as I suspect most do, a gross order of merit
		
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None for us - only gross prize all year is the club champs , tried to introduce a best Gross in the medals to be told I was only doing it for my own benefit


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## garyinderry (May 8, 2018)

We have loads of open comps which all have a gross prize even though they are Stableford competitions.  something I have never heard of before this year, called gross points. 

Rule is at our club for this, you must have at least 30 gross points to win.  I had a strange occurrence in an open last month where I was the lowest score on the course on the day. It was real tough conditions and shot 12 over. Not enough gross points to take the gross prize though.  


Gross points is something like your points - your handicap. 

My mate collected the gross prize at portsallon and they posted his gross points score.  First I had heard of it. 


For me to have won the gross prize on the day I mentioned about, I would have had to win the comp outright by 3 points.  Bit of a faff. :rofl:


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## Coffey (May 8, 2018)

garyinderry said:



			We have loads of open comps which all have a gross prize even though they are Stableford competitions.  something I have never heard of before this year, called gross points. 

Rule is at our club for this, you must have at least 30 gross points to win.  I had a strange occurrence in an open last month where I was the lowest score on the course on the day. It was real tough conditions and shot 12 over. Not enough gross points to take the gross prize though.  


Gross points is something like your points - your handicap. 

My mate collected the gross prize at portsallon and they posted his gross points score.  First I had heard of it. 


For me to have won the gross prize on the day I mentioned about, I would have had to win the comp outright by 3 points.  Bit of a faff. :rofl:
		
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Any gross score can win our gross prize. A 22 handicapper won our gross prize earlier this year with a score of 98  :rofl:


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## Green Bay Hacker (May 8, 2018)

We had a best gross prize in our vice captain's day comp on Saturday, even though it was a stableford comp.


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## garyinderry (May 8, 2018)

Coffey said:



			Any gross score can win our gross prize. A 22 handicapper won our gross prize earlier this year with a score of 98  :rofl:
		
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Was he the only one playing? :rofl:


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## Coffey (May 9, 2018)

garyinderry said:



			Was he the only one playing? :rofl:
		
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The only one playing who managed to not have an NR!

I bet he was surprised receiving that prize :whoo:


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## garyo (May 9, 2018)

garyinderry said:



			We have loads of open comps which all have a gross prize even though they are Stableford competitions.  something I have never heard of before this year, called gross points...

*Gross points is something like your points - your handicap. *

My mate collected the gross prize at portsallon and they posted his gross points score.  First I had heard of it.
		
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We have this all the time down at ours Gary, but it would be more akin to 3rd nett rather than 1st in terms of prize value. Don't think there's a lower eligibility limit on it though, but it would be a very rare occasion that less than 30 gross would be the best in I suppose. 

It's not quite as clear cut though as nett minus h/c, as the same gross score can result in different nett scores dependant on the performance at the shot-holes. I've an awful track record of missing out on gross prizes on countback too!


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## garyinderry (May 9, 2018)

gross prize isnt worth much here either. 

just nice to know there wasnt a better round on the course that day.


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## HomerJSimpson (May 9, 2018)

Club champs have two prizes. One for best gross score (CLUB CHAMPION) and one for best net. Two totally different events. I have no different strategy between the two formats and play every competition with the intention of making the best score I can.


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## DaveR (May 11, 2018)

virgilvdk said:



			How do some of you escape bans? I mean you , fish , d4s , liverpoolphil to name a few  are  obnoxious beyond belief . .
		
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That's a strong statement, can you back it up with some examples?


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