A Tour For Amatuers

[USER1999]

As a concept I can't see it working. Although there are loads of guys (gals too) on here, we are still spread very thinly over the whole of the UK. Our density is such that a regional meet would still probably involve at least a 2 hour drive, often to get a meet of 5 people. Especially if the take up was only 20% or so from our total member list.

If the oom is to be an average of scores divided by attendances, you need a minimum number of attendances, or my 44 points, one show, is going to win every time.

If the minimum is, say 4, then that is 4 days holiday out of a yearly allowance of 21. Can't see people giving up that much holiday. If it is confined only to shift workers, then the take up is even less.

If it is done at the weekend, then the cost will be the determining factor, and will price out the credit crunch guys, thus again reducing attendance.

The current system of a few regional meets works quite well, but often even for that, the travelling involved to get a 4 ball is often crazy.

Even looking at the Goswick meet, we have got people travelling from all over the country, to one of the more popular meets, and we still needed 3 guests to get up to 20.

How can you base an oom, on an average attendance of less than 20?

 

[SammmeBee]

Murph...I think everyone would accept it wouldn't just be confined to forum 'members' but it would be a good mechanism to get new people joining in with the forum.....

 

[jeffc]

thats why I suggested a poll to see how many forum members are serious. GM could also put entry forms for the comp in the mag.

You could have 3 rounds of regionals for qualifying and one round for the national final.This should help sort out the bandits, you could even have organisers with the authority to kick out obvious cheats. Alternatively for the bandits you could play three quarter or half handicap instead of full.

 

[007chappie]

Homer perhaps put up a survey to see how many people would be interested in taking part.

Seeing as though Homer hasn't had the time to reply, I thought I'd grab the bull by the horns, so to speak.

What a numpty! Can't edit the post, So here goes again.......

 

[Herbie]

If this takes off, please, please, please, dont give out fabulous prizes. The cynic in me would suspect you know what.
I played in a comp called the Raffles Classic many years ago when the first gross prize was a carriage clock and the first net prize was a weeks holiday for 2 in the Raffles hotel in SINGAPORE. ALL INCLUSIVE
Incidently the winning score was 43 stablford pts on a windy day off 15 h/cap
Several years before I played in the usual monthly medal and shot 16 pars and 2 birdies playing off 1 and won nothing. There was no gross prize.
Any wonder I turned pro.
My apologies to the vast amount of golfers who do play off the correct handicap.

I have great empathy with you, the best golf Ive ever played has won me nothing sadly Im not good enough to turn pro bugger!

 

[AlchemyGolf]

By what ive seen and read so far this aint gonna happen unless its kept small and organised for forum members only.

If your not carefull its going to become an uncontrollable monster.

I would just organise 5 comps around the middle of the country with best 3 scores counting using 3/4 h/cap nett stableford.
Handicap certs required.
Best 3 scores count towards the order of merit.
Prizes to top 3 in OOM
Its all about getting together and having some friendly competition and banter and then give some half decent or decent prizes out depending on how much you charge to enter.

 

[viscount17]

I can foresee one problem, not a few of the forum stalwarts don't have official handicaps.

Can we not work this from attendance at any forum originated meet, working on the average scores to get qualifiers to a national meet?

Or perhaps, just the bigger ones - Goswick and Ascot are obvious qualifiers but events of this size are rare - so maybe minimum 6 or 8.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Like I said there are a number of issues involved in this idea. It was something I mentioned last year and didn't seem to be overly popular back then. Maybe with the influx of new members it might be viable.

However from a personal perspective it needs to be a forum only event for a number of reasons.
1) It becomes too large and hard for one person to organise
2) More potential for outsiders with "handicaps" to sneak through the net and steal any prizes
3) Difficult to arrange sufficient meets that give enough people enough chances to qualify
4) GM already hugely busy and probably not prepared (my opinion so I may be wrong) to run it or pay to have someone run it for them
5) How do we cater for non handicap forum members. Not fair to exclude them for not being a member of a club or new to the game

As I see it even if Royal Ascot was deemed the southern meet (and we have players from the West Country etc coming down!) and they cobbled something for the England/Scotland match where and when would the other events be held. Some people can only manage 1 event a year because of work/family committments whilst others can play in most. I loved the idea of an order of merit and even regionalising it but it does seem a complicated process and a lot of time and effort for individuals to organise. It would make a great feature though!

 

[Herbie]

You are right Homer, it would be a big job in any case but a bigger job to make it fair.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Like I said I know it is an idea Mike and GM have mused over before. I guess the reason it hasn't been rolled out is that they don't have the resources or inclination and that their feeling is that if the forum want it then it is down to them to sort. Lets not forget we get a pretty decent deal from GM already in terms of this forum, days out at tests, reader tests, forum competitions etc.

I can't and wouldn't dream of speaking on behalf of Mike and GM and so they may still have ideas to put forward come the warmer weather but as it stands I think the concept is brilliant but the implmentation is flawed at this time.

 

[AlchemyGolf]

I think the concept is brilliant but the implmentation is flawed at this time.

Correct and closes this issue!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SammmeBee]

Maybe a way to start something would be to pick a few 'opens' (as in other thread) that allow most handicaps to play around the country - get GM Forumers to enter then we can run a separate GMF competition/OOM within it/them and see where we go then if there is suitable interest we could start to go down the line of doing something ourselves....Forumers could recommend good ones to play in...at least it will keep cost to an absolute minimum to start....

Mike/Homer - if you want an Admin then I will do whatever it takes adminwise (no charge!!) to get things started....

 

[haplesshacker]

I like the idea of a regional, then a national comp for the regional winners for all of us on here. And I say that in all honesty, because as some of you know, I'm not likely to be a regional winner, but I will if at all possible, would like to take part and support it.

I think that dates for the events would just have to be fixed, and those that can attend do so. If needed perhaps two regional qualifiers at the same course on different dates to get as many as possible to attend. But if it only turns out to be a fourball, then so be it. It is a comp, but lets not forget that some of us will be meeting up for the first time, and will be as much of a social occasion as well.

Perhaps something around Basingstoke for the south as it would be easily accesible for the guys from the SW as well as the guys SE of London.

I might even be tempted to come along and watch the Nationals as a spectator. You never know, I might learn something (almost certainly).

 

[SammmeBee]

Basingstoke is good - I know a couple of places where we could get 'a good deal' if we wanna do something...

I'm sure the sweaties can sort something, and TonyN has the NW boys sorted too I expect - the problem is the middle bit and the bit on the right......

 

[AlchemyGolf]

id play in a NW regional!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I like the idea of Basingstoke, a NW meet, and a Scottish meet. There are quite a few from the West Country (AliB, twiregolf, wackyracer and a few other newbies) so maybe they could have one around there. I'm sure our Irish friends could get something.

My reaction would be to let the snow etc go and the courses to dry out and at least let the clocks go forward before we go made. Perhaps if we look at this again at the end of March we can see how many we have potentially up for it and where we could hold events and when.

This way at least we'll know where we stand and it will give us time to speak to Mike and see if the idea appeals to GM particularly the national final etc. Just my ideas but happy if anyone has any alternatives.

 

[theeaglehunter]

Come late March time I am pretty sure I would be interested in some sort of Eastern region meet if it were to materialise.

 

[haplesshacker]

Perhaps this should be restarted in the fixtures forum. Not that I'm being the feds, but just to get an idea of who's interested. As I'm sure that there'll be others who won't make it all through this thread to this point.

I'm not being tight, (well, just a bit), any chance of keeping the green fee costs reasonably low?

 

[MikeH]

hello all
very interesting thread - sorry I haven't been on before to reply to it but it's been a mad week catching up from missing the first two days due to the bad weather

a few musings...
* the order of merit/regional events are a nice idea but I fear very hard to organise/pull off properly.
* the nature of these sort of events means they are dictated by interest - ie one event having only a handful interested and another where 50 want to play adding to logistical nightmare
* even given for GM being able to leverage a better than standard deal at a club (and not wanting to do anymore than break even on the day) putting on a good event at a decent course means the cost for the day to enter won't be that cheap. A very real consideration in these times where a lot of folks are strapped for cash
* to run them well I think you need a specialist events company which again adds to the cost
* with all of the above that comes a financial risk and in the current climate I'll have my backside kicked for exposing GM to any unnecessary risk
* the GM team are under a lot of pressure (from me!)to not be out of the office unless its a really essential trip so I think if we were talking about more than a one off event our involvement would be limited
* I have to agree with everyone who has said it - introduce decent prizes as a reason to be playing and you run the risk of possible ill feeling if someone winning who is deemed not to have a "proper" handicap.
* would introducing something more formal not go against the nature forum meets which are more adhoc

Anyway enough of the negativity! What's below may well make more positive reading...
* we are in discussions with the Belfry about a big GM forum/reader event this summer. They are really keen on the idea and are coming back with the best deal they can offer us. As it stands I want to build it around a 18 hole shotgun event on the Brabazon. So looking at around 80 places - to be taken on first come first served. As add ons to the 18 hole main event (usual bacon rolls/coffee beforehand and buffet/drinks/prizes after) there would be the option of staying the night before (opportunity for a few beers and a laugh natch) and even an 18 holes warm up competition on the PGA the afternoon before meaning you could either make it a full 2 day beano or just come for the main golf event on the day. As soon as I get any more feedback from the Belfry I will update you all

As ever, comments on any of the above, are welcomed!

 

[AlchemyGolf]

Belfry is one of the few top courses I have not played so I would be interested.

Also be nice to be able to put some faces to names.