Avoiding comps

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I don't think about "getting shots" on the course for the different tees.
I play a course off scratch and achieve a score differential. My handicap is only relevant to the other players' handicaps and gives me a finishing position.

Par 70.

Whites 78/6.2, 77/5.3, 76/4.5
Yellows 76/6.1, 75/5.2 74/4.4 etc.
These are the same no matter what my handicap is or how many "shots I'm getting".

At the moment my 8th best is 5.3. Beating that by 0.1 makes no difference.
Tomorrow I have a choice of the white tee medal or the yellow tee stableford.
I find 76 off the whites easier to achieve than 74 off the yellows.
This was true before CR-Par and remains true today.

I'm expecting much scorn to be coming my way, because I've said all this before.
It is true though.

I think I generally think about my score as what I score gross. When doing a stableford card I don't bother with the points as I go along but let the competition sort that out. I'm only really interested in my grosses and differentials.

My next three rounds will replace three top 8s that will drop off the bottom of my 20 - as indeed my last three rounds did. I know that if I can score around the average of my last three diffs - which near as makes no difference is 6.0) then my HI will drop by about 0.3. Which would take me to 7.0 - which would be nice. I will sometimes work out what I have to score on a tee we're playing from to replace one of my 8 - and I know what I have to score gross off each to for a diff of 6.0. If PCCs come in then so be it.

 

[clubchamp98]

Five of my top 8 are in the next 6 rounds.

Wrist injury has me not scoring very well atm.
God knows what I will be off soon.

 

[bobmac]

I'm thinking about getting back into golf again next year.
It won't be to get the h/cap back down or play in loads of comps, if I can get round 18 holes and still walk the next day, I'll consider that a win.
Fresh air, exercise and a bit of nature will do me.

 

[nickjdavis]

Just outta interest CC. Because I don’t know the Answer, but in todays comp we had four divisions with both men and women in the divisions.
But before WHS. We had white tees, yellow tees for seniors and red tees for women. Do all clubs now Chuck everyone in the same comp.

Our weekend comps are always played on a Sunday and have always been mixed gender. Medals are played in divisions, stablefords are not.

There are also specific midweek comps for Seniors (played off either the whites or the yellows) and the Ladies also have their own midweek ladies only comps (off the red tees).

This has been the case for the last 25 years.

 

[sunshine]

a low handicap....no chance of placing well on weekends anyway......

Sounds like your vanity handicap is preventing you from being competitive.

 

[Starter]

I'm thinking about getting back into golf again next year.
It won't be to get the h/cap back down or play in loads of comps, if I can get round 18 holes and still walk the next day, I'll consider that a win.
Fresh air, exercise and a bit of nature will do me.

Isn't that what it's all about.

That is exactly the approach I have taken for the last few years and after 50 years of playing in comps I find I enjoy my golf more now.

 

[bobmac]

Isn't that what it's all about.

That is exactly the approach I have taken for the last few years and after 50 years of playing in comps I find I enjoy my golf more now.

I understand some whippersnappers like to compete, and that's fine. But give me a quiet 9 holes on a Tuesday evening in the trees among the deer, foxes and squirrels and that will do me for starters.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

I'm thinking about getting back into golf again next year.
It won't be to get the h/cap back down or play in loads of comps, if I can get round 18 holes and still walk the next day, I'll consider that a win.
Fresh air, exercise and a bit of nature will do me.

That’s all that’s needed - just enjoy the game the way you want to enjoy it

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Our weekend comps are always played on a Sunday and have always been mixed gender. Medals are played in divisions, stablefords are not.

There are also specific midweek comps for Seniors (played off either the whites or the yellows) and the Ladies also have their own midweek ladies only comps (off the red tees).

This has been the case for the last 25 years.

Weekend comps being played only on a Sunday is rubbish ...lots of families have Sundays for family together or other Sunday stuff.

 

[Mandofred]

Sounds like your vanity handicap is preventing you from being competitive.

Huh? Please explain your thinking behind this comment.

 

[harpo_72]

I am not avoiding competition but I still have scores from 2023 in my 20 scores. Last year was a bit of a write off, due to my wife’s illness, but I did manage some and enough to maintain my requirements for prizes.
But it was noticeable ( here comes the controversial part - those easily offended can skip it now) . Stableford comps are slow, and have a high amount of 22+ hcp entered , divisions are employed but hardly anyone on 5 or below bothers - no chance of winning outright, long day etc .. Medals are shunned by most 22+hcps , all the sub 5s come out if possible, speed of play is better but still divisions..
Personally I feel a hcp over 28 is not required and if you need it then you should be putting in general play cards and not entering competition. This may suit the social golfer more, after all a hcp is just for gauging you against other golfers and if you are like me and have no friends then it offers little benefit.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

My club varies comps between Saturdays and SUndays and there are always midweek comps. Seems to work and people can enter the comps they can fit in around families

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Huh? Please explain your thinking behind this comment.

I guess it’s the mixed message in the first post

Not playing medals at the weekend because it’s slow

Or because you have a low handicap and no chance of placing

Maybe playing in the medals will help the HC become to a level when you have a chance or you want to keep it low ? Which I think is what the post was alluding to

 

[Neilds]

I am not avoiding competition but I still have scores from 2023 in my 20 scores. Last year was a bit of a write off, due to my wife’s illness, but I did manage some and enough to maintain my requirements for prizes.
But it was noticeable ( here comes the controversial part - those easily offended can skip it now) . Stableford comps are slow, and have a high amount of 22+ hcp entered , divisions are employed but hardly anyone on 5 or below bothers - no chance of winning outright, long day etc .. Medals are shunned by most 22+hcps , all the sub 5s come out if possible, speed of play is better but still divisions..
Personally I feel a hcp over 28 is not required and if you need it then you should be putting in general play cards and not entering competition. This may suit the social golfer more, after all a hcp is just for gauging you against other golfers and if you are like me and have no friends then it offers little benefit.

At our place, it doesn't matter what division you are in, the prize money is split between the entrants for each division - there is no outright 'winner' who gets more than anyone else in prize money. Surely this is a better/fairer way to do things to encourage more lower handicaps to enter?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We have divisions for stableford and medals and so the top 3 in both get the same amount of money. It means you are really only playing your handicap peers and it does make it a more level playing field. As I've said before I only worry about playing as well as I can and my score. Whatever anyone else does is beyond my control so why waste energy moaning about a higher handicapper playing better on the day

 

[Mandofred]

I guess it’s the mixed message in the first post

Not playing medals at the weekend because it’s slow

Or because you have a low handicap and no chance of placing

Maybe playing in the medals will help the HC become to a level when you have a chance or you want to keep it low ? Which I think is what the post was alluding to

On a usual week I play twice at Oakdale (M+F) with a small group of guys....I turn in a card every time at this time of the year. W+TH I play in a large rollup group at Ripon, I don't bother to turn in a card while playing in rollups. Although they have an individual comp the next two Thursdays....so lots of cards coming in. Playing 4 times a week is enough....I find if I play on weekends as well I get golfed-out.

I really don't care if I win or not.....although in a perfect world every handicap would have equal chances of winning.....it doesn't seem to happen though. My main issue on weekends is the speed of play......and during a comp it gets worse. Some people don't mind playing slow golf....and spending a little more money for the privilege....I do. I'm getting to be an old fart, so playing during the week on less busy courses have become more preferable. We had a good round yesterday (speed wise)....just over 3.5hrs....faster than normal, but 4hrs is pretty normal.

My handicap is low for me at the moment from a good run I had 3 weeks or so ago and dropped to 5.3. Then went 5.4. Currently 5.5 and I'm playing like crap. I seem to be either going gangbusters....or crap. I don't seem to have a middle ground. 3 of my next 4 scores are in the +4-6 range so if I continue my crappy play I should be up a shot or two within the week. But if my usual up and down play goes as normal, I'm due for a few good rounds in the next week or two.

​

 

[Arthur Wedge]

On a usual week I play twice at Oakdale (M+F) with a small group of guys....I turn in a card every time at this time of the year. W+TH I play in a large rollup group at Ripon, I don't bother to turn in a card while playing in rollups. Although they have an individual comp the next two Thursdays....so lots of cards coming in. Playing 4 times a week is enough....I find if I play on weekends as well I get golfed-out.

I really don't care if I win or not.....although in a perfect world every handicap would have equal chances of winning.....it doesn't seem to happen though. My main issue on weekends is the speed of play......and during a comp it gets worse. Some people don't mind playing slow golf....and spending a little more money for the privilege....I do. I'm getting to be an old fart, so playing during the week on less busy courses have become more preferable. We had a good round yesterday (speed wise)....just over 3.5hrs....faster than normal, but 4hrs is pretty normal.

My handicap is low for me at the moment from a good run I had 3 weeks or so ago and dropped to 5.3. Then went 5.4. Currently 5.5 and I'm playing like crap. I seem to be either going gangbusters....or crap. I don't seem to have a middle ground. 3 of my next 4 scores are in the +4-6 range so if I continue my crappy play I should be up a shot or two within the week. But if my usual up and down play goes as normal, I'm due for a few good rounds in the next week or two.

​

I can understand pace of play at weekends being an issue but at our place the pace of play is an issue in any comp even during the week - it’s not just limited to weekends and if anything at times the mid week medal is slower


As for the HC system - think it’s near impossible to get an “even field” - can’t use the word fair because the fair way is for all HCs to be removed and the best golf wins

The HC system will try its best - there are some allowances which are a mess but there is also those that manipulate it as well

But only have GP cards and no comps imo won’t give a fair reflection of HC - comps do have that different level of difficulty when the course is set up

 

[jim8flog]

I don't think about "getting shots" on the course for the different tees.
I play a course off scratch and achieve a score differential. My handicap is only relevant to the other players' handicaps and gives me a finishing position.

Par 70.

Whites 78/6.2, 77/5.3, 76/4.5
Yellows 76/6.1, 75/5.2 74/4.4 etc.
These are the same no matter what my handicap is or how many "shots I'm getting".

At the moment my 8th best is 5.3. Beating that by 0.1 makes no difference.
Tomorrow I have a choice of the white tee medal or the yellow tee stableford.
I find 76 off the whites easier to achieve than 74 off the yellows.
This was true before CR-Par and remains true today.

I'm expecting much scorn to be coming my way, because I've said all this before.
It is true though.

I think that when it comes to comps I have reached an age where I do compare ones of whites more harshly than ones off yellows.
In a large part this comes down to course set up. Off the whites very little consideration is given to shorter hitters (off which I am now one) in winter in particular there are 3 holes where I and many of my mates cannot reach the fairway and are often left with only wedge out of deep rough to get the ball on to the fairway.

The other area is the course rating I now find I have about a 3 shot difference between whites and yellows but the course rating is only just over one shot different (slope difference is only 4).

Weekend comps are when you see most low handicappers play and these are problems that do not really affect them ( as it once did not affect me).

 

[nickjdavis]

Weekend comps being played only on a Sunday is rubbish ...lots of families have Sundays for family together or other Sunday stuff.

As I say...its been like it for 25 years or more.

If Sunday only comps don't work for an individual then its probably best that they don't join a club that holds its comps only on a Sunday. The amount of folk who want to prioritize family stuff, church etc. on a Sunday, will be balanced by the folk who have Saturday commitments (maybe they've got kids who do sports on a Saturday) and wouldn't otherwise be able to play.

Many people do not live their lives on what you might call a traditional Mon-Fri, Sat & Sun basis. Part time working, flexible hours, shifts all have an impact and there are many who are not part of tight knit family groups who don't have such Sunday commitments.

At my club Saturdays regularly see a significant number of green fees and the day is a significant source of revenue to the club....would not be feasible to eschew that revenue simply to hold a parallel comp on a Saturday.

Sunday only competitions are not "rubbish"...it simply is what it is and it suits many people....myself included. I wouldn't be a member of club that didn't hold competitions on a Sunday.

 

[clubchamp98]

As I say...its been like it for 25 years or more.

If Sunday only comps don't work for an individual then its probably best that they don't join a club that holds its comps only on a Sunday. The amount of folk who want to prioritize family stuff, church etc. on a Sunday, will be balanced by the folk who have Saturday commitments (maybe they've got kids who do sports on a Saturday) and wouldn't otherwise be able to play.

Many people do not live their lives on what you might call a traditional Mon-Fri, Sat & Sun basis. Part time working, flexible hours, shifts all have an impact and there are many who are not part of tight knit family groups who don't have such Sunday commitments.

At my club Saturdays regularly see a significant number of green fees and the day is a significant source of revenue to the club....would not be feasible to eschew that revenue simply to hold a parallel comp on a Saturday.

Sunday only competitions are not "rubbish"...it simply is what it is and it suits many people....myself included. I wouldn't be a member of club that didn't hold competitions on a Sunday.

Agree.
My old club had Sunday comps they were great.
No traffic
We went to watch footy on a Saturday.
Suits some dosnt suit all.