Big Prize/Trophy or Big Handicap Cut?

[MendieGK]

just been reading about all these golf tours that are popping up around the country, and i think they are great. BUT they just cant attract me unless the rounds will have a bearing on handicap.

This poses the question,

Would you rather, win an event and reap the rewards associated (prizes etc), or finish towards the top and get a massive handicap cut?

I've always in the handicap count, as in my opinion, your handicap is the only trophy that matters (when people find out that you play golf they NEVER ask - how many trophies have you won).

as an example, i played an open two weeks ago, i had a mare first round, but shot 6 under CSS PM. a 0.5 handicap cut for the day in my opinion beats any prize you could offer me!

thoughts?

 

[Birchy]

Unless i ever get down low enough to play in a scratch competition it will always be a handicap cut.

 

[MendieGK]

good point. i play in scratch events but dont ever really expect to compete off 5 (These boys are good). therfore my aim is always handicap based!

 

[bladeplayer]

Handicap is only important thing in my golf for me , dont get me wrong i like winning , but its not that important ..

I started playing scratch cups this year , junior scratch 4-9 handicaps , have played 4 on a thing called Top Golfer Tour & a couple of other open SC.. the aim was to become a better golfer , handicap is suffering as a result (see sig) but i hope to be a better golfer as a result & 2 or 3 good normal comps should get me back down .. im enjoying the comps but they are bloody hard , couple of the courses this year had us off the back sticks on most of the holes

To qualify for playoffs would be great but to be a better golfer after it would be the big thing ..

The Top Golfer tour web page is worth a look even out of intrest , very well run comp

 

[MendieGK]

Handicap is only important thing in my golf for me , dont get me wrong i like winning , but its not that important ..

I started playing scratch cups this year , junior scratch 4-9 handicaps , have played 4 on a thing called Top Golfer Tour & a couple of other open SC.. the aim was to become a better golfer , handicap is suffering as a result (see sig) but i hope to be a better golfer as a result & 2 or 3 good normal comps should get me back down .. im enjoying the comps but they are bloody hard , couple of the courses this year had us off the back sticks on most of the holes

To qualify for playoffs would be great but to be a better golfer after it would be the big thing ..

The Top Golfer tour web page is worth a look even out of intrest , very well run comp

Looks really good, just had a browse. seems similar to the Single Figure Golf Tour over here, which piggy backs on existing opens.

 

[garyinderry]

Id like to lift a big prize. I was once pipped for a 32 inch tv when I shot 46 points in a major. ive only won once and been cut a load of times without being anywhere near the prizes.


in you are in and around the prizes the cuts will take care of themselves.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Handicap cut everytime for me, which is just as well as there is no chance of winning anything decent off my handicap

 

[Val]

Handicap, playing well enough to secure decent cuts should have you in the hunt for prizes anyway

 

[BTatHome]

In terms of club competitons I want my name on a board comp (have my name on a doubles board event already), so that is a priority for this year.

Of course my other priority is still cat1 handicap (rather than the 2 weeks that I achieved at cat1 last year), so I'm happy to come down in handicap whenever I play.

 

[louise_a]

I would love to win the England Golf Medal Grand Final at the end of the month.

I did want to get my name on the honours boards, and I did that last year, so now I want to just get my handicap down. The chances are that I will pick up a win or two on the way if I achieve the reductions I want.

 

[jchubs]

For me it is about winning... as long as I know it is a fair field then I want to win...
Handicap cuts take care of themselves... we all surely play a sport to win? Or are some of the people like the new schooling systems where it's the 'taking part' that counts....?

Don't get me wrong, I love playing golf, but I always want to win - whether that is a club comp or social games...

 

[Alex1975]

Cut

 

[HawkeyeMS]

For me it is about winning... as long as I know it is a fair field then I want to win...
Handicap cuts take care of themselves... we all surely play a sport to win? Or are some of the people like the new schooling systems where it's the 'taking part' that counts....?

Don't get me wrong, I love playing golf, but I always want to win - whether that is a club comp or social games...

Winning is nice but with the handicap system in golf, getting hung up on winning is a futile exercise. Winning for me is beating my handicap, that is the only thing I can control. Take our last board comp, played over 2 rounds. I was level h'cap over the 2 rounds which is a decent score. I came 3rd playing off of 9. I had 25 shots less than the guy who won and 30 shots less than the guy in 2nd. Both new members and playing off 25 and 26 respectively. Since I've been at RAGC which is now 2 and a half years, my handicap has dropped from 11.6 to 6.5. I that time I have won 1 monthly medal\stableford and that was 3 weeks ago. Winning is nice, but the odds of doing so are so heavily stacked against you it's better not to worry about it too much.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Handicap cut. I'm with Mendie on this one, you are defined as a golfer by your handicap.

 

[fundy]

Is neither a valid answer?

Not overly fussed with winning though its obviously nice, not too fussed where the handicap is, its just a number that will look after itself. More important to me to play nice and/or new courses, with decent people and stay fit and healthy through out the summer months (yep im failing as much as you guys who want to win lol)

 

[jchubs]

Winning is nice but with the handicap system in golf, getting hung up on winning is a futile exercise. Winning for me is beating my handicap, that is the only thing I can control. Take our last board comp, played over 2 rounds. I was level h'cap over the 2 rounds which is a decent score. I came 3rd playing off of 9. I had 25 shots less than the guy who won and 30 shots less than the guy in 2nd. Both new members and playing off 25 and 26 respectively. Since I've been at RAGC which is now 2 and a half years, my handicap has dropped from 11.6 to 6.5. I that time I have won 1 monthly medal\stableford and that was 3 weeks ago. Winning is nice, but the odds of doing so are so heavily stacked against you it's better not to worry about it too much.

Agree.. but playing a sport to win is what sport is about surely...

 

[bladeplayer]

Is neither a valid answer?

Not overly fussed with winning though its obviously nice, not too fussed where the handicap is, its just a number that will look after itself. More important to me to play nice and/or new courses, with decent people and stay fit and healthy through out the summer months (yep im failing as much as you guys who want to win lol)

Interesting answer fundy , do you mind if i ask have you always thought of it like this or was there a eureka moment along the way for you that changed the way you saw golf ?.. i love playing new courses etc aswell but at the min its about handicap ..

 

[fundy]

Interesting answer fundy , do you mind if i ask have you always thought of it like this or was there a eureka moment along the way for you that changed the way you saw golf ?.. i love playing new courses etc aswell but at the min its about handicap ..

No big change, used to be a lot better golfer than I am these days and exceptionally competitive. Sadly too many years playing rugby has left my body as not so willing. Missed several years through knee rebuilds, then most of last yr with a ruptured calf, now damaged my elbow this year. Add in that Id got too serious and was beating myself up too much (which made the golf worse again) and got to the point where I had to take a look at why I played golf and what I wanted from it.

I was fortunate as a kid to have played all the main championship courses (incl all the open venues) but having moved to a new area a few years ago am enjoying finding a few different courses to play each year (sadly in an area that is pretty bare for decent golf courses)

I tend to enter a few of the national knockouts and a few opens to play new courses and with different people, also try and arrange the odd game with people on here to broaden the net further.

Its hard focussing on lowering hcap/winning scratch comps etc when I know I have 0 hope of playing to the level I did 20 years ago, so rather focus on staying at least competent and enjoying myself (that said im still quite a heavy practiser/tinkerer with my game when fit)

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Agree.. but playing a sport to win is what sport is about surely...

Of course it is, but handicap golf isn't a level playing field and never will be and you aren't competing directly against anyone else. When I play golf I am playing the course and I either win or lose against it. In strokeplay, you can't play to win against someone who you aren't competing directly against, you can't influence and in a lot of cases you aren't even on the course at the same time as.

Golf isn't like most other sports where you have a shared ball for example, or you can use your strength or speed or wit to outdo your opponent, it is just you, on your own. If someone goes out and shoots a PB and beats you, there is nothing you can do about it.

 

[tyke]

Doesn't this go hand in hand, surely winning a major comp will also achieve your aim of lowering your handicap.