Board comps, are they all they are cracked up to be?

[Deleted Member 1156]

From what I can see, there are a lot of people on here whose prime focus is winning a board competition. Is this really the case? Is winning some mixed greensomes event that has a trophy put up by some former captain 20 years ago and has 15 pairs enter on the day REALLY all that important?

The only ones that would be of interest to me are club championship, scratch and handicap singles knockout and maybe a winter foursomes or 4bbb knockout.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Most of them aren't worth the fuss no. The only ones worth winning are the ones where the best golfer comes out on top, which is rarely the case. The scratch club championship is the only one at our place that would really mean anything to me, but I don't see myself winning that anytime soon.

 

[Hickory_Hacker]

It's an English thing ... You guys have a Board Comp for everything and their mentioned every month. In Scotland it's pretty much for the Club Championship and Captain's, no fuss golf!

I wouldn't be surprised if there's some clubs down south playing a Stableford for a board comp, flimsy golf!

 

[woody69]

Most of them aren't worth the fuss no. The only ones worth winning are the ones where the best golfer comes out on top, which is rarely the case. The scratch club championship is the only one at our place that would really mean anything to me, but I don't see myself winning that anytime soon.

Eh? How does that work then? Surely if you win it you are by default the best golfer on the day?

 

[Fader]

My thinking on these has changed in the short time i've been playing. When I first started like most people I thought be good to win one of those etc.

But now i'm more interested in just playing consistent golf and letting the results take care of themselves. Most board comps are under subcsribed overrated past captain trophey events anyway that tends to be the same few playing in.

My old club had a board comp virtually twice a month through the summer, whereas my new club has less of them but better subscribed. I still am not worried about them though the only ones where it'd mean anything to me really seeing my name on them is the Club Champions or Singles Matchplay boards and really they are the only ones taken notice of.

 

[Bomber69]

I am board with this thread already..................

Most of the guys could not hit a 8x4 board 20 feet in front of them with a Hybrid in hand:whoo:

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Eh? How does that work then? Surely if you win it you are by default the best golfer on the day?

Really? So if I shoot +5 in and someone else shoots +23, but I am off 7 and the other guy is off 26, he wins by a shot. You can try to convince me that he played better golf than me on the day, but you're going to be here very long time doing so.

 

[pbrown7582]

Eh? How does that work then? Surely if you win it you are by default the best golfer on the day?

pretty sure the intent in the post was the best gross score rather than best nett/points.


to me most of the board comps are much the same as the monthly medal/stableford only difference is the gold lettered name in clubhouse but really pretty meaningless unless it is the scratch club championship or knockout to me.

 

[tyke]

Let's scrap handicaps altogether then and let everybody play off scratch. Oh the game of golf will really flourish then.

 

[Andy808]

The only board comp that really interests me is our club championship. I do enter the others but I'm not that bothered about them.

 

[woody69]

Really? So if I shoot +5 in and someone else shoots +23, but I am off 7 and the other guy is off 26, he wins but a shot. You can try to convince me that he played better golf than me on the day, but you're going to be here very long time doing so.

I understand what you are saying. Of course for you to go around in +5 and for him to take an extra 18 shots to get around the same course by default means you no doubt played the "better golf", but in terms of the comp and both your perceived levels of skill, he played better than expected and therefore based on the final standings was better than you by a shot. That's the beauty of amateur golf isn't it and what allows players of differing abilities to actually have a shot in such competitions?

All that being said, I would have different divisions for handicap groups to prevent such a scenario as you mention from occurring as it is more likely for a high handicap player to play significantly better than their handicap than a cat 1 / 2 player based on the fact they are usually improving.

 

[gdc]

I think it is definitely 'nicer' to win a comp where your name goes up on the board than a bog standard medal.
All the comps at my club are board comps (some scratch, some nett) with the exception of monthly medals.
Personally I never tee off with the aim to win a comp but just try to lower my handicap each and every time.

At the end of the day nobody asks you what you have won - they ask what your handicap is.

 

[Bomber69]

Really? So if I shoot +5 in and someone else shoots +23, but I am off 7 and the other guy is off 26, he wins by a shot. You can try to convince me that he played better golf than me on the day, but you're going to be here very long time doing so.

Well said:thup:

 

[richart]

The only ones that would be of interest to me are club championship, scratch and handicap singles knockout and maybe a winter foursomes or 4bbb knockout.

Good call on the winter foursomes Gordon.

If it was only scratch competitions that had a board, there would just be a few names on it. Handicap competitions deserve boards as well. All part of being a member of a club as far as I am concerned. Yes there are probably too many, but doesn't worry me in the least. Mate of mine in his 60's won the 13 and over handicap singles knockout last year. First competition he has ever won in twenty years. He is very proud of having his name on a board in the Club, and for that reason I am in.

 

[Hickory_Hacker]

A net board competition lol ... That was beauty :rofl:

The most I would give is a pat on the back for turning up at the driving range.

 

[chrisd]

I enter every competition with a desire to win it, why else go in for it?

The board competitions have the added benefit of being a course set up more difficult than normal and the tees right back on the tombstone. Only one of ours is a Stableford and they all come with a good trophy and, usually, a handicap cut and your name recorded for posterity. They set the run of the mill competitions apart and ours are limited to a maximum 18 handicap.

I reiterate, because its rarely said here - I want to win - there, I know everyone else only plays to get their handicap down!

 

[richart]

I enter every competition with a desire to win it

I reiterate, because its rarely said here - I want to win - there, I know everyone else only plays to get their handicap down!

See my comments on winning or handicap cut. You are not the only one Chris. Perhaps it is an age thing !!!

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Let's scrap handicaps altogether then and let everybody play off scratch. Oh the game of golf will really flourish then.

While I think that would be a grand idea, it would as you say be no good for golf. I understand why we have a handicap system and why it is important but that doesn't mean I have to think that winning a handicap board comp is all that important. I would rather have the lowest gross score in a comp than win it as that to me is the definition of the best golfer on the day.

I've often thought that the categories\divisions we have now should still exist (maybe with some modifications to the h'caps for each category) but that we should all play off scratch in those divisions. That way, you are competing against players of a similar level to you but the best gross score would win your division. Your handicap would still be calculated as it is now to make sure you are in the right division but there would be no such thing as nett score. I'm sure there are a million reasons why that wouldn't work (many driven by the fact the many people seem to want to be rewarded for average golf rather than being the best).

 

[Birchy]

This thread has got massive potential

 

[louise_a]

I would love to be Cat 1 and so only have a chance to win the club championship, but I am not, so if I win a net board event I am happy to see my name in gold letters.