Changing pin positions

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peterputter

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Hi All,

Please could you give me your views on a recent situation at our golf club. Over the Christmas period we play our Yule tide cup. This competition is played over a month, competitors can play as many rounds as they like with a reduction to half handicap as the number of rounds builds up. This competition was played out with the pin positions remaining in the same position for the whole month except for the last day of the competition. I was winning the competition so did not play on the last day due to risk of of losing a stroke through a reduction in handicap. This may sound like sour grapes but I like other competitors has all played on green that had take the wear and tear of the previous month not knowing that the pins were getting changed to a more favorable on the last day. The captain won on the last day after knowing the pins had been moved.
 
Sounds like sour grapes to me. You didn't play and therefore didn't win. You can't complain about that. But at least You have a bright side, you didn't get cut. I personally would have gone all guns blazing for the win, especially on the last day. If I played well I would have consolidated my winning position and got a cut. Happy days.
 
Really don't understand the format. Surely with a "reduction to half handicap" as you play more rounds you can't be talking about proper qualifying comps? do you have "winter" handicaps and it was this you were protecting for the rest of the winter? All sounds very strange. You can hardly blame the Captain for winning. I assume anyone who turned up on the last day "knew the pins had been moved" are you suggesting this influenced anything/anyone? I can't see much wrong with what happened except the whole thing (especially leaving the pins for a month) seems a bit daft tbh.
 
DCB said:
Same pins for a month, what are the greens like after that ? That's just plain crazy IMO.
Click to expand...

I agree Dave, if my club never changed pin positions for a month, i'd be looking for somewhere else to play.


I assume the handicap change is just for calculation for this comp? If that's the case, I can't see why you would have missed the last 'qualifier'.
 
peterputter said:
Hi All,

Please could you give me your views on a recent situation at our golf club...
Click to expand...

not sure which bit you are looking for a view on?

he's a few thoughts

1. strange competition; assuming it's based on the best single score at the end of the period it would seem that the various elements are designed to offset each other
(i) the more you play the more you get used to the pin positions
(ii) the more you play the lower your handicap allowance (I have assumed an understanding of your words to mean this)
(iii) the more you play the higher the chance of having a good round!
on balance the best round is likely to come towards the end of the first week - all other weather elements being constant (which they aren't!)
2. based on my assumptions I took your comment to mean that you felt you wouldn't improve you score from the lower handicap you would be using - logical.
3. they moved the pins on the final day and someone managed a better score...

the only issues I can see would revolve around the competition rules and the moving of the pins on the last day; if the competition rules state that pins will remain in the same position every day then clearly they shouldn't have been moved, or the rounds shouldn't have counted. then again if the intention of the competition is to play the same pins, but there were reasons that they needed to be moved on the last day despite that aim; such things happen.

other than that the practical impact on scoring of moving the pins to fresh positions shouldn't have a huge effect, certainly against those playing early rounds off higher handicap allowances.

if I've made in appropriate assumptions please advise.
 
duncan mackie said:
1. strange competition; assuming it's based on the best single score at the end of the period it would seem that the various elements are designed to offset each other
(i) the more you play the more you get used to the pin positions
(ii) the more you play the lower your handicap allowance (I have assumed an understanding of your words to mean this)
(iii) the more you play the higher the chance of having a good round!
on balance the best round is likely to come towards the end of the first week - all other weather elements being constant (which they aren't!)
2. based on my assumptions I took your comment to mean that you felt you wouldn't improve you score from the lower handicap you would be using - logical.
3. they moved the pins on the final day and someone managed a better score...
Click to expand...

This is how I've read it as well.

No handicap protection going on. The more rounds you play, the less allowance you have to take off of your best score.

It was a gamble to 'stand pat', and it didn't pay off, albeit possibly because of an easier set of pin positions.
As Alex said though, the other guy still had to play well.

Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if the greenkeepers knew nothing of this festive period fun comp and were just doing their job.
It also wouldn't surprise me if it were pressure from the captain to get them moved.

You'll probably never know, and to be honest isn't worth getting worked up about imo.

The biggest shock to me is that the pins don't get moved for almost a month. I'm ranting if they're the same 2 weekends running.

Congratulations on your second place :)
 
Ambleforth College GC?

Is this an Eclictic competition? Where your best score on any hole in each of the rounds is the one that counts, but your handicap is reduced by a percentage depending on how many rounds you have played - your 12 being 8 after 5 rounds but 6 if you played 6 (or more).

Seems to me that you took a (reasonble) gamble that didn't pay off. Whereas Mr Smith had to perform in his last round - which he did!

As long as the pins weren't put in vastly different types of position, then their change for the last round shouldn't have mattered - though worth querying whether that was the norm.
 
Any competition played over a one month period with the same pin positions is obviously just a fun winter style comp and nothing serious. Presume you still picked up a bit of prizemoney for 2nd place? It's no big deal, move on and enjoy spending what you won :thup:
 
Region3 said:
This is how I've read it as well.

No handicap protection going on. The more rounds you play, the less allowance you have to take off of your best score.

It was a gamble to 'stand pat', and it didn't pay off, albeit possibly because of an easier set of pin positions.
As Alex said though, the other guy still had to play well.

Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if the greenkeepers knew nothing of this festive period fun comp and were just doing their job.
It also wouldn't surprise me if it were pressure from the captain to get them moved.

You'll probably never know, and to be honest isn't worth getting worked up about imo.

The biggest shock to me is that the pins don't get moved for almost a month. I'm ranting if they're the same 2 weekends running.

Congratulations on your second place :)
Click to expand...

Yea on second reading of the OP im of the same opinion,

just the luck of the draw ,

BUT


if im honest and comp rules said pins HAD TO / WOULD BE in the same position & that changed without every1 being told i probably would be a bit peeved off aswell, if every1 was informed & i chose to gamble not to play then id accept the result..so i can see your "disappointment" for want of a better word ..


Having played the same holes for a month you should be dialed in on distances and breaks etc so maybe it could be a disadvantage to have them moved ,

Did you ask or were ya told a valid reason why they were changed ?
 
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