Club Champs - Strategy

[User 105]

OK it's my first club champs this weekend, really looking forward to it and my game has started to come good just in time.

It's 36 holes stroke play. 18 Sat then 18 on Sun.

I've never played 36 competitive holes, usuall 18 in club comps.

Do you guys have any strategy tips ?

Play conservative on Saturday to keep in it then push on the Sunday if I'm in with a shout ?

Or just go for it from the off and see what happens ?

Thanks

 

[brendy]

Get an hour practice in on Saturday and Sunday morning, note how you are hitting each iron and practice lower approaches that go straight as they have more chance of getting to the hole than high lobs.

Ours is on the 20th, both rounds so a few practice balls could save the round before it gets ruined in the first few while warming up.

 

[Owen_Thomas_14]

I had a 36 hole comp earlier this year and found if you finish your first round level par or better (nett) you can attack a few more pins in the second round and if its your week youll be in with a chance. The most important thing is enjoy your game and dont get down on yourself with a few bad shots as youll have plenty of holes to pull it back.

 

[RGDave]

I think too much of a strategy is often a problem. How many of us have started an important game and thought "let's keep it steady until I start to feel comfy" only to double the first 2 holes and waste most of the h'cap for the front 9.

I think it depends how you play your game. I play the nasty holes (in any comp) with a stableford attitude....i.e. don't get too ambitious and play safe even if by doing so, you've more or less ruled out making a par.

I'd say think about the holes where you've had trouble. Sometimes, deciding to "keep your head" and make a bogey or double at worst can lead to really safe bogeys.

But who can say.....only you know what you are capable of. You can't win it on the front 9 of the first day, but you can lose it, for sure.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'd tend to go in with an open mind. If you have a strategy per se it'll make you tense and you won't swing freely like you would do in a regular medal or friendly. Similarly if you have a plan and a few bad shots come in you might end up chasing a score and throwing more shots away in the process.

I'm not advocating a defensive or a gung ho policy and course management needs to be at the forefront of your thinking but don't let it get in the way of your natural flow. If you get into trouble tey and get back to the short grass and not play too many risky shots.

The only thing I would say is that you can't win it on Saturday but you can play yourself out of contention. Go out and treat Saturday in the same way you would do any other medal round and stick to your normal routine. If you get there early and normally hit balls do so and if you get there have a coffee and roll up to the first do that. Your body reacts to normality so any changes to the routine will alert it that its a special day, adrenalin will be released and everything will get quicker.

Have fun, play well on Saturday and then reveiw your options for Sunday. If you are in contention, you'll need to control your emotions and stay in the present. If you are a little off the pace you are going to have to attack some flags but be prudent which ones you do. The flags for these events are normally tucked away and some will be real sucker pins where a middle of the green is in fact the right shot. If you are already out of contention after the first round just go out and enjoy the day and see what you can do. You might have a good day and manage to get a cut to show for your weekends efforts.

Good luck

 

[Imurg]

I know its an age-old cliche but play each shot as it comes. Off a 23 handicap - no disrespect - but you're not going to be firing at pins on the back 9 on Sunday if you're in with a shout unless you are having the round of your life. Play the rounds as you normally would. Try anything remotely different and it'll all end in tears.

 

[User 105]

Thanks guys.

You certainly have to be careful on the front 9 at our place. Mainly the first 3 holes really, you can blow your round before you have even got going.

1st is 420 yard par 4. Ditch all along the front of the green and OOB just behind the green.

So unless I nail the drive I'll just lay up 60 yards out with my second and try to wedge it close.

2nd is the killer for me usually. Again 420 yard par 4. SI 1. Narrow fairway. OOB down left, ditch down right. Pond cutting in from the right at about 250 yards.

I'll probably try to keep it safe. 6i then another 6i to within a 100 and try to wedge it close again.

A mate of mine took 15 here last year in the champs !!

3rd is a 170 yard par 3. Pond across the front and right. bunkers left and back.

There is no real safe option here. Obviously favour the left side of the green but you have to go for it.

So if you can get past these 3 without too much damage you're pretty happy.

They've also sped the greens up noticeably, they are usually pretty quick normally, but were really fast over the weekend. A lot of dead weight putts were breaking away from the holes at the last moment.

I'm going to play 9 holes Friday afternoon to check the course out.

I'll usually get to the course an hour before tee off and hit the range then the practice green.

Knowing they are likley to tuck the pins away I'm probably going to stick to middle of the green approaches unless I'm close in.

 

[stevie2722]

I always try to just keep things steady play relativly conservatively and dont let mistakes on the first 18 get to you to much.
Iv always found if you play to your handicap both days youl be towards the top of the leaderboard and in with a chance.
Its surprising how few ppl manage to do it.
Our club champs are 36 hole qualifier then matchplay for top 16. it was nice to know that during the 36 its only about qualifying, takes some of the pressure off

 

[JustOne]

Birdie every hole and you'll be in with a shout

Relax, take plenty of food and drink with you and at least 40 ciggies per round (good time to start). Hit whatever club you like the feel of. If you can still see the ball after you've hit it then it's a good shot.

 

[Smiffy]

I find that if I try to go into a game with a "strategy" then things just go from bad to worse.
Golf's a funny old game. You can play brilliantly one day, 24 hours later you can go out and it feels (and looks) like you have never held a club in your hands before. Even two rounds on the same day can be chalk and cheese.
I'm a firm believer in playing with what you've got on the day. If after a few holes you find you are nutting it well, be a bit aggressive. If your game is not quite there, play a little more "within yourself"....

 

[USER1999]

A mate of mine had a cracking stategy worked out for the 36 hole spring meeting, but the 16 on the first hole put paid to that.

 

[golf_bug]

I would seriously recommend that you play your normal game....why play anything else? I was very tentative in my club champs and as a result carded rubbish scores. On the back 9 on day 2 I opened my shoulders and went for it and played so much better.
Its a resally good experience, but try not to let the occasion get to you. Treat it like a normal medal round.

 

[Sneds]

It looks a nice club. I've only ever played Aston in Stevenage. How is the driving range/pro down there?

 

[need_my_wedge]

OK it's my first club champs this weekend, really looking forward to it ......

Mine too. Am also looking forward to it, although with a bit of trepidation. Don't know about strategies, just gonna go out and try and hit the ball straight each time

 

[RGDave]

1st is 420 yard par 4. Ditch all along the front of the green and OOB just behind the green.

So unless I nail the drive I'll just lay up 60 yards out with my second and try to wedge it close.

2nd is the killer for me usually. Again 420 yard par 4. SI 1. Narrow fairway. OOB down left, ditch down right. Pond cutting in from the right at about 250 yards.

I'll probably try to keep it safe. 6i then another 6i to within a 100 and try to wedge it close again.

A mate of mine took 15 here last year in the champs !!

3rd is a 170 yard par 3. Pond across the front and right. bunkers left and back.

There is no real safe option here. Obviously favour the left side of the green but you have to go for it.

Sounds tough.

I played at a course that had two ditches on the first. One at 275 and another 60 yards short of the green. For the first 10 games or so, I messed up week in, week out.

I was off 24 at the time, so got 2 shots, and soon learned a good strategy. I gave up using a driver, because a good drive "warranted" going for the green. So, it just became a 420 yard par 5. 3 wood, 7 iron (sometimes +/- a club) then a wedge of some sort. If I could get within 70 yards, it then became a 70 yard par 3!

As for long par 3s over trouble (your 3rd) only experience will tell you which club is guaranteed to get over (not that anything is ever a dead cert).
What I don't like about these holes (we have a killer one at mine) is sometimes there is no bail-out area. Other than a baby par 3 hole, ours are fairly long off the whites.
On the two without water, you can go right or left, long or short...EASY. On the one with water you can only go long. That's it. Long or nothing. If you go right, it's in a copse or might ricochet off a tree back into the pond. If you go left, there's a tree level with the left edge of the green and IF you should get over it, it's 95% sure to then be O.O.B.

Insane design. The chaps hitting irons have SUCH an advantage, it's criminal. I hit a 5 wood and accept I may take 5 or even 6 shots. If there was anywhere to bail, I'd plan for that and make 4 tops. Last time I made worse than bogey on the non-water holes was about 50 games ago. Last time I made a bogey on the water hole was 3 months, if not more. I'll either hit the green and putt for birdie, or miss the green and ruin my card.

They could do something about it, but they won't. Sadists.

 

[viscount17]

Sneds, I've played both Aston and Chesfield. The two are pretty close in the way they play (as well as geographically). Chesfield has more up and down.

The 3rd at Chesfield is shorter than the similar Par 3 at Aston (14th?) but looks can be deceiving. The 17th at Chesfield can be a challenge, what this doesn't show are the elevations; elevated tee, downhill to an elevated crowned green - lots of opportunity for runoff.

 

[User 105]

It looks a nice club. I've only ever played Aston in Stevenage. How is the driving range/pro down there?

Sneds, range is fantastic. It's newly refurbed, good mats, quality balls, plenty of bays.

It has a short game area for pitching and chipping with a bunker. But that parts only open to academy members.

Aston is probably 5 mins from my house, whereas Chesfield is about 15. I'll always rather drive over the Chesfield to practice.

 

[viscount17]

Westy, what does academy membership cost? I know the costs for range balls is not the cheapest around but to get the short game areas I could tolerate that.

short game practice areas are few and far between. my track is poor in that respect.

working in Stevenage as I do, getting to Chesfield after work is a doddle.

 

[User 105]

viscount, you've got that right 17th is a real tough hole off the whites. Unless you are long with your irons and can send it in high it's hard to land it on and stop it.

Best result I've had was teeing up a 3-wood a bit higher and launched it in. Landed and stopped about 5 feet from the pin, but never managed to repeat that one since.

Most of the time I try to drop it short with a 4i or my hybrid, depending on the wind, and try to run it on. But you don't have much to aim at.

If you send it over the back you have a real nasty chip back up to the green.

 

[User 105]

Westy, what does academy membership cost? I know the costs for range balls is not the cheapest around but to get the short game areas I could tolerate that.

short game practice areas are few and far between. my track is poor in that respect.

working in Stevenage as I do, getting to Chesfield after work is a doddle.

I'm pretty sure you have to be club member to be an acadamy member. I had to pay a one off fee of £25 to join and that included £20 worth or range ball credit.

I'm up there later today, I'll ask and see if they do it seperatly.

I know what you mean about the price of balls, not the cheapest. I think it's about £1.60 for 25. I tend to get a bucket of 100 for £3.60 which works out much better.