Club Teams

[Fish]

Do you play in your clubs teams comps home & away against other local clubs?

I suppose the obvious one's are B-team, Seniors, A-team, Scratch team.

They are great value playing other nearby clubs for less than you could on your County card with a dinner and drinks thrown in, what's not to like?

I've noticed though that from being at a few clubs in my short career as a hacker these teams at all golf clubs are always struggling to find players!

Our B-team at times last year when I played for it and before I was injured a couple of years ago was always scraping 8 together to play.

I just received an email from the A-team captain that obviously went out to the whole membership asking for players as they only had 3 on their list for next week to play and were asking for help as they need a minimum of 8!

We don't have a scratch team but I know other local clubs that do but I know they were moaning as they were playing mid-handicappers more and more, as again, it was proving difficult to field teams.

So, is it something that is declining across golf clubs? (Story for GM maybe Mike?

Our A-team is now up to 15 handicap whereas it used to be 9 and below, our B-team is pretty much open ended, our Coggs (Seniors) is over 55.

I now play for the Coggs as I prefer the early tee time of 08.30 so I'm still home before the wife and have the evening together, our B-team which I did enjoy was always a 2.30pm tee time and went into the evening after having dinner etc which was another day/night out midweek not getting in until after 10pm.

Do you play for your club?

What teams does your club have?

Are they always looking for players?

Have any of your teams merged or disbanded because of a poor uptake from the membership?

Do you have the unscrupulous member that only puts his name down for decent aways matches but never does to play at home?

Hopefully I'll get cut enough to help out my A-team :mmm:

 

[Deleted member 16999]

County Durham has a Scratch League, 6 players, normally your best 6, most clubs enter and have no problem filling spaces.
We then have the Rabbits League, handicaps 16-28, again most clubs enter with no issue. We have nothing for handicaps 6-15.
South of us, Teeside, has similar, except there A Team is 12 matches, 6 Scratch and 6 Handicap.

Apart frim above we also have Seniors Team midweek.

 

[Hosel Fade]

Ours is in the Surrey county comp which allow each club to enter two teams on opposite sides of the draw and is a mix of handicaps and then a friendly league called the waffrons league

Surrey 5s is a team of 2 5-12 hcps and 3 13-18 hcps
The waffrons is a 4,4,4 split of hcps up to 9, 10-15, 16-22
Then there is obviously the county scratch ko and friendlies.

Never really been too many issues, the club just need to make sure newer members (or everyone really) know its about the golf and not some uber competitive thing full of wannabe tour player knobheads as I imagine plenty of people are intimidated by representing the club in a match with 20 people round the first tee. Really its about going out and playing a nice course for 10-15 quid and getting a decent ham egg & chips or sandwiches and chips out of it as well.

 

[TomTom]

Do you play in your clubs teams comps home & away against other local clubs?

I suppose the obvious one's are B-team, Seniors, A-team, Scratch team.

They are great value playing other nearby clubs for less than you could on your County card with a dinner and drinks thrown in, what's not to like?

I've noticed though that from being at a few clubs in my short career as a hacker these teams at all golf clubs are always struggling to find players!

Our B-team at times last year when I played for it and before I was injured a couple of years ago was always scraping 8 together to play.

I just received an email from the A-team captain that obviously went out to the whole membership asking for players as they only had 3 on their list for next week to play and were asking for help as they need a minimum of 8!

We don't have a scratch team but I know other local clubs that do but I know they were moaning as they were playing mid-handicappers more and more, as again, it was proving difficult to field teams.

So, is it something that is declining across golf clubs? (Story for GM maybe Mike?

Our A-team is now up to 15 handicap whereas it used to be 9 and below, our B-team is pretty much open ended, our Coggs (Seniors) is over 55.

I now play for the Coggs as I prefer the early tee time of 08.30 so I'm still home before the wife and have the evening together, our B-team which I did enjoy was always a 2.30pm tee time and went into the evening after having dinner etc which was another day/night out midweek not getting in until after 10pm.

Do you play for your club?

What teams does your club have?

Are they always looking for players?

Have any of your teams merged or disbanded because of a poor uptake from the membership?

Do you have the unscrupulous member that only puts his name down for decent aways matches but never does to play at home?

Hopefully I'll get cut enough to help out my A-team :mmm:

Are these friendlies or in a competition/league - how many matches are there, how much do they cost, when are they?

I'll always play in a league match as is for the club but no interest in friendlies that have meals and things after - especially now you can pretty much play any course for not much money on a day out with people you really want to play with.

 

[moogie]

We have 2 men's teams, teams of 6, played as 6 scratch match play games
1st team , very strong, 1st man +4 and last man scratch.
2nd team, normally handicaps 1-3, maybe 4

Seniors team and ladies team also, unaware or how they play their matches, I'd guess similar

 

[Sweep]

In this regard at least, golf is a victim of its own success. As the OP says team matches (serious and friendly) are amazing value. Play another course usually with people of similar ability, the opportunity to meet new friends or catch up with old friends, all for the price of a usually very good meal. And yet...
The truth is there are simply too many opportunities to do this. We find seniors golf has taken most of the team members away save for the top teams. The seniors play in the early afternoon and seemingly matches that tee off at 4 or 5pm mean a dash from work and a late meal. With an aging profile, seniors make up a big part of most club's membership. 10 years ago team and friendly matches were very popular. People have busier lives now.
I do think that we take these things for granted. I have yet to hear of a golf club using these opportunities as a reason for joining their club over being a nomad. Off the top of my head, outside sport I cannot think of another scenario where this kind of thing exists. Owning a BMW doesn't allow you to drive a Merc for a day and yet being a member of one club often allows you to play others for next to nothing.

 

[Maninblack4612]

County Durham has a Scratch League, 6 players, normally your best 6, most clubs enter and have no problem filling spaces.
We then have the Rabbits League, handicaps 16-28, again most clubs enter with no issue. We have nothing for handicaps 6-15.
South of us, Teeside, has similar, except there A Team is 12 matches, 6 Scratch and 6 Handicap.

Apart frim above we also have Seniors Team midweek.

Our team plays in that scratch league. It's fair to say that every team in that league is never able to field its strongest team due to work, holiday & other commitments. This has got worse over the years as work pressures have built up. It's a real struggle to get the evening matches played, especially at the beginning & end of the season & the early starts make it impossible for some members to ever represent the team.

 

[chrisd]

I've played in the vets (over 60's) league team for a couple of years now, although I could have for 4 years. Today we have an away match locally and it'll cost about £6. They now have a brunch before the tee off at 1pm and then we don't have the change for dinner afterwards any more and speeches etc etc, this seems to suit most players now and our teams can often be over subscribed.

 

[patricks148]

We have a scratch team and a handicap Moray and Nairn League team.
The scratch team you have to be plus figures to get in tbh and is played over a couple of weekends. the handicap league is
3 players 4-9 3 10-15 and 3 16 plus. and is played over a course rota with a super sunday for the final with all teams playing the last match at a host club.

we also have a few friendly matches which are more social golf but usually played for a significant trophy.
two are big games 36 a side shotgun, with a dinner after. These are against Royal Dornoch and Nairn Dunbar.

we also have smaller matches against;
Skibo
Western Gailes
Kilmarnock Barrasie
Gullane
The R&A
The Honorable company of Edinburgh golfers
Carnoustie

 

[Wayman]

County Durham has a Scratch League, 6 players, normally your best 6, most clubs enter and have no problem filling spaces.
We then have the Rabbits League, handicaps 16-28, again most clubs enter with no issue. We have nothing for handicaps 6-15.
South of us, Teeside, has similar, except there A Team is 12 matches, 6 Scratch and 6 Handicap.

Apart frim above we also have Seniors Team midweek.

Our scratch league is 7 a side mate

 

[irip]

We have quite a few friendly matches across the year, which are always four ball better ball, these are good fun and although everyone plays the best they can nobody is to worried about the score.
All matches are free and the home team supplies the away team with a meal, we always play these at weekends and are pretty much always over subscribed, some clubs we play home and away every year and some every 2 years.

we also enter 2 teams in the Surrey artisan sevens competition, which is seven singles matches and rarely have a problem with numbers, this is a little more serious and is played as singles matches.Although again the home side supplies a meal for the away side, and the scores are announced at the end.

 

[srixon 1]

Played in them for years. Scratch team, A team (10 'cap and below), and just recently the over 50's. What's not to like about going to places like Parkstone, Broadstone, Hayling, Ferndown and loads of other places, and playing them for free off the back tees.

Never struggle for teams, home or away, but our scratch team has just taken a hit as a few players have moved away and one has just turned pro.

 

[fundy]

Will play anything they pick me for. Scratch if theyre desperate (less likely now we only have 1 team not 2 as there wasnt enough players to put out 2 teams), Mid handicap if they need me in the low spots (these are usually good fun and pretty competitive) and club matches if i can get in but ours are mainly oversubscribed (despite not being against the greatest of courses)

 

[Break90]

As well as Scratch teams( we have a first team and a scratch b team), we play in the Cambridge GU inter club league, which is green some format, 8 players per side, and the county cup comp, these are for all handicaps that have not represented the club in scratch matches or represented the county. We had a squad of around 24 players sign up this year, teams are selected from this squad. Home team pays for food.

in addition we have around 20 friendly matches, at places like Hunstanton, Aldeburgh, Purdis Heath and others, normally teams of 8-12, always over-subscribed. Annual matches alternating home and away, normally for a trophy but always very relaxed and friendly.All we pay for is the food, normally less than 20 quid.

meals afterwards range from sandwiches and chips for the league matches courtesy of the club, to full jacket and tie 3 course dinners for the more prestigious friendlies.

Unwritten rule that that you don't get selected for the top matches away if you don't play at home, although that's easier to enforce if you have a large pool of players to pick from

 

[JT77]

we have a fair few teams at our place, the GUI has comps for all handicaps, I captain our Holt Shield team, handicap 6+, play 6 matches over 3 months in a league then off to knockouts.
I also play jimmy Bruen, foursomes, comb 17 min handicap, Sunday stroke 5 teams, 4 scores count then matchplay sections, and Junior cup 5+, sunday qualifying stroke then matchplay.
The club also has, B&D, like scratch team, knockout matches, Ulster Cup 10+ same as B&D, Mixed Irish foursomes, barton Shield, Ulster fourballs 18+, Pierce Percel like bruen but higher handicaps, east antrim league, 2 junior comps and some more ladies comps. I am sure I have missed something, but there is something for everyone play in.

 

[Crazyface]

Our place has posted a notice asking for players for both teams. This has never happened before. Apparently some of the the lads in the team click have said they aren't playing this year, so we are now short of players. Serves them right for not involving others over the years.

 

[Junior]

Good thread. Something that has been topical at our club.

We have a number of teams that play in local and national competitions (Dunham Forest Trophy, Daily Mail etc) , and through the season we have a first and second team in the North Cheshire Golf League. We have always done ok in the league and have quite a number of cat 1 golfers in the club. However, the last couple of years, the first team has been struggling for numbers. It's not just us, quite a few teams (not all) in the league are in a similar situation and some have had to drop out.

Consequently, the handicap bands have been moved and the first team is now 12 and below and the second team is 8 to 18. The second teams don't really seem to struggle, only the firsts.

I've played the last few years, but sadly, due to work and the 4pm start times, I've had to remove my name from the list this year, as I simply can't commit.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

We have

Scratch Team in the Beds League and I play in that

There is a Mid HC Team - 5 players - 2 in 6-9 , 2 in 10-13 and one above - used to play in that

There is a County HC KO team who also play in Mail on Sunday - play in that

There is the main club Team which play friendly club matches around clubs in Beds plus the Police - 12 per team , brunch matches apart from our home and Away breakfast match with JOG - play in them

Mixed Matches - play all the clubs in the area

Senior Team - play all the clubs in the area

All the teams have a healthy list of players

 

[Norrin Radd]

before my injury i played in all the team matches i could ,great fun for playing new courses and always nice to meet up with old adverasrys that will be looking to even the score or vice versa.
cheap days golf and food ,good company and sometimes some good golf was played .hopefully later this year i will again be playing for the team and enjoying playing matchplay golf as opposed to marking a card.

 

[drewster]

I used to all the time in Essex but up here in Lincolnshire it's not really viable for me unfortunately. Essex Golf Union really catered for the mid handicap golfer and the inter club stuff was great. Up here my club has a B Team who play non- competitive matches in midweek with 4.00pm tee times which ultimately only attracts retired individuals and becomes an old boys club. Shame but so be it !!!!!