Countback?

[chrisd]

As we look forward to the competition season, can anyone explain to me why to separate winners/runners up, we do it on "countback"

Why does it matter a jot that someone played the back nine better? cos if they did, the other guy played the front 9 better. There must be another way. How about, lowest handicapper wins or most true pars, birdies, eagles, best tee shirt, biggest w****y, who's sh****d the lady captain in the most entertaining fashion, but not countback - any ideas??



Chris

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Definitely not lower handicap - how discriminatory is that? Even highest number of gross pars birdies etc would favour the lower guy and punish the higher handicapper who has had a decent round. I don't think there is a definitive "fair" answer other than a play off with shots. Not really overly practical for a monthly stableford in December.

 

[AuburnWarrior]

Is it not to do with pressure?? Playing the front nine well is nothing compared to playing the back nine well - especially with a medal card in hand.

Also, aren't back nines generally harder than front nines??

Therefore, it's a bigger achievement playing the back nine well.

 

[feary]

What happens if you have identical nett scores????

 

[doublebogey7]

It seems to me that exact handicaps should be used for deciding winners in the event of a tie. Our club has looked into doing this but the software we use does not support it.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I agree it isn't the fairest method but then I really don't know what is. I'm inclined to say it should go the the better golfer, the guy with the lowest gross score as I'm one who believes the best player should win. However, I can't decide if that is actually the right answer and I'm sure it would have some opposition.

Countback seems a bit odd as I don't know how you can say someone who scores 19 out and 20 back has been better than someone scoring 20 out and 19 back but unless you're gonna play extra holes or draw straws I'm not sure how else you can do it?

Personally I'm just happy to get a cut, winning is a bonus

 

[Fyldewhite]

There has to be some method short of tossing a coin and countback is as good as any. People seem to think that somehow it isn't fair....... but only when they lose one which they would have won on another system

 

[TheClaw]

I won a competition last summer with a count back...birdied the par 3 18th. Luckily I had no idea that the putt would matter as much

Count backs are great

 

[Smiffy]

Show most, take all????

Trouble is, I'd have to hand a lot of my silverware back

 

[sfby]

Our comps (and probably countless other clubs) start players on 1st & 10th, with the "back 9" for countback being (not surprisingly) 10-18. By your reckoning (and you could be right), those starting on the 10th may have an advantage.

 

[chrisd]

Our comps (and probably countless other clubs) start players on 1st & 10th, with the "back 9" for countback being (not surprisingly) 10-18. By your reckoning (and you could be right), those starting on the 10th may have an advantage.

I started on the 10th in this weeks Monthly comp, and took 5 holes to get going. After the turn I played the holes 1 to 9 in 2 over, once I had got the swing going. The "back" nine I played 1st, and got 17 points and the front nine I played second and scored 21 points - I didnt win on 38 points but dipped out of 2nd place to a high handicapper on countback. In our major comps, winners who tie have to playoff for the trophies, but minor places are on countback, but of course, the divi of the place money is affected.



Chris

 

[funkyfred]

Its a bit like the penalty shootout in football. Nobody likes them (well I do)but until we come up with something better we are stuck with them.

The good thing is countback is golf related, i can remember the old European football matches back in the 60's being decided by a toss of a coin, what's that got to do with football.

Quite like the idea of full handicaps though, a good idea.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

It seems to me that exact handicaps should be used for deciding winners in the event of a tie. Our club has looked into doing this but the software we use does not support it.

Do you mean the lower h'cap player wins? So if someone of 12.3 and someone off 12.4 tie, the 12.3 h'capper wins? Equally a 5 h'cap would beat a 12 h'cap?

Or did I miss something?

 

[bobmac]

It seems to me that exact handicaps should be used for deciding winners in the event of a tie. Our club has looked into doing this but the software we use does not support it.

Do you mean the lower h'cap player wins? So if someone of 12.3 and someone off 12.4 tie, the 12.3 h'capper wins? Equally a 5 h'cap would beat a 12 h'cap?

Or did I miss something?

I think he means if Jimmy shoots 80 off 10 and Jammy shoots 73 off 3, then exact handicaps should apply.
So if Jimmy is off 10.4, his net would be 69.6 whereas Jammy could be off 2.5 which makes his net score 70.5
Jimmy wins.
Unlucky Jammy ya duffer

 

[jammydodger]

It seems to me that exact handicaps should be used for deciding winners in the event of a tie. Our club has looked into doing this but the software we use does not support it.

Do you mean the lower h'cap player wins? So if someone of 12.3 and someone off 12.4 tie, the 12.3 h'capper wins? Equally a 5 h'cap would beat a 12 h'cap?

Or did I miss something?

I think he means if Jimmy shoots 80 off 10 and Jammy shoots 73 off 3, then exact handicaps should apply.
So if Jimmy is off 10.4, his net would be 69.6 whereas Jammy could be off 2.5 which makes his net score 70.5
Jimmy wins.
Unlucky Jammy ya duffer

Poor old Jammy he always gets beaten on countback

 

[chrisd]

I think he means if Jimmy shoots 80 off 10 and Jammy shoots 73 off 3, then exact handicaps should apply.
So if Jimmy is off 10.4, his net would be 69.6 whereas Jammy could be off 2.5 which makes his net score 70.5
Jimmy wins.
Unlucky Jammy ya duffer

I would go for that as I cant see that countback is fairer.

Giving it to the winner of the back 9 is no different to me than having the result of a drawn football match awarded to the team who score first! At least a penalty shootout is football related and gives a clear cut winner.



Chris

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I guess the best answer would be to do countback based on the SI and not the number of holes so you pick SI 1-9 instead of holes 10-18. In theory the better players won't get penalised as they are less likely to have a real horror that mid-high handicappers might.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

The more I think about it the more I think it should be on lowest h'cap. Everyone has a chance to win but if there's a tie, the player who plays the best golf wins, as it should be.

That way good golf is rewarded more often and the lower you h'cap, the more chance you have of winning in the event of a tie.

 

[viscount17]

countback doesn't seem a practical method when you have shotgun starts, Woburn last year had starters on every hole so 'last nine' was different for everyone.

SI seems an obvious option as they are on both front and back, and should reward consistency.

(besides I tend to play our SI 1 and 2 pretty well )

 

[toyboy54]

CLAW...Are you a member up at Torrance House?
Only spotted this when you said that you birdied the par 3 18th???
Used to be a member there!!!

Jimbo