Countback............. !

[chrisd]

Our golf week started Saturday and my partner and I have apparently lost the 4BBB stableford on countback with 43 points off 3/4 handicap. They could only seperate us on the last hole where we made a bogey.

Is there any better way to sort this out than giving the prizes to the pair that just happened to get a par where we didn't. Any thoughts??

 

[pbrown7582]

Seems strange that your points scores were the same for back 9,6,3 but different for last.

Maybe exact handicap should be used in event of ties rather than rounded ones?

well played a sahme you got done on countback that is frustrating enjoy rest of week.

 

[Fyldewhite]

It's like the penalty shoot out debate in football .... "there must be a better way" etc but in the end there has to be some method other than hanging around until early evening for a play off. It's not ideal but is as good as any other method and the same for everyone. You win some you lose some.....

 

[ScienceBoy]

Sometimes countback goes in your favour, sometimes it doesnt. Playoffs are not often practical for club golfers.

Most would agree that deciding a round based one someones scores over the first 9 holes would not be fair. The back 9, 6, 3, 1 is in my mind the most fair way to do it. Peoples games have warmed up, the round is well underway and a good player needs to start hot AND finish strong.

I have both won and more often than not lost on countback, every time I see I had a poor finish and the other player was a deserved winner.

It may not be as fair as a straight playoff but its a good alternative and I think it works very well.

 

[Imurg]

But which is better - scoring 40 points with 15 on the back 9 or scoring 40 points with 20 on the back 9..?
You've still scored 40, beaten your handicap nicely but you lose because you bogey the last.....

It's a "Round" of Golf - not a 3 hole lottery at the end.

There probably isn't a better way but Countback isn't something I like a lot.....even if it goes in my favour.

 

[Ian_S]

But which is better - scoring 40 points with 15 on the back 9 or scoring 40 points with 20 on the back 9..?
You've still scored 40, beaten your handicap nicely but you lose because you bogey the last.....

It's a "Round" of Golf - not a 3 hole lottery at the end.

There probably isn't a better way but Countback isn't something I like a lot.....even if it goes in my favour.

Presumably the logic is that had you gone to a playoff, you'd more likely play like you did on your back 9 than your front 9. Plus playoff holes are usually on the back 9 (18 and 10 seem to be popular choices at major events) so make sense to use how you played to infer how you would play in a playoff.

Not perfect, but I can see some logic to it and makes more than than club golfers waiting all day in case of a playoff.

 

[rosecott]

Our golf week started Saturday and my partner and I have apparently lost the 4BBB stableford on countback with 43 points off 3/4 handicap. They could only seperate us on the last hole where we made a bogey.

Is there any better way to sort this out than giving the prizes to the pair that just happened to get a par where we didn't. Any thoughts??

Bet you've never complained about winning on countback.

 

[3offTheTee]

Unfortunate and well played. Agree with your thoughts but we all know what the rules are before we start

 

[Ethan]

I don't think there is any great logic behind countback, other than it is transparent and easily understood. There is no merit in having played the last 9 better than the first 9, so it is really just a kind of glorified coin toss to sort out a tie. if count back fails to resolve the tie, we move to an actual coin toss.

 

[MashieNiblick]

I have always thought that if the scores are level then it should be decided on who had the lowest gross score. Seems a better way to reflect who played the best golf.

 

[Shaunmg]

Swings and roundabouts, you win some, you lose some, or any other cliché you can think of.

Week last Monday I won our annual seniors away day trophy by virtue of countback. On the next Thursday, in our seniors monthly medal, 3 of us finished level. I came third on countback.

Finding the water on the par five 18th, giving me a fat lady, cost me the victory. Just a double bogey 7 would have made me the outright winner

 

[Liverbirdie]

I have always thought that if the scores are level then it should be decided on who had the lowest gross score. Seems a better way to reflect who played the best golf.

I agree, or the team that loses the least shots (on 3/4) wins.

I.E. 2 x 24 h/cappers lose 6 shots each, 2 x 16 h/cappers lose 4 shots each.

The 2 x 16 h/cappers win, it may encourage people to lower h/caps also. 2 x 16 h/cappers playing slightly better than h/cap should win over 2 x 24 h/cappers playing slightly better.

Just my opinion.

 

[rosecott]

I agree, or the team that loses the least shots (on 3/4) wins.

I.E. 2 x 24 h/cappers lose 6 shots each, 2 x 16 h/cappers lose 4 shots each.

The 2 x 16 h/cappers win, it may encourage people to lower h/caps also. 2 x 16 h/cappers playing slightly better than h/cap should win over 2 x 24 h/cappers playing slightly better.

Just my opinion.

Would have thought the other way round more logical.

 

[Liverbirdie]

Would have thought the other way round more logical.

It would be to some, but not in my opinion.

 

[chrisd]

Bet you've never complained about winning on countback.

Win or lose it never seemed satisfactory and, as was said, I knew the rules before hand and absolutely accept it.

At least in football with a penalty shoot out you do get a chance of winning from the tied situation where as as "countback" is just applied at the time!

 

[User20205]

I have always thought that if the scores are level then it should be decided on who had the lowest gross score. Seems a better way to reflect who played the best golf.

definitely agree with this. I've never really understood how a 28 handicapper can claim a win on countback over a 5 handicapper when they both score 36 points. In the case of a tie lowest gross wins.

the only issue is if any player blobs a hole, they can't return a gross score. In this case a nett double bogie could be awarded.

 

[Hobbit]

Does a comp need an outright winner? Why can't 1st and 2nd prizes(vouchers) be added together then shared equally? At the end of the day, the scores are tied...

 

[bladeplayer]

You are going to get Homer going again now .. Come on Martin its taken longer than i expected ..

What ever way it is sorted someone will have to loose out , only way to sort it properly is a play off & thats not realistic at our level of golf ,

Imug summed it up nicely , its like a dead heat in a race , guy makes a mad burst in final 50 yards & dead heats with the guys who lead the whole race , so who deserves it ? At least it is set out & we all know how it is calculated ,

 

[bobmac]

That happened to me. Monthly s/ford, couldn't seperate us on back 9, 6,3 etc so we both won

What they could do is deduct your exact handicap to give you an exact nett score.
It's unlikly there would still be a tie

 

[JezzE]

I have always thought that if the scores are level then it should be decided on who had the lowest gross score. Seems a better way to reflect who played the best golf.

Not quite sure how you can resolve a handicap competition by reverting to gross scores. "In the event of a tie, the lower handicappers will always win" - doesn't quite seem fair...