CSS at your course?

[HawkeyeMS]

How is CSS working out at your course so far this season? In the 3 previous years I have been at RAGC, CSS of the whites has been pretty much always SSS and off the yellows I would guess it is -1 more often than level but rarely if ever goes up.

So far this season in our medals and stablefords we have had CSS of...

Yellows
+1
-1
LVL

Whites
+2
LVL
+3(RO)
LVL
+3
+1

It seems a bit strange to me that CSS is up so often on a course where it is generally predictable. No-one thought CSS would go up yesterday but it did and the day it went up off the yellows wasn't a bad day weather-wise.

I guess this can be put down to early season but we have had 2 qualifiers a week for most of April so we aren't short of practice. It may settle but I was wondering if this was a trend across the country or just us?

 

[Deleted member 15717]

Normally CSS is +1 or +2 to par on a consistent basis, unless something is played off the yellows. On occasion, it has risen to +3, but rare, and in my 4 years there, I have only ever seen it one turn to reductions only

 

[MashieNiblick]

Last 2 qualifiers I played CSS went up 2 both times saving me 2 0.1's.

Last year CSS seemed to be up quite often. We have quite a few long par 4s and if there isn't much run or its a bit windy they can be pretty tough for most players. Also last year the rough was very penal.

Just did a check of the rounds played in the main season "board comps" for last year - CSS was up 6 times out of 16. Never down:

CCS -1; None
CSS = SSS; 10
CSS +1; 3
CSS +2; 1
CSS +3; 2

I know there are people who aren't fans of CCS but I do think it is a sensible approach. SSS is assessed on the play of theoretical scratch player who who doesn't actually exist. Seems quite reasonable for that notional figure to be modified in relation the actual play of real golfers on the day in the prevailing conditions. Some courses will be more affected by others by factors prevailing on the day like soft fairways or wind and that can't easily be factored in in a hypothetical model.

 

[Imurg]

Hasn't the calculation changed..?
Didn't it used to be those within 2 of buffer that kept CSS at SSS....and now it's only those who make buffer... or something like that anyway....
Might make a different..

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Hasn't the calculation changed..?
Didn't it used to be those within 2 of buffer that kept CSS at SSS....and now it's only those who make buffer... or something like that anyway....
Might make a different..

That changed last year or the year before

 

[louise_a]

Hasn't the calculation changed..?
Didn't it used to be those within 2 of buffer that kept CSS at SSS....and now it's only those who make buffer... or something like that anyway....
Might make a different..

I thought it was the other way round.

 

[louise_a]

from the reds we have had RO, +2, a couple of 0s and a -1.

 

[bluewolf]

Ours is usually SSS +3. Occasionally SSS +2. Makes it interesting.

 

[MashieNiblick]

Yes it changed in 2012 - from CONGU Guide

"The most significant change is in relation to the calculation of Competition Scratch Score (CSS).
Historically this has been based on the number of Category 1,2 & 3 players for men and Categories 1,2,3
&4 for ladies who achieve a score of Standard Scratch Score (SSS) +2 or better.The probability of a player
attaining this target varies with each category and consequently the mix of the field can have a distorting
effect on the outcome. Analysis of scores over the past four years has indicated that using SSS+Category
Buffer Zone would give a more appropriate result particularly for fields containing few Category 1 and 2
players. Accordingly the calculation will move to this new basis with effect from 1 January 2012 and
Appendix B,Table A has been amended."

That should mean more people making buffer though shouldn't it? So CSS should be more stable.

 

[Sponge1980]

We've had 6 medals so far and CSS has gone down by 1 once, gone up by 1 once and stayed the same the remaining times.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Got me a buffer zone yesterday so it can keep going up as far as I'm concerned. Very strange though. No really tough pin placements, decent conditions but few people seemed to score well. No idea why as it played as well as it can for the time of year

 

[Crow]

Ours have gone as below, it's been tough off the whites but I think a lot of it is down to getting used to the extra length and fast greens again. We only play off the whites in competitions.

White tees:
+2
+3 RO
+1
+3 RO
+2

Yellow tees:
0
0
0

 

[Andy808]

Wish I had some idea how it's calculated at our place. Won the medal in January with +3 over SSS and par for the course but got .1 back!

 

[fundy]

Ours has stayed put gone up 1 and gone down 1 so far the last few comps. Rarely deviates more than one shot, albeit tends to go up not down in summer when the course/greens firm up

 

[upsidedown]

Last 9 comps I've played in

Level 4
+1 1
+2 3
+3 1