First Competition - Advice?

[ScienceBoy]

Keep it in play, even if that means a 5 iron off the tee!

Will help the nerves in many ways.

Have you read this? http://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk/showthread.php?51871-Trying-to-break-100-The-3-Goals-Method

 

[Foxholer]

Unlike ScienceBoy (probably) I read the first post!

Invitation Pairs comps are the ideal way to get used to competition.

Just treat it like a normal bounce game. You'll just notice that there are no gimmees and the card marking is a bit more stringent!

Relax and enjoy it!

 

[ScienceBoy]

Invitation Pairs comps are the ideal way to get used to competition.

This thread has lots of good advice, best thing is to choose one path and stick to it, don't pick and choose.

Either go out and treat it like a normal fun game and take risks or look to take the pressure off by playing a little safer and letting the more experienced players take the risks.

There will be many more competitions, learning to play in them is a skill in itself but as long as you have fun that is all that really matters.

 

[Matty]

Just enjoy yourself as best you can.

Take your time over your shots and maybe have a quick read of the rules before you go out. Certainly ask about any local rules for the day too.

 

[Foxholer]

Invitation Pairs comps are the ideal way to get used to competition.

This thread has lots of good advice, best thing is to choose one path and stick to it, don't pick and choose.

Have you read the first post yet?

What sort of competition do you think it is? No picking/choosing involved. That's what this one is almost certain to be - an Invitation Pairs!

Certainly the 'Relax and Enjoy'advice is consistent though.

 

[Scrindle]

Thanks for the stellar advice all, it's great!

 

[Andy808]

Expect nothing and have fun. Simples!

It's how I've been playing for the last 9 months and I'm loving the game with no expectations of how I will do means when it goes well I'm very happy but I don't beat myself up over bad rounds anymore.

 

[Scrindle]

Thought people might be interested in my card today.

https://www.swingbyswing.com/myrounds/roundtrack/4586245/6583903

Had a really horrible front 9 unfortunately, including a nightmare par 3 on the 3rd and a really good (for me) back 9.

Nightmare par 3: Really heavy wind in my face and I decided to go 2 clubs up to ensure the distance to the green but ended up putting a fade on the shot which the wind accentuated and dropped it in the water. Dropped tee side of the hazard on a down slope and thinned my chip into the water, then did the same again!! 3rd attempt at chipping onto the green from a down slope went nicely and I ended up 5' from the hole which I sunk for 8 .

Lots of double bogeys after that.

I lost a lot of shots because of a really bad slice I developed on my drive (nerves I guess). On the par 3 5th I topped my tee shot which didn't even make it out of the rough (there is no fair way until you cross a ditch 100y from the tee and the ball went straight into it). Sliced 2nd shot, chipped on over a bunker which went long and 2 putted (though I did 2 putt from 20' or so which I was pleased with - good for me!).

The back 9 went really well though - I was really pleased . I played the front 9 in a similar fashion a couple of weeks ago, so I just need to string them together more often and I'll be playing bogey golf! (easier said than done though I'm sure...)

Been playing a couple of times a week for about 6 weeks now. Before that I played maybe 3 or 4 times a year. I'm pretty sure I can get better.

 

[Scrindle]

If anyone is interested in comparing my descriptions of some of my holes with the course itself, there is a course planner you can look at here with decent drawings of the holes: http://www.brook-hotels.co.uk/userfiles/brochures/golf/bank-house-planner.pdf

Forum won't let me edit the post any more unfortunately. The tripple bogey par 4 on the 17th started with a duffed 50 yard drive into the rough. Decided to take a sensible 7 iron shot to the dog leg but didn't account for the wind in my face and left it 15 yards short and unable to see the flag or green because of trees/bushes. At this point I decided to take a risk and use a 7 iron over the dog leg as a blind shot to the green. Perfect contact, distance would have been spot on but I (obviously) failed to account for the wind (!!!) and it landed 15 yards to the right of the green. From here I chipped onto the green but sent it over the flag to the other side of the green (still on the green though - used a 9 iron and should have used a lob wedge or something really). Then I had a horrible 3 putt for tripple bogey.

 

[pbrown7582]

Decent card well played reckon around a h/cap of 22 Off that card.

Get our there and do it all again soon. :lol:

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Comp play is all about learning from your mistakes and going out and trying again next time. Nothing beats that nervous feeling in the pit of the stomach coming down the last few holes when you have a good round going and you could be in contention...so I'm told. Seems so long ago since I had a good comp round

 

[Scrindle]

Decent card well played reckon around a h/cap of 22 Off that card.

Get our there and do it all again soon. :lol:

Playing tomorrow after work! (cheeky 9 twilight holes) Hopefully taking the afternoon off on Tuesday to have a game with a friend too (if the weather isn't crap!)

 

[woody69]

Well done. Hopefully you enjoyed it! Only 4 adjusted shots taken from that leaving you with a round of 94, so 22 handicap just off that card. Hopefully next time you can go even lower

 

[Jack_bfc]

Well done. Hopefully you enjoyed it! Only 4 adjusted shots taken from that leaving you with a round of 94, so 22 handicap just off that card. Hopefully next time you can go even lower

What do you mean by '4 adjusted shots' ????

Only asking as I played my first ever medal on Saturday off 23 HC and scored 92 (20 over sss).

That was with a quad 9 and a triple 4 (in the first 4 holes).

I just wondered if I would be inline for my first ever official cut?

 

[woody69]

What do you mean by '4 adjusted shots' ????

Only asking as I played my first ever medal on Saturday off 23 HC and scored 92 (20 over sss).

That was with a quad 9 and a triple 4 (in the first 4 holes).

I just wondered if I would be inline for my first ever official cut?

Anything you score over a double bogey is taken off your round, so as Scrindle doesn't have a handicap he is effectively playing off scratch at the moment until he submits 3 cards, so the holes where he shot 8 etc are reduced to 7, 6 or 5 depending on the par.

After you have a handicap allocated, your scores will still be adjusted, but on a nett basis, so as an example if you are off 19 you get 1 shot a hole except the hole with SI. 1 where you get 2. If that was a par 4, you could shoot an 8, as 8 - minus your 2 allocated shots = 6, which is the dble bogey. If you shot a 9 on that hole that extra shot would be taken off to get your adjusted score, which would then have your 19 handicap taken from to see if you fall in buffer or get a cut etc.

So if the hole you got a 9 was one of the holes you receive 2 shots (i.e. SI 1 - 5) then if that was a par 5 it means no adjustment. If it was a par 3 or 4 it would mean an adjustment of 1 or 2, which means your 92 becomes 91 or 90.

 

[HickoryShaft]

What do you mean by '4 adjusted shots' ????

Only asking as I played my first ever medal on Saturday off 23 HC and scored 92 (20 over sss).

That was with a quad 9 and a triple 4 (in the first 4 holes).

I just wondered if I would be inline for my first ever official cut?

Yep as per the previous post you will only get a max of 2 shots allowance on any hole for handicap purposes.

My guess at yours from the figures you gave is a 17 over par (minus 2 from the quad and 1 from the triple). For your handicap of 23 you will get cut 0.4 each for the first 3 shots and 0.3 for the next (or does it stay at 0.4 each shot?) suggesting a reduction of 2.1.

Good luck with it.

 

[Jack_bfc]

Cheers for the replies...

Im hoping for a cut as Im playing off 20 in a society as I have been consistently playing well. Its just ive not managed it in a comp at my local course off the whites..

I was hoping to get down to 18 this year. I feel I can, the whites just add about 400yards to the course that costs me a few shots...

Two more chances this week if I can 'work form home' on wednesday and play saturday.