GM Article - Handicap System Ruining Comps for Low Handicaps

[clubchamp98]

How many enter your Comps? We get between 100-120 each Sat/Sun, costs £2.00 to enter plus £1.50 for 2’s.

None of it is compulsory, just go and play Golf, don’t worry about Comp or 2’s.

It’s nice that people can go and have a bit fun, play in Comp and if they play well put a bit of cash in their Club account.

Hundreds of Clubs do this every weekend up snd down the Country, I really don’t think it’s an issue.

In summer we get 190+ in the comps.
£2.50 entrance and £1 twos.

If you don’t play in the comp you can’t really play Saturday as it’s fully booked until 4.30 pm.

Just my opinion but money changes people golfers are no exception.
Big prizes bring cheats to the fore be that handicap manipulation or the leather wedge !

 

[Lord Tyrion]

We allow members to play in Comp tee times, but not enter Comp.

This is how it should be but is not at too many clubs.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

This is how it should be but is not at too many clubs.

Its tricky for us when its tee time bookings online

You can only book the comp times via the comp booking

But if there are empty spots they can speak to pro shop and go out on them

We unfortunately don’t have many free spaces but comp booking only goes until midday

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Its tricky for us when its tee time bookings online

You can only book the comp times via the comp booking

But if there are empty spots they can speak to pro shop and go out on them

We unfortunately don’t have many free spaces but comp booking only goes until midday

I'd argue that there should be no comp booking, simply booking. When you arrive on the day, you register for the round and at that point you enter the comp or not.

Tee times should not be restricted to only those who want to play comps. Members pay the same fees, I don't see why one group should take priority.

 

[wjemather]

Its tricky for us when its tee time bookings online

You can only book the comp times via the comp booking

But if there are empty spots they can speak to pro shop and go out on them

We unfortunately don’t have many free spaces but comp booking only goes until midday

How is it tricky? In IG, there's an "exclusivity" option when creating the start sheet within the competition.

 

[GB72]

I'd argue that there should be no comp booking, simply booking. When you arrive on the day, you register for the round and at that point you enter the comp or not.

Tee times should not be restricted to only those who want to play comps. Members pay the same fees, I don't see why one group should take priority.

When I was at Stoke Rochford it used to be a wonderful free for all. Turn up, if you wanted to enter the comp you simply went to the pro shop and paid. If you do not then you just headed off to the first tee. No preferential treatment for anyone.

 

[wjemather]

I'd argue that there should be no comp booking, simply booking. When you arrive on the day, you register for the round and at that point you enter the comp or not.

Tee times should not be restricted to only those who want to play comps. Members pay the same fees, I don't see why one group should take priority.

Except for trophy comps, this is how ours work. Simple tee booking and competitions are rollup entry on the day.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

I'd argue that there should be no comp booking, simply booking. When you arrive on the day, you register for the round and at that point you enter the comp or not.

Tee times should not be restricted to only those who want to play comps. Members pay the same fees, I don't see why one group should take priority.

We have approx 1 Saturday and 1 Sunday a month for comps , plus one Wednesday and it’s only from 7 until 12 and they are full within minutes - they are also played in 3 balls as opposed to normal tee bookings for general play

The majority that play early would like more comps and more tee times set aside for comps - the ones that play later don’t

We also have clubs matches etc booking the tee

 

[GB72]

We have approx 1 Saturday and 1 Sunday a month for comps , plus one Wednesday and it’s only from 7 until 12 and they are full within minutes - they are also played in 3 balls as opposed to normal tee bookings for general play

The majority want more comps and more tee times set aside for comps

At my old club there was a comp pretty much every weekend in the Summer and so it effectively became a tax on playing. Want to play at the weekend, get your cash out to enter a comp as you need to if you want a tee time.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

At my old club there was a comp pretty much every weekend in the Summer and so it effectively became a tax on playing. Want to play at the weekend, get your cash out to enter a comp as you need to if you want a tee time.

We certainly wouldn’t want to do that unless it was a roll up comp

We have a good number of big swindles that want to play in their swindles for majority of the time

 

[Lord Tyrion]

We have approx 1 Saturday and 1 Sunday a month for comps , plus one Wednesday and it’s only from 7 until 12 and they are full within minutes - they are also played in 3 balls as opposed to normal tee bookings for general play

The majority want more comps and more tee times set aside for comps

Why not just have more comps, but leave it optional as to whether people play or not?

Surprised at the lack of comps. Every club I've played at has had a comp every Saturday, or Sunday depending on the club. Pro shop sweeps will happen on other days but a comp will be every weekend.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Why not just have more comps, but leave it optional as to whether people play or not?

Surprised at the lack of comps. Every club I've played at has had a comp every Saturday, or Sunday depending on the club. Pro shop sweeps will happen on other days but a comp will be every weekend.

It was finding a balance between social play and comp play - we used to have more but they weren’t supported as much so we made some changes

One medal and one Stableford per month

For some months there is a board comp - maybe a team one , BH scrambles

 

[Springveldt]

The thread is generally yes, but the comment was about “the best golfer”. Even at amateur level, how many of the elite amateurs are playing club stablefords regularly…..my guess would be very few.

All club level golf is really doing is seeing who plays best relative to their handicap on the day

Depends on what you mean by "elite". At my old club if you wanted to play on a Saturday then you had to enter the comp, all the team lads played in them. My mate has been club champion quite a few times and plays in the comps with me. The only one I've seen him win was when he shot a 63 (-8) which is the amateur course record and he won by a shot. I've seen him shoot 67/68/69 and not even finish in the top 5.

This was also before the split into divisions which has helped a lot. At that club you would win about £120 for a Saturday win between the comp and sweep but a couple of years ago they split most weekend comps into divisions so more of the winnings got shared between the membership.

 

[wjemather]

It was finding a balance between social play and comp play - we used to have more but they weren’t supported as much so we made some changes

One medal and one Stableford per month

For some months there is a board comp - maybe a team one , BH scrambles

With optional entry, members can find their own balance.
With reserved tee times/compulsory entry, it's no surprise if interest and support for comps falls off.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

With optional entry, members can find their own balance.
With reserved tee times/compulsory entry, it's no surprise if interest and support for comps falls off.

All our comps are full - interest in the comps we have right now works well

We also have multiple entries outside the reserved tee bookings

 

[wjemather]

All our comps are full - interest in the comps we have right now works well

We also have multiple entries outside the reserved tee bookings

It probably works great for those who want to play in the comps (typically a minority of the club membership), but less well for those who would rather not, and not at all for those who don't want to play in a comp and are not prepared to pay a comp entry fee to play at those times.
It also doesn't work well for those who want more comps or those who would like to play comps on other days when there is no comp.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

It probably works great for those who want to play in the comps (typically a minority of the club membership), but less well for those who would rather not, and not at all for those who don't want to play in a comp and are not prepared to pony up a comp entry fee to play at those times.
It also doesn't work well for those who want more comps or those who would like to play comps on other days when there is no comp.

It works well for our membership where the majority that play in the comps are the majority that play in swindles on a Saturday or Sunday

The drawn comps are over subscribed

It’s better to judge each club by their membership and we have found what works for us

 

[wjemather]

It works well for our membership where the majority that play in the comps are the majority that play in swindles on a Saturday or Sunday

The drawn comps are over subscribed

It’s better to judge each club by their membership and we have found what works for us

Still completely missing the point.

And again. ↓

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Still completely missing the point.

Or after over ten years plus doing comps and speaking to members i understand the needs of our membership and how it works for us

We have our comps set up in a way that we as a club want and it’s being adjusted multiple times over the years

Maybe just understand that each club works differently

 

[bobmac]

If your club has a best gross prize in comps, (many don't), are the higher h/caps happy to know that part of their entry fee goes towards the best gross prize that they have little or no chance of winning?