Golf Club Opens

[Crazyface]

Heard a story at the weekend about one senior at my place who has spend £600 on entries in to other golf clubs opens. A lot of money, yes? Not really when you hear him and his playing partner (in crime?) "broken even" on this last year.

 

[Jamesbrown]

How many qualifiers do they play a year? Three?

 

[need_my_wedge]

Thought this was about a new club opening

 

[NorwichBanana]

I think they are a brilliant way to play other courses fairly cheap !

As for the OP....its happening more and more now. See it at texas scramble events as the prizes are getting better and better. It almost 'pays' to cheat it seems! 4 x 28 handicappers walking in with sub 50 round in a texas!

 

[IanM]

Yes indeed, the better the prizes, the more iffy geezers show up.

Guys I play with only play Opens where we want to play as specific course ... go, play out of your skin, 39 points and finish 7 adrift! Nice

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I think it is a smashing way to play other courses cheaply. I play the odd one for fun, no more. I find it sad that golfers target Opens as a money making scheme rather than for the enjoyment of playing other courses.

 

[User101]

There is a crowd at my place who do all the texas scrambles and win pretty much everything they enter but they are all low guys, think the highest is a 1 handicapper.

 

[Junior]

Heard a story at the weekend about one senior at my place who has spend £600 on entries in to other golf clubs opens. A lot of money, yes? Not really when you hear him and his playing partner (in crime?) "broken even" on this last year.

It happens a lot. A few people in the NW have been banned from them they had cleaned up that often. They were members of muni's and 'De vere' courses for handicap purposes but just played opens.

 

[upsidedown]

I'll probably spend around £300-£400 on Opens through out the year as a way to play decent courses for the reduced green fees.

Might win a prize occasionally but we're there primarily for a day out . Good luck to the folks who target them for winnings if that's how you get your kicks, knock yourselves out

 

[jimjoachim]

I play quite a lot of open competitions. Just as a way to get to play great courses for relatively cheap. Well it actually costs me in handicap increases lol. All those +0.1s add up.....

 

[HughJars]

Heard a story at the weekend about one senior at my place who has spend £600 on entries in to other golf clubs opens. A lot of money, yes? Not really when you hear him and his playing partner (in crime?) "broken even" on this last year.

If you're very low, I'd expect you to be miles up over the course of a year, as the scratch field you're up against is usually small. Even made a slight profit myself in 2013 I think it was, 2016 I won one voucher all season, a T-Scramble in the very last event of the season, and last year only had 2 vouchers, again right at the death for a loss of over £300.

Unless you're a scratch player you're playing for the cheap golf basically, any prize is a bonus.

 

[patricks148]

are these individual handicap qual comps?

If you give decent prizes that brings unscrupulous types out the woodwork, there was a few instances of cheating a couple of years ago up here in some of the walk on opens. where you can turn up and play with whoever is there at the time, a couple of guys were making sure they always went out last and one would win the handicap the other the scratch. were even refused entry if they tried to play together in a few.

 

[HughJars]

are these individual handicap qual comps?

If you give decent prizes that brings unscrupulous types out the woodwork, there was a few instances of cheating a couple of years ago up here in some of the walk on opens. where you can turn up and play with whoever is there at the time, a couple of guys were making sure they always went out last and one would win the handicap the other the scratch. were even refused entry if they tried to play together in a few.

I've only known one player ever be caught cheating and banned in the ABZ area, good player too, just not good enough it seems.

I'd say it's very rare, even in team events you just don't see the same names cropping up unless they are low as there's no doubt the 1/10th h'cap in scrambles favours lower players.

I did notice Bonar Bridge has walk on opens, was planning playing there this summer, any other turn up and play places? Got Brora 36, Golspie 36 & Fortrose & Rosemarkie 36 on my agenda for the year as never played any of them. Fed up of the Aberdeenshire grind.

 

[jim8flog]

The hosting clubs are supposed to report the winning scores to the players home clubs for non qualifiers such as 4BBB and thereis a requirement for the players to do so themselves anyway.

The handicap committee is supposd to take the scores in to consideration when carrying out a handicap review. However England golf have not laid down any rules on exactly how they should used.

 

[patricks148]

I've only known one player ever be caught cheating and banned in the ABZ area, good player too, just not good enough it seems.

I'd say it's very rare, even in team events you just don't see the same names cropping up unless they are low as there's no doubt the 1/10th h'cap in scrambles favours lower players.

I did notice Bonar Bridge has walk on opens, was planning playing there this summer, any other turn up and play places? Got Brora 36, Golspie 36 & Fortrose & Rosemarkie 36 on my agenda for the year as never played any of them. Fed up of the Aberdeenshire grind.

Bonar is a nice course, but won't be in great condition as they only have one part time green keeper. when i was a tain member we had a free reciprocal which i always enjoyed.

Plenty of walk ons up here.

Tain as two one will be this weekend one the last weekend of the season , along with Golspie .
Muir of ord
Brora,
Fortrose
Moray
Hopeman
Nairn Dunbar
Fairways

all have walk ons as far as i know

 

[clubchamp98]

I'll probably spend around £300-£400 on Opens through out the year as a way to play decent courses for the reduced green fees.

Might win a prize occasionally but we're there primarily for a day out . Good luck to the folks who target them for winnings if that's how you get your kicks, knock yourselves out

This is my feeling also.
But think the 90% has made it worse.
We shot 7 under gross in a 4bbb and came fifth last year at Sandiway.

 

[stevek1969]

Bonar is a nice course, but won't be in great condition as they only have one part time green keeper. when i was a tain member we had a free reciprocal which i always enjoyed.

Plenty of walk ons up here.

Tain as two one will be this weekend one the last weekend of the season , along with Golspie .
Muir of ord
Brora,
Fortrose
Moray
Hopeman
Nairn Dunbar
Fairways

all have walk ons as far as i know

Playing the Tain one on Sunday Patrick but we had to book our time, looking forward to its the first Open of the season for us. Actually thinking of taking a country membership next year for Tain.

 

[patricks148]

Playing the Tain one on Sunday Patrick but we had to book our time, looking forward to its the first Open of the season for us. Actually thinking of taking a country membership next year for Tain.

that does appear to be getting more the case, but i think if you are a single you can still just turn up. don't want to put the dampeners on this for you Steve, but the course might not be in great condition. Ross-shire has had a lot of snow and with the cold overnight temps we have had, still no growth. even in my neck of the woods and Sneck has had no snow. you will also be treated with a course with much less Broom, they have cut loads out and a couple of holes were unrecognizable last time i played there.

With Country do you still get the reciprocals?

 

[Crazyface]

This is my feeling also.
But think the 90% has made it worse.
We shot 7 under gross in a 4bbb and came fifth last year at Sandiway.

I'v yet to play in a comp with the 90% rule with my mate due to circumstances. Looking forward to our first one though, he's off 29!!!!

 

[stevek1969]

that does appear to be getting more the case, but i think if you are a single you can still just turn up. don't want to put the dampeners on this for you Steve, but the course might not be in great condition. Ross-shire has had a lot of snow and with the cold overnight temps we have had, still no growth. even in my neck of the woods and Sneck has had no snow. you will also be treated with a course with much less Broom, they have cut loads out and a couple of holes were unrecognizable last time i played there.

With Country do you still get the reciprocals?

Its a change of scenery for us Patrick ,my mate played in it last year and said the same as you have but still enjoyed it. Yes you get the reciprocals thats the Brucie Bonus about it.