Golf fiddle... (Non handicap)

[SaintStu]

Good afternoon,

Quick background... Newish Golfer (20 Months). Joined my local club last year, I have not played it as much as I should as work, family etc, plus the people who I started playing with are not members (No courses) so tend to spend time where we all go.

Anyway, I have only put one card in as I have only just recently met a fellow member too play a round with and we played the back 9 but the card wasn't accepted for handicap purposes (Which is fine)... Front 9 only for a 9 hole scorecard.

My question is, I was looking at booking a tee time tomorrow and I have noticed like normal they have the Wednesday Fiddle, 8 tee times blanked out, so could I turn up and play in the Fiddle with out an official handicap?

I did try to to call the club today but the club shop/office shut early (Christmas work party)

Golf clubs are very new to me so sorry if this is a stupid question.

Thank you.

SaintStu

 

[Deleted member 23270]

A 'fiddle' is likely to be unofficial and will have its own rules regarding handicaps and playing allowances etc but if you turn up tomorrow and explain your situation I'm sure they will let you play and you can use it to submit another card.

 

[SaintStu]

Thank you very much DaveR, all being well with the weather I shall turn up tomorrow and see what they say.

 

[jim8flog]

Good afternoon,

Quick background... Newish Golfer (20 Months). Joined my local club last year, I have not played it as much as I should as work, family etc, plus the people who I started playing with are not members (No courses) so tend to spend time where we all go.

Anyway, I have only put one card in as I have only just recently met a fellow member too play a round with and we played the back 9 but the card wasn't accepted for handicap purposes (Which is fine)... Front 9 only for a 9 hole scorecard.

My question is, I was looking at booking a tee time tomorrow and I have noticed like normal they have the Wednesday Fiddle, 8 tee times blanked out, so could I turn up and play in the Fiddle with out an official handicap?

I did try to to call the club today but the club shop/office shut early (Christmas work party)

Golf clubs are very new to me so sorry if this is a stupid question.

Thank you.

SaintStu

If you are new to golf you may not be aware of the Rules round submitting cards.

With all the wet weather we are having if your club goes to more than 2 temporary greens tomorrow you cannot submit a card for handicap purposes.

 

[SaintStu]

Thank you jim8flog. I will be happy to just hopefully play and meet some new people so that in the future I could join a few more people for a round of golf. I am only just about breaking 100 at the moment on my course so perhaps I might use the winter for practice and then next year go and put some more cards in when hopefully I will be a bit more consistent.

Thank you for your help though.

 

[Foxholer]

Normally (but not always) though...Fiddles are a suitable environment for 'For Handicap' cards to be signed for by existing members.
There are, occasionally, 'rules'/accepted practices (like gimmees) that, while often acceptable in 'fiddles', are not acceptable for 'For Handicap' cards. So make sure you comply with Rules of Golf (RoG) for such rounds. For that reason, you should probably mention it to whoever seems to be the organiser, so they can put you in a group that is happy (for you) to play proper RoG for the round.
And I agree that Winter is more for letting your game 'settle down' cf a time to get a handicap.

 

[SaintStu]

Thank you for your help Foxholer.

 

[rulefan]

we played the back 9 but the card wasn't accepted for handicap purposes (Which is fine)... Front 9 only for a 9 hole scorecard.

Any idea why?
. If there is an official rating for the front 9 there will be an official rating for the back 9.
Did you register your round before you started to play?

 

[rosecott]

Any idea why?
. If there is an official rating for the front 9 there will be an official rating for the back 9.
Did you register your round before you started to play?

AFIK there is no requirement to register a round for initial handicap. As you say, if the front 9 is rated then so should the back 9.

 

[rulefan]

AFIK there is no requirement to register a round for initial handicap.

Oops, I missed that.

 

[Swango1980]

Good afternoon,

Quick background... Newish Golfer (20 Months). Joined my local club last year, I have not played it as much as I should as work, family etc, plus the people who I started playing with are not members (No courses) so tend to spend time where we all go.

Anyway, I have only put one card in as I have only just recently met a fellow member too play a round with and we played the back 9 but the card wasn't accepted for handicap purposes (Which is fine)... Front 9 only for a 9 hole scorecard.

My question is, I was looking at booking a tee time tomorrow and I have noticed like normal they have the Wednesday Fiddle, 8 tee times blanked out, so could I turn up and play in the Fiddle with out an official handicap?

I did try to to call the club today but the club shop/office shut early (Christmas work party)

Golf clubs are very new to me so sorry if this is a stupid question.

Thank you.

SaintStu

As others have said, a fiddle is usually just a group of members that "unofficially" get together for a round of golf. Often throw in a quid and winner takes all. Not usually any reason for them to let you get involved, albeit you wouldn't be in the running to win (with no handicap), as the whole point of them is usually a social way to get members out together, especially those that maybe don't have a regular group to play with.

Also, as said, you'd only be able to submit a car for handicap if the course is set up for it (i.e. no more than 2 winter greens for a start). For example, we cannot hand in any cards for the next few months due to course maintenance. Last hole has been reduced from around 190 yards to around 130 yards, and a couple of holes on temps with bucket holes.

 

[SaintStu]

Any idea why?
. If there is an official rating for the front 9 there will be an official rating for the back 9.
Did you register your round before you started to play?

I am new to Golf and its my first club membership (And last) so I have no idea. I managed to meet a fellow member and he had booked the back 9 so we played, posted the cards in the box and a week or so later had a text message from the comps guy (all it said) and could only register a 9 hole scorecard on the front 9 only.

And today just confirmed, that to be honest you meet some absolute lovely people in Golf and some not. This morning everything that I ever had the perception about golf turned out to be 100% true, and I completely see why people are put off about this game and some people that play it. But by the afternoon it is also on the other hand confirmed that not everyone is a complete and utter (Insert Chosen word).

 

[Doh]

Sorry to hear you had a negative experience from some, may I say though in my experience the vast majority of people I meet via playing golf and being a member are a joy to be with.

 

[chrisd]

And today just confirmed, that to be honest you meet some absolute lovely people in Golf and some not. This morning everything that I ever had the perception about golf turned out to be 100% true, and I completely see why people are put off about this game and some people that play it. But by the afternoon it is also on the other hand confirmed that not everyone is a complete and utter (Insert Chosen word).

Sort of reflects life in general!