Home comps when no chance of winning

[duncan mackie]

Do you enter pairs comps on your home course even if you know your pairing would have no chance of winning?

I was helping two higher handicaps players to enter a comp yesterday both of whom I had just partnered in a team comp.

My thoughts were " why are you bothering you, you clearly have no chance of getting anywhere near the prizes."

If there is a belief that the players are not competitive because of their handicaps relative to their capabilities then the answer is simple - the handicap committee have a responsibility to resolve it.

In the absence of any compelling argument that the players are incorrectly handicapped they obviously have the same chances as everyone else...

 

[Capella]

Yes. And actually, my playing partner and I won a greensomes event yesterday even though I would not have given us a chance in hell to pull it off. And yeah, winning is nice. But I really do not enter a comp to win it. I enter comps because they are usually nice and fun social events and since all our comps are drawn, they are a great way to meet other golfers you have not met before. The only ones I don't enter are the few "fun" events we have that normally include a lot of drinking during and after the round (we have one Carneval and one Oktoberfest one which are a bit notorious).

 

[IanM]

Every Saturday is a Comp at my Club. It’s the only day I get to play, so first and foremost, I play to play golf ...then I want to beat my handicap, and if that gets me a prize, so be it.

 

[Orikoru]

At the moment the primary reason I enter comps is to get my handicap down. And as for a pairs comp, I saw nothing in your post that suggested why they apparently had no chance of winning it. In a handicap comp everyone has a chance. I found your post confusing to be honest, they have no chance of winning just because you say so?

 

[Scozzy]

Hmmm ..not sure if I'd want your " help".If they play anywhere near their handicap they'll give two guys off scratch a real fright, unless of course the scratch guys play out of their skin,even then it could go down 18 and who knows then?? Karma wants you to meet them in the next round of said comp,they play to their handicap,you don't and voila! They progress you don't... Who's better then?

 

[Bunkermagnet]

To me, every round you get to is a success. I find nothing gives you a good feeling like progressing further into a comp.
I never go into any knockout comp realistically expecting to win as the club has loads of better and more consistant golfers than me, but I can put up a good fight on my day. I eneter to go as deep as I can in any comp, no more no less.

 

[Zimmie]

In it to win it, guess we all seek that bit of silverware. As most of the comments say, enjoy the day don’t get down about HH’s.

 

[Curls]

I enter the foursomes comp with my buddy cos we enjoy it, but we both know haven’t a hope of getting anywhere

 

[Canary Kid]

I played recently in a four ball better ball comp with a buddy ... we knew we had no chance of winning. We came 9th out of 25 and were well pleased. It’s about the fun of playing and the social side, not just the winning. I also recently played a social round and got just 21 points and, if the OP had seen me, he would have said I had no chance in a comp. However, a couple of days later in another social round, I got 38 points and, had it been a comp, it could potentially have been a winning score ... with handicapping, anything can happen.

 

[ademac]

To the OP.
DO you only enter competitions that you think you have a chance of winning?
If so, what do you base your chances of winning on?

 

[GG26]

I enter comps because I enjoy them. Last year I won a board comp with 41pts having gone out thinking that I had no chance as I scored just 22 pts two days before. At the moment my prime aim is to get my handicap down and if I win anything in the process that’s an added bonus.

 

[Neilds]

To the OP

Do you realise what the prize pot would be if only ‘potential winners’ entered? Would you be satisfied with winning £2.50 and 30p in the 2s pot? Alternatively, would you be willing to pay £50 entry fee to make it a decent pot, even though only 6 people entered?

Some Golfers need to realise that higher handicappers , and societies, are actually subsidising their golf and stop being so pompous.

End of rant

 

[cookelad]

My main reason for entering comps is to play well and get my handicap down, if at the end of the day I've played well and someone hands me a trophy/proshop voucher great but I'm not going to stay at home because there's "no chance" of that happening.

 

[3offTheTee]

Do you enter pairs comps on your home course even if you know your pairing would have no chance of winning?

I was helping two higher handicaps players to enter a comp yesterday both of whom I had just partnered in a team comp.

My thoughts were " why are you bothering you, you clearly have no chance of getting anywhere near the prizes."

Jim

Your post has created a wee bit of criticism!

Just a couple of points:

1. Did you tell them that they had no chance of winning?
2. If you had what do you think their reaction would be?

Interesting to know their handicaps

 

[Bunkermagnet]

To the OP

Do you realise what the prize pot would be if only ‘potential winners’ entered? Would you be satisfied with winning £2.50 and 30p in the 2s pot? Alternatively, would you be willing to pay £50 entry fee to make it a decent pot, even though only 6 people entered?

Some Golfers need to realise that higher handicappers , and societies, are actually subsidising their golf and stop being so pompous.

Knockout comps entry fees at my club cost £3 for single comps, and £5 for pairs comps. There is no finacial winnings, just the glory of your name in gold on the honours board.
No one is subsidising anything.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Knockout comps entry fees at my club cost £3 for single comps, and £5 for pairs comps. There is no finacial winnings, just the glory of your name in gold on the honours board.
No one is subsidising anything.

Different at different clubs. At every club I've been at the entrance fee is split between trophies / engraving costs and sweep money. I'd fully agree with the post by Neilds and suspect it is accurate for many clubs.

Equally, take out the financial side. If poorer golfers don't enter then it will be a much reduced field, less interest all round etc

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Different at different clubs. At every club I've been at the entrance fee is split between trophies / engraving costs and sweep money. I'd fully agree with the post by Neilds and suspect it is accurate for many clubs.

Equally, take out the financial side. If poorer golfers don't enter then it will be a much reduced field, less interest all round etc

The entry fees in total covers the trophy engraving and honours board lettering.
They are no dearer as a single than the monthly medal.

 

[jim8flog]

Just a simple question really.

I never expected the outrage from a few and I never said they should not enter.

 

[3offTheTee]

Just a simple question really.

I never expected the outrage from a few and I never said they should not enter.

No problem mate it wasn’t Chernobyl!

 

[ademac]

Just a simple question really.

I never expected the outrage from a few and I never said they should not enter.

Read the last paragraph of your original post mate.