Is always playing stableford stopping you getting a lower handicap ??

[doublebogey7]

These stableford comps must be more an English thing then cause as I said earlier, we have two a year, or should I say season, and most dislike them.

I also said in an earlier post where I quoted LP that I actually meant make you a better player rather than the initial handicap lowering. I get why certain players like it but I do suspect cat 1 players would choose strokeplay over stableford any time.

May well be an English thing as it was invented here and maybe why you don't see its merits. It could also be the reason there is not a player in the worlds top 100 from north of the boarder

Can't see where you said that but eh oh at least we've sorted the misunderstanding!!

 

[User101]

Not too many in the top 100 playing stableford week in week out either

 

[Fish]

Since I've been on here it's clear the game of choice for the majority is stableford, which is fine if that's what you like but something makes me think it's a cop out and is restricting folk from having a lower handicap.

Argue your case otherwise, to me, you're taking an easy option rather than battling hard to put a score together.

Firstly, members don't get the choice of the format they are going to play in qualifying competitions, some clubs due to the make-up of their members will have more stableford comps than strokeplay and visa-versa, so they, the membership, don't have any say in the format, so, how is that the 'game of choice' and how is it a 'cop out' and why doesn't it offer them an opportunity of a lower handicap?

This is actually what I meant when I started the topic, far too many people on here from what I see take an easy option by playing stableford, though strokeplay and medal play means the same to me, putting a score together.

If playing stableford suits how you like to play then fine but it's a cop out and will continue to allow you to just plod along.

Maybe many people like to 'plod along' and the handicap is simply an end result of how they like to enjoy their game and time on the course and enjoy the company they play with, rather than being in an overly competitive mindset all the time, which for some, may not be as enjoyable.

But as has been repeatably stated, which you seem to choose to ignore, strokeplay is scored as a stableford format for the use of handicaps, so getting a 8 on a par 4 for is netted down to a non-scoring double bogey, so it only (potentially) puts them out of the adjoining comp but has no real bearing for handicap adjustment as it's simply a blob in the grande of things, and seeing as the basis of your post was all based handicaps and improvement, your argument is flawed simply based on this fact!

One of my PP's had a 10 on the 4th yesterday and had a net 73 with the css of 73, that to me is how put a score together, you lot taking the easy option of stableford would just write it off rather than having the mental strength to put that 10 behind you and compile a score, and that folks is why you'll always be what you are.

If you don't think this is insulting or belittling then your a bigger fool than what I had you down for..

These stableford comps must be more an English thing then cause as I said earlier, we have two a year, or should I say season, and most dislike them.

I also said in an earlier post where I quoted LP that I actually meant make you a better player rather than the initial handicap lowering. I get why certain players like it but I do suspect cat 1 players would choose strokeplay over stableford any time.

Again, members don't get a choice of the competition format for qualifying comps at their respective clubs and it will be set by the competition and greens committee mainly and will be based on the membership which will be different from club to club all over the UK.

I don't see it as an insult, the whole reason for starting the topic, despite what a few may think, was to change mindsets. I said on a number of occasions, fair enough if that's what you enjoy playing, though that is obviously ignored.

If you, not you specifically but one can battle away, grind out a score, one will become a better player but if one is given an easy option to "take a blob" then to me, that's a bit of a cop out, an easy option as it were. I also believe I encourage debate more than most on here rather than stifle it, it's just some, just don't like my differing opinion to theirs.

This again is just repetitive nonsense as per all the answers that have already been made by many on here, which you choose to ignore as you attempt to force-feed everyone with your uneducated opinion!

What's the difference in knowing you've got a 8 netted down to say a 6 and having a blob, absolutely nothing!! A couple of pars with shots and you've got that hole back in stableford, in the medal you've reduced the deficit by 50% with the potential to stay in contention of the comp. Both situation mean you've 'ground out a score but your OP was based on handicaps and being better, and getting the blob back has achieved that!

I also believe I encourage debate more than most on here rather than stifle it, it's just some, just don't like my differing opinion to theirs.

This is just comedy gold :rofl:

You start posts and reply to some in such a combative way that it doesn't encourage anything other than divide and rule! You deliberately, in my honest opinion, post to antagonize the forum members on here looking for a rise, of which some won't have played for very long and they will see your posts as belittling and insulting, and just when golf is attempting to become more inclusive and welcoming, you are, with your comments doing totally the opposite!

People play for different reasons, some will now prefer certain formats as it suits the way they wish to enjoy the game, whether that's because of age or ability, not everyone wishes to push themselves constantly and will simply see it as a social pastime, a hobby, so to belittle people by saying they are 'copping out' and 'taking the easy options' is both insulting and quite simply rude imo.

 

[DCB]

Now you've got that off your chest Fish, let's all settle down a bit. The thread isn't really going anywhere, so unless people agree to disagree, this will end up with the thread being locked before it descends into the depths 😉

 

[chrisd]

My club, deep in the heart of Kent only have one main competition as a Stableford, the rest being medal. I personally prefer medal as I feel that when I blob a hole, especially early on, that I start chasing the points but in a medal round I know I don't need to do that, It's bonkers but that's the way my thinking goes and I end up playing career best shot attempts to recover the lost points.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

These stableford comps must be more an English thing then cause as I said earlier, we have two a year, or should I say season, and most dislike them.

I also said in an earlier post where I quoted LP that I actually meant make you a better player rather than the initial handicap lowering. I get why certain players like it but I do suspect cat 1 players would choose strokeplay over stableford any time.

I play golf for fun , I enjoy meeting up on the tee with my mates and then going out and enjoying 18 holes with them - I’m cat 1 and couldn’t care what format is played as long as I’m playing golf - it can be Medal , Stableford , bogey , Matchplay 4BBB etc doesn’t matter I’ll approach each game with the same mindset of enjoyment

 

[Fish]

My club, deep in the heart of Kent only have one main competition as a Stableford, the rest being medal. I personally prefer medal as I feel that when I blob a hole, especially early on, that I start chasing the points but in a medal round I know I don't need to do that, It's bonkers but that's the way my thinking goes and I end up playing career best shot attempts to recover the lost points.

I don't get this Chris, what's the difference in thinking you've got to chase back the shots because of a blob and reducing the shots deficit when you've stuck a 10 on the card, they're the same thing, your still looking to get those shots back somehow, even when netted down to just a double bogey, which is the same as a blob?

 

[virgilvdk]

I don't get this Chris, what's the difference in thinking you've got to chase back the shots because of a blob and reduce the shots deficit when you've stuck a 10 on the card, they're the same thing, your still looking to get those shots back somehow, even when netted down to just a double bogey, which is the same as a blob?

You can get away with a lot more in SF, a double digit hole isn't the end of the world and many a stableford will have been won with a blob or 3 on the card, the same is not true of a medal round. As the OP has been saying, the pressures are different.

 

[garyinderry]

Imposing medal pressures on high handicaps is pointless. They have the high handicaps for a reason. All is does is make rounds silly long.

The argument that cat 1 guys prefer medal may hold true as they have a little more chance of taking a win. At the same time, for them to do that they must put in a decent gross score or they won't score well no matter what the format.


Will medals make you a better player. In short no. You will still duff shots relative to your handicap.

 

[Fish]

You can get away with a lot more in SF, a double digit hole isn't the end of the world and many a stableford will have been won with a blob or 3 on the card, the same is not true of a medal round. As the OP has been saying, the pressures are different.

I understand that, but it has no bearing on improving your handicap though, which the OP was basing his argument on, your still looking to get those shots back during the round if you want to compete in the competition still or simply write off the comp and pinch a couple back and get back to buffer or better, either way, the handicap will take care of itself, if you stop enjoying the game by putting pressure on yourself, in any format, then pack it in......

 

[Garush34]

I look to play stableford and medal the same, just going out to shoot the lowest score I can on the day. We don't have many stablefords at our place, I think about 3 through out the season.

Played a medal at the weekend and ended 1 shot out of buffer, but due to taking an 8 at a par 4, this was obviously rounded down and I made buffer, so it worked out well for me. I knew I was out of the competition but I tried to get it low enough to make buffer or a small cut if CSS went up.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Thinking about this and how I approach my rounds, I actually think playing stableford helps me have a lower handicap.

I start every hole whether playing medal or stableford the same at the outset of the round; trying to shoot the lowest score I can, I make the same risk / reward decisions.

If I make a mistake, when playing stableford I will then take more risks to try and score points without worrying about a big score. Playing medal, I play conservatively to protect my overall score for the purposes of the comp.

As the round goes on, in both stableford and medal I will adjust my risk / reward decisions based on what I need to make the buffer.

I can’t really see how either makes me improve at a faster rate. If anything, stableford freeing me up to take on a riskier strategy is more likely to leave me with a lower handicap than playing conservatively. It also helps me learn my limitations, I.e if I go for a risky shot and it doesn’t work, it will improve my decision making in the future. Constantly grinding out scores doesn’t give the same opportunity for learning.

There’s a place for both formats of the game and I don’t see how either results in a player progressing more quickly than the other, and if anything, I would argue stableford trumps medal in this regard.

Ultimately though, doesn’t it come down to the attitude of the player in either format? If you are the type of person that grinds scores out when it’s hard, you’ll score well in either format consistently, if you’re not, you will not be as consistent.

 

[Slab]

Thinking about this and how I approach my rounds, I actually think playing stableford helps me have a lower handicap.

...................................................

Ultimately though, doesn’t it come down to the attitude of the player in either format? If you are the type of person that grinds scores out when it’s hard, you’ll score well in either format consistently, if you’re not, you will not be as consistent.

Far too much sense, so much so I'm not even going to quote it all. If you could see your way to adding a comment to belittle a group or even a veiled insult that would be cool, thanks

 

[Val]

That explains a lot doesn't it, lack of ambition and desire, I'd also bet there are few cat 1 golfers playing stableford every week.

Yip, and i'll give you one who would wipe the floor with everyone on this board.

Josh McMahon

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Far too much sense, so much so I'm not even going to quote it all. If you could see your way to adding a comment to belittle a group or even a veiled insult that would be cool, thanks

😂 how about, “every single person on this forum that lives in Mauritius and plays golf there is horrible” (as they make the rest of us terribly envious)?

 

[Slab]

😂 how about, “every single person on this forum that lives in Mauritius and plays golf there is horrible” (as they make the rest of us terribly envious)?

Easy fella, that was a bit raw!

 

[chrisd]

I don't get this Chris, what's the difference in thinking you've got to chase back the shots because of a blob and reducing the shots deficit when you've stuck a 10 on the card, they're the same thing, your still looking to get those shots back somehow, even when netted down to just a double bogey, which is the same as a blob?

I cant understand it either Robin, its simply a mental thing when I'm playing Stableford

 

[garyinderry]

I am amazed that seemingly lots of clubs in England play mostly medals when rounds are taking 5 hours on a normal weekend.


There is only a small percentage of the field realistically battling for the lowest gross.

 

[r0wly86]

Imposing medal pressures on high handicaps is pointless. They have the high handicaps for a reason. All is does is make rounds silly long.

The argument that cat 1 guys prefer medal may hold true as they have a little more chance of taking a win. At the same time, for them to do that they must put in a decent gross score or they won't score well no matter what the format.


Will medals make you a better player. In short no. You will still duff shots relative to your handicap.

Best post on this thread for me sums it up perfectly.

Also without trying to put the cat among the pigeons I would say singles matchplay is the best format for learning to cope with pressure as not only does every shot count but your are playing not just the course but your opponent.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I am amazed that seemingly lots of clubs in England play mostly medals when rounds are taking 5 hours on a normal weekend.


There is only a small percentage of the field realistically battling for the lowest gross.

I expect that clubs don’t give lowest gross as the main prize expect in club champs with the medals all being best Nett