I've quit senior golf

[Tashyboy]

Everyone knows how the ratings are derived. They think short courses are easy and long courses are hard, and ignore everything else.

I tend to think that shorter courses have more thought process put into there design and hazards. Longer courses are a lazy design re course hazards. Ave said it before and I will say it again. Our shortest par four is 172 yards off the whites. The other three are 190 plus. SI Of 18,17, 15 and 8. So what club would you use to hit 198 and expect to hold the green.

 

[rulefan]

(though I did subsequently become aware that Dean Snell got there before me!!)

Dean Knuth ? The Pope of Slope

 

[nickjdavis]

Dean Knuth ? The Pope of Slope

sorry yes...somehow i conflated his name with that of Titleists Dean Snell!!!

 

[Swango1980]

Everyone knows how the ratings are derived. They think short courses are easy and long courses are hard, and ignore everything else.

If only the handicapping experts all over the globe, who have spent years developing the system, had an asset such as yourself to teach them how it should have been done. This could have all been sorted years before implementation

 

[Orikoru]

If only the handicapping experts all over the globe, who have spent years developing the system, had an asset such as yourself to teach them how it should have been done. This could have all been sorted years before implementation

I know. I'm sitting here like a coiled spring, an untapped resource. It's criminal.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Everyone knows how the ratings are derived. They think short courses are easy and long courses are hard, and ignore everything else.

Length will always have a significant bearing on all course ratings - it’s not the only factor in a course rating

 

[RichA]

Everyone knows how the ratings are derived. They think short courses are easy and long courses are hard, and ignore everything else.

Not always.
My former home course is longish (6600 yards) and hilly.
SI 1 is an uphill 440 yard par 4. I don't think I ever saw even the best players reach the green in 2 off the white tee.
But there's minimal water and fewer than average bunkers, so it's rated at slope 114, and course 71.9 for overall par 71. The members' handicaps travel very well.

 

[IanM]

I attended a Course Raters seminar out of curiosity.

Some of the comments on here are great....

 

[rulie]

So much whining about strokes, course ratings, winning scores, seniors, tees used, as usual, and the usual suspects!
When I go out to play in our regular group games, my objectives are to shoot the best gross score that I can and to have fun. If I play well and our team plays well, I might get my entry fee back. But winning or getting my entry fee back isn't on my mind during the game, nor is my net score. I'm a senior and experiencing the usual loss of distance. Right now I'm playing the regular "white" tees (our nation doesn't have standard colours) at 6350 yards and finding it increasingly difficult (and not as much fun) to reach par 4s in two. Our groups allow players to move up to the silver tees (6050 yards) for our games, and this may happen for me next year - it's more fun to reach par 3 and par 4 greens in regulation. Of course, handicaps are adjusted for the different course rating and slope, and that's clearly accepted by all.
Fortunately, we don't have "whiners" in our group of 25-30 players - they would get weeded out. Yes, there are those considered as sandbaggers (aka bandits) in the club, and they are often recognized as such.
And btw, we are required to post all of our scores (played by the Rules) for handicap purposes - no differentiation between general play and competition scores. When I look at a player's handicap record, I can't tell which are which, they are all just scores.
My point - just go out with the attitude of achieving your best gross score possible and have fun. Everything else will be what it is.

 

[jim8flog]

Going back to the OP

I used to play a lot of Seniors matches but the vast majority were friendlies. Seen a lot of 'bandits' in my time.

I have given up playing in not just seniors comps but all comps simply because I am paying even more to play my own course for any winnings to go in the pro shop when there is not anything I want or need relating to golf.

I gave up playing in seniors matches because I was having to pay for meals that I did not want. Many of us tried on several occasions to get meals reduced to one course only but the usual culprits always got their way despite being in the minority.
I resorted to taking in a plastic container and having my pud to go but got fed up of the mickey taking for doing so.

 

[upsidedown]

Spot on Rulie

I've yet to play a Seniors match at home club as still good enough to play scratch Seniors at County and national level. Once I give that up I'll probably play in a few but I get a lot of satisfaction from just striking the golf ball, shaping shots etc , so would concetrate on that if I was giving away loads of shots and up against it

 

[SteveJay]

My point - just go out with the attitude of achieving your best gross score possible and have fun. Everything else will be what it is.

How can it be fun when you might play your absolute best, but be nowhere near the top of the leaderboard.

Some, who have no competitive desire, might find some enjoyment from playing with no hope of winning. For most of us who are competitive, it's just a travesty entering a competition, paying the entry, knowing that there is basically no chance of winning.

 

[evemccc]

How can it be fun when you might play your absolute best, but be nowhere near the top of the leaderboard.

Some, who have no competitive desire, might find some enjoyment from playing with no hope of winning. For most of us who are competitive, it's just a travesty entering a competition, paying the entry, knowing that there is basically no chance of winning.

Don’t disagree about the impact of outright banditry or the effects of laziness (not putting cards in, recognising your ability isn’t reflected in your handicap etc), but I disagree about the lack of competitive desire….

I think going out and focusing / concentrating as hard as you can to ensure you play your absolute best, every time you play, without a hope of ‘winning’ a few pounds over a bunch of mixed (or dubiously held) handicaps in the roll-up, is the definition of having strong competitive desire and self-respect IMO

 

[rulie]

How can it be fun when you might play your absolute best, but be nowhere near the top of the leaderboard.

Some, who have no competitive desire, might find some enjoyment from playing with no hope of winning. For most of us who are competitive, it's just a travesty entering a competition, paying the entry, knowing that there is basically no chance of winning.

If I play hard and post my best gross score, and other players play and score better, so be it. My best on that day just wasn’t good enough to win, maybe another day.
And I have a very competitive approach every time I play. I’m not playing to lose, but accept that I won’t win every time out.

 

[Captain_Black.]

How can it be fun when you might play your absolute best, but be nowhere near the top of the leaderboard.

Some, who have no competitive desire, might find some enjoyment from playing with no hope of winning. For most of us who are competitive, it's just a travesty entering a competition, paying the entry, knowing that there is basically no chance of winning.

That is exactly the point
I never enter a comp or a match with an expectation of winning or even being in the top 6.
But, I have to believe that if I play well, then maybe I have a chance.
Why enter anything when you know that even if you break the course record (never going to happen) you won't even get placed.

 

[IanM]

That is exactly the point
I never enter a comp or a match with an expectation of winning or even being in the top 6.
But, I have to believe that if I play well, then maybe I have a chance.
Why enter anything when you know that even if you break the course record (never going to happen) you won't even get placed.

If you go out with an expectation that you're going to win something these days, you've probably got an iffy handicap or golf balls stuffed in your socks!!!

 

[rulie]

That is exactly the point
I never enter a comp or a match with an expectation of winning or even being in the top 6.
But, I have to believe that if I play well, then maybe I have a chance.
Why enter anything when you know that even if you break the course record (never going to happen) you won't even get placed.

Good point- better off to stay home and do something useful.
I like to play hard, see where I stand and what needs improvement.
Btw, I only play in tournaments a couple times a year but we have competitions between our groups every time out.

 

[IanM]

I quite often go out and don't even keep score. Golf is fun. The fun of trying to pull off the shot you've planned, the landscape, the environment.

Mind you, I started golf as a diversion from cricket. I never quite transfered the competitive vibe over...

So, back at the OP's point. I get what he's saying. There's lots of variety of golf available. If you don't enjoy an element of it, avoid it.

 

[pokerjoke]

Spot on Rulie

I've yet to play a Seniors match at home club as still good enough to play scratch Seniors at County and national level. Once I give that up I'll probably play in a few but I get a lot of satisfaction from just striking the golf ball, shaping shots etc , so would concetrate on that if I was giving away loads of shots and up against it

Weren’t you 42 over in a scratch comp

 

[upsidedown]

Weren’t you 42 over in a scratch comp

Yeah and mid table
+36