Junior entering an Adult Comp - which tees?

[GaryK]

Recently played in a comp at my local club and was partnered with another guy and his 10yr old son.
Dad asked the club manager if his son could play off the Red tees, to which he was told it has to be the whites.

The lad was decent for his age and was playing off of 28, but making him play of the whites didn't seem fair to me.
OK, if he was a strapping 15 yr old, then it would be a different matter.

Was quite angry with myself afterwards for not saying that I don't mind him playing off the reds once we were out of site of the club house.
The club members seem to be on the whole a decent bunch, and I'd be surprised if anyone objected to him playing off red.

So, who was "right" - the club manager or the lad's dad?

 

[rosecott]

Depends on the COC allowing Juniors in comps. If the lad has a CONGU handicap of 28, I can see no reason why he shouldn't play off the same tees as any other competitor.

 

[rulefan]

If this was a qualifying comp he would have had to play off men's measured tees if not playing off the whites. If he played off the reds (probably unrated) he wouldn't have a qualifying score. If the Club's COCs permitted, he could have played from the yellow tees (with an appropriate handicap adjustment).

 

[Owen_Thomas_14]

If your club allows juniors to play competitions, no matter what the age or size or handicap then it has to be played off the same tees as the men!

 

[duncan mackie]

Good responses already. Interesting to note that there isn't really the concept of a junior within the rules ie no age factors.

He is either a male golfer with a CONGU handicap, or he isn't.

Any fault in this situation would have to lie with whoever decided to enter him in an inappropriate competition (if it was inappropriate).

We have no lower age limit to our club comps, and havent had for some years.

 

[GaryK]

Thanks for the responses.

Obviously a 10yr is not going to hit the ball as far off the tee as an adult, but having read the replies, I see where you're all coming from.
Apparently he tends to do quite well / very well in junior comps, so maybe the comp in question was a good baptism of fire for him.

In fact, had he played off the reds, he probably would have beaten my stableford score (he ended up 2 pts behind me - I play off of 22)

 

[rulefan]

If your club allows juniors to play competitions, no matter what the age or size or handicap then it has to be played off the same tees as the men!

Do you mean should or must?
CONGU makes specific provision for competitors to play off different tees.

 

[patricks148]

the juniors at ours have to attain a certain handicap before being able to play in the mens comps. we do have junior comps outside of that, but not sure which tee's they play off though.

 

[rulefan]

the juniors at ours have to attain a certain handicap before being able to play in the mens comps.

This sort of nonsense dates back to pre modern CONGU days when juniors 'knew their place'.
Any player who has managed to get an official handicap must have real opportunities to hone it by playing in fully representative qualifiers.

 

[DCB]

At those at clubs that do allow juniors to play in an adult medal, how does your Child Protection Policy cover this situation ?

 

[patricks148]

This sort of nonsense dates back to pre modern CONGU days when juniors 'knew their place'.
Any player who has managed to get an official handicap must have real opportunities to hone it by playing in fully representative qualifiers.

if you say so!

 

[Old Skier]

Once a junior reaches a handicap of 28 and wishes to enter comps he is welcome and plays of the tees as laid down on the sheet. We have full child protection policies in place to deal with this and the draw for the comp will be adjusted to allow for this. I'm not sure how a club that uses on line booking deals with it.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

My son is now 17 and has gone through the junior ranks. My opinion then and now is that if you have an adult h/c and you want to play in an adult comp then you have to play off the same tees, this may change with the whole slope thing but maybe not. 10 seems very young to be playing in adult comps so maybe he is best sticking to junior comps for now.

I am a great believer in juniors playing in adult comps, winning and taking the prizes as well contrary to some beliefs out there can you believe, but only when they are ready.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

In theory your handicap allows for the distance you hit it and the rest of your game. Some grown men probably wont hit it any further than a 10 year old and others will outdrive me by 50-60 yards, but handicaps adjust depending on the rest of your game.

My son started to play main comps at about 14(or maybe 13), and was off the main tees as a man, which I agree with. He used to love it, coming out with the 'men' and playing in the comp off the whites.

 

[rulefan]

In theory your handicap allows for the distance you hit it and the rest of your game. Some grown men probably wont hit it any further than a 10 year old and others will outdrive me by 50-60 yards, but handicaps adjust depending on the rest of your game.

The required handicap adjustment takes care of the difference in tees. That is what the SSS is for. It has nothing to do with Slope.

 

[Owen_Thomas_14]

Do you mean should or must?
CONGU makes specific provision for competitors to play off different tees.

Must?! I always believed that all competitors had to play off white tees unless it is a female golfer in the same comp?!

 

[rulefan]

Must?! I always believed that all competitors had to play off white tees unless it is a female golfer in the same comp?!

See Appendix O of the CONGU Manual

 

[jim8flog]

See Appendix O of the CONGU Manual

However this surely would not allow the male junior to pay off the red tees (as per OP) unless they have been measured and rated for men.

 

[rulefan]

However this surely would not allow the male junior to pay off the red tees (as per OP) unless they have been measured and rated for men.

Which is what I said in post #3

 

[clubchamp98]

It's like the old footy saying "If he's good enough he's old enough"
my only question is what tees his handicap was based on as I assume it was from junior comps who don't play from the back tees?.
That said I have no problem with the lads playing in comps.
But some members do at my last club some members could not get a comp tee time but juniors had this caused trouble.
some said they could not play in junior comps so juniors should not play in men's comps.