Match Play Question

[Matty]

I've entered into our club match play comp and the draw has been made. The competition sheet states each round is 18 holes, so twice around our 9 hole course.

I am going to struggle to get time to play 18 holes of a weekend. So, my question:

Could we agree to just play 9 holes if my opponent agrees?
Could we play 9 holes over 2 evenings?

Any advice welcome!

 

[SammmeBee]

No.

 

[Colin L]

Could we agree to just play 9 holes if my opponent agrees?

No. You are required to play the stipulated round (i.e. what the Committee has said it is to be). If you both agree to shorten it and know that you are not permitted to do so under the rules, you are both disqualified. [See Decision 2-1/4]
http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!decision-02,d2-1-4

Could we play 9 holes over 2 evenings?

Yes, provided it does not hold the competition up. In match play, players may discontinue play by agreement. [See the Exception to Rule 6-8a]

 

[Region3]

No. You are required to play the stipulated round (i.e. what the Committee has said it is to be). If you both agree to shorten it and know that you are not permitted to do so under the rules, you are both disqualified. [See Decision 2-1/4]
http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!decision-02,d2-1-4

Not wanting to take this thread off topic, but I have a question.

They are both disqualified if they agree to play only 9 holes, but if they can't agree a date for the match before deadline they are allowed to decide between themselves how to determine who forfeits.

This could be the spin of a coin, odds or evens on the lottery bonus ball, best score in an upcoming medal, so can they play 9 holes matchplay to decide who forfeits?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Without meaning to sound critical - but it's a bit unfair on your current and any future opponents to have tp play weekdays. General assumption I have found in any club I've been a member of is that all club K/O 7-day member comps are assumed to be played at the weekend, weekdays are only by mutual agreement. So that if I were to have to offer three dates to an opponent I would not get away with offering three weekday evenings.

Just so you are aware that you may run into difficulties in comps if you can only play weekdays. Of course you may be well aware of this and that the circumstances you describe are unusual and only apply for this round and the timescales within which it has to be played.

 

[Fish]

There's nothing that gripes me more than when members enter into something when they have so many restrictions as to when they can play, this is why I stopped playing winter league at a previous club, you'd ring your drawn oppo's only to be told they only play Sunday's after 4pm, or Monday/Wednesday daytimes :angry: Why enter something when it's a struggle to play and expect everyone else to put themselves out!

This isn't a personal attack so sorry if it comes across that way, it's a constant thorn in lots of peoples sides when trying to arrange matches only to find they can't do this, that or the other!

I just had it recently and nearly got struck from the draw as we hadn't played before the allotted cut off time, he was on holiday for 2wks as the draw was made and then it left 7-days to arrange, he couldn't do the only weekend left as he was playing at other clubs so I had to take a morning off work, no real hardship for me as I'm self employed and control my own days, but I shouldn't have had to and most certainly other people wouldn't have been able to!

:rant:

 

[rulefan]

Not wanting to take this thread off topic, but I have a question.

They are both disqualified if they agree to play only 9 holes, but if they can't agree a date for the match before deadline they are allowed to decide between themselves how to determine who forfeits.

This could be the spin of a coin, odds or evens on the lottery bonus ball, best score in an upcoming medal, so can they play 9 holes matchplay to decide who forfeits?

Surely a joke?

 

[Region3]

Surely a joke?

It wasn't meant to be.

Why do you say that?

 

[Deleted member 17920]

I've entered into our club match play comp and the draw has been made. The competition sheet states each round is 18 holes, so twice around our 9 hole course.

I am going to struggle to get time to play 18 holes of a weekend. So, my question:

Could we agree to just play 9 holes if my opponent agrees?
Could we play 9 holes over 2 evenings?

Any advice welcome!

If you knew you was going to struggle to find time why bother entering the comp in the 1st place?

Your club must have rules already in place.

 

[Duckster]

Without meaning to sound critical - but it's a bit unfair on your current and any future opponents to have tp play weekdays. General assumption I have found in any club I've been a member of is that all club K/O 7-day member comps are assumed to be played at the weekend, weekdays are only by mutual agreement. So that if I were to have to offer three dates to an opponent I would not get away with offering three weekday evenings.

Just so you are aware that you may run into difficulties in comps if you can only play weekdays. Of course you may be well aware of this and that the circumstances you describe are unusual and only apply for this round and the timescales within which it has to be played.

Ours has it the other way - as we have comps sat & sun, almost all the KO matches are played mid-week (normally evening). Obviously there are some played on a weekend, but the vast majority are mid-week. All comp matches do get preference on the course though and you do see that all the mid-week chuck in's and social golfers happily let the KO's through.

 

[upsidedown]

Ours has it the other way - as we have comps sat & sun, almost all the KO matches are played mid-week (normally evening). Obviously there are some played on a weekend, but the vast majority are mid-week. All comp matches do get preference on the course though and you do see that all the mid-week chuck in's and social golfers happily let the KO's through.

Same with us :thup:

 

[mikejohnchapman]

They are both disqualified if they agree to play only 9 holes, but if they can't agree a date for the match before deadline they are allowed to decide between themselves how to determine who forfeits.

This could be the spin of a coin, odds or evens on the lottery bonus ball, best score in an upcoming medal, so can they play 9 holes matchplay to decide who forfeits?

I know one pair of guys at our place that had to decide who forfeit a round of the knockout and they played 18 holes with a dice in medal play and the lowest "score" over 18 won!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Ours has it the other way - as we have comps sat & sun, almost all the KO matches are played mid-week (normally evening). Obviously there are some played on a weekend, but the vast majority are mid-week. All comp matches do get preference on the course though and you do see that all the mid-week chuck in's and social golfers happily let the KO's through.

I have to say that this is odd (though clearly not unique). Surely golf for 7 day members is primarily a weekend pastime. I go out most evenings of the week and would not be happy having to play matches in the evenings - rushing about after work, cancelling other stuff I do.

You and your fellow members might find it easier to arrange summer matches in the evenings - but IMO there should be absolutely no compulsion or expectation for 7-day members to play matches in weekday evenings. And if I were a 7-day member and offered three weekend slots I would not expect my opponent to tell me he can't do weekend matches.

 

[chrisd]

I have to say that this is odd (though clearly not unique). Surely golf for 7 day members is primarily a weekend pastime. I go out most evenings of the week and would not be happy having to play matches in the evenings - rushing about after work, cancelling other stuff I do.

You and your fellow members might find it easier to arrange summer matches in the evenings - but IMO there should be absolutely no compulsion or expectation for 7-day members to play matches in weekday evenings. And if I were a 7-day member and offered three weekend slots I would not expect my opponent to tell me he can't do weekend matches.

I'm not sure why you think that 7 day membership is usually for weekend players. Loads of our 7 day members play and practice in the week and quite a few work nights too. Like many other clubs, our summer knockouts are any time 7 days a week - you arrange with your opponent a date/time that suits you both but that can be after work or whenever. In the winter its different obviously!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I'm not sure why you think that 7 day membership is usually for weekend players. Loads of our 7 day members play and practice in the week and quite a few work nights too. Like many other clubs, our summer knockouts are any time 7 days a week - you arrange with your opponent a date/time that suits you both but that can be after work or whenever. In the winter its different obviously!

No issue whatsoever with all you say, I do play some holes quite a few evenings and occasional matches. I'm just saying that if an opponent could only offer me weekday evening slots I'd feel perfectly entitled to say no. Obviously I'd be sensitive to circumstances that might have come up that made weekends difficult for him in the timescales the match has to be played.

 

[Fish]

I'm not sure why you think that 7 day membership is usually for weekend players. Loads of our 7 day members play and practice in the week and quite a few work nights too. Like many other clubs, our summer knockouts are any time 7 days a week - you arrange with your opponent a date/time that suits you both but that can be after work or whenever. In the winter its different obviously!

I understand what your saying Chris but my gripe is when you play at a weekend in a qualifier comp that means the top 16 then go into a matchplay scenario and then you find that those players which are obviously 7-day members only want to play midweek in the day or early evenings even though there is always plenty of time at the weekends to play social golf or your knockout rounds, and after-all, they'd played in the weekend comp to qualify!

 

[chrisd]

I understand what your saying Chris but my gripe is when you play at a weekend in a qualifier comp that means the top 16 then go into a matchplay scenario and then you find that those players which are obviously 7-day members only want to play midweek in the day or early evenings even though there is always plenty of time at the weekends to play social golf or your knockout rounds, and after-all, they'd played in the weekend comp to qualify!

I agree Robin that it would be a nonsense, we don't run anything on that format though, so I've never experienced the problem. I have struggled with arranging matches full stop, and as a result only enter them on the odd occasion, it amazes me the eejits who enter knowing they will holiday for 6 weeks of one of the rounds!

 

[Duckster]

I have to say that this is odd (though clearly not unique). Surely golf for 7 day members is primarily a weekend pastime. I go out most evenings of the week and would not be happy having to play matches in the evenings - rushing about after work, cancelling other stuff I do.

You and your fellow members might find it easier to arrange summer matches in the evenings - but IMO there should be absolutely no compulsion or expectation for 7-day members to play matches in weekday evenings. And if I were a 7-day member and offered three weekend slots I would not expect my opponent to tell me he can't do weekend matches.

It's not a stead fast rule that they are played mid-week, it's just when most are. As our golf course also has a hotel attached, there has to be room made for guests to play as well. This is normally a 90 min break between the early and later set of comps. There's also a chunk of time for the ladies on both days as well. Which leaves you with a lot less time to play a KO match over a weekend than during the week.

You can play it then if you want, but there are a lot of people who also play in both Sat & Sun comps as well. And we don't have 7-day members. We just have members (well, suppose that's "we don't have 6 or 5 day members".....).

It is what it is. Different strokes for different folks and all that.

*Edit* - For example, I've got my KO on Thursday at 5. Nice knock, should be done in about 2.5 hours.

 

[Duckster]

I understand what your saying Chris but my gripe is when you play at a weekend in a qualifier comp that means the top 16 then go into a matchplay scenario and then you find that those players which are obviously 7-day members only want to play midweek in the day or early evenings even though there is always plenty of time at the weekends to play social golf or your knockout rounds, and after-all, they'd played in the weekend comp to qualify!

Robin, are you on about a Club Championship kind of deal? We are on about the a clubs matchplay KO that's run throughout the season. No need to qualify, jus tput your names in the hat for the draw.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I don't bother with the KO's at my club purely for the hassle of trying to agree dates but I believe the rules state that 3 dates have to be offered with at least one of them a weekend.