Maximum One Prize Per Player

[FairwayDodger]

Posting this in the dead of winter in the hope it doesn't sound like sour grapes! In fact I've been on both sides of this - losing out on a prize sometimes and getting a better prize than I deserved on others.

You know the scenario - an open competition with both scratch and handicap prizes and someone shoots a score that is one of the best in each category. But due to the "one prize per player" rule they only get one.

Strikes me as pretty unfair but also leads to some strange anomalies such as the player who shot the best scratch score walking away with the third handicap prize instead since that was higher value. I know I've taken the best scratch prize in the past despite knowing at least one player had a better score than me - and that doesn't seem right.

What's the forum view? I can see it as reasonable in a fun competition, society outing or such but is it fair at a club open, or a county competition, a national competition? Where, if anywhere, would you draw the line?

 

[Hobbit]

I've refused a prize under these circumstances. How could I accept 1st in div 1 when someone else has scooped the best gross, and had a better nett score than me? I was second best nett, why give me a prize for best nett?

 

[Val]

It’s a tough one, a way round it I suppose is you can only enter 1 comp, the scratch or handicap and not both then take the chances.

I don’t agree with the one prize rule personally

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I don’t agree with one prize only - a couple of times in the Invitational at Woburn we have won the 18 on the Marquess then the 9 on the Duchess so won overall - we were only allowed to win the overall - bro in law asked the question why we could only win one - answer “ that’s not fair “ so basically the people that got prizes that were the same value as ours actually came 2nd

 

[louise_a]

I would say that it depends on whether the competition was specifically a handicap comp with a best gross prize or a scratch comp with a best net. also it would depend on whether the prize was simply monetary (or equivalent) or a specific trophy.

In a handicap comp it would probably be expected that the net prizes were better than the gross one and vice versa.

it is a tricky one though but I do think that one prize per player is the best way.

 

[Crow]

I agree with the one prize only idea, I'm primarily there to enjoy the golf not pick up prizes.
You still win the nett and gross for instance, you just don't win a second prize for doing so.

Anyway, I'd be embarrassed if I was the golfer who kept going up and taking the top prizes.

 

[duncan mackie]

Fairness only comes into it if the prizes aren't labeled first, and the priorities defined.
Beyond that it is what it is

 

[Hobbit]

Fairness only comes into it if the prizes aren't labeled first, and the priorities defined.
Beyond that it is what it is

Totally agree. If the comp is advertised as one prize only, fine but seeing committee members making it up on the hoof isn't right.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Totally agree. If the comp is advertised as one prize only, fine but seeing committee members making it up on the hoof isn't right.

That's kind of a separate issue, and certainly worse, but I don't see why someone shouldn't get both if their score merits them. Just lends weight to the golf as a "pastime" rather than "sport" argument.

 

[Blue in Munich]

I've no great issue with it provided it's clearly defined. Never had it happen to me in the main competition, but had it in one competition with the spot prizes. Was nearest to the pin on the nominated par 3, came to 18 which was the longest drive hole. One of my playing partners put it 15 yards past the marker, I then got it another 5 past him. We only put my name on the marker as nothing had been said. Only when the prizes were handed out was it mentioned that there was only one prize per person and the long drive prize handed out to the name I'd replaced on the marker, despite vigorous protests that it should have been given to my playing partner.

 

[duncan mackie]

That's kind of a separate issue, and certainly worse, but I don't see why someone shouldn't get both if their score merits them. Just lends weight to the golf as a "pastime" rather than "sport" argument.

But then you get into the issue of why there are both gross and net prizes at all!
IMO if you are going to have both then entrants should be able to decide whether to enter both or not; and of course prize tables should reflect entrants etc etc Now all fairness issues go away - enter both and collect prizes for those you are successful in.

 

[FairwayDodger]

But then you get into the issue of why there are both gross and net prizes at all!
IMO if you are going to have both then entrants should be able to decide whether to enter both or not; and of course prize tables should reflect entrants etc etc Now all fairness issues go away - enter both and collect prizes for those you are successful in.

I don't see why that's an issue? Seems straightforward to me - gross and net comps running simultaneously so why shouldn't someone be able to pick up a prize in both categories?

 

[duncan mackie]

I don't see why that's an issue? Seems straightforward to me - gross and net comps running simultaneously so why shouldn't someone be able to pick up a prize in both categories?

I don't understand which bit I posted you don't see as an issue?
I suspect we may be vilonely agreeing on what should be - and the issue is that events aren't run that way (and, as others have mentioned) often well meaning organising committees try and balance things as they see them after the event!

 

[HankMarvin]

I don't see why that's an issue? Seems straightforward to me - gross and net comps running simultaneously so why shouldn't someone be able to pick up a prize in both categories?

Probably because it's one competition you are entering and handicap/lowest net score always wins and would probably have the highest prize fund, there are plenty scratch Opens to enter out there. I would also expect that most of us know the rules regarding scoring before we enter so I can't really see what all the fuss is about.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I don't see why that's an issue? Seems straightforward to me - gross and net comps running simultaneously so why shouldn't someone be able to pick up a prize in both categories?

I agree but isn't it usually defined within the small print of the competition rules so in theory you should no upfront. We had an issue a few years back in our club champs. It's run as a gross/net comp with the club champion being the best gross score over the two days (as standard). The bloke that one it also happened to win the net prize (handicap) as well and there was a furore about him winning both which resulted in dusting down the club rules. Eventually he was entitled and duly collected both but there was a distinct air of discontent among a number of members

 

[FairwayDodger]

Probably because it's one competition you are entering and handicap/lowest net score always wins and would probably have the highest prize fund, there are plenty scratch Opens to enter out there. I would also expect that most of us know the rules regarding scoring before we enter so I can't really see what all the fuss is about.

No, there aren't - just a handful - a few more if you're in the "elite" ranks.

Not making a fuss, it's just something that has always struck me as odd, whether I've lost out or benefited from it.

 

[HankMarvin]

No, there aren't - just a handful - a few more if you're in the "elite" ranks.

Not making a fuss, it's just something that has always struck me as odd, whether I've lost out or benefited from it.

Just be thankful that if you get a prize playing off your handicap then you have Played well.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

If there is a 'one prize only' ruling set and there are handicap and scratch comps then I think that the least the comp organisers should do is to ensure the Scratch 1st prize is monetarily as good as the Handicap 1st.

Where I think the ruling is OK is where the comp is primarily a Scratch comp - with a handicap comp and prizes run in parallel to give most players entering a chance of winning something. In such circumstances I suspect that, in most cases, a player shooting both best scratch and handicap scores is likely to be happy to forgo the handicap prize. The Scratch was THE prize.

 

[hovis]

i won a big comp at work. it was one prize one person. i should have also won.....

best front 9
best back 9
lowest round first day
lowest round second day

what took the biscuit was my longest drive didn't stand either.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I agree with one prize per player, otherwise bandits would just clear up with multiply prizes and I like to see prizes spread around.

What I don't understand is that you would look to extend one prize only to the extra little comps like NP, LD(as you don't know who has won it at that moment in time and who therefor was actually the next closest or next longest drive).