Medal entry numbers at your club

[KenL]

Partially because of the slowness, partially because I’d prefer to play alone than with strangers.
Partially because in one of the few medals I did enter I was paired with a guy who told me after I knocked a 6 inch putt in one handed with the back of my putter, that should be a penalty stroke for not using the correct flat part of the putter. At that point I switched off to medals. I wasn’t cheating in my mind, I have no idea if he rule is correct or not, but I play golf for fun, I don’t care a jot about winning shop credit and if winning shop credits so important to people they would call a penalty for that, then it’s certainly not something I’m getting involved in

Sounds like you need to try and get in with a group at your club, the more people you know the more you will feel comfortable in medals.
I like playing medals with people I don't know as I don't feel I'm being watched by pals.
Guys comment about putter was nonsense.

 

[Albo]

Sounds like you need to try and get in with a group at your club, the more people you know the more you will feel comfortable in medals.
I like playing medals with people I don't know as I don't feel I'm being watched by pals.
Guys comment about putter was nonsense.

In all honesty I’m fine just not playing medals

 

[BrianM]

No drop off with us, if anything it’s a nightmare to get a tee time, unless you want out late afternoon.

 

[GG26]

We only have three Saturday medals (excluding the club championship) during the season and these are for important comps such as Captain’s Day.

I have noticed that the medals attract around 120 players, whereas the stableford fields are around the 160 mark. There are several who will just not play medals.

 

[patricks148]

Ours has seen a massive drop off, maybe half. Our last silver comp of the year is Sat. Last year it had over 80, this year only 30 ish.

 

[Albo]

Back to the point at hand, maybe it’s another expense that people can’t afford to wear, if there are 2 comps per week and your talking £5 assuming you enter any sweep / 2s, then that is going to add up over a year, put that on top of the yearly subs and I can see why some may start to back away

 

[BiMGuy]

Comps aren’t generally that well supported at my club compared to my previous. Monthly medals are on Sunday mornings and don’t fill the tee sheet. Even board comps don’t.

Compared to my old club where every tee slot was filled every Saturday of the year regardless of the comp.

I don’t mind as it allows me to play weekends without entering the comps. Been there, done that.

Like Albo, I’ve very little interest in playing in them. I don’t want to meet new people or integrate myself into the club. I play either with a couple of mates, with my son or by myself.

The other thing about playing in comps is they aren’t a fair fight. As we’ve seen with some recent discussions on here, people don’t play by the same rules and people are managing their handicaps to stay competitive. Why would I give them my money?

The last time I played a monthly medal at my place it took four and three quarter hours. Stuff that.

 

[KenL]

4 hours 45 minutes, wow.
I'm always round in 3 h 30 or less at mine.

 

[clubchamp98]

Big drop at mine.
Before covid you needed a very fast finger to get a tee time on a comp day, now you can more or less pick your time.
Couple of reasons imo but!
Some people have openly stated they don’t like WHS as it leads to stupidly low scores they have no chance of competing with so they are organising their own sweeps after the comps finished.
That might change in winter with limited light.
They feel £3.50 is just giving their money away.
Then have a £5 sweep but at least they have a chance of winning.

 

[BiMGuy]

4 hours 45 minutes, wow.
I'm always round in 3 h 30 or less at mine.

Yep, it’s crazy. We had a pairs scramble which took some 5 hours to get round.

We are a fairly long course which can be difficult when the rough is up and it’s windy, but we seem to have a lot of members who are happy to potter round with no concept of how to play faster. I suspect many don’t care they hold others up as they are happy at their pace.

It’s why I play as late in the day as I can before the light goes.

 

[Albo]

Yep, it’s crazy. We had a pairs scramble which took some 5 hours to get round.

We are a fairly long course which can be difficult when the rough is up and it’s windy, but we seem to have a lot of members who are happy to potter round with no concept of how to play faster. I suspect many don’t care they hold others up as they are happy at their pace.

It’s why I play as late in the day as I can before the light goes.

Totally agree with all of the above other than our course not being long!
we had a pairs better ball comp last year and we walked off on the 4th tee, it had taken us more than an hour to play 3 holes

 

[pendodave]

Our comp participation has definitely dropped off - the captain's committee are trying to work out why. Looking at the stats, the midweek ones in particular are suffering.
I think it's a number of factors, not just one.
1. It can be slow (4 balls)
2. With the WHS system, people no longer feel compelled to enter comps to maintain a handicap.
3. Our club has a lot of swindles. People like playing with their mates.

There must be others. I'll be interested to hear what the committee turns up.

 

[jim8flog]

Yes we have where I play.
One thing for us is that those who do not want to play in the Saturday comp now play on the 9 hole course.

One particular group have said it is because of the slowness** of the rounds and another because the club now takes too much out of the prize fund for 'expenses'.*

*I won a trophy comp a few years ago and won £75
I won it again this year and got £25
This was partly because the number of players were reduced by a large amount compared to previous years.

When I fist joined the club and for the first 10 years or so a round on Saturday was about 3.25 hours and now it is about 4.25 hours.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Firstly, we don’t have tee times it’s just turn up and get in the queue if there is one. Our medals are always the last weekend of every month, plus a midweek medal run over 2 days.
I haven’t noticed any reduction in numbers entering

 

[Deleted member 1147]

No, we have about 150 for any Saturday comp', medal, stab or team event.

 

[Imurg]

Our comps have been 3 balls for some time now..no 4 balls before 2.30 on a competition day
It still doesn't stop medals taking over 4 hours.
To put it into some sort of context..when me, CVG and Fragger play we get round in about 3 hours 15/20
Medals are, at least 40 minutes longer due, I suppose, to having to put the ball in the hole....
We still get good numbers but I've not been there long enough to know if those numbers are up or down..

 

[clubchamp98]

There have been comments about the sweeps as well. Time wise.
Guys putting cards in for cap.
Every day is like a comp day now ,they need to hole out not just gimmies.

 

[pokerjoke]

Really low at my club
Sometimes as low as 20
1. Stags play some weekends
2. Stableford lovers hate medals
3.High handicappers hate medals
4.I would say slow after 9am if it was four balls
Shame really would love 60+ every week
Some people like comps,some don’t,some want to get as low as they can some don’t .
Some think 4 hours is ok,some want to run around in 3

 

[full_throttle]

Club in Coventry is generally full for medals, all competitions during the summer, the odd space may be available but it's unlikely to be full tee times free,

Club in Nottingham, usually from start of play until around 11am, then general play as far as I'm aware

 

[HampshireHog]

No, typically most comps here have a waiting list