Medal entry numbers at your club

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Sept Sat medal today. 100 entries roughly split 50:50 <15 and 15+. A typical number…occasionally get up to 120. Played in 3 balls. Tough pin positions today; difficult wind, and greens quite fast. Won with nett 3 under par. Only 5 players nett under par (Nb CR and par are essentially, though not exactly, the same).

Finished 1 over handicap and 15th nett, was 16th nett last week in Sept Sunday medal. Round in just over 4 hrs.

 

[Biggleswade Blue]

141 entered in tomorrows medal. The majority of entrants are HI < 15

 

[Backsticks]

90 to 100 for each. No drop off in recent years.
100 to 130 if its stableford. There would be a significant section who avoid medal, regarding it as too difficult and not as enjoyable. Higher hcs in the main.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

90 to 100 for each. No drop off in recent years.
100 to 130 if its stableford. There would be a significant section who avoid medal, regarding it as too difficult and not as enjoyable. Higher hcs in the main.

I only discovered a few weeks ago when playing in the Seniors Club Champs that a lot of seniors (being largely high handicappers at my place) rarely play medal. How did I find this out? One of my group of three missed a few short putts and a couple of less than 18”. On missing the 2nd of these shorties he commented that he never has to hole putts of that length as, like many seniors, he rarely plays medal. Yes…I know. Does he never have to hole out for at least 1 stableford pt…I never asked.

 

[Trodski]

About 150 most weeks. Maybe slightly less for medal.

Yes, a few high handicaps do avoid

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Was the question just about strokeplay comps? I thought it was more general, eg all main Saturday comps where you pay an entry. For my club it is probably 3 stableford and 1 strokeplay per month.

 

[KenL]

Was the question just about strokeplay comps? I thought it was more general, eg all main Saturday comps. For my club it is probably 3 stableford and 1 strokeplay per month.

Comps rather than sweeps, thanks.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Comps rather than sweeps, thanks.

Comps but irrelevant whether strokeplay or stableford?

 

[KenL]

Comps but irrelevant whether strokeplay or stableford?

Sorry, let's include both.
Virtually no stableford at my place though.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Sorry, let's include both.
Virtually no stableford at my place though.

Sorry, I know the questions seemed pedantic. Stableford is far more popular in England, it would definitely win in a popularity contest ?

 

[Mandofred]

Sorry, I know the questions seemed pedantic. Stableford is far more popular in England, it would definitely win in a popularity contest ?

I've always preferred stroke play. I'd never heard of stableford until I moved to the UK. Even when I'm playing in rollups etc, I still keep track of my strokeplay more than the pts I have.

 

[Mandofred]

I only discovered a few weeks ago when playing in the Seniors Club Champs that a lot of seniors (being largely high handicappers at my place) rarely play medal. How did I find this out? One of my group of three missed a few short putts and a couple of less than 18”. On missing the 2nd of these shorties he commented that he never has to hole putts of that length as, like many seniors, he rarely plays medal. Yes…I know. Does he never have to hole out for at least 1 stableford pt…I never asked.

This is my biggest dislike about playing in the Saturday swindle......they give gimmies from out to almost 3 feet (this is on hard breaking greens as well).....and it's not like you are giving the "other team/guy" the putt, you give it to your own team. It's the way they have always done it, so I try to live with it.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I've always preferred stroke play. I'd never heard of stableford until I moved to the UK. Even when I'm playing in rollups etc, I still keep track of my strokeplay more than the pts I have.

Stableford is a more relaxed way of playing. It certainly keeps the course moving better, no horrors as per the thread started by smiffy today. It's preferred, on the whole, by higher handicappers but I understand why lower players are less fond.

 

[Mandofred]

Stableford is a more relaxed way of playing. It certainly keeps the course moving better, no horrors as per the thread started by smiffy today. It's preferred, on the whole, by higher handicappers but I understand why lower players are less fond.

I play stableford almost all the time now...since that is what the people I play with do. I guess my point was that I still THINK strokeplay before stableford because that is all I ever played starting out. It's just what I was more used to. With the guys I play with at this club, they pretty well never play a Medal. A couple of them turn in casual cards pretty regularly so their handicaps are accurate. There is one of them who won't turn in cards because he doesn't want his handicap to go up like it should. The issue with the original post from smiffy is that I think it is just a club culture issue. The 3 clubs I have been a member at have all had plenty of people who play the comps. Evidently, from a few of the posts here, there are some clubs that don't get much interest from the members. There are some things that clubs could do that might change that (cheaper comp fees, more publicity etc etc)....but once an attitude is established, it takes a big stick to get people to change. I played in a comp last weekend and it was £4.50 to play. They wanted more for 2's which I didn't bother with (and of course got 2)....but I wonder how many bother with 2's when they've already paid £4.50 to play in the first place.

I really don't care about prize money....I'd be fine with charging NOTHING to play in the Medal and just keep track of how people do in those comps.

 

[BubbaP]

Comps but irrelevant whether strokeplay or stableford?

Come on LT ? I think the OP went for 'medal' to try to avoid this.

I guess you were asking -
Individual/regular strokeplay (aka medal play) or individual stableford strokeplay ??

The authorities don't make it easy ? ...

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Come on LT ? I think the OP went for 'medal' to try to avoid this.

I guess you were asking -
Individual/regular strokeplay (aka medal play) or individual stableford strokeplay ??

The authorities don't make it easy ? ...
View attachment 44375

I initially thought it was just about who takes part in the main weekend comps, pays entry in the pro shop etc. Which type of comp not relevant, more about organised comp v people playing casual rounds /cards. Part way through the thread I realised some were talking about individual strokeplay only, hence the question.

Terminology huh ? (no mention of medal in that chart ?)

 

[FuzzyDuck]

Next week our mid-week medal has a total of 7 entries! Only 3 (including me) regular seniors playing. I‘m fairly confident of being in the top 10…

 

[KenL]

Come on LT ? I think the OP went for 'medal' to try to avoid this.

I guess you were asking -
Individual/regular strokeplay (aka medal play) or individual stableford strokeplay ??

The authorities don't make it easy ? ...
View attachment 44375

I'm the OP, when I said medal entries I meant strokeplay or stableford (a strokeplay format after all).

 

[Banchory Buddha]

Home club yes, quite a bit. Small nine holer, we had 77 unique players last year, this year 59 (11 of them playing 3 or less rounds), many weeks just 20 or even less playing. It's not down to WHS, despite encouragement we're getting very few GP rounds, and those that are tend to be high handicappers who're sorting out their first handicaps and have never played a medal.

Away club - 165 slots for the Saturday medal, more or less full every week.

 

[Crazyface]

We get about 70 for the Saturday comp. No drop off. We have a comp on every day, yes every day, except a Monday. The thing I dislike about comps is handing out £4 to play. I stick to the seniors a separate section at the club where they charge £2 and have a lovely old lady in the starters hut taking the money and doing the cards.