Nearest the pin prize.

[Green Bay Hacker]

I'm sure we'll all pretty much agree that to win a nearest the pin prize you have to be on the green. Same with the longest drive, you have to be on the fairway.

Well yesterday in our seniors open the winner of the nearest the pin was describing how he was surprised to actually win and was lucky that it stopped in the fringe grass, otherwise it would have rolled quite a distance as it was going down a slope. So, he wasn't actually on the green and had no idea that you had to be on the green. Neither did his two FC's, who were both relatively new members.

The competition sheet only says 'nearest the pin prize on 15th' but doesn't say it has to be on the green. The rest of the weeks competitions will make it clear that the ball must finish on the green to qualify but should this need to be done?

To be honest, I have never seen it written down anywhere but I know through word of mouth that it has to finish on the green. How are new(ish) inexperienced members supposed to know if they go out together in a group?

The player who claimed the nearest the pin prize yesterday has been declared the winner.

 

[Pin-seeker]

I wouldn’t worry about it too much.
I always assume that it has to be on the green.
But if it wasn’t stated & he was still closest the pin then just be happy for him.

 

[Fish]

How many were playing in this Open, and are you saying nobody’s ball stayed on the green from the whole field 😳⛳️

 

[ScienceBoy]

These sorts of ambiguities have to be stated up front.

A bit like having a local rule all the members know but isn’t written on the scorecard.

 

[Pin-seeker]

How many were playing in this Open, and are you saying nobody’s ball stayed on the green from the whole field 😳⛳️

🙈😂😂

 

[Green Bay Hacker]

How many were playing in this Open, and are you saying nobody’s ball stayed on the green from the whole field ⛳️

There were about 30 playing. There were already names on the sheet but the winner was inside those. Who knows how many others were on the green but outside the winners distance. One of our group was inside the next to last name down but there could have been others.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

An example of one of many assumptions of knowledge that happens in golf. It's a minefield for newbies to the game.

 

[Canary Kid]

I take it that the pin was close to the edge of the green if the nearest ball was off while other, further away balls, were on. Surely the answer is to have the pin in the middle of the green so that it is virtually certain that the nearest ball will be on it ... and make the rules clear.

 

[Green Bay Hacker]

I take it that the pin was close to the edge of the green if the nearest ball was off while other, further away balls, were on. Surely the answer is to have the pin in the middle of the green so that it is virtually certain that the nearest ball will be on it ... and make the rules clear.

Yes, the pin was nearer the edge of the green than the middle. It was also at the bottom of a slope, which made it difficult to get close.

In my experience, nearest the pin comps are not usually put in the middle of the green, they tend to be in difficult positions.

The problem is that I have never seen it written down anywhere that the ball must finish on the green. Do any clubs actually state that on the competition sheet?

 

[duncan mackie]

Yes, the pin was nearer the edge of the green than the middle. It was also at the bottom of a slope, which made it difficult to get close.

In my experience, nearest the pin comps are not usually put in the middle of the green, they tend to be in difficult positions.

The problem is that I have never seen it written down anywhere that the ball must finish on the green. Do any clubs actually state that on the competition sheet?

From memory I've seen it once at a charity day. The requirement to be on the fairway for longest drive is, however, nearly always explicit.

 

[rosecott]

From memory I've seen it once at a charity day. The requirement to be on the fairway for longest drive is, however, nearly always explicit.

We had a tricky situation in last weekend's Captain's Away Weekend. The longest drive - by a good distance - was bang in the middle of the fairway. Unfortunately there was a footpath crossing the fairway and, for a metre either side of the path, the grass had been allowed to grow higher than close-mown. He was in this grass, what would you have done?

 

[Rlburnside]

To give you a idea how tough our course is we had a charity day with n/p on a par 3 of 202 yards playing into a force 7 wind ,out of over 80 players no one hit the green and no prize was awarded.

 

[Rlburnside]

We had a tricky situation in last weekend's Captain's Away Weekend. The longest drive - by a good distance - was bang in the middle of the fairway. Unfortunately there was a footpath crossing the fairway and, for a metre either side of the path, the grass had been allowed to grow higher than close-mown. He was in this grass, what would you have done?

I would be inclined to think it would be very unfair not to award a prize for this situation, there was a thread awhile back discussing this very point.

 

[Pin-seeker]

We had a tricky situation in last weekend's Captain's Away Weekend. The longest drive - by a good distance - was bang in the middle of the fairway. Unfortunately there was a footpath crossing the fairway and, for a metre either side of the path, the grass had been allowed to grow higher than close-mown. He was in this grass, what would you have done?

Not a tricky situation to me.
Common sense says he is the winner.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Not a tricky situation to me.
Common sense says he is the winner.

Should still be explicit from the start, if that hole is chosen then it should be assessed in advance for any complications.

Simple prep and statement in advance should guard against all but the strangest of circumstances.

 

[tugglesf239]

He can’t of been that surprised if, upon hitting his ball off the green, he picked up the marker and wrote his name on the sheet.

If he was of the green then why did he do that?

By his own admission it should not have counted.

 

[bigslice]

Got to be on the green, i was at an all day shot with my club at an awsy course. I won closet to pin with a 45feet!! Not 4.5 but 45 lol. My playing partner was 9 ft but on the fringe.
A good few years ago i was at another outing and won closet to hole with 6 feet, and 3 putted😜😜😜😜

 

[Dellboy]

All depends on the wording, if it just states “nearest the pin on the 15th” then the ball closest wins, simple. What is done is done, learn from it and move on.

When we do this we clearly state “on the green” or on the fairway for the drive.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

In my society nearest the pin has to be on the green to count,
Nearest the pin in 2 (short par 4) doesn’t have to be on the green.

We had one a while back where nobody stayed on the green, no prize was awarded and the prize( £10) was rolled onto the next fixture

 

[patricks148]

I would say has to be on the green to win it.

Must just be an English thing, longest drive and nearest the pin in an open, never seen that in any open i've played.