One for the low guys

bobmac

bobmac

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At what handicap did you stop trying to win net competitions and only focused on the scratch stuff?
To win those, you have to be the best golfer on the day.
After all, winning a net competition only means you were the biggest bandit on the day.







;)
 
Ineresting question and one that comes up alot at my club. Basically you need at least 40 points to even think about finishing in the top 3 net in a stapleford comp and you are probably looking at 4 under net to finish anywhere near the placings in a medal. If you look at this weekend the medal on Saturday my 4 under par net was only just in the top 10 (9th)and it was won with a net 7 under par. This means most low handicappers need to go round under par to even think of scoring in the net comps so only really look at the gross prize. Basically if you can only play to your handicap or thereabouts, whatever the level, then there is no chance of a top 3 finish
 
Surely though, once you're seriously low (and I presume you mean 1 or 2 handicap and lower) then the club comp is no longer a priority. Won't these guys be playing scratch opens and perhaps county stuff against other very low handicap players???
 
I suppose as I got lower and had more rounds around level gross it happened occasionally and becomes a natural motivation and progression on towards the nexct goal.
I have had a few rediculous scores this past year in our winter comps ( 28 points in a nine holer, yes, -5 gross over nine holes including a bogey, 5 birdies on the trot! non qualifying as preferred lies through the greens, Proof can be supplied!).

When I was off 6 before giving the game up, I left with Captains Day Best Gross on my last competition, I suppose these are the sorts of days that drive me on.
Some days you are not concentrating on putting a good score together at all when they just come along, maybe the most satisfying.
 
I agree with Biffa, winning anything is so so rare that my only target in any comp is handicap reduction. If I win some sweep money than that's a bonus.

To answer Bobs question I started hoping to be lowest gross in comps from handicap 5 and better. Doesn't happen often, I'm not good enough to compete with 1 handicappers and better on a regular basis, can only do it now and again! Apart from our club champs once per year there is no prize for lowest gross in any other comp.

Whilst handicapping is a great thing in golf I think it probably detracts from the ultimate aim of golf which is to take as few shots as possible.....gross.

Thankfully all the 36 hole Open comps in ths region offer the most money for scratch prizes.
 
Not that I'm remotely close to being one of the 'low guys' < i can honestly say that I've never played a Comp with thoughts of winning, my only motivation at any point is H/C reduction.
 
If i enter a comp (Scratch or Handicap) i stand on the 1st tee thinking win and nothing else. name on the trophy is worth more than any cut. i shot the previous course record at our place and finished up tying with a guy off 19 who shot 85 to my 67 gross but thats golf and thats why that guy could be competitive, just pushes me to do better next time...
 
At what handicap did you stop trying to win net competitions and only focused on the scratch stuff?
Click to expand...

I know I'm barred from replying to this thread ( :)) but I entered the scratch knockout one year (off 8) just to see if I'd get further than the h'cap knockout.

Went out in round 2 in the h'cap.
Got through to the quarter-finals in the scratch. (round 4?)

irrelevant, but I still find it mildly odd. :D :D
 
At least you guys get something to go for.

What about that huge number of golfers that never have and never will get low enough to compete in the scratch stuff ?

But, because they've got as far down as their talent allows, will never win the handicap stuff either ?

Are you suggesting they ( we ) should just give up and go home ?

I find a lot of this 'poor old low handicapper, me' a bitter pill to swallow. On this forum, we've got a disproportionate number of really good, top quality golfers, who can all hit par or better on their day with their gross score.

We have a few beginners/improvers who are working their way down, many of whom will have a win or two under their belt on the way to their natural limit.

But then there are the rest. Decent to fair golfers who can hold their own, but aren't in any danger of winning the medal. The ones that play to try to keep their handicap constant, or if they are lucky, just to scratch 0.1 off here and there.

Forget all this elitism - these guys are the heroes of this place, and every club out there.

:p

PS I'm hoping that I'm not actually at that point yet, myself, but I know my best will NEVER get me to single figures now. Does that mean I should not bother trying ?
 
Had a couple of best gross prizes which we have in every comp where we give prizes (same value as 3rd and can't believe other clubs don't do this btw). On the whole though still playing for the nett prize which is the "winner" on the day. Trying to win every time I step on the tee too.
 
But, because they've got as far down as their talent allows, will never win the handicap stuff either
Click to expand...

Surely if the handicap system worked, these many players could still win net comps if they played to or just under their h/caps.It is supposed to be a level playing field after all.

The point of my thread is that if the handicap system worked well, then everyone would stand a chance of winning the net medals, especially their own respective division (if they have any).

Birdieman
Apart from our club champs once per year there is no prize for lowest gross in any other comp.
Click to expand...

That makes me so angry.. No prize for the best golf played on the day? :mad: :mad: :mad:
 
Surely everyone has a good day 28, 18, 10, 5, +1 handicap so you can always win on a given day. When I played off 3 I knew that on a good day I had the ability to get 5 or 6 under my handicap, therefor I had a chance to win. Okay the 18 - 28 handicappers have a good chance of going lower but on some days 5 or 6 under will win.

Shark
 
I would say with the number of bandits about once you play of 4 or less you have to go really low and once you are of 1 or less net is out of the question,
 
Although not a "low guy" I thought I'd respond anyway. I never think about winning, I just want my H'Cap cut. Strangely, in getting my H'Cap cut I have won my division once and the overall comp once this year so playing off my handicap, both go together on occasions. The guy who came second on Saturday shot 1 over gross (net 68) and I won with a net 67 (6 over gross). Next to his name it says "lowest gross", I'd happily swap the win for that. Winning doesn't make you the best golfer of the day IMHO, lowest gross does that.
 
Net prizes became nothing but an added (unlikely) bonus after I got into cat 1. Whenever I play in a club medal or other club comp I am hoping for the wind to blow as hard as possible to make the course play at it's most difficult which may level the playing field a little.

Luckily we have a best gross prize for every comp we have so there is always something to aim at.

The only prize that I look at trying to win is the club champs, 36 hole scratch medal. Only once has it been won by anyone higher than 5. That was a junior who was blazing a trail on his way down to 3, who ironically hasn't won it since!!
 
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