Prize money scratch v handicap

[HomerJSimpson]

Not irrelevant at all, this impacts everyone who enters an open. It's about how the prize fund for an open comp should be distributed. Should the best golfer get more or the best net since realistically more entrants have a chance of winning it, or should it be the same?

What I meant is that the many entering a comp with a net prize are realistic to be know they can't win the gross. If the comp is run purely on a gross basis they wouldn't enter anyway and the best score will win. Where they are run with a scratch and net prize it has to be equal and fair and 50/50

 

[Airlie_Andy]

If you are reducing the prize pot that the vast majority of the field have any chance of winning surely that will reduce the number of entrants? Why pay £5 to enter a comp when only £1 of it is going into a prize pool you have a chance of winning for example?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Can't see why there would be a handicap prize in a scratch open

Hence why i asked if it's a scratch open

 

[FairwayDodger]

What I meant is that the many entering a comp with a net prize are realistic to be know they can't win the gross. If the comp is run purely on a gross basis they wouldn't enter anyway and the best score will win. Where they are run with a scratch and net prize it has to be equal and fair and 50/50

See, I don't get this. I've entered scratch comps knowing I don't have a hope in hell of winning, that's not why I choose to enter comps.

 

[SGC001]

Open comps often give cash (or voucher) prizes in both scratch and handicap categories....

How much should first scratch receive in relation to first handicap, and why?

Is their a trophy? If so who does that go to, the winner of the gross or net.

Around here the singles opens I know of tend to have trophy going to lowest gross, with net prizes thrown in for each division. I kind of assumed (dangerous) single opens were for gross and the bettetballs were for the net players. I suppose the well thought of 'tour' events were for net players too.

Are county singles comps weighted in favour of gross too?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

See, I don't get this. I've entered scratch comps knowing I don't have a hope in hell of winning, that's not why I choose to enter comps.

You are a low HC and possibly could be amongst them - people above CAT1 most of the time aren't allowed or get balloted out or don't enter

The majority of golfers in the country won't enter scratch comps

 

[FairwayDodger]

The majority of golfers in the country won't enter scratch comps

Assuming they are low enough to get in, and not all scratch comps have very low limits, it's their loss. However, I'd prefer to believe that it's more fear of embarrassment discouraging the majority rather than the knowledge they can't win.

Anyway, this is a tangent, I'm only talking about a bog standard golf club open here.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Is their a trophy? If so who does that go to, the winner of the gross or net.

Around here the singles opens I know of tend to have trophy going to lowest gross, with net prizes thrown in for each division. I kind of assumed (dangerous) single opens were for gross and the bettetballs were for the net players. I suppose the well thought of 'tour' events were for net players too.

Are county singles comps weighted in favour of gross too?

Trophies for both lowest net and gross.

 

[williamalex1]

You are a low HC and possibly could be amongst them - people above CAT1 most of the time aren't allowed or get balloted out or don't enter

The majority of golfers in the country won't enter scratch comps

The prize money in cat 1 opens is 3 times that of a h/c open, i think ??????. with my h/c i wouldn't be allowed to enter, even if i was prepared to play off scratch,

 

[SGC001]

Trophies for both lowest net and gross.

Probably same for both then, do they seperate the nets into divisions too?

If so the lower handicaps do have 2 bites of the cherry to offset any worries of sandbaggers.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Probably same for both then, do they seperate the nets into divisions too?

If so the lower handicaps do have 2 bites of the cherry to offset any worries of sandbaggers.

No divisions.

 

[SGC001]

No divisions.

Would asking for divisions help with your concerns?

 

[USER1999]

Divisions wouldn't help where I live. Most opens are balloted out at around a 3 handicap around here, if the course is worth playing, and most are scratch opens. I have no idea if there is a net prize, as I have never met the entry qualifications!

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Divisions wouldn't help where I live. Most opens are balloted out at around a 3 handicap around here, if the course is worth playing, and most are scratch opens. I have no idea if there is a net prize, as I have never met the entry qualifications!

The only opens I qualify for that have a scratch prize also have handicap prizes. I'm pretty sure the handicap prize is only there to get the number of entries up.

 

[Foxholer]

For Open comps, I believe Scratch should be the emphasis, so more for that, with a secondary prize for best nett.

For club comps, the pool was always self-funding, so whatever the competitors decide works - normally only a low percentage opt for the scratch prize, but the winner there often picks up nett prize as well (if they enter).

It's not the prize that matters to me anyway!

 

[FairwayDodger]

OK, thanks for the input. It appears that the majority view is that the prize money should be the same.

Here's why I asked, and why I was against the change (everyone else was for it). Remembering that it's pretty hypothetical as I'm not playing in it.....


Previously first scratch and handicap got the same amount. It's now changing such that the handicap prize is higher than the scratch one with the rationale being that only a few players have a realistic chance of winning the scratch whereas everyone has the same chance of winning the handicap (in theory). Now, that's fine I understand that.... fair enough.

My concern is that any individual can only win one prize so if someone shoots the best scratch and that is also the best handicap score they are awarded the highest value prize, which is now the handicap one. Personally, the money is of no interest and I'd rather win the scratch as that is harder to win and, as such, more prestigious in my eyes.

That's all really, not even a storm in a teacup. Just that I was so out of step with the rest of the committee that I wondered whether some on here would agree with me.

 

[davidy233]

OK, thanks for the input. It appears that the majority view is that the prize money should be the same.

Here's why I asked, and why I was against the change (everyone else was for it). Remembering that it's pretty hypothetical as I'm not playing in it.....


Previously first scratch and handicap got the same amount. It's now changing such that the handicap prize is higher than the scratch one with the rationale being that only a few players have a realistic chance of winning the scratch whereas everyone has the same chance of winning the handicap (in theory). Now, that's fine I understand that.... fair enough.

My concern is that any individual can only win one prize so if someone shoots the best scratch and that is also the best handicap score they are awarded the highest value prize, which is now the handicap one. Personally, the money is of no interest and I'd rather win the scratch as that is harder to win and, as such, more prestigious in my eyes.

That's all really, not even a storm in a teacup. Just that I was so out of step with the rest of the committee that I wondered whether some on here would agree with me.

Is that scratch harder to win for you off 5? if I remember right you are club champion? - do you get a few low visitors who could beat you? or is it more likely that a mid/high handicapper has a good day?

 

[Foxholer]

......


Previously first scratch and handicap got the same amount. It's now changing such that the handicap prize is higher than the scratch one with the rationale being that only a few players have a realistic chance of winning the scratch whereas everyone has the same chance of winning the handicap (in theory). Now, that's fine I understand that.... fair enough.

My concern is that any individual can only win one prize so if someone shoots the best scratch and that is also the best handicap score they are awarded the highest value prize, which is now the handicap one. Personally, the money is of no interest and I'd rather win the scratch as that is harder to win and, as such, more prestigious in my eyes.
.....

I saw a comp that had wording to get around that. Can't remember the actual wording though. Basically, the winner had the choice of which prize to receive AND which award to be allocated.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Is that scratch harder to win for you off 5? if I remember right you are club champion? - do you get a few low visitors who could beat you? or is it more likely that a mid/high handicapper has a good day?

I'm not playing, it's not about me just the hypothetical principle.

However, yes, scratch is harder to win; you don't just wake up one day with the ability to play to a low handicap you know.

 

[CMAC]

Open comps for h/cap and scratch I believe prizes should be even.

Open scratch comps are plenty and they have decent prizes.

I've entered many 36 hole scratch comps knowing I havent a snowballs chance in winning the 36 hole prize (county players and walker cup players in some of them) but I do have the chance to get cut and maybe, just maybe get the lowest score for one of the 18.

I did that once 2 years ago, leading the field after 18, then started par,par,birdie,par,par then an alien took over my body and erased anything I knew about golf or the swing, major slices OOB tops and thins all the way in, it was so bad it was funny.