Prize money scratch v handicap

[CMAC]

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!

the ones I've seen have said the Trophy goes to the main nett score only, so if you shot lowest scratch which was also best nett they would award you the trophy, no choice, only you would know you had best scratch

 

[Stuey01]

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

Surely if the scratch winner is also handicap winner, if they elected to take the handicap money that doesn't change the fact that they are also the scratch champ? Does it?
The prize money might go to the second place gross, but that doesn't make them the champ.

Not an open, but in our club champs last year the scratch and handicap was won by the same guy, it meant that I, in third (handicap) ended up with a bigger prize because he could ony take one, and the money passed down. It didn't change the fact that he was the winner of both scratch and handicap categories, and everyone knows it and his name is on both trophies.

 

[williamalex1]

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.

I too have experienced an Alien takeover quite a few times and it's usually when i have a good card going. That's my excuse anyway.:rofl:

 

[FairwayDodger]

Surely if the scratch winner is also handicap winner, if they elected to take the handicap money that doesn't change the fact that they are also the scratch champ? Does it?
The prize money might go to the second place gross, but that doesn't make them the champ.

Not an open, but in our club champs last year the scratch and handicap was won by the same guy, it meant that I, in third (handicap) ended up with a bigger prize because he could ony take one, and the money passed down. It didn't change the fact that he was the winner of both scratch and handicap categories, and everyone knows it and his name is on both trophies.

I've seen it both ways. I was fortunate enough to win both scratch and handicap at an open a couple of years ago. They gave me both trophies but only one voucher, I was happy! Doesn't always happen like that, however.

Yes, maybe I didn't ask the right question at the committee - can one person win both trophies albeit only receive one prize voucher. Hmm....

 

[HawkeyeMS]

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.

If everyone pays the same entry fee, the prizes should be of the same value. IMvHO, the reason most of the opens that have both a scratch and handicap prize do so is to increase the number of entrants in order to make it worthwhile playing the comp. If there were enough low handicappers entered each year, there would only be a scratch prize.

I have no idea what the split is at the opens I enter, and don't much care but if it turned out the scratch prize was bigger than the handicap one, it wouldn't bother me one bit.

 

[williamalex1]

The majority opens are advertised as amateur HANDICAP competitions, scratch prizes are just a extra.