Qualifying Competitions Rant

[chris661]

At my Club the course is closed to normal play until after the last competitors have left the first green. If every Saturday had a competition on then it would be well after 2pm before the course was open for non competitors.

Club golf seems to be inherently different here to the UK (I only have personal experience of Scotland) judging by the comments on threads like this. We can rock up on any Sunday, which is our club comps, and play in amongst the comp but not enter if you don't want to. As the timesheet is never entirely full I don't see a problem with this.

Sunday does seem to be THE day for golfing and if you go down to my place on a Saturday it is like millionaires golf, there will be very few playing.

And anyway isn't ALL golf you play supposed to be social

 

[Val]

And anyway isn't ALL golf you play supposed to be social

Absolutely, it is in my book anyway

 

[Twin Lakes]

I've put a supp in already last week and immediately shot -9 but, it has been frowned upon in some quarters as its without the added pressure of being in a competition apparently! Personally, I think that's a load of tosh, its still a card in the hand, back white blocks and strokeplay, plus, we have to declare and sign the book that were playing a supp so I see no real difference in pressure.

One balloon don't make a party Rocket Man!
Why are you trying to justify the fact that you got cut using the back door.
The amount of golf you play I'm sure you could nip up and play the midweek stableford!
You could always vote with you're feet. You've changed clubs, wedges, balls how about trying a different golf club? You do seem to be quite negative about Kennilworth at the moment.

Lets be clear here. Suppo's are for those that struggle to play enough qualifiers not those who choke when it matters.

 

[Rooter]

Lets be clear here. Suppo's are for those that struggle to play enough qualifiers not those who choke when it matters.

That's a nice attitude to have, let's play nice yeh??! I think fish has clearly said there are not enough qualifier and no Q stableford midweek etc

Have you played kenilworth? It's a proper test and you could destroy your card at any point as there is trouble potentially on every hole.

 

[Imurg]

One balloon don't make a party Rocket Man!
Why are you trying to justify the fact that you got cut using the back door.
The amount of golf you play I'm sure you could nip up and play the midweek stableford!
You could always vote with you're feet. You've changed clubs, wedges, balls how about trying a different golf club? You do seem to be quite negative about Kennilworth at the moment.

Lets be clear here. Suppo's are for those that struggle to play enough qualifiers not those who choke when it matters.

Let's be clear here - Supplementaries are available to all and a legitimate means of reducing your handicap, like it or not...
I fail to understand why anyone wouldn't want someone else to play and lower their handicap?

I'd rather someone played as many qualifiers as they can AND as many supps as they can to ensure they have an accurate handicap.
If someone is playing better than their handicap suggests then a Supp can be used to get it where it should be...or would you rather play against someone who "chokes"(haven't we all done that?) on Comp day but shoots plenty under and takes the cash in a bounce game...?

Bizarre attitude to have.....

Give me the Guy who wants to be as low as they can be

 

[Birchy]

One balloon don't make a party Rocket Man!
Why are you trying to justify the fact that you got cut using the back door.
The amount of golf you play I'm sure you could nip up and play the midweek stableford!
You could always vote with you're feet. You've changed clubs, wedges, balls how about trying a different golf club? You do seem to be quite negative about Kennilworth at the moment.

Lets be clear here. Suppo's are for those that struggle to play enough qualifiers not those who choke when it matters.

Your post seems to have a personal edge to it which there is no need for imo.

One midweek stableford isnt a lot though is it? Add just 2 weekend q competitions and thats thin rations in anybodys book.

Supp cards are for people who dont get chance to play enough qualifiers and feel their ability has outgrown their handicap. This instance it seems to of proven correct considering the player in question got a rather large cut?

People moan about bandits and people moan about players lowering their handicap! I just dont get it

 

[pokerjoke]

I agree.
Getting your hp as low as possible must surely be the aim of most golfers.
Imo anyone who enters 3 qualifiers a year,but plays golf all year around hasn't got a true hp.
I was playing with a guy recently who absolutely knew he had a false hp,so I refused to play for money
with him in bounce games.
Everyone was giving him a hard time,however he just laughed[sickening].
Finally hes got the message and his hp has tumbled.
Too many of these players around imo.

 

[fundy]

One balloon don't make a party Rocket Man!
Why are you trying to justify the fact that you got cut using the back door.
The amount of golf you play I'm sure you could nip up and play the midweek stableford!
You could always vote with you're feet. You've changed clubs, wedges, balls how about trying a different golf club? You do seem to be quite negative about Kennilworth at the moment.

Lets be clear here. Suppo's are for those that struggle to play enough qualifiers not those who choke when it matters.

Wow, who rattled your cage? Cant see any need for your post tbh. Personally am not the biggest fan of supplementaries but theres a way of putting it and you clearly have some sort of agenda here that seems wholly unjustified.

Always find it amusing that belly putter users question how others perform under pressure, enjoy learning to putt properly

 

[Foxholer]

@Fish

Keep putting in the Supplementaries. Every week from mid May through to end of July should get the message across and may still be below the 10 limit.

Though try to get to the midweek Stableford if you can. Stableford is just as valid as a Medal and is from a handicap point of view. The Stableford adjustment actually means Handicap is actually a Stableford metric. Were you under the impression that these weren't qualifiers? Or just not able to get to them because of work? They are often geared towards 5-Day members to the exclusion of '7-Day' ones.

Otherwise, Twin Lakes has a point - consider another club.

And if you win the couple of Medals available, someone might take some notice too!

@Fundy. Long/Belly putters are still legal. Do you think Twin Lakes will sort his out (if he actually needs to) before you sort out your Driving?

 

[Val]

Gents, Twin Lakes and Fish have previous over on HDID and its went on for yonks, best leaving be.

 

[Foxholer]

Gents, Twin Lakes and Fish have previous over on HDID and its went on for yonks, best leaving be.

Thanks Val. Explains a couple of references/comments.

Makes no difference to my comment though. If the club isn't providing the environment he (now and currently) requires then consider moving to another one. That's what I did, though it wasn't an easy decision.

Fish is in exactly the situation that Supplementary cards are designed to resolve. He can't play sufficient qualifiers to ensure his handicap is at the correct level. Whether that's because of personal circumstances or because the club either doesn't provide sufficient opportunities or those opportunities are taken up too rapidly by others doesn't matter.

 

[Fish]

@Fish

Keep putting in the Supplementaries. Every week from mid May through to end of July should get the message across and may still be below the 10 limit.

Though try to get to the midweek Stableford if you can. Stableford is just as valid as a Medal and is from a handicap point of view. The Stableford adjustment actually means Handicap is actually a Stableford metric. Were you under the impression that these weren't qualifiers? Or just not able to get to them because of work? They are often geared towards 5-Day members to the exclusion of '7-Day' ones.

The midweek stableford is also only once a month as stated in my OP, unlike many who have stated on here that they have them weekly, I wish I did. I think only having 1 stableford and 1 medal once a month after the qualifying board comps have been exhausted which are rushed through at the start of the season and are coupled mainly with medal days removing further qualifying opportunities when the course isn't at its best, is, well, reducing the opportunities to have a good go at reducing a handicap as your not going to play well on each one are you and as such having to wait for the next month is then just plain daft!

 

[Fish]

Gents, Twin Lakes and Fish have previous over on HDID and its went on for yonks, best leaving be.

Why? If he wants to get personal and attempt to goad me into a spat and people pick up on that as there's is no need for it, then they have the right to air their views based on the tone of his post, don't they?

I agree with all the responses (except his), and Imurg puts it across perfectly.

 

[MendieGK]

Qualfying comp every Saturday at ours all through the season. Two midweek medals per month too. Also we have Captains, presidents and Davyhulme (top 90 nett qualify) which include another qualifying round on a sunday as they are two day comps.

Every club should have minimum of 1 qualifying comp every weekend imo. If it was up to me they would have one Saturday and Sunday every week! I get bored sometimes just knocking it around for fun.

I absolutely agree with every single point you have made here. How hard is it to have a Q on both days at the weekend? All it requires is someone setting it up on the PC and then closing the comp at the end of the day.

Having moved regions a few years ago, how many competitions do you have? was one of the main questions i asked before joining!

I also agree around the getting bored of just knocking it round for fun. i'd rather practice than play 18 holes with no consequence.

It annoys me how many members dont enter competitions when they are on? personally, i think it should be obligatory.

 

[Fish]

Fish is in exactly the situation that Supplementary cards are designed to resolve. He can't play sufficient qualifiers to ensure his handicap is at the correct level. Whether that's because of personal circumstances or because the club either doesn't provide sufficient opportunities or those opportunities are taken up too rapidly by others doesn't matter.

There have been 7 qualifying rounds so far in 3 months! I've been cut in 2, had 3 x 0.1's and made buffer in 2 but now most months will only offer up 2 opportunities at most and I may not be able to attend all those so, supplementaries are my only other opportunity like the one I have just done, I personally don't see any problem with them but I would rather have more qualifying rounds to enter at my club, which is the main point of the topic as I constantly read on here people being cut from weekly comps every week.

I could just sit back on my 23, play in my club knock-outs and matchplays with loads of shots, win club prizes, take the sweep money but then the same people would berate you for the opposite reasons!

 

[MendieGK]

I dont see the issue with Supplementary cards. If you play competitions purely for your handicap rather than the £20 credit in the pro shop you will get if you win, then surely they are indentical? The only benefit i often find is that the tees are generally forward (blue tee up near the whites etc) and pins in slightly easier positions when i do them during the week,

on a side note, i really enjoyed Kenilworth. if my memory is correct, it has a long par 4 first with a small hazard across the fairway at the bottom of the hill? correct?

 

[Fish]

I dont see the issue with Supplementary cards. If you play competitions purely for your handicap rather than the £20 credit in the pro shop you will get if you win, then surely they are indentical? The only benefit i often find is that the tees are generally forward (blue tee up near the whites etc) and pins in slightly easier positions when i do them during the week,

on a side note, i really enjoyed Kenilworth. if my memory is correct, it has a long par 4 first with a small hazard across the fairway at the bottom of the hill? correct?

Yes, 475 yard par 4 index 7 start with a ditch across the fairway at the bottom of a slope around 280 yards and OOB all down the left after that ditch! Follow that up with a 209 yard par 3 with OOB all down the left, not the nicest of starts, especially as the Si3 and Si1 are then next after a small par 3.

All our supps are done off the white blocks which generally are always much further back than the yellows all of the time and all supps are strokeplay.

 

[MendieGK]

All our supps are done off the white blocks which generally are always much further back than the yellows all of the time and all supps are strokeplay.

I may be wrong, but is a golf course allowed to enforce this? I dont think they are. The CONGU rules say that Supps can be off any tee (as they are assesed using SSS) and it can also be medal or stableford.

I suppose the format bit is irrelevant as a medal round would be treated in the same was as an s/ford anyway, with reductions made for scores above a net double bogey?

 

[Fish]

I may be wrong, but is a golf course allowed to enforce this? I dont think they are. The CONGU rules say that Supps can be off any tee (as they are assesed using SSS) and it can also be medal or stableford.

I suppose the format bit is irrelevant as a medal round would be treated in the same was as an s/ford anyway, with reductions made for scores above a net double bogey?

One of the lads mentioned this as we went out and asked if we were going off the yellows or whites and playing stableford or strokeplay, I said I wanted to emulate a medal round so we went off the whites and played strokeplay. I suppose you just tic the card accordingly but I think its not reflective if you go off the yellows so I play off whites at every opportunity, including bounce/chuck-in/sweep rounds. Poorly worded by me before

 

[Foxholer]

One of the lads mentioned this as we went out and asked if we were going off the yellows or whites and playing stableford or strokeplay, I said I wanted to emulate a medal round so we went off the whites and played strokeplay. I suppose you just tic the card accordingly but I think its not reflective if you go off the yellows so I play off whites at every opportunity, including bounce/chuck-in/sweep rounds. Poorly worded by me before

There's no requirement to play off the Whites for Supplementaries - merely a 'Measured Course'. Clubs may prefer you to do so though and it's probably more indicative of competition conditions.

Indeed, either format would be acceptable. all you need to ensure is that the same things appear on card as needs to be on a Competition one - and that the Supplementary Card process is followed.