Stableford - Is It Real Golf ?

[SocketRocket]

They both have their place. In Stableford you should pick up your ball if you can't score, this speeds up play and is also the reason many competitions use the system. It is also a speedier way to run a comp if there are a number of high handicappers who may be hitting 8's 9's and 10's.

Stroke play is great for medal and championship games but can create a slower field.

 

[papyt]

If you told me to pick up, i would tell you to shove it. :ears:

I'm only picking up when its in the cup.......or we're playing gimmes.

How do people expect to improve or play better under pressure if they only play half their short game.

a comp is just that a comp,not a practice round, your supposed to practice prior to playing in comps and as regards playing under pressure i'm sorry but that comes with playing in as many comps you can.

 

[Imurg]

You can practice putting on any green, after you have finished the hole, even in medal.

This is correct.
As long as you don't hold play up.
It doesn't happen often as it would make the 6 hour rounds 7 hours long

 

[bluetoon]

you should pick up your ball if you can't score, this speeds up play and is also the reason many competitions use the system. It is also a speedier way to run a comp if there are a number of high handicappers who may be hitting 8's 9's and 10's.

Yep! thats what i keep hearing on here. Cause it speed things up, Total bollocks. You guys must play on courses that are like traffic jams.

I'm guessing that could be the main reason for stableford comps?, You can cram more people on the course and ask them to pick up if they are out of the hole. Crazy.

Never played a game up here where someone has been asked to pickup, it just doesn't happen.

 

[papyt]

bluetooth,all well and good but in reality most comps i have played in have 130-150 entrants and it is good form to pick up if you cant score and look at the scenario your a low h/cap like myself and we would normally be around par so no problem but what if you played against 3 others who were taking 9 or 10 strokes each on every hole how long would you be on the course i know it is harsh but that's just the way we play down here.

 

[garyinderry]

yeah picking up if you draw a blank is the usual thing round my course. maybe like to finish out if only one shot into the blank. if im scoring triple or more on a par4 for example ill pick up and move on. i dont do it that often. keeping the blanks off the card is the main aim. this is especially true for those looking to break 100,90 etc. keep scoring!

 

[papyt]

if anybody has a full copy of the rules or anybody from GM who is correct regarding practicing on the course it is niggling at my brain.thanks

 

[Imurg]

7-2 - Practice During Round
A player must not make a practice stroke during play of a hole.
Between the play of two holes a player must not make a practice stroke, except that he may practise putting or chipping on or near:
a. the putting green of the hole last played,
b. any practice putting green, or
c. the teeing ground of the next hole to be played in the round,
provided a practice stroke is not made from a hazard and does not unduly delay play (Rule 6-7).
Strokes made in continuing the play of a hole, the result of which has been decided, are not practice strokes.
Exception: When play has been suspended by the Committee, a player may, prior to resumption of play, practise (a) as provided in this Rule, (b) anywhere other than on the competition course and (c) as otherwise permitted by the Committee.

 

[bluetoon]

Papyt, your right, its almost as if there is a north south divide and two different cultures at work.

As for practicing... you can practice putting on any green in any format after you have Holed out, its just not the done thing, although happens more often in matchplay, i guess cause there is a bit more time.

But if you are playing stableford and you pick up then you aint 'holed out', so might be illegal shots if you start messing about on the hole....not sure on that one.

 

[Imurg]

7-2 - Practice During Round
A player must not make a practice stroke during play of a hole.
Between the play of two holes a player must not make a practice stroke, except that he may practise putting or chipping on or near:
a. the putting green of the hole last played,
b. any practice putting green, or
c. the teeing ground of the next hole to be played in the round,
provided a practice stroke is not made from a hazard and does not unduly delay play (Rule 6-7).
Strokes made in continuing the play of a hole, the result of which has been decided, are not practice strokes.
Exception: When play has been suspended by the Committee, a player may, prior to resumption of play, practise (a) as provided in this Rule, (b) anywhere other than on the competition course and (c) as otherwise permitted by the Committee.

Check out the Rules Explorer on the R&A website

 

[papyt]

Thanks for that imgur if my understanding is correct the highlighted part IS referring to match play,so in effect it is correct that unless your putting and cant score (going for a 7 on par 4) the previous shots onto the green unless in regulation COULD be deemed as practice or are they saying it is ok in a stableford to play out the hole and take 10 strokes,but does that not come under the rule for delaying play,and how many people know these rules.

 

[Tommo21]

To answer the main question.........no.

 

[MashieNiblick]

Re the question of whether completing the hole is practising I'd look at it another way.

There is no Rule requiring you to pick up if you can't score so continuing the play of the hole is within the Rules and therefore the principle of Rule 7-2 applies.

On the other hand I can see that you could be out of the hole and deliberately hit a shot into a bunker in order to practice a sand shot.

No relevant decisions re Stableford so far as I can see and the section on Stableford in Rule 32 doesn't mention this either.

On balance I'm with Imurg as if a Rule only applies to match play then it's always clear in the Rules that that is the case.

Rule 32 does also resolve an old chestnut, at least at our club, as to who has the honour in Stableford comps.

"In handicap bogey, par and Stableford competitions, the competitor with the lowest net score at a hole takes the honour at the next teeing ground."

 

[Captainron]

I agree with the ffolks on here that say that Medal is the true test of a golfer. I don't mind winning a Stableford comp but winning a Medal event makes you feel like you have accomplished more. It's just a pity that Medal takes that little bit longer and that makes clubs think twice about having more Medal comps.

 

[USER1999]

I don't mind winning a Stableford comp but winning a Medal event makes you feel like you have accomplished more.

Why? Most of the time (very high h/caps apart), you have to score on every hole to be in with a shout of winning. Hence most of the time, my stableford score equates exactly to the number of shots I am over par. I can't see the difference?

I can't get 46 points if I have any blobs, playing off ten. There is no margin for error, just like medal.

 

[CrapHacker]

Dunno what you lot are on about. Matchplay is the only 'proper'way to play.

In medal you can play well in tough conditions and score worse than playing on an easier day.

Mano a mano golf is the oldest form of the game. Ask Smiffy, he was there when they invented it.