WHS Away single scores against home Club scores

[3offTheTee]

I play regularly in Single Competitions at away clubs. Last year at one stage I had 10 away and 10 home in my last 20 and my best 10 were on my home track.

I was talking to a Course Assessor at our Club today and he said I had hd a good knock yesterday and my reply was it is far easier at home than away as I know the course. He was not to pleased with my comment. In the past prior to WHS thee used to be home and visitor CSS although I accept times have changed.

Has anybody else felt disadvantaged when playing at a new away course and are there any statistics showing/ proving that this is not the case?

 

[jim8flog]

I used to reckon on playing away for the first time at any club my score would be at least 3 shots worse simply because I did not know the greens.

There are many courses where local knowledge is a big advantage, particularly courses where you are intending to land short/left/right of a green to allow the ball to roll on rather than land and stop.

 

[IanM]

Some courses are easier to visit for the first time than others!

Taunton & Pickeridge for example, several times we thought, "ooh didn't know that was there!"

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I find I generally play and score well whenever I play away.

 

[Swango1980]

It goes without saying that your home course should play easier than any away course (relative to handicap ratings). Simply because you are familiar with your home course, not because it is necessarily actually easier than any other course. That is not to say you can't go out and have great days away from home, and we all have terrible days on our home course. But that will usually be down to how you played yourself, not because of the course itself. Golf is easy at most places if we are flushing it and putting well, whereas it is difficult on the easiest course in the world when we are fatting, thinning, slicing, hooking and/or shanking it.

At your home course, it will become second nature as to how the ball will move on the green. How the slopes impact the ball. How to course manage yourself well. You'll start to have a better feeling for what club to play into greens from different positions. It becomes second nature, rather than relying on simply a yardage number.

Given I joined my new course at end of last summer, it is a good example. Of the 14 non-par 3's I'd take driver on 11 of them when I started. Now I take driver on 6 of them, as now know driver gets me into more danger, with no real reward if I hit it well. I know to play at least a club less on the 2nd as the green rolls front to back, even though it doesn't look too severe.

So, I'm not overly surprised by the pattern of the OPs scoring, albeit it is still unusual that ALL 10 home scores were better. It would be interesting if there was a wider sample comparing golfers scores at home and away courses.

 

[Bdill93]

I dont play well when "Away" generally...

Im sure its a mindset thing rather than anything else though! I just try too hard to do well and therefore do worse

 

[2blue]

I find I generally play and score well whenever I play away.

I agree & especially on the better courses that have predictable greens & bunkers.

 

[Swango1980]

I find I generally play and score well whenever I play away.

bandit

 

[Canary Kid]

I play in seniors inter club matches and my club very rarely gets beaten at home, but we usually struggle to win away. The clear inference is that, in general, players play better at home coz they know the course.

 

[Bratty]

I feel at times I play better at away courses as I'm concentrating more. My home club has become familiar, and that can breed contempt! I wonder if I'm guilty of not focusing enough on tee shots or being mindful of the conditions, etc. etc.

 

[Swango1980]

I play in seniors inter club matches and my club very rarely gets beaten at home, but we usually struggle to win away. The clear inference is that, in general, players play better at home coz they know the course.

Good point well made. Played in our county handicap league for about 15 years. Away wins for any club were a reasonable rarity, and so were high value if you could get them. Even an away draw was high value.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I agree & especially on the better courses that have predictable greens & bunkers.

For me I think it’s because at a new course I am carrying no ‘what usual happens’ or ‘what I did before’ baggage. I simply play what’s in front of me with a pretty clear mind as I don’t have that baggage cluttering my thinking and adding doubt/uncertainty, and ‘golfers fear’.