Winter Golf Comps at your club

[Swango1980]

I actually agree. When the course is frozen you don't have any expectations going in, you know it will just be silly so you tend to have a good laugh. Accidentally hitting the front of the green when trying to pitch it short, and watch it bounce 50 yards over the back. Last January we had a round like this, I shot 93, but my mate who was 26 handicap at the time managed his best ever round at the club with an 89! Somehow he just mastered playing every single approach with a low-running 7 iron that stopped on the greens instead of bouncing through.

At my last course, the second hole was a par 3. On the winter green, it was only about 80 yards long. Immediately behind the winter green was the real green's greenside bunker. I played with a chap who played a very good tee shot, landing it short and running. The bounce was just a touch too much, ball rolled passed the pin, to back of small temp and then dropped into the frozen bunker.

So, his second shot was out of a frozen bunker, with no green to work with (and even if he did, it was like a table). Played his second shot, flushed it, and ball ended up going beyond the yellow tee pegs that he hit is tee shot from. Hilarious.

 

[IanMcC]

All qualifiers stop after our Masters in the second week of October. Resume 3rd week in March, weather permitting.
We still have 3 comps a week in Winter though. 10 holes on Friday and Wednesday. (Lose 2 shots for a win and 1 shot for a second place.) 15 holes on a Sunday, with an Order of Merit comp running over the Winter. (same rule for losing shots.) The white tees are removed. Everything off yellows.

 

[Golfnut1957]

We run stablefords throughout the winter, and whilst last year they were all non qualifiers because of the awful conditions, generally they are used for handicap purposes. We also run winter league.

I am happy to play all winter unless the course is frozen solid or the rain coming down sideways.

The only thing that stops us playing is a closed course or snow. We tried it once but it was impossible to putt.

 

[rulefan]

We only have one 'winter' course rated. The others have the tees moved to alleviate winter wear. The pro tries to run a couple of Saturday qualifiers (medal or stableford) a month. But it depends on the number of temp greens or flooded bunkers on the day.
The ladies run an 18 hole and 9 hole qualifier (different tees) on most Tuesdays.

 

[Mel Smooth]

Roll up Stableford every saturday.
Winter League alternate Sundays, monthly stableford or team/fun event on the opposing Sundays

 

[patricks148]

Nairn and Dornoch doesn't, no comps Oct to April, but Tain does as they dont use mats in winter now, its a shorter course with one of the par 4 becomes a 3 and a 5 a par for so its at least 2 shots easier.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

We still have a monthly medal & stableford but most other competitions are team based. We run a winter league after Christmas which has 6 rounds and all are different format.

 

[LincolnShep]

I actually agree. When the course is frozen you don't have any expectations going in, you know it will just be silly so you tend to have a good laugh. Accidentally hitting the front of the green when trying to pitch it short, and watch it bounce 50 yards over the back. Last January we had a round like this, I shot 93, but my mate who was 26 handicap at the time managed his best ever round at the club with an 89! Somehow he just mastered playing every single approach with a low-running 7 iron that stopped on the greens instead of bouncing through.

Has your mate moved to Finland to capitalise on his natural skill as an ice golfer?

 

[LincolnShep]

Stableford comps every Saturday and every Sunday (plus a midweek one but I don't know what day) - all qualifiers.

 

[Swango1980]

Has your mate moved to Finland to capitalise on his natural skill as an ice golfer?

In fairness, at our last club one of the high handicappers (we affectionally call Dolph, you know who I mean) shot 48 points on an icy day, when he usually struggled to play anywhere near handicap through summer.

He obviously played well that day, but the way I see it, we were on temporary greens (so a lot shorter) and the ball was bouncing miles. Not hitting greens is no issue to him, because his handicap is based on not hitting many greens at all in the best of weather. Missing putts is also not an issue, as he does that on perfect greens. So, the way I see it, those conditions do not really cause him a huge disadvantage to his normal game anyway, and now the course is playing much shorter which allows him to get there. Whereas better players are very much more handicapped, because it doesn't matter so much that they are great putters or pin seekers.

I suppose if Slope could be evaluated for such a course set up and conditions, it would come down massively. Partly because of the short course. But also because it becomes very difficult for good players as their skills are highly neutralized, but doesn't get much more difficult, relatively speaking for very high handicappers. If that was the case (lower Slope), the higher handicappers would get less shots. But, as this cannot be done, it doesn't surprise me that you can see some good scores from the higher handicappers in these types of conditions

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Medals No… Saturday stableford for WHS Yes (tee not reserved for comp). Don’t think we do a Sunday one.