Would you enter an open if there were no prizes?

[LincolnShep]

Following on from AW's post about opens. Are prizes a motivation for you? Would you still enter opens (at the same fee as currently) if the prizes were completely removed?

 

[Orikoru]

I don't enter opens - but if I did it would only be to play a course I wanted to play. Prizes are a complete irrelevance to me as I never expect to win anything.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Yep would enter the same opens again

 

[Chip&Run]

Our wednesday swindle group enter opens throughout the year and we usually have between 8-16 spaces but we aim to play opens that we think are value for money compared to the standard green fee, not what prizes are on offer.

We always have £5 per man winner takes the pot.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

100%. I've got 12 booked this year, lucky me, and I would do each of them, without question, if there were no prizes involved. Prizes are not part of the equation for me when booking opens.

 

[3 jabber]

I enter mainly scratch opens. I'm not good enough to win any of them but I enjoy the good courses and playing with quality golfers.

 

[garyinderry]

I'd be happy with the prizes being done away with at my home club for normal comps too.

A pat on the back would do.

 

[RichA]

I don't even know or care what the prizes are when I enter a comp, home or away. Just doing it to play golf with a bit of competitive edge or to play a different course.

 

[rudebhoy]

100%. I've got 12 booked this year, lucky me, and I would do each of them, without question, if there were no prizes involved. Prizes are not part of the equation for me when booking opens.

This for me. My sole motivation is to play nice courses at a bargain price.

Won a £25 voucher at a local open last year. It was a struggle to spend it as the shop was poorly stocked, and what they had was well overpriced.

 

[Dunesman]

I regularly do, but in that case we call them greenfees.

 

[hambugerpete]

Do I enter because of the prizes on offer ? No
Do I like it if I win a prize ? 100% yes
Also nothing at all wrong with offering a prize, its something nice for the winner to show off.
As @Orikoru said, cheats will will cheat anyway.

 

[Slab]

Think it'll be a pretty one sided poll result

90% (ish) of the field will take themselves out of any chance to win a prize anyway, with their own inadequate play on the day. So entering Opens 'for the prizes' is pretty much a mugs game

 

[hambugerpete]

Think it'll be a pretty one sided poll result

90% (ish) of the field will take themselves out of any chance to win a prize anyway, with their own inadequate play on the day. So entering Opens 'for the prizes' is pretty much a mugs game

Like 2s in the medal, most of the entrants will do well just to hit the green let alone get a 2, but they all pay their £ none the less.

 

[jim8flog]

Following on from AW's post about opens. Are prizes a motivation for you? Would you still enter opens (at the same fee as currently) if the prizes were completely removed?

Why cannot we cast a vote just because we did not play in any in 2024?

I have entered loads of Opens in the past 30 years and the majority of time it is has been simply to get to play a course on the cheap. In one 3 player team open the other two did not bother to to collect their prize (needed to be spent in the proshop) because of the distance to travel back to the club. I only collected mine because I was on a day out in that area.

 

[Swango1980]

I said no, as I never think about the prize. I just like playing other courses, and I like team golf because it means I can genuinely be happy when the people I play hit a good shot . I like the camaraderie of team golf.

That being said, if you do well in a competition it is nice to get a bit of recognition. It is a competition after all, nice to play for something, even if it is a token gesture. I'd happily play for a little trophy, balls or ball marker with our achievement printed on it. I don't need another pair of golf shoes, club or bag, nor vouchers to spend in a pro shop to buy something I don't really need.

 

[jim8flog]

Like 2s in the medal, most of the entrants will do well just to hit the green let alone get a 2, but they all pay their £ none the less.

One thing I stopped doing many years ago was entering 2s comps where the prizes were golf balls. In the Opens I have played only one club offered decent golf balls as prizes (Prov1s).

 

[Slab]

Like 2s in the medal, most of the entrants will do well just to hit the green let alone get a 2, but they all pay their £ none the less.

Yeah while the players finishing 4th etc might feel more aggrieved, the ones in 20th place will still ‘blame’ the high scoring winners for ‘spoiling the day’

 

[NearHull]

I play in around 10-15 Opens each year. I do like playing for a prize, it adds to the competative edge for me. Keep the prizes down in value, but run them down to many places. Our seniors open went to 9 places last yea, ranging from £100 for winning and down to entry money value.

 

[clubchamp98]

I play opens for the golf course.
Maybe the top five get free entry to next year.
Take away the money that encourages cheats and it could solve many problems.

 

[Springveldt]

I only played in one last year and it was a scratch event at my brothers course. We both knew we had no chance but we entered just so we could have a round together as I only get back up the road 8 or 10 times a year now.

Even if I entered any other opens I wouldn't be bothered about the prizes, I'd just be entering to play a course I wanted to play at a cheaper rate.