Your club competitions in the Summer

[Junior]

It's a topic that quite a few people (including myself) at my club are concerned about. I’d like to get the forums opinions and experiences on this subject. Essentially, there is a divide in the club I play at between those who like club competitions on Saturday’s (and would have as many as possible) and those who don’t want as many as they like the swindles/roll ups/fun competitions. I’m in the more comps the better category and this year will play 11 as I missed a few due to weddings/holidays/work.

In summary, we have 15 weekend qualifies each season between April 1[SUP]st[/SUP] and Sept 20th. 6 are on a Sunday and 9 are on a Saturday

These numbers include the club championships which is 36 holes in a weekend (18 on Sat, 18 on Sun) The 15 also include 2 qualifies in 1 day which is our 36 hole handicap trophy. These numbers also include a Club final on a Sunday, which you have to qualify for. We do have a mid-week stableford each week of the yellow tees (whites are our usual competition tees), however, those in the pro-Saturday competition category can’t play in these primarily due to work/family commitments in the week.

I’d like to understand the forums opinions on club qualifying competitions at the weekend. How many weekend qualifiers are there at your club between April and end Sept each season? Are they on both Saturdays and Sundays? Is that enough or would you like more or less? We have an information evening with our committee off the back of a questionnaire that was sent to club members and this will be a topic that will be discussed. I’d just like to understand how my club compares to others. Thanks Jnr.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We tend to have a good mix. A monthly stableford and medal, along with perhaps one other comp per month either on a Saturday or Sunday so it still leaves a good space for those not wanting to play and wanting to play roll ups. Sadly I don't think you'll please all the people all of the time and whatever the club in the OP decides, it will annoy some. It needs to be careful it doesn't divide membership too much and get others looking elsewhere for another club offering a golfing diary to suit their own needs more

 

[patricks148]

we have about 30 at the weekend only downside is only 2 in Aug when the course is at its best.

 

[pokerjoke]

We used to be a club that played qualifiers all year round which in the end just got to overbearing especially as our course does not drain well and can get in a right state when the green staff are unable to work on it.

Now we have a qualifier every Wednesday until the light fades and both Sat and Sun.

Just like anything some like it some are totally against it,however im all for qualifiers on both weekend days.

We have players at our club that do the bare minimum to keep their handicaps when others play in all the qualifiers which to me seems rather lopsided.

I would like the law to change and have maybe 6 qualifiers to keep your handicap.

Myself I like competition and the more in the comp the better I hate getting a cut when there are 7 in a comp which has happened before.

As long as the course is playable and in good nick between April and September I believe there should be qualifiers both days and midweek.

Its a short enough season as it is.

 

[garyinderry]

Lee park is Tue and Sundays only. Often the Sunday comp is a two week affair or non qualifier. I can play every single Saturday but not as many Sundays due to drinking commitments.

Really doesn't suit but hey ho. It is what it is. They are unlikely to change the Sabbath to a Thursday so I can play more comps.

In Ireland we had comps a couple early in the week, a Friday open and both weekend days. couldn't beat it.

 

[MendieGK]

we have 2 courses, there is a midweek medal on each course on a Tuesday and Wednesday.

In general there is a medal on every single Saturday, and if their isn't the pro will put on a stableford (these pro shop s/fords also count towards an eclectic competition).

In addition, there are a number of team competitions. if one of these is on at the weekend, the other day will have a pro shop stableford put on.

so far this year we have had -

29 midweek comps
25 weekend comps

By the end of the season, we will have had around 90 Qs that could have been played in.

This is part of the reason for me joining the club, bottom line is, if you dont want to play you dont have to but theres no reason to deny people that want to play the chance of entering

Clubs that have 1 Q a month of whatever they do are ridiculous.

 

[MendieGK]

We used to be a club that played qualifiers all year round which in the end just got to overbearing especially as our course does not drain well and can get in a right state when the green staff are unable to work on it.

Now we have a qualifier every Wednesday until the light fades and both Sat and Sun.

Just like anything some like it some are totally against it,however im all for qualifiers on both weekend days.

We have players at our club that do the bare minimum to keep their handicaps when others play in all the qualifiers which to me seems rather lopsided.

I would like the law to change and have maybe 6 qualifiers to keep your handicap.

Myself I like competition and the more in the comp the better I hate getting a cut when there are 7 in a comp which has happened before.

As long as the course is playable and in good nick between April and September I believe there should be qualifiers both days and midweek.

Its a short enough season as it is.

I agree with this a lot.

 

[RollinThunder]

My club has a Stableford roll-up on Wednesdays, a weekly Saturday league (goes to a monthly winter league soon), and a Medal roll-up on Sundays. Every month in the summer season there is a club drawn "major", where you can get your name on the honours board.

I think most members at my club are retired, and can play any day of the week, so comps are more aimed towards them, rather than working people who can normally only play at weekends. A weekend Stableford would be nice, as they're not as punishing as a Medal, and more fun in my opinion. I play cricket on Saturdays in the spring and summer, so I can't play on Saturdays, but I'll play on Saturday and Sunday in the winter.

My old club had roll-ups on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and comps with an online tee-booking system at the weekend. But, there were so many people wanting to play at the weekend, getting a place in a weekend comp was nigh-on impossible. Some complaints started circulating, mainly that members who work full-time, and can only play at the weekend, couldn't get a place in a weekend comp, because they said that the majority of places were taken by retired members, who were able to play in the weekday comps due to having no commitments, but still played at the weekend when demand was high. The secretary took heed, and sent out a memo, politely asking members to play in the weekday comps if they could, and only play at the weekend if there wasn't any other option for them. It was bound to rattle a few cages, as a lot of the retired members were saying things like "Get lost, I pay the same fee, so should be able to play when I want, even if it is the weekend!", and "We've played at 10:00 every Saturday morning for the last 15 years, we're not bloody stopping now!". It was a hard one to take a position on, as a lot of the younger, working members were getting irritated with not getting a round, and subsequently leaving, whereas I agree that it's a lot of money, and one should be able to play when one likes.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I'm a social golfer more than a competition one so I would not join a club that ran comps on both Saturdays and Sundays. I accept it is important to many so I accept Saturdays during the season will be mostly tied up.

Saturdays after about 3pm and Sundays should be fully available to social golfers though as if they can't get on the course at a weekend then why bother being a member?

 

[MendieGK]

I'm a social golfer more than a competition one so I would not join a club that ran comps on both Saturdays and Sundays. I accept it is important to many so I accept Saturdays during the season will be mostly tied up.

Saturdays after about 3pm and Sundays should be fully available to social golfers though as if they can't get on the course at a weekend then why bother being a member?

why do you have to enter the comp though?

 

[jamielaing]

The more comps the better. Surely the sociable games can be played within these comps? Or do not block the tee off and allow general play but those that choose to can enter the medal?

 

[GB72]

We have a decent mix now. Normally a comp on either a Saturday or a Sunday, sometimes on both. We have now started to hold comps without bookings every now and again. This pleases everyone, a comp for those who want it but no tee closures for the social golfers.

My old club was more of a problem. More and more of the comps were moved to mid week each year to suit the retired golfers who made up a large part of the committee etc

 

[Cheifi0]

We generally have one each weekend throughout the season, from the start of April to the end of September. On quite a few there are comps on Sat and Sun. Even when there hasn't been a comp in the diary the Pro shop will put on a Medal or stableford. I would guess that this equates to around 30-40 comps to play. There are some during the week which are generally yellow tee stablefords but I haven't played in any of them and I don't know how frequent they are.

PS Well done on the recent performance Junior!

 

[Junior]

We generally have one each weekend throughout the season, from the start of April to the end of September. On quite a few there are comps on Sat and Sun. Even when there hasn't been a comp in the diary the Pro shop will put on a Medal or stableford. I would guess that this equates to around 30-40 comps to play. There are some during the week which are generally yellow tee stablefords but I haven't played in any of them and I don't know how frequent they are.

PS Well done on the recent performance Junior!

Cheers Josh. Wont be long before your lower though

 

[Lord Tyrion]

why do you have to enter the comp though?

My old club had the course closed for comps only between 8-3pm on a Saturday. You were not able to just go out and play and not be in the competition. I moved this year to a hotel course, a quiet one. They run comps on a Saturday morning but they do not close the course off to those who do not want to enter.

One of the more popular course up here, Alnmouth GC, has pretty much every slot on a Saturday tied up for competition play. You can not get on there on a Saturday unless you are playing in the competition.

 

[Fyldewhite]

In the same period we would have 24 weekend comps all on Saturdays all medals (ie every week). In addition we have 3 qualifiers and a final on Wednesday evenings in June which is a medal comp. All the other Wednesdays are Stableford (start of May to end August). We hold a mixed open Greensome and a Men's 0-9 Hcp 36 hole medal two Sundays in August. Seniors section play every Tuesday. Ladies Thursday.

 

[Junior]

In the same period we would have 24 weekend comps all on Saturdays all medals (ie every week). In addition we have 3 qualifiers and a final on Wednesday evenings in June which is a medal comp. All the other Wednesdays are Stableford (start of May to end August). We hold a mixed open Greensome and a Men's 0-9 Hcp 36 hole medal two Sundays in August. Seniors section play every Tuesday. Ladies Thursday.

That sounds great !!

 

[louise_a]

i have played in 24 qualifiers at my own course this year plus half a dozen or so on away courses. Still 2 or 3 left to play too.

 

[Liverbirdie]

Cheers Josh. Wont be long before your lower though

Have you seen how many he's come down - Fish, your paying out on this one, mate.

 

[Cheifi0]

Have you seen how many he's come down - Fish, your paying out on this one, mate.

I put it down to the tutelage/confidence I got in Ireland. The good news is that I still feel like I can go lower. 7 is still a way off though.