Open Comps - whats the story?

delboy159

I am new to golf, but beginning to get a bit consistent at it. I want to play to an 18 handicap (or better) by the end of this year - curently just breaking 100, now and again...

I realise that playing in club comps etc. is the best way to motivate yourself and focus your game - which I intend doing as many Sundays as possible.

However, I can take a handful of (2 or 3) half days a month (thank God for flexi time) and would like to practice my game with this time. I would love to be able to enter a few Open Comps in clubs around Dublin from early April on - to really give my game some extra time. I find playing on my own or going to the driving range is a false environment - it's great for working on things, but I need to get stuck and feel a bit of pressure when I play, thats why I'd love to be able to try Open Comps during the week.....

What is the practice with this? Do you just ring a club doing this and book a tee time and play away in the comp? Could I play as late as 2/2.30/3.30 in the afternoon, so that I only need to take a half day from work?

As I am new to the sport I'm not aware of how common this is or how welcoming clubs are etc...

Any advice or experiences from the old pro's would be appreciated.

Thanks.

flanzer

Open comps are only open to members of other clubs and have a GUI handicap.

You're best bet is to join Elm Green GC or Deer Park where you can get an official handicap. The cost is around €300 a year but you still have to pay everytime you play!! But it will entitle you to play in open comps in other clubs. Y

You can try Ashbourne GC or Rogantown GC in Swords if you've about €10,000/€15,000 to spare. They've now opened for new membership! This majority of this price includes a 'joining fee'. I was lucky and got into Howth GC as a teenager and didn't have to fork out that fee!

delboy159

I'm just after joing a club in Portlaoise, as I'm originally from Laois. It's €550 for the first year and €400 a year there after. It's only an hour down the road with the motorway so I get a fair bit of use of it and it's a nice course - if a bit short.

I'm wondering whats the story about playing Open Comps once the handicap side of things is sorted.

Thanks.

DIEGO WORST

U can purchase a book of fixtures published by the GUI or visit http://www.gui.ie/ and click on "open fixtures" in the left hand pane. Some clubs have already put up their open fixtures for 2006, I'm sure there'll be a few more in the coming weeks.

U do need a GUI handicap to enter.

What I find is that clubs in Dublin are less likely to have open fixtures, whereas clubs in Co. Kildare, Co. Meath etc will have more open comps. There are also clubs that only have fourball opens. U should also watch out for scratch cup comps, if ur around or above 18 handicap, u can play in minor scratch cups (these are normally at weekends).

If a club has an open comp listed, they will be more than happy to allow u 2play. As u said, just give them a phone call. Some club's tmesheets fill up very quickly, so u might need to book a week or two in advance.

Open comps, on week days, tend to play all day, right up to sunset - so in late-spring/mid-summer months u could tee off at 3 r 4pm or even later.

It is a great way to challenge ur game on various courses n meet new people

css

Open competitions are all well and good, you should have no problems entering them once you have a GUI handicap. Just bear in mind that you will be playing new courses with new course conditions, and it will involve a learning curve on each course, some courses are a helluva lot easier to learn/play than others!

My advice is if you want to improve your golf nothing can beat a good competitive skins game.... If you get 3 other fairly well matched playing partners, it's great craic, and to win, you have to play well on at least one hole!

delboy159

Thanks for the advice guys.

css - I agree with the competitive situation like skins, but very few of my friends play golf. Funnily enough the three friends that introduced me to the game are still playing 2/3 times a month at most - never improving, but never that rusty either, which is grand, but I want to progress. Most of my other friends haven't gotten into golf yet.

Thats why I'm looking to the Open Comp situation, to try and bring me along

css

Fair enough, I know what you mean, i'm lucky that I've family i can play with if i'm stuck!

Get out in the club you joined, you'd be surprised how many people will turn up on-spec and look for a game with someone. Who says you have to be in a competition at all, count your putts, drives, shots, etc, you can compete against yourself! It's not the same as a real competition, but a good way to see what you can improve on..

My advice on improving is get your basic swing on the driving range, but work on your short game - chipping, sand-play, putting.. This is where real improvements can be made! Next time you are out on the course, write down how many shots it takes you to get to within 50 yards of the green, and then the score you take at the hole.. It should give you some food for thought, if you look at the figures afterwards, hell even after 9 holes!!

TheDoc

If you work alot, dont join golf clubs, thats the best advice.

I know people engrossed in full time jobs, yeah they get paid their big 60k+ a year, but they have no time for golf, forking out hundredds a year on subs to play 1 game.

Make sue you can have the time to play good golf, or have fun golf. And golf is usually fun when you play decent.

Thankfully I'm not at this horrid stage yet caue im only 17 in college, and i dnt have to pay amd entrance fees to my club, but i feel bad for people who love golf but play less then 5 games a year cause of work =/

J.R.HARTLEY

the only advie i'd give you is do as css says and practice a lot, going to open competitions and getting competitive games is no good if your not consisitently breaking 100, golf is not a pick up and play sport it takes a lot of work and time, the key isn't long drives it's consistency, a lot of beginners end up feeling a little deflated after there first few competitions as they will often be miles back form the frequent players (lads that'd be out nearly every second day). i'd say keep practicing and see a pro for a lesson, he should be able to work with you to bring you down under 100 consistently, thats the key,
if you do wan tto play other courses some courses have frequent enough semi-open fourball competitions, one or two members must be on the team, check with your family and any friends that do golf for these oppertunities.