Scratch Cups

f22

Graeme1982 wrote: »

Ahhh lovely stuff f22!! Cheers for that! Where did you see that? Can't see any reference to it online.

Only down the road from me Graeme.

Time sheet is now open. No deposit, just leave them a contact number. +353 1 8461800

Guaranteed to fill up quickly

Mr. Larson

This is slightly O.T. but does anyone know where you can get a list [I think one exists as I saw one for 08 in Irish Golfer Magazine] of all Open competitions in Ireland?

f22

http://www.gui.ie/open_fixtures.asp

PhilipMarlowe

f22 wrote: »

Yep, JSC on March 17th in Portmarnock Links. e60 per peron. 18 holes.

I think the Senior Scratch Cup is on April 4th over 36 holes.

Any idea from memory what the criteria is for the JSC? 5up or 4 up? 4.2 here (playing to about a 22 currently ) and if I could enter the JSC I could maybe use it as a chance to join a few boardsies if I can get away that day. Will call in the morning anyway...

Mister Sifter

Licksy wrote: »

Any idea from memory what the criteria is for the JSC? 5up or 4 up? 4.2 here (playing to about a 22 currently ) and if I could enter the JSC I could maybe use it as a chance to join a few boardsies if I can get away that day. Will call in the morning anyway...

I got a time today Licksy, but that question i didn't ask i'm afraid. The girl was very helpful though. I'm the only one in my slot if you fancy it, although it is an early one which may not suit you...

ShriekingSheet

Graeme1982 wrote: »

I got a time today Licksy, but that question i didn't ask i'm afraid. The girl was very helpful though. I'm the only one in my slot if you fancy it, although it is an early one which may not suit you...

How early is your slot?
I'm coming from the south side - not sure what traffic would be like even though it's patricks day. I might be better off playing at 11 or something.

PhilipMarlowe

5 to 9 handicaps...

ShriekingSheet

Licksy wrote: »

5 to 9 handicaps...

Shame about that Licksy. We'll get you for one of the 4-9 ones, which there is a few of on the GUI site already.

f22

Unfortunate Licksy, you should have artificially held your handicap at 5 like Dano.

JCDUB

Just got a flyer in the door from Portmarnock links.

Scratch cups as follows:

Jun (5-9) 17th March (as we know)

Senior (up to 4) 36 holes 13 April

Inter (10-17) 16 August

All above €60

Wednesday winter open each Wed until 25th March, doesn't say how much

Titleist Tuesday winter golf series up to 10th March and from 13th Oct to 9th March 2010 - Open to PGA and amateurs of 9 h'cap and under
€60 or €30 if you're member of the PGA (ie a pro)

Open singles s'ford as follows:

Sun 12 Apr
Mon 4 May
Mon 1 Jun
Mon 3 Aug
Mon 26 Oct
Thurs 31 Dec

Hope that keeps ye all happy:cool:

JCDUB

FYI, there's an open singles in Castleknock tomorrow (Tuesday), €30 for non members, good value I reckon, think I'll head out.

I know it's not a scratch cup but hey, just thought I'd let you know.

PhilipMarlowe

Waterford senior scratch 72 hole stroke on 23rd & 24th may. €40 entry fee

f22

Two mates of mine pulled out of the JSC in Portmarnock Links next Tuesday (17 th). Slot is a 10.12 for anyone who may be interested as I know the morning slots were all booked out quite quickly.

gorfield

Lee valley golf club in cork are holding a 54 hole senior scratch cup on 4th 5th april. Confirmed entrants include 8 internationals, Shane Lowry, Niall kearney, Cian Curley, Eoin Arthurs, Pat Murray, Andrew Hogan, Rory Mcnamara, Connor Doran.....to name but a few. 30 entrants at + hcap or better. A great oppourtunity for anyone in cork to see irelands best amateurs up close.....

ShriekingSheet

f22 wrote: »

Two mates of mine pulled out of the JSC in Portmarnock Links next Tuesday (17 th). Slot is a 10.12 for anyone who may be interested as I know the morning slots were all booked out quite quickly.

I was going to play myself but pulled out in the end (not from your slot). How did you get on?

Did anyone else head out?

Mister Sifter

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

I was going to play myself but pulled out in the end (not from your slot). How did you get on?

Did anyone else head out?

I had a bash at it. It was a pretty poor turnout - someone told me only around 50 played in the end.

ShriekingSheet

Graeme1982 wrote: »

I had a bash at it. It was a pretty poor turnout - someone told me only around 50 played in the end.

Holy sh*t. That's bad. I assume it had a good bit to do with the lack of GUI affilliation and with it not being listed on the GUI Open List?

Personally, I was put off by the €60 price tag as well as the prospect of shooting a good score and not being cut for it. The GUI told me as there would be no official CSS it could be a "notable round" at the end-of-year revision but that's it.

I can't imagine it would be a financial issue that caused the turn out because K Club in december had a full sheet at €80. Ok, that was a short sheet due to the light but it filled up pretty quick.

Fingers crossed the other JSCs will be better supported. I think they will be. Skerries, Headfort, Woodbrook, St Margrets, Naas, South County, Lord Mayor's @ Clontarf, Bray etc are all either closer to €30 or some of the 36 hole ones might be up to €50, but still cracking value IMO.

Bray looks like it'll be my first run this year. Shame there doesn't seem to be any others in the run up to Junior Cup Qualifying but I might head to Seapoint and/or the Curragh also if I feel so inclined. I don't know either of the latter too well at all which always makes me reluctant to plunge into a 36 hole strokes day off the back sticks... who orderd the .2 with reduced supplies of ProV1s on the side?

How did you go in Portmarnock Graeme?

f22

The weather was great (except for the wind) but the turnout was terrible. They even let green fees out in the middle of it, which was a joke.

My long game was great in the wind but my short game really killed me. When I missed greens I kept leaving myself in impossible positions. My mate came third with a 77 (countback) and it was won with a 76.

No doubt the morning conditions were much tougher with the wind but there was never a score in my bag on the day.

I also agree e60 is a bit of a liberty in these times so they've only themselves to blame. I only live a few hundred yards up the road so I don't have to travel.

Mister Sifter

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

Holy sh*t. That's bad. I assume it had a good bit to do with the lack of GUI affilliation and with it not being listed on the GUI Open List?

Personally, I was put off by the €60 price tag as well as the prospect of shooting a good score and not being cut for it. The GUI told me as there would be no official CSS it could be a "notable round" at the end-of-year revision but that's it.

I can't imagine it would be a financial issue that caused the turn out because K Club in december had a full sheet at €80. Ok, that was a short sheet due to the light but it filled up pretty quick.

Fingers crossed the other JSCs will be better supported. I think they will be. Skerries, Headfort, Woodbrook, St Margrets, Naas, South County, Lord Mayor's @ Clontarf, Bray etc are all either closer to €30 or some of the 36 hole ones might be up to €50, but still cracking value IMO.

Bray looks like it'll be my first run this year. Shame there doesn't seem to be any others in the run up to Junior Cup Qualifying but I might head to Seapoint and/or the Curragh also if I feel so inclined. I don't know either of the latter too well at all which always makes me reluctant to plunge into a 36 hole strokes day off the back sticks... who orderd the .2 with reduced supplies of ProV1s on the side?

How did you go in Portmarnock Graeme?

Yeah, i was shocked at the turnout. Don't quote me on the 50 number - that was just a figure someone threw at me when i asked about turnout. Around 50 or so they said.

From chatting with a few guys there, they were saying that they would typically play in 5-10 JSCs in any given year, but they thought they would cut back to only 5 max this year. They also said they'd be very selective on the ones they play. That was all to do with cost - everyone thought €60 was too much to be asking.

I'd imagine a few will struggle to fill their timesheets this year, although the main ones (the ones you mention) will do well still.

I swithered with the €60 entry mark too. In hindsight i probably shouldn't have played - it was more the chance to get some early competitive practice and a new course under my belt that swayed me. For a Scotsman, i'm very unfamiliar with links golf and before Portmarnock you could count on one hand the number of rounds i'd played on links courses.

The weather was absolutely stunning and the course was in great nick - greens were superb. Only a strong breeze too so the course was probably playing as easy as it gets. It was a bit of a struggle for me though from the start. Couldn't really adapt to the different types of shot required on links.

Had 5 bogies and 4 pars on the way out, which i was happy enough with. A triple bogey 7 on the 10th killed me though. From the middle of the fairway too. Started to majorly turn the ball over on the back nine but managed to scramble to an 81 in the end. No birdies, no double bogies.

A pretty disappointing start to the JSCs but i enjoyed the round and the course all the same. That said, i'm going to think long and hard about each open or JSC i play in this season. My game really isn't suited to links so i should probably try avoid them. Playing courses i don't know makes scoring very hard too... so that's another consideration. As you quite rightly say... its a sure fire way to getting 0.1s back.

ShriekingSheet

Well if 76 won, there's no disgrace in 81.

Yeah I'll say a few of the peripheral JSCs will suffer this year. The guys getting "selective" will probably mean little change in the big ones but it'd be a shame to see the lesser known ones taking a big hit.

I really do think the one on Paddy's Day suffered from not being on the Open List though - and all the others, big or small, will be. And a lot of family men would have been ruled out for the day that was in it also.

The below list are hosting Junior Cup Qualifying so they should all see a decent turn-out for their Junior Scratch Cups in terms of numbers and quality. The Curragh's is shortly before qualification so should be swamped with good players. South County's is two weeks after the qualifying day so I'd imagine anyone who shot a reasonable score on the day will be back for that.

Ashbourne
Charlesland
Co. Longford
Coollattin
Curragh
Mullingar
Roganstown
South County
The Island

dnjoyce

as a member of the curragh - they're having some issues with the greens at the moment, with two temps in play likely for most of the summer and then another 2-3 ready to be dug up and replaced once the other 2 are back in play. The other 13 greens are normally excellent though and the recent lay-out changes undoubtedly make it a touger/better course so should make for a great test and well worth the money assuming it will come in around the 30-40 euro mark. They also have a senior scratch their on the 10th of May for the first time in years which should present decent value for money and a good test of golf.

Mister Sifter

dnjoyce wrote: »

as a member of the curragh - they're having some issues with the greens at the moment, with two temps in play likely for most of the summer and then another 2-3 ready to be dug up and replaced once the other 2 are back in play. The other 13 greens are normally excellent though and the recent lay-out changes undoubtedly make it a touger/better course so should make for a great test and well worth the money assuming it will come in around the 30-40 euro mark. They also have a senior scratch their on the 10th of May for the first time in years which should present decent value for money and a good test of golf.

Surely the GUI should be looking for an alternate venue for the qualifying if that's the case? When you look at the plethora of good courses down that way, it would be a shame to have to play on a course that had temp greens in play.

ShriekingSheet

Graeme1982 wrote: »

Surely the GUI should be looking for an alternate venue for the qualifying if that's the case? When you look at the plethora of good courses down that way, it would be a shame to have to play on a course that had temp greens in play.

Yeah that'd be a bit of a disaster alright. I highly doubt there'll be any change at this stage though.

On a different point to the above, (and not referring to the Curragh as I've never played it) one thing I do like about the GUI course selections for Cups & Shields is how they move around to all sorts of courses, some great, some not so great, some long, some short etc. It varies greatly from year to year.

There's something very levelling about not just having major events in courses of great esteem - not that such courses would be all that happy about playing host every year. But it's a good expression of how every course has it's charms and it's worth regularly throwing up something different for Junior Cup, Jimmy Bruen Shield etc.

f22

There is no GUI selection to be honest, it comes down to clubs that are actually willing to give their course up for 2 days.

Many clubs field weak teams that will never qualify, so their logic is not to bother putting themselves forward.

ShriekingSheet

f22 wrote: »

There is no GUI selection to be honest, it comes down to clubs that are actually willing to give their course up for 2 days.

Many clubs field weak teams that will never qualify, so their logic is not to bother putting themselves forward.

What?

By that logic it'd be the same few courses all the time. And it's not.

Mister Sifter

f22 wrote: »

Many clubs field weak teams that will never qualify, so their logic is not to bother putting themselves forward.

I was under the impression that each club paid to enter teams so surely, rather than entering a weak team, they would just not bother?

f22

What I meant was that alot of clubs are unwilling to stage events on their course, given the fact that it closes the course to members for a few days.

This is a fact.

ShriekingSheet

f22 wrote: »

What I meant was that alot of clubs are unwilling to stage events on their course, given the fact that it closes the course to members for a few days.

This is a fact.

Absolutely agree with you - that's logical. What I was questioning was your suggestion that the GUI had to take what they were given as opposed to selecting venues each year.

Surely the fact that over time, Cups & Shields are held over a wide variety of venues from the likes of PGA National and Woodbrook to venues further down the food-chain is a testiment to the GUI's ability to gain support from affiliated courses to host events, even if those courses aren't exactly over the moon about it.

If what you were saying was true, it would be the same courses all the time hosting events - but in fact it's not - it's a wide spread.

Do you see what I'm getting at?

ShriekingSheet

Graeme1982 wrote: »

I was under the impression that each club paid to enter teams so surely, rather than entering a weak team, they would just not bother?

Believe it or not, clubs will pay their teams into the event even if they have very weak sides. It's just the done thing really. I think this will change given the times we're in.

f22

I see where you're coming from, and in terms of finals I'm sure the GUI can request a venue.

However, for qualifying, I know of several clubs who I know well that are very reluctant to put themselves forward for qualifyng events, right or wrong.

For example, there are a few clubs out there who don't have a senior cup panel so in their mind why should they choose to host a senior cup qualifying event over two days and have their members rioting in the carpark. :P