Open Comps off the back tees?

dnjoyce

I noted in the Headfort thread that there is an upcoming open singles off their Blue tees. Having looked on their website it seems that this is a regular fixture on the first Wednesday of each month. I have played in a similar competition in Concra Wood - first Friday of each month. Does anyone know of any others?
I know it won't be to everyone's taste, but back tee's generally means a higher standard scratch, so if you hit a bit of form these are the comps you want to try and play in to get your handicap down.
Cheers.

bailey99

Every Tuesday in Castlemartyr is off the back pegs alright. Great test off the blues especially the back nine.

heavyballs

i wish there were more regular comps played off the back pegs,sometimes when i play off them in decent courses i feel like i'm more of a 9 or 10 hcpr instead of a 5,

Tones69

heavyballs wrote: »

i wish there were more regular comps played off the back pegs,sometimes when i play off them in decent courses i feel like i'm more of a 9 or 10 hcpr instead of a 5,

Agreed, some courses play very differently off the back tee's

golfnut1

I'd prefer a go of the reds myself!!

charlieIRL

moate co. westmeath is off the back tees for the thursday open. Not much of a difference on some holes.

Redzah

Adare have them a few times each year. Its a lot of fun seeing what the pro's play off.

Benicetomonty

Redzah wrote: »

Adare have them a few times each year. Its a lot of fun seeing what the pro's play off.

Actually from what I understand, the pros very rarely play tournaments off the back tees. Understandable because the courses they play tend to be very long (16 at Olympic Club, US Open course this year is 670 yards!) so they'll usually alternate tee boxes, and almost never play the full yardage available every day of the event. This can be the case for short courses as well; when it hosted the Irish Open in 2000, Ballybunion was played off forward tees even with a week of good weather (both forecast and reality)

The reason for this is that organisers and everyone involved needs the course to look playable in order to generate green fees from hackers like us. If Rory McIlroy can't break par in perfect weather around a golf course, we're not going to spend 150e so we can shoot 120 Only exceptions I've ever noticed are in majors, where the organisers are trying to make it tough and the average viewer understands that!

mike12

Hi,
Almost all the scratch cups are off the back tees.
Mike

Redzah

Benicetomonty wrote: »

Redzah wrote: »

Adare have them a few times each year. Its a lot of fun seeing what the pro's play off.

Actually from what I understand, the pros very rarely play tournaments off the back tees. Understandable because the courses they play tend to be very long (16 at Olympic Club, US Open course this year is 670 yards!) so they'll usually alternate tee boxes, and almost never play the full yardage available every day of the event. This can be the case for short courses as well; when it hosted the Irish Open in 2000, Ballybunion was played off forward tees even with a week of good weather (both forecast and reality)

The reason for this is that organisers and everyone involved needs the course to look playable in order to generate green fees from hackers like us. If Rory McIlroy can't break par in perfect weather around a golf course, we're not going to spend 150e so we can shoot 120 Only exceptions I've ever noticed are in majors, where the organisers are trying to make it tough and the average viewer understands that!

My understanding is different to the above.

In relation to adare, I caddied for pros in the two Jp McManus pro ams Held there and the tees were definitely off the backs.

In relation to ballybunion, I was at this Irish open and from what I remember the tees were also off the backs. Furthermore I've played ballybunion off the backs numerous times including last years senior scratch and it purely depends on the weather there as length is not an issue whatsoever if it's calm. In relation to other pro tourneys, they do vary it depending on the conditions but making it appear more playable to the public factors low down on the list as it is the European tour or USGA that decide the layout not the course owners and each course is set up based on an optimum winning score for the 4 rounds, -10 to -15 for regular tour events and closer to even par for us open etc. Generatin green fees from hackers ranks well down on the tours agenda.

Jul3s

mike12 wrote: »

Hi,
Almost all the scratch cups are off the back tees.
Mike

Hi Mike no they are not.

Benicetomonty

Redzah wrote: »

My understanding is different to the above.

In relation to adare, I caddied for pros in the two Jp McManus pro ams Held there and the tees were definitely off the backs.

In relation to ballybunion, I was at this Irish open and from what I remember the tees were also off the backs. Furthermore I've played ballybunion off the backs numerous times including last years senior scratch and it purely depends on the weather there as length is not an issue whatsoever if it's calm. In relation to other pro tourneys, they do vary it depending on the conditions but making it appear more playable to the public factors low down on the list as it is the European tour or USGA that decide the layout not the course owners and each course is set up based on an optimum winning score for the 4 rounds, -10 to -15 for regular tour events and closer to even par for us open etc. Generatin green fees from hackers ranks well down on the tours agenda.

Don't know about Adare but my info from Ballybunion came from my uncle who's a very active member and a low handicapper. According to him, members were not best pleased at the low scores being shot and attributed it to the good weather (especially the weekend) but also forward tees. At no point that week did the course play it's longest, which, for pros, isn't very long to begin with. I think there's some truth in what you say re the optimum winning score but it's in the Tours' interest as much as the course owners to have regular events won with decent to good scores and they know it. All one big industry after all. Hoping to play the Senior Scratch this year, so can investigate that part of it for myself! How did it play last year? Any joy? Good weather, course in good shape? Really looking forward to some competitive golf around there, only ever played 1 casual round to this point

Redzah

Benicetomonty wrote: »

Don't know about Adare but my info from Ballybunion came from my uncle who's a very active member and a low handicapper. According to him, members were not best pleased at the low scores being shot and attributed it to the good weather (especially the weekend) but also forward tees. At no point that week did the course play it's longest, which, for pros, isn't very long to begin with. I think there's some truth in what you say re the optimum winning score but it's in the Tours' interest as much as the course owners to have regular events won with decent to good scores and they know it. All one big industry after all. Hoping to play the Senior Scratch this year, so can investigate that part of it for myself! How did it play last year? Any joy? Good weather, course in good shape? Really looking forward to some competitive golf around there, only ever played 1 casual round to this point

Couldn't have played more difficult last year as it was wet and very windy. It's one round on each course and the cashen course with a gale is extremely difficult and much more difficult than the old course. I shot 83 82 which finished top half. It think winner had 2 78's. Course is always in decent shape there and the comp is well run by a good bunch of lads there. I expect there'll be a big field interested in playing this year as it is a munster team qualifying event compared to last year where it was run as an invitational event.

Benicetomonty

Redzah wrote: »

Couldn't have played more difficult last year as it was wet and very windy. It's one round on each course and the cashen course with a gale is extremely difficult and much more difficult than the old course. I shot 83 82 which finished top half. It think winner had 2 78's. Course is always in decent shape there and the comp is well run by a good bunch of lads there. I expect there'll be a big field interested in playing this year as it is a munster team qualifying event compared to last year where it was run as an invitational event.

Sounds great! Me and the bro hoping to head down, so will be fingers on the buzzers when the sheet opens. No online timesheets, unusual. Do you know if higher handicapped entrants get balloted out or is it 1st come 1st served? I shud b ok but hes 4 flat now I think

Redzah

Benicetomonty wrote: »

Sounds great! Me and the bro hoping to head down, so will be fingers on the buzzers when the sheet opens. No online timesheets, unusual. Do you know if higher handicapped entrants get balloted out or is it 1st come 1st served? I shud b ok but hes 4 flat now I think

As i said, it was an invitational last year so it wasn't necessarily an open competition. There def won't be an online timesheet, it'll be a ring the club and put your name down job. 4 would be borderline so i'm not sure to be honest but at least it should be a reasonably big field as they start half the field off cashen course and the other half off the old course and switch in the evening.

Benicetomonty

Redzah wrote: »

As i said, it was an invitational last year so it wasn't necessarily an open competition. There def won't be an online timesheet, it'll be a ring the club and put your name down job. 4 would be borderline so i'm not sure to be honest but at least it should be a reasonably big field as they start half the field off cashen course and the other half off the old course and switch in the evening.

Fair enough. Big field and prob be the odd withdrawel, he shud be ok. Wel see tho, thanks for the info!