Golf Lockdown Discussion ** No discussion of breaking Restrictions **

JCDUB

Seve OB wrote: »

And to get us back on topic....

who else is excited about competitions starting back up again next week and the battle for the handicap reductions can commence.

I've no doubt that i'll probably leave the reasonably good golf that I've been playing under casual conditions behind and go out and shoot 20 something points.... that would be typical wouldn't it!

Me too, can't wait to play some competitive golf. Although, like you, I have a feeling I have a storm to weather before things come right.

Our club are catching up on missed medals etc, I presume other clubs are doing the same rather than putting on fourball s'fords?

GreeBo

Golf is my Game wrote: »

Which is unfair on them.

Unfair on the slow guys who are holding up the entire course?

GreeBo

blue note wrote: »

How is that impact minimal? Fair enough you won't delay the first group playing through by doing that. But once they walk through you won't be able to hit your second shot until they've cleared the green. In the meantime the group behind them will have surely finished the previous hole (if not they'll be more than a hole behind the group they were following). So they'll be on the tee waiting for you to clear when you're playing your second. So immediately you're in a situation where, if you're slow, you're holding up the group behind you.

If you wait for the group in front of you to get a bit of distance ahead before letting the next group behind you through, everyone behind them will be catching up with each other and bunching. Then the next time you call someone through, if you do it in a similar manner, the group following them will be on the tee waiting for you to hit your second before the group ahead has even reached the green. And then you're in a situation where the groups you let through will benefit from it from the point that you leave them through. And the groups behind will suffer for it.

Players playing a different paces is a problem, but definitely not one with an easy fix. I don't think calling groups through helps on the very busy days unless you're looking for a ball or the like because I don't see how what I've outlined above isn't the case. And from experience, I've been a couple of groups back from the slow one in the past and exactly what I've outlined has happened. The slow group lets others through every few holes and we all end up waiting while they rejoin play. If I'm close enough to the top it's nice to get the clear run after you're called through, but if you're not you'll end up chatting to the next group on a tee box waiting for the fairway to clear.

You hit your tee shot and walk to your ball, when the group behind get to the tee you stand back and let them hit.
As they are walking down you continue playing. When they are ready to hit their seconds you stand back again, if needed.
Continue this until they have passed you.

This is quicker than each group playing sequentially, you are making the operation parallel, this is more efficient.

The 2nd group behind are not catching up any quicker than they were before, as you are not slowing down the 1st group behind, anytime they are ready to play you let them, but you dont down tools and wait for them to pass you by.

/edit
the highlighted bit is whats causing the problem, you dont stop while you let someone play through!

DuckSlice

Cant wait for comps to start back, I just hope I can carry my current form into them. I think the good conditions of the courses at the moment are probably accounting for a couple a shots a round at least.

one of our first comps is stroke play with the prize free membership for next year so hoping to do well in that.

DuckSlice

GreeBo wrote: »

You hit your tee shot and walk to your ball, when the group behind get to the tee you stand back and let them hit.
As they are walking down you continue playing. When they are ready to hit their seconds you stand back again, if needed.
Continue this until they have passed you.

This is quicker than each group playing sequentially, you are making the operation parallel, this is more efficient.

The 2nd group behind are not catching up any quicker than they were before, as you are not slowing down the 1st group behind, anytime they are ready to play you let them, but you dont down tools and wait for them to pass you by.

/edit
the highlighted bit is whats causing the problem, you dont stop while you let someone play through!

I finally agree with you on something :D

Mushy

Seve OB wrote: »

And to get us back on topic....

who else is excited about competitions starting back up again next week and the battle for the handicap reductions can commence.

I've no doubt that i'll probably leave the reasonably good golf that I've been playing under casual conditions behind and go out and shoot 20 something points.... that would be typical wouldn't it!

Very much looking forward to them. My exact handicap is 12.4 so a nice challenge to stay at 12

blue note

GreeBo wrote: »

You hit your tee shot and walk to your ball, when the group behind get to the tee you stand back and let them hit.
As they are walking down you continue playing. When they are ready to hit their seconds you stand back again, if needed.
Continue this until they have passed you.

This is quicker than each group playing sequentially, you are making the operation parallel, this is more efficient.

The 2nd group behind are not catching up any quicker than they were before, as you are not slowing down the 1st group behind, anytime they are ready to play you let them, but you dont down tools and wait for them to pass you by.

/edit
the highlighted bit is whats causing the problem, you dont stop while you let someone play through!

Of course you end up waiting. If you call then through on the par 4, hit your second after they've teed off, and then walk up to the green. Then stand aside and let them hit on, then you can start chipping onto the green / putting while they're walking up. I'm not sure they'll appreciate all the markers on the green, but that's a side point. Then let them play through on the green, finish out yourself and go to the next tee.

In that scenario, after they've finished on the green you'll have the added time of the group that called them through to finish out for the next group to catch up or wait. If you were able to finish on the green before they got up there you'll have the extra time of you waiting on the next tee to tee off.

We've all had it drilled into us that slow play is caused by people not calling faster groups through. But when you think it through, calling groups through can be a cause of slow play in certain circumstances.

Mantis Toboggan

Mushy wrote: »

Very much looking forward to them. My exact handicap is 12.4 so a nice challenge to stay at 12

Sure aren't all the handicaps being discarded and replaced later in the year anyway!

Seve OB

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

Sure aren't all the handicaps being discarded and replaced later in the year anyway!

no

the only thing being replaced is the system of calculating but old handicaps and scores will form the new handicap. nothing is being discarded.

woodyg

be interesting to see how handicaps work for the next month or so with bunkers\flag stick restrictions.

i forgot the world system was starting end of the year, wonder if they push it back?

RGS

woodyg wrote: »

i forgot the world system was starting end of the year, wonder if they push it back?

No. The gui confirmed at a zoom conference recently the new system starts on November 2nd 2020.

Golfhead65

etxp wrote: »

Cant wait for comps to start back, I just hope I can carry my current form into them. I think the good conditions of the courses at the moment are probably accounting for a couple a shots a round at least.

one of our first comps is stroke play with the prize free membership for next year so hoping to do well in that.

Que all the new members with bogie handicaps to be well in the hunt, I know that in our club there will be some mad scores put in for 1st few comps

Seve OB

Golfhead65 wrote: »

Que all the new members with bogie handicaps to be well in the hunt, I know that in our club there will be some mad scores put in for 1st few comps

I don’t expect anything less than 42 points will win most competition’sfor a while

gypsy79

Golfhead65 wrote: »

Que all the new members with bogie handicaps to be well in the hunt, I know that in our club there will be some mad scores put in for 1st few comps

The new handicap system will be much more penal to these new guys. It is much fairer and people will need have 20 qualifying rounds to get full allowance

finglashoop

So will it look back at previous rounds or does everyone start fron scratch

slingerz

Seve OB wrote: »

I don’t expect anything less than 42 points will win most competition’sfor a while

42 wouldn’t get you much in our place. CSS was regularly 39/40 points last year. Not unusual so see 45/46 points come in. Highest I recall from last year was a 49

DuckSlice

slingerz wrote: »

42 wouldn’t get you much in our place. CSS was regularly 39/40 points last year. Not unusual so see 45/46 points come in. Highest I recall from last year was a 49

Whats the slope rating of the course? does it generally play easy or is it just full of bandits?

willabur

45/46 is an outrageous average for a winning score.

40 points usually does the job in corballis with maybe the odd one shooting out to 42 or 43 if the wind is not blowing

Golf is my Game

willabur wrote: »

45/46 is an outrageous average for a winning score.

why? it just means its a very easy course. 4 or 5 better than CSS it perfectly fine as a normal winning score with 100 or so playing.

gypsy79

slingerz wrote: »

42 wouldn’t get you much in our place. CSS was regularly 39/40 points last year. Not unusual so see 45/46 points come in. Highest I recall from last year was a 49

What’s the course?

GreeBo

Golf is my Game wrote: »

why? it just means its a very easy course. 4 or 5 better than CSS it perfectly fine as a normal winning score with 100 or so playing.

Well the SSS should be well under par if CSS is 40+

D Hayes

Any issues around the cup depth and upcoming competitions?

In our place they've made the cups shallower for obvious reasons. What I'm noticing and hearing is that putts that may drop in normal circumstances are not dropping. I know it's subjective, but I've seen it.

If I'm playing a singles comp and a putt that would normally drop doesn't, I would be annoyed, especially with the handicap on the line.

Have you noticed it?

And are clubs finding ways around this? E.g. using one of those foot devices to remove the ball safely from the normal depth hole.

PARlance

D Hayes wrote: »

Any issues around the cup depth and upcoming competitions?

In our place they've made the cups shallower for obvious reasons. What I'm noticing and hearing is that putts that may drop in normal circumstances are not dropping. I know it's subjective, but I've seen it.

If I'm playing a singles comp and a putt that would normally drop doesn't, I would be annoyed, especially with the handicap on the line.

Have you noticed it?

And are clubs finding ways around this? E.g. using one of those foot devices to remove the ball safely from the normal depth hole.

We've went from one of those devices to the shallow cup and no complaints here. The device was far more off putting and made much more of a difference to putting imo. They went back to the shallow cups after feedback.

GreeBo

D Hayes wrote: »

Any issues around the cup depth and upcoming competitions?

In our place they've made the cups shallower for obvious reasons. What I'm noticing and hearing is that putts that may drop in normal circumstances are not dropping. I know it's subjective, but I've seen it.

If I'm playing a singles comp and a putt that would normally drop doesn't, I would be annoyed, especially with the handicap on the line.

Have you noticed it?

And are clubs finding ways around this? E.g. using one of those foot devices to remove the ball safely from the normal depth hole.

You can raise and lower the plastic insert that we use, on some hole they were far too shallow and the ball wasnt even halfway in.

I much prefer them to the lever things, it seems that every second hole left me with a putt where my line was straight at the lever and I had more than one bounce out.

Kiith

I hate the shallow cups. Definitely had one or two pop out that you'd normally expect to stay in.

We have the attachment thing you lift with your putter, and i love them. Hope they leave them in full time.

Seve OB

I’m in 2 clubs. One club have turned the cups upside down. The style of cup has 3 kind of bars, well if you can imagine clock hands pointing at 12 4 & 8. They are quite bulky. I’ve seen a good few putts roll into the cup gently, roll over the bar, hit the pin and roll back across the bar staying out. I’ve seen others roll around the hole and staying out. Normal days 100% of these putts would have dropped 100% of the time.

In the other club we have one of those things you lift up with your putter. It adds a thicker dimension to the base of the flag. I’ve seen one putt hit that not dropping and it was quite clear the contraption kept it out.

I can’t see how we would be allowed to deem the last shots to have been held so it will make things interesting.

youcancallmeal

Kiith wrote: »

We have the attachment thing you lift with your putter, and i love them. Hope they leave them in full time.

We have that in ours and I've seen several putts which strike the flag pole dead centre not go in because the diameter is slightly wider than normal. Still probably better than shallow cups though

Seve OB

youcancallmeal wrote: »

We have that in ours and I've seen several putts which strike the flag pole dead centre not go in because the diameter is slightly wider than normal. Still probably better than shallow cups though

I think this idea is the best. However I think it could be improved and instead of a sleeve over the flagstick if the lifter was down through the centre of the pole. It would mean new flagsticks though and expensive but might be better in the long run....... I mean how long will this last, possibly forever

GreeBo

youcancallmeal wrote: »

We have that in ours and I've seen several putts which strike the flag pole dead centre not go in because the diameter is slightly wider than normal. Still probably better than shallow cups though

Kiith wrote: »

I hate the shallow cups. Definitely had one or two pop out that you'd normally expect to stay in.

We have the attachment thing you lift with your putter, and i love them. Hope they leave them in full time.

If you see a cup that looks too shallow, just poke it down a bit more (assuming you are using the plastic clip on attachment, it slides up and down the flagpole)

slave1

Kiith wrote: »

I hate the shallow cups. Definitely had one or two pop out that you'd normally expect to stay in.

We have the attachment thing you lift with your putter, and i love them. Hope they leave them in full time.

I saw that Saturday but they (Tullamore) have also wrapped masking tape along the bottom the the pole, this to me changes the way the ball reacts when it hits the pole, also when putting straight into the attachment you need to go up to it and face it on the blind side of the pole as hitting it will certainly not have the same ball reaction as it not being there.
Also not liking the bunkers, I was forever ending up in either a hole or a mound behind where I strike the ball so after a few fliers I just smoothed out where the ball was with my foot and dropped the ball for a more playable lie.

gypsy79

slingerz wrote: »

42 wouldn’t get you much in our place. CSS was regularly 39/40 points last year. Not unusual so see 45/46 points come in. Highest I recall from last year was a 49

The CSS been that high to me indicates that they are artificially keeping handicaps high for team competition purposes.

Unless it is a really easy course. But what course plays 3 shots easier

gypsy79

gypsy79 wrote: »

The CSS been that high to me indicates that they are artificially keeping handicaps high for team competition purposes.

Unless it is a really easy course. But what course plays 3 shots easier

It should sort itself out over time. If people keep coming in with 42 should they not be cut.

GreeBo

Deleted User wrote: »

It should sort itself out over time. If people keep coming in with 42 should they not be cut.

Not if the SSS is 40 points and CSS ends up at 42.

gypsy79

Deleted User wrote: »

It should sort itself out over time. If people keep coming in with 42 should they not be cut.

No, they will be cut to 3 higher than they would be if it the CSS was 36

Definitely very suspicious and stinks of cheating to me

Wombatman

Playing well so looking forward to qualifying comps coming back so I can get the handicap down.

What is the story with preferred lies in bunkers and qualifying comps? Have most clubs a local rule in place now?

Pins in all the time will be a bone of contention. In most casual rounds i have played lately we agreed that any putt hitting the flag-stick, but not going in, are given. Plenty of good putts have pinged out because of leaning flag stick etc. If flag stick is obviously leaning in a way that will obstruct the ball dropping, you can't get someone to hold it right?

Golf is my Game

[Deleted User] wrote: »

It should sort itself out over time. If people keep coming in with 42 should they not be cut.

Or they might be needed for teams...

fearruanua

Wombatman wrote: »

Playing well so looking forward to qualifying comps coming back so I can get the handicap down.

What is the story with preferred lies in bunkers and qualifying comps? Have most clubs a local rule in place now?

Pins in all the time will be a bone of contention. In most casual rounds i have played lately we agreed that any putt hitting the flag-stick, but not going in, are given. Plenty of good putts have pinged out because of leaning flag stick etc. If flag stick is obviously leaning in a way that will obstruct the ball dropping, you can't get someone to hold it right?

In every round I have played with the new putt buddy things, someone has had a bounce out off the putt buddy. I presume when it will come to competition it's going to be a case of tough sh1t if it happens. I can't see it being any other way.

Squeaksoutloud

Phase 3 has open competitions back but looking on Golfnet and BRS there are little to no comps listed except for a few select counties. Any idea what is going on? Was hoping it would be back up and running again next week.

Golf is my Game

Clubs reckoning better off without maybe, which I'd be awful in favour of. This corona thing isn't gone away so if you can at all then better off without opens which just makes for more mixing. Some clubs don't need them anyway, some have got a good lot more members in the last few weeks so making up income from that side. So good enough to be back to our own comps, and settle for that for the summer months happily. I'd be happy to see no opens until next year if my club was asking, but each club can decide itself. Plus people will compete in their own clubs if there are much opens on.

Squeaksoutloud

Squeaksoutloud wrote: »

Phase 3 has open competitions back but looking on Golfnet and BRS there are little to no comps listed except for a few select counties. Any idea what is going on? Was hoping it would be back up and running again next week.

Clubs have to make the entries themselves on Golfnet. Maybe Clubs haven't done so yet or aren't having any?

Squeaksoutloud

It's just strange that a lot of counties are just 0 and some have plenty..it seems more like an updating issue as it does not appear sporadic. For me, who is distance member in my old home club but living elsewhere, I have to rely on opens! Put off joining Dublin club in march due to the pandemic and rejoined old club..whoops!

Seve OB

Squeaksoutloud wrote: »

Phase 3 has open competitions back but looking on Golfnet and BRS there are little to no comps listed except for a few select counties. Any idea what is going on? Was hoping it would be back up and running again next week.

well clubs would never list their own comps, it is only opens and they don't always list them.

i know a lot of clubs are going to restrict comps initially to members only as demand is high from their own members and it is only right and proper IMO.

Benny Cake

Are changing rooms, showers etc likely to be open from next week in golf clubs?

Golfhead65

Wombatman wrote: »

Playing well so looking forward to qualifying comps coming back so I can get the handicap down.

What is the story with preferred lies in bunkers and qualifying comps? Have most clubs a local rule in place now?

Pins in all the time will be a bone of contention. In most casual rounds i have played lately we agreed that any putt hitting the flag-stick, but not going in, are given. Plenty of good putts have pinged out because of leaning flag stick etc. If flag stick is obviously leaning in a way that will obstruct the ball dropping, you can't get someone to hold it right?

As per rules, a flag stick can be attended but once it's attended it must be taken out, I would imagine a local rule would/should be implemented so that your playing partner can straighten the flag stick using a club, we have been doing this up to now..A putt not in hole is not holed !!

faffingaround

Thinking of getting home for the summer!

What's the story with clubs and green fees?!
Is there a date for a phase whereby you can play anywhere with an internet booking or is every club doing different things?

slave1

June 29th

Seve OB

Benny Cake wrote: »

Are changing rooms, showers etc likely to be open from next week in golf clubs?

Ours are open but no showers

Seve OB

Golfhead65 wrote: »

As per rules, a flag stick can be attended but once it's attended it must be taken out, I would imagine a local rule would/should be implemented so that your playing partner can straighten the flag stick using a club, we have been doing this up to now..A putt not in hole is not holed !!

But we still can’t touch the flagstick

CalamariFritti

Am I getting this wrong, overreacting or am I right in saying that we're only one step away from no golf? As in the whole country is currently starting at level 2 of the new government covid masterplan and level 3 has no sports allowed already.

Me personally I think that couldn't possibly include golf. That would be a real 'have we learned nothing' type of kick in the balls, but I wouldn't put it past them. GUI have been on the mega conservative side with recommendations around covid and those recommendations' aren't really that anyway. 99.9% of the clubs have treated them as 'orders'.

On a side note pubs -which are still not open now - will be open with restrictions at level 3 and still open (outdoors) at level 4.

What do you think?

callaway92

In fairness, Golf has been getting away with it.

If I was told you could only play at a course where you're a member for now, I'd be fine with that.

The second the door opens for Golf Clubs to allow for it, they get greedy. It's back to normal where I am with people hanging around the clubhouse but the only difference is now, it's almost fully booked out every day.