alxmorgan wrote: » I just think if you are changing the rules of something you have an obligation to inform people
SaveOurLyric wrote: » I do agree. But I wouldnt expect them to really. Observing that the motivation they are coming from is a 'lets stop people playing in opens who dont have enough cards in the year before' one, and not a 'lets encourage people to put in cards so they can play in opens' one. So their perspective is not one of helping those who they are setting out to curtail.
GreeBo wrote: » I would actually disagree slightly. I think the rule is more like "lets stop people who wouldnt normally have played 3 in the previous year" Same point though, rule is worthless if everyone heads off for 2 weeks to get them all in.
alxmorgan wrote: » Will that not make it worthless next year then when everyone does know ?
dk1982 wrote: » Just to clarify with this rule...so a person who has never been a member of a golf club before, joins a club in January 2015, gets his handicap after handing in his 3 cards, but will not be allowed to play in open comps at away clubs until 2016 (presuming he has played at least 3 qualifying comps at his home club in 2015)?
alxmorgan wrote: » Yes and this is my biggest issue with it.
dk1982 wrote: » Same here. Surely that's a bit self defeating and will put alot of people off joining clubs i.e. people will just stick to cheap green fees on teetimes.ie etc rather than fork out to join a club if they're not going to be able to avail of the perk of being able to play in open comps on other courses. As i said earlier I joined a club a few weeks ago (not just so i could play in open comps on away courses btw...my home course is 10 minutes from my house so I'll be playing very regularly there), but if I had waited until January and then found out about this new rule then i may have reconsidered. By the way I'm not saying bandits should be given a free ride at all, I'm just saying I dont think this is the way to do it.
bobster453 wrote: » Between this and gsr's effecticely it is saying the handicap system is wrong and we dont trust handicap secretarys to do their job properly.
m r c wrote: » Being allowed to play in away opens is a privalage not a right. So play away in your home club for 1 year or pay green fees if you want to see other courses. Jeeze no one died.
SaveOurLyric wrote: » I'm fine with it. Its just a once-off collateral damage to a tiny majority in the context of a bigger picture. Too bad.
alxmorgan wrote: » Once-off it may be but sometimes that it all it takes to lose people to the game.
SaveOurLyric wrote: » If thats the cost of an an overall benefit to the game then its a price deemed worth paying. Remember, the rule is to address an abuse of the system that the majority of golf club members want curtailed - the exploitation of the open day by those for whom it was not intended (dodgy unmonitored handicaps if you wish, and/or, with a subtext of freeloaders not paying their way for access to competitive GUI golf on good golf courses, take your pick).
m r c wrote: » Golf and the irish golfing public need to cut the ****, if everyone joined this Tipp course or wherever the hell it is thats offering cheap membership golf in Ireland falls apart end of. This attitude of i cant afford full membership but how can i swing it cheaper with the least possible impact to me is bollocks. If u are buying your GUI card for under a couple hundred euro or less and playing all your local courses when they have opens you are taking the piss. Golf is expensive, get over it and you have zero entitlement to have it provided to you at less than cost price. I'm wondering if getting rid of the "open day" altogether wouldn't be a great move. Sod it. Pay to play locally, play interclub or pay green fees. The idea of paying less for opens comes from the idea that you are supporting your local golf club already and the host club was giving you a reduction as gratuity.
Dr.Rieux wrote: » That is different to joining your local club for the first time in 2015. Many people agree, and have agreed on thread, that stopping distance membership abuse is a good thing. But, is stopping full members of their local club from playing these opens a good thing all because they weren't a member last year?
dk1982 wrote: » You sound like you have serious anger issues. Take a holiday or something chief. Your blood pressure must be through the roof.
m r c wrote: » Agreed two separate issues totally and i have sympathy for anyone in that position. Stopping full local members playing opens locally seems like its something of an unintended consequence or that they are collateral damage as it were.
GreeBo wrote: » If its the first club then I have no problem, it takes a year at least to confirm a handicap is "correct". If they were in another club and didnt play the 3 rounds last year then I still dont see an issue, why werent they playing?
Dr.Rieux wrote: » Should there be a reduced membership fee for the first year? As you would be getting less for the fee. Or make opens cost the same as a standard green fee. No more playing other courses on the cheap.
GreeBo wrote: » Why? The are getting the same from the club that everyone else is getting. Its a condition of membership to the GUI. Its akin to horse racing where trainers keep a good horse secret until the gold cup and then make a killing on it before they are properly handicapped.
Dr.Rieux wrote: » As part of a membership you get GUI membership, for a fee. This membership entitles you to play in open competitions. If you are immediately disqualified from opens should you GUI membership cost the same? A fixed number of home qualifying comps in the previous 12 months, not calendar year, would do similar for handicap purposes would it?
