[JR Potts]

Make E, F and G flights if need be....as long as there are enough guys to make a competitive flight.  If you are the worst player in your club and can't compete in the worst flight without your handicap, then get better or sit that event out.

I suspect I'm going to have the same problem in our Club Championship this weekend as I did in the Match Play a month earlier. There are dozens of active high handicappers in our club but none of them want to enter the tournaments. The highest flight (eight guys) in the Match Play ended up being the indices from 16.0 to 24.something and then we played straight up. So in the first round I got matched against the guy with the 16.0 index and mine was 20.6 or something like that. Predictably, I only lasted fifteen holes before bowing to the better player. A buddy of mine with a 21 index managed a first-round win over the first 16-capper he faced but was obliterated by the next one. Even in match play you can't give up five strokes and win very often.

Now this week we'll have an even worse time of it in the biggest stroke-play event of the year. I'll be giving up three, four, five strokes per round for 36-holes of medal play. Ideally, a dozen of so of the 20-25 handicappers would sign up and we could have a grand old time playing straight up. But since that isn't going to happen I'm happy that a winner will be declared for both Gross and Net within the flight.

So I appreciate the advice to stay home in the air conditioning but fortunately our club doesn't take quite as hard a line on the matter.

It wasn't meant as a personal attack.  However, I think that many clubs go too far in attempting to ensure that every is happy with the format and that everyone is on totally equal grounds.  For instance, our Club Championship has a a D flight.  Only two guys even play in the D flight.  So every year one guy gets a first place trophy and one guy gets a second place trophy.  And they are nice!

I say screw the D flight and force the guys to compete..even if it means giving up 4 strokes.  Who knows, they might get hot and even with the thing.  That would be an accomplishment.  

It's a competitive sport.   Not everyone has to have a great chance at winning.

[Brad Tufts]

I know Ryan's stance on this....but what do people think of juniors playing in the club championship?  I've heard of clubs that allow only full members, or only those over 25.

For my club, the CC is the only "club" tourney juniors can play in, as seniority is needed to get into the other big events....

[Lyman Gallup]

In an ideal club world there could be a Junior Championship, a Club Championship, and a Senior Championship--an event for everyone.

[Glenn Spencer]

You can either play the course or you can't. Net is not a championship. You might as well go buy a trophy, if it is that important to you.

[Brad Tufts]

Yes, it would be great to have a Jr. regular, and Sr. club championship, but what would the point be of not letting a good 16-yr old play in the reg. club championship, especially if he is the best player in the club?

We used to have a Jr. CC, but no one played.  The two years I "won" that event, I would shoot like 80, and the other few players would be well over 100....

[JR Potts]

Our situation is a bit different.  We have junior members.  We pay 80% of dues and are permitted to be a "junior member" until 36 years-old.  The purpose of this classification is to encourage member longevity and create a long-term interest in the club.  

The juniors, under 22, who pay no dues as they are their parents freight, have their own tournaments through the junior golf programs.

Our question is about the junior members.  I for one, don't want my future championships   tainted by the fact that some 35 year old won the junior club chamionship with a better score than me.  In my estimation, all membership classifications should be able to play in "Club Championships" - where the purported goal is to find the best player at the club....even if he/she is 15.

[Brent Hutto]

Ryan,

That's just plain weird. If I understand you correctly, your club has three different Champions. One that is under 22 years of age, one that's between 23 and 35 years of age and a third (called the "Club Champion") who is over 35. Is there also a category for "seniors" over 65 or whatever? That would make four.

Sounds like a very old membership, or at least an old leadership. Yikes!

[Glenn Spencer]

Ryan,

Dues and all of that stuff should not matter. I agree with you future comment about tainted championships- just like the Buckeyes in 02-tainted. Don't you have bigger fish to fry than the club championship though? Aren't you above that sort of nonsense? Playing wise, anyway.

[JR Potts]

That is a new structure that is being proposed this year.  It is not an old membership...it is a golf committee filled with 4 handicaps that think they can possibly beat the 3 or 4 scratch "regular" members but can't beat the 5 or 6 scratch "junior" members.  It is cowardice at its finest.

When I become a "regular" member, it will be the first rule that I attempt to get rid of...although I would then become a benefactor of the idiotic rule.

[Brad Tufts]

I agree that the policy at Ryan's club is just strange.  I think that if you are some sort of member, be it pre-junior, junior, regular, senior, associate, equity, child of a member.......whatever....you should be able to play in the CC.  This is the one tourney where one shouldn't be penalized because they aren't paying the full rate.  Do they think the junior members have joined to pay less and get in the CC?

Of course I learned the other day that our "D" members, those on the waiting list that are only allowed 10 rds. a year (while paying greens fees), cannot use both of the putting greens next to our clubhouse.  I agree with the D members not being able to use the range until they have A status, as it only has so much room, but a putting green???  Apparently they can only use the smaller one.  Who makes these rules?

[JR Potts]

Ryan,

Dues and all of that stuff should not matter. I agree with you future comment about tainted championships- just like the Buckeyes in 02-tainted. Don't you have bigger fish to fry than the club championship though? Aren't you above that sort of nonsense? Playing wise, anyway.

I've never been above nonsense.  In fact, I relish in it.

That being said, I enjoy playing in it as it is a great event.  There are probably 15 former college golfers competing so it is a lot of fun and quite challenging.  Plus, you get to know a lot of the competitors better.  And I don't get to play in many other events anymore due to USGA/CDGA scheduling on weekdays and work/family commitments.  The Labor Day weekend club championship 5 minutes from my house makes it a very "doable" event - at least in the eyes of my wife.

[JR Potts]

I agree that the policy at Ryan's club is just strange.  I think that if you are some sort of member, be it pre-junior, junior, regular, senior, associate, equity, child of a member.......whatever....you should be able to play in the CC.  This is the one tourney where one shouldn't be penalized because they aren't paying the full rate.  Do they think the junior members have joined to pay less and get in the CC?

Of course I learned the other day that our "D" members, those on the waiting list that are only allowed 10 rds. a year (while paying greens fees), cannot use both of the putting greens next to our clubhouse.  I agree with the D members not being able to use the range until they have A status, as it only has so much room, but a putting green???  Apparently they can only use the smaller one.  Who makes these rules?

It is amazing how petty and trivial memberships can become.  And to think, I thought a membership at a country club should provide a respite from all the bull shit that we have to deal with on a day-to-day basis.  I think most clubs have lost track of that and have gone the other way.  

Now, I hear more bitching and bull shit in country clubs than I do in the office, at home and in the courtroom.....and that is a high hurdle.

[ForkaB]

Both of my clubs have a Championship (scratch over 72 holes, both with 36 on the last day) and a scratch match play (played over the year--one with qualifying (8 players), one without (64).  This works.  The best player wins the Club Chamnpionship.  The rest of us bozos get a chance to get lucky.

Getting back OT, I'm playing an invitation greensomes at Lundin Links this weekend.

[Glenn Spencer]

Both of my clubs have a Championship (scratch over 72 holes, both with 36 on the last day) and a scratch match play (played over the year--one with qualifying (8 players), one without (64).  This works.  The best player wins the Club Chamnpionship.  The rest of us bozos get a chance to get lucky.

Getting back OT, I'm playing an invitation greensomes at Lundin Links this weekend.

Lundin Links? I loved that place. Some really good holes there!!!

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

The Club Championship should be open to all members of the club regardless of age or status, including family members under the age of required joining.

Otherwise, it's a gerrymandered C.C.  Some clubs hold it after Labor Day to prevent kids on College Scholarship from winning the club's big event -what horse@#$%.  Who wants to win a CC that way?

Club Championships determine the best golfer - Period.  Anything else is trophy hunting.

[JR Potts]

Sorry for the threadjack.

Now, back to regularly scheduled programming....re: weekend golf.

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

This weekend...

Vogel Cup at Tuxedo - Fri & Sat
Woodway on Sun.

[Jim Franklin]

Next weekend is Pine Valley and the weekend after is The Country Club, Fishers Island, and Kittansett. This weekend I am babysitting so my bride can go away with her girlfriends. Oh the sacrifices one must make.

[Tom Huckaby]

Cypress Point Saturday, Pebble Beach Sunday.

Next weekend is San Francisco GC and 36 at Olympic, then Monday a preview round at The Institute.

Tom "FOS" Huckaby

[Jim Franklin]

Damn Huck, your schedule is almost as good as mine  .

[Tom Huckaby]

Damn Huck, your schedule is almost as good as mine  .

What sucks is I had to keep it somewhat believable (ie meaning no travel)... and still I agree with you.  Nothing I could come up with in fantasy equals yours, which I assume is reality.

 

[Jim Franklin]

It is reality and I am babysitting   this weekend. Is it babysitting if you are watching your own kids?

[Tom Huckaby]

It is reality and I am babysitting   this weekend. Is it babysitting if you are watching your own kids?

Hell yes it is.  I use that for credit all the time.

 

[Jim Franklin]

That's what I thought and that is why I am out of town the two weekends after.

[Brent Hutto]

OK, back to the original topic...

This weekend I'm playing in the hacker flight of the "Club Championship" at Columbia (SC) Country Club.

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