Beginners golf - best format?

[Ichabod Hume]

In my experience when I was just starting to play golf I most enjoyed
Stapleford competitions. If I got into real trouble I could pick up,
put the thoughtd of duff shots behind me and move on. When I told this
to a far more experienced golfer than I, he said that stroke play is
the only way to learn the game properly.Was he right?

Ichabod

[The LHC]

Post by Ichabod Hume
In my experience when I was just starting to play golf I most enjoyed
Stapleford competitions. If I got into real trouble I could pick up,
put the thoughtd of duff shots behind me and move on. When I told this
to a far more experienced golfer than I, he said that stroke play is
the only way to learn the game properly.Was he right?

depends if you think you'll learn anything from taking 10-15 shots on a
hole. I don't personally.

LHC.

[Martin]

I'm with you and for all the same reasons :-)
--
mjn at onetel dot com


"Ichabod Hume" <***@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:***@4ax.com...
In my experience when I was just starting to play golf I most enjoyed
Stapleford competitions. If I got into real trouble I could pick up,
put the thoughtd of duff shots behind me and move on. When I told this
to a far more experienced golfer than I, he said that stroke play is
the only way to learn the game properly.Was he right?

Ichabod

[JPW]

Are not Stableford and Stroke play one and the same thing? Perhaps on
first attempting to answer that question the answer is "Of course not."

However both forms of play (when playing competitions) reach a point
on the VERY bad hole when you think "Is it worth carrying on?" Your
initial point is that Stableford allows the player to pick up his ball
and progress to the next tee when the score has reached a time when
no further points can be scored. This is entirely sensible. However for
some time now handicaps (when playing under CONGU as we do in the UK)
have been controlled by the Stableford scoring system. So the same
point is reached when, even in Stroke play, a player may pick his ball
up and proceed to the next tee. This only affects your handicap for
that particular hole. You get NULL points. (or to be more correct a
score of two above nett par is recorded) Many people are not aware of
this and feel that they must record every score in a medal.

Of course the last paragraph is when referring to handicap. To be
considered to be a candidate for the winner's prize ALL scores should
be recorded but if you have had a horrendous hole then you are very
unlikely to be in the frame of mind to forget it and go on to play
well.But it is worth remembering to carry on for handicap purposes.

So pick up and help with the pace of play! You are only going to
frustrate yourself further when you hit another shank!

PS I do believe that under the USGA system a card for handicap purposes
may be entered with as many as 8 blanks recorded. If that 8 is
incorrect then there are readers here who will kindly correct it.

JPW

[John Laird]

(snip)
PS I do believe that under the USGA system a card for handicap purposes
may be entered with as many as 8 blanks recorded. If that 8 is
incorrect then there are readers here who will kindly correct it.

"There is no limit to the number of unfinished holes a player may have
in a round, provided that failure to finish is not for the purpose of
handicap manipulation."

However, a "blank" cannot actually be recorded - a player must enter a
"most likely" score, and this is subjected to a maximum according to
handicap. (Double bogey for better players up to 10 for the highest
handicappers.)

Personally, I think a limit on the number of "most likely" scores
should be set, or the whole thing looks more than a little amateurish.

There's a link to the manual (it's in the same format as the
Rules/Decisions stuff) at:
http://www.usga.org/playing/handicaps/manual/handicap_system_manual.html

[Mark Myers]

Post by JPW
Are not Stableford and Stroke play one and the same thing? Perhaps on
first attempting to answer that question the answer is "Of course not."
However both forms of play (when playing competitions) reach a point
on the VERY bad hole when you think "Is it worth carrying on?" Your
initial point is that Stableford allows the player to pick up his ball
and progress to the next tee when the score has reached a time when
no further points can be scored. This is entirely sensible. However for
some time now handicaps (when playing under CONGU as we do in the UK)
have been controlled by the Stableford scoring system. So the same
point is reached when, even in Stroke play, a player may pick his ball
up and proceed to the next tee. This only affects your handicap for
that particular hole. You get NULL points. (or to be more correct a
score of two above nett par is recorded) Many people are not aware of
this and feel that they must record every score in a medal.
Of course the last paragraph is when referring to handicap. To be
considered to be a candidate for the winner's prize ALL scores should
be recorded but if you have had a horrendous hole then you are very
unlikely to be in the frame of mind to forget it and go on to play
well.But it is worth remembering to carry on for handicap purposes.

I understand what you are saying about handicap calculation, however, if
I am playing in a strokeplay competition and I pick up my ball on any
hole then what goes down on my card is NR (No Return). My handicap goes
up 0.1, end of story. At least that's what I have believed up to now.
You appear to be saying I could (under the right circumstances) get a hc
reduction for a medal round where I didn't complete one of the holes.
Are you sure about that?

[John Laird]

Post by Mark Myers

Post by JPW
Are not Stableford and Stroke play one and the same thing? Perhaps on
first attempting to answer that question the answer is "Of course not."
However both forms of play (when playing competitions) reach a point
on the VERY bad hole when you think "Is it worth carrying on?" Your
initial point is that Stableford allows the player to pick up his ball
and progress to the next tee when the score has reached a time when
no further points can be scored. This is entirely sensible. However for
some time now handicaps (when playing under CONGU as we do in the UK)
have been controlled by the Stableford scoring system. So the same
point is reached when, even in Stroke play, a player may pick his ball
up and proceed to the next tee. This only affects your handicap for
that particular hole. You get NULL points. (or to be more correct a
score of two above nett par is recorded) Many people are not aware of
this and feel that they must record every score in a medal.
Of course the last paragraph is when referring to handicap. To be
considered to be a candidate for the winner's prize ALL scores should
be recorded but if you have had a horrendous hole then you are very
unlikely to be in the frame of mind to forget it and go on to play
well.But it is worth remembering to carry on for handicap purposes.

I understand what you are saying about handicap calculation, however, if
I am playing in a strokeplay competition and I pick up my ball on any
hole then what goes down on my card is NR (No Return). My handicap goes
up 0.1, end of story. At least that's what I have believed up to now.
You appear to be saying I could (under the right circumstances) get a hc
reduction for a medal round where I didn't complete one of the holes.
Are you sure about that?

Your handicap system is *supposed* to let you blob on individual holes.
These will be treated as nett double bogeys, so yes, if the rest of
your round was going well, an adjustment down is certainly possible.
If you N/R the whole card, then you should get the 0.1 upwards.
Traditionally, players have always scrawled N/R on a card and dropped
it in the box. This is outside the spirit of the CONGU system which
obliges the player to return all cards, complete or otherwise.

If your club system can only handle complete cards or N/Rs, then I
think it is not compliant.

[John Laird]

Post by Ichabod Hume
In my experience when I was just starting to play golf I most enjoyed
Stapleford competitions. If I got into real trouble I could pick up,
put the thoughtd of duff shots behind me and move on. When I told this
to a far more experienced golfer than I, he said that stroke play is
the only way to learn the game properly.Was he right?

Many people would say that match play is the best way to play golf ;-)

Too much reliance on the "comfort" factor of Stableford comps will lead
to a difficulty in maintaining a score in medal comps. I would say
that a player who has learnt to salvage what he can from a hole that is
going wrong will probably end up a better all-round player. However,
the handicapping system is essentially bound to a form of Stableford
counting so at least there can be no accusations of banditry !

Fwiw, I mentally recall all my good scores in terms of strokes played.

[Chris & Janet Homer]

Post by Ichabod Hume
In my experience when I was just starting to play golf I most enjoyed
Stapleford competitions. If I got into real trouble I could pick up,
put the thoughtd of duff shots behind me and move on. When I told this
to a far more experienced golfer than I, he said that stroke play is
the only way to learn the game properly.Was he right?
Ichabod

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ichabod Hume" <***@yahoo.com>
Newsgroups: uk.sport.golf
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 8:39 PM
Subject: Beginners golf - best format?

Post by Ichabod Hume
In my experience when I was just starting to play golf I most enjoyed
Stapleford competitions. If I got into real trouble I could pick up,
put the thoughtd of duff shots behind me and move on. When I told this
to a far more experienced golfer than I, he said that stroke play is
the only way to learn the game properly.Was he right?
Ichabod

I think you will find that the term 'stroke play' is applied to any form of
the game that is not match play. Thus, Stableford is stroke play also. I
think what you mean is Medal play, the form of stroke play where every shot
has to be counted up to and including holing out. I believe all forms of
the game can be successfully used for 'learning the game'. To say that
medal play is the 'only way to learn properly' is crazy as, after all, when
golf started, there was nothing but match play for years! Some would argue
that this is still the finest form of the game and one where you learn most
quickly.

I think for beginners and long handicappers Stableford is a far less
daunting experience. Also, when I am playing a medal, it becomes difficult
to maintain the rhythm of my game when my less experienced playing partner
is taking double figures on holes. One of the things I am suggesting at our
club is that in the monthly medal, those with handicaps of over thirty
(maybe 21 for men?) should be able to play a Stableford format alongside the
medal players. This allows them to play with more experienced players. If,
as often happens, the longer handicappers (usually not having played for
that long) sign up together as they are equally reluctant to play with
'better' players - how will they ever learn about rules, etiquette etc?

Peace & Love
Janet H
(Tee off to reply)

[Ichabod Hume]

On Wed, 13 Sep 2006 18:02:32 +0100, "Chris & Janet Homer"

Post by Chris & Janet Homer
I think you will find that the term 'stroke play' is applied to any form of
the game that is not match play. Thus, Stableford is stroke play also. I
think what you mean is Medal play, the form of stroke play where every shot
has to be counted up to and including holing out. I believe all forms of
the game can be successfully used for 'learning the game'. To say that
medal play is the 'only way to learn properly' is crazy as, after all, when
golf started, there was nothing but match play for years! Some would argue
that this is still the finest form of the game and one where you learn most
quickly.
I think for beginners and long handicappers Stableford is a far less
daunting experience. Also, when I am playing a medal, it becomes difficult
to maintain the rhythm of my game when my less experienced playing partner
is taking double figures on holes. One of the things I am suggesting at our
club is that in the monthly medal, those with handicaps of over thirty
(maybe 21 for men?) should be able to play a Stableford format alongside the
medal players. This allows them to play with more experienced players. If,
as often happens, the longer handicappers (usually not having played for
that long) sign up together as they are equally reluctant to play with
'better' players - how will they ever learn about rules, etiquette etc?
Peace & Love
Janet H
(Tee off to reply)

Yes I did mean Medal play. Sorry for the confusion.

Ichabod

[Neil Wallace]

IMHO, almost regardless of ability, the best format in golf is texas
scramble.

Wouldn't it be great to see Tiger, Phil, Vijay and Ernie scramble around
Augusta?
I reckon they'd score 52
.

[Ichabod Hume]

On Wed, 13 Sep 2006 18:25:25 +0100, "Neil Wallace"

Post by Neil Wallace
IMHO, almost regardless of ability, the best format in golf is texas
scramble.
Wouldn't it be great to see Tiger, Phil, Vijay and Ernie scramble around
Augusta?
I reckon they'd score 52
.

They might if you could get Tiger to talk to Phil.

[Chalky]

Post by Neil Wallace
IMHO, almost regardless of ability, the best format in golf is texas
scramble.
Wouldn't it be great to see Tiger, Phil, Vijay and Ernie scramble
around Augusta?
I reckon they'd score 52
.

It is fun but it is the slowest form of golf.

[JPW]

Post by Chalky
It is fun but it is the slowest form of golf.

It is also the easiest form of golf at which the ROG may be broken with
impunity, specifically 14-2b. How many times have you seen three
non-putting players lined up behind the first one who is putting, so
that they may see the line the ball takes when struck?

Then how many times have you seen the one who is putting penalised. I
would guess the answer is, Never!

JPW