Can you win your club championship?

[Hawkeye77]

Probably not after the lackluster, semi-comedic 82 I posted today.

Lucky for me my wife wanted to go out this evening for dinner at the golf course, so before dinner she was nice enough to ride around with me whie I visited the scenes of many of my crimes (easy to find, they were mostly par 3 tee boxes).

In the calm of a misty evening with no one else on the course, discovered straight off my setup was complete crap, suddenly greens found again!

Other gems, but I'll stick them in different thread.

Pretty much out of it, but good news is because we don't have superhuman wrxers I'm "only" 7 back.

Jack was 5 back with 10 holes to play in '86 . . .

Edit: No, I can't. Very unusually cold and very, very windy day which I was actually excited about because I could wear a light wool sweater and, yes, jeans. Excitement lasted until the 10th through 17th holes. Had a lot of fun, though. Time to get to work.

[blaird]

To the people that play to support their club...I wish we had more members like yall. We have about 160 members and only have about 40 play. This is the total of participants from the womens, open, senior, super senior, and grand master flights. A total of 40. What really chaps my tail is that there will be another 20 that play that Saturday and Sunday but not get in the club championship. We hold ours in December when its 50 degrees or lower. Usually miserable conditions. I get that some people dont want to post their scores, play with someone other than their usual group, or actually play by the rules but geez, do something to help support your club. Its only $20 or $25 to get in and they pay it all back in gift certificate. I wish there was a way to get these members to play.

[Mike_C]

I finished second in my club championship at my old club back in North Carolina in both 2011 and 2012, and we had a bunch of really good players. Moved to Texas in 2013, didn't belong to a club that first year. Last year, my game was in shambles, I didn't even qualify for the Championship flight, which was based on handicap. They stuck me in the first flight (not even playing the back tees), I hurt my arm two days before we played, and played like I was playing at the time, crappy, 75 - 82, which I don't think even made the top 5 in my flight.

I knew if I could get back to playing my game from a couple of years ago, I could at least be competitive, so that was my objective since last year. My game started coming around last fall, and after a bit of a slow start this year, the last 2 months I have been playing pretty good for me, at least back to my old form.

Anyway, we played the club championship this past weekend, 3 days stroke play from the back tees, also some pretty good players at our club, several plus handicaps. I shot 74, 79, 71, finished second, two shots back, entered the last round 6 back in sixth place. The 71 was the low of the tournament. But I lost it on the back nine of the second day. I was playing with the first round leader, who went on to win. I had pulled even with him after 13, then played the last 5 holes four over, two of them easy par 5s. Hit one under a lip on a fairway bunker on the first par 5, had to just play out, but then still went for the green from 205 out the rough into the wind off a side hill lie over water. A bad choice, pulled it left into the water, made a double and he birdied. went on to bogey the easiest hole on the course two holes later, a short par 5, where he also birdied.

My putting was very average at best, 35 putts the first day and still shot 74, 33 on day two with a chip in. 31 on the last day, but still 3 putted once from 25 feet straight up the hill. My speed control, which is normally the best part of my putting, was just not very good, and I just felt uncomfortable stroking the ball. I played a couple of other tournaments a couple of weeks ago, and was feeling pretty good on the greens. Oh well, that is why I'm an amateur....

[hdr_ric]

I play every year bc its fun and I can try and win my flight, but as an 8 handicap, no, realistically, I have [u]ZERO[/u] chance of winning gross overall. There are at least 2 dozen guys with indexes from +2 to 2, and really about 5-8 guys that have a real chance each year.

[Maddog10]

On a normal year I think I have a very realistic chance of winning. Having a 3 month old daughter though has severely limited my golfing this summer though, and with our CC coming up this weekend I'd say it's a definite long shot to take top honors this year. I'm going to play though in order to hopefully secure a spot on the cup team... I'm hoping to come in at 150 or less for my two day total. That would be a successful tournament in my eyes even if I didn't win. Last summer before my precious little girl came along I would have set my goal for under 145, but this year things are a little different and I'm okay with that.

[Ferguson]

I would have a better chance of playing pickup sticks with my butt cheeks.

[mikedejong]

We had our club championship this past weekend, and I finished second again. I have played in it 3 times and finished second all 3 times. Day one was really windy and tough, only one person broke 80 (76), and I finished with an 80 on the nose. It was the highest score I had shot in months, however, the conditions were really tough and I was ok with it under tournament conditions. Day 2 I was in the final group and I shot 75, low round for the second day. The guy who shot 76 was 77 day two, and beat me by 2 shots overall. It was really a great time, got to play with some guys that I hadn't had the chance to play with before, and met some really good guys. Overall, a good experience and I am happy with how I played. I do hope to pull one out one of these years though!

[ruascott]

I'm surprised how many CCs on here are pure medal play. I always just assumed it was typically match play everywhere.

[CheckJV]

[quote name='ruascott' timestamp='1440643418' post='12215858']
I'm surprised how many CCs on here are pure medal play. I always just assumed it was typically match play everywhere.
[/quote]

Our club has a match play championship and a metal play championship (36 holes). The metal play winners get a reserved parking spot for a year.

[hdr_ric]

[quote name='ruascott' timestamp='1440643418' post='12215858']
I'm surprised how many CCs on here are pure medal play. I always just assumed it was typically match play everywhere.
[/quote]

I am surprised at the number of people who say they have a chance to win their CC. A 5 handicap at my club would have zero chance. Its 36 holes medal play (used to be 54 but they dropped a day to get more people to play). It is won every year a scratch or better golfer. There are about 7-8 ex college players (aged upper 20s to low 40s plus two guys in their 50s) who still are still highly competitive in regional and state level am events and one of them wins every year. There are probably another 10-15 ex college players who don't play as much now and have dropped to maybe a 2 hncp that sometimes come close, but never win.

I just try and shoot 160 or better total, which I can do on a random good weekend somewhat often, but doesn't seem to happen in the actual CC very much.

Edit:

Just looked back at recent winners, its is basically a list of people who have also won VSGA am and mid-ams, or at very least RGA am/mid-ams. Couple times it has been a 22/23/24 year old fresh out of collegiate golf (read still playing every day/no job yet).

[Mike_C]

[quote name='hdr_ric' timestamp='1440686230' post='12217814']
[quote name='ruascott' timestamp='1440643418' post='12215858']
I'm surprised how many CCs on here are pure medal play. I always just assumed it was typically match play everywhere.
[/quote]

I am surprised at the number of people who say they have a chance to win their CC. A 5 handicap at my club would have zero chance. Its 36 holes medal play (used to be 54 but they dropped a day to get more people to play). It is won every year a scratch or better golfer. There are about 7-8 ex college players (aged upper 20s to low 40s plus two guys in their 50s) who still are still highly competitive in regional and state level am events and one of them wins every year. There are probably another 10-15 ex college players who don't play as much now and have dropped to maybe a 2 hncp that sometimes come close, but never win.

I just try and shoot 160 or better total, which I can do on a random good weekend somewhat often, but doesn't seem to happen in the actual CC very much.

Edit:

Just looked back at recent winners, its is basically a list of people who have also won VSGA am and mid-ams, or at very least RGA am/mid-ams. Couple times it has been a 22/23/24 year old fresh out of collegiate golf (read still playing every day/no job yet).
[/quote]


I'm sure different clubs attract different caliber of players.

I have played in club championships where we had past state Am champions playing. At my last club when I lived in North Carolina, we had a pretty good group of guys who were solid +2 to 2 handicaps. Guys would qualify for USGA Mid Ams, USGA Senior Ams. One guy just won the NC Super Senior Am, a couple years before he got into the final 16 at USGA Sr Am. One year while I was a member there, we had 7 guys get though local qualifying for the NC Mid-Am, and I think we had 5 make the cut there and play all three days. Not winning it, but still being pretty competitive.

At my current club here in Texas, the guy who won the club championship this year, this was his fourth time being champion. He was a past medalist at the USGA Mid Am, college All American but said he doesn't play that much any more....made me feel bad, I told him I played about 4 times in the week before the tournament, he said that is about what he has played all year.....

[cmrl1986]

I'm actually in position to win mine right now. My club does a Match play tournament all summer to determine the winner. Top 16 handicaps get in and shoot it out. I won my first 3 matches and I'm in the final match which is a 36 hole match. Can I win? Yes, I can. Can the other guy win? Yes, and he should. I'm 28 with a full time job, wife, kid, mortgage, etc.. He's a junior in college playing for his school D2 or D3 I believe. He practices for 2 hours a day before playing. Even with that I played with him last week and he's beatable as long as I do what I'm capable of.

So again, yes I can win, just hoping it's happened as I haven't won this club championship before.

[ruascott]

Yeah a 5 would have no chance at our club.

You have to qualify for one the top 16 spots, there are two different 36 hole stroke play events where you have a chance to do so.

Then the 16 are seeded and play match play via bracket over 3 days. The final day is a 36 hole champ match.

That's way too much quality golf needed, in both stroke and match play, for someone to fluke into winning it.

[Hot Rod 71]

[quote name='hdr_ric' timestamp='1440686230' post='12217814']
[quote name='ruascott' timestamp='1440643418' post='12215858']
I'm surprised how many CCs on here are pure medal play. I always just assumed it was typically match play everywhere.
[/quote]

I am surprised at the number of people who say they have a chance to win their CC. [b]A 5 handicap at my club would have zero chance.[/b] Its 36 holes medal play (used to be 54 but they dropped a day to get more people to play). It is won every year a scratch or better golfer. There are about 7-8 ex college players (aged upper 20s to low 40s plus two guys in their 50s) who still are still highly competitive in regional and state level am events and one of them wins every year. There are probably another 10-15 ex college players who don't play as much now and have dropped to maybe a 2 hncp that sometimes come close, but never win.

I just try and shoot 160 or better total, which I can do on a random good weekend somewhat often, but doesn't seem to happen in the actual CC very much.

Edit:

Just looked back at recent winners, its is basically a list of people who have also won VSGA am and mid-ams, or at very least RGA am/mid-ams. Couple times it has been a 22/23/24 year old fresh out of collegiate golf (read still playing every day/no job yet).
[/quote]

To me a club championship should identify the best golfer, not the best golfer counting his handicap. Could you imagine how badly some folks would sandbag if they knew they got strokes in the CC? haha, it would be a circus.

Where do you play?

[Undershooter30]

I shot -6 yesterday to get a sizeable lead and lost it today to a former mini tour player. I didn't have my A game today and he brought his. O well I gave it a run.

[SetTheBarrHigh]

I had gotten second place three times in a row to the same guy, then I had to move for work. Blessing in disguise probably lol.

[Maddog10]

[quote name='Maddog10' timestamp='1440516526' post='12205544']
On a normal year I think I have a very realistic chance of winning. Having a 3 month old daughter though has severely limited my golfing this summer though, and with our CC coming up this weekend I'd say it's a definite long shot to take top honors this year. I'm going to play though in order to hopefully secure a spot on the cup team... I'm hoping to come in at 150 or less for my two day total. That would be a successful tournament in my eyes even if I didn't win. Last summer before my precious little girl came along I would have set my goal for under 145, but this year things are a little different and I'm okay with that.
[/quote]

Didn't make it in under 150 (77 both days for a 154) but did secure a spot on the cup team. Cost myself a lot of shots over the course of the weekend due to some really poor putting. That is definitely what has suffered the most from my lack of playing this summer. Had 4 three-putts yesterday.

[Sump]

Well I lost again this year. Was tied for the lead until the front nine of day 3. Doubled 8 and 9 after some bad breaks and missed putts to shoot 4 over 39 go 4 back.

Shot a 2 under 34 on the back 9 to get within 2 but the eventual winner shot even on the back (and for the day) and won by 2.

[blaird]

[quote name='Undershooter30' timestamp='1440979828' post='12236346']
I shot -6 yesterday to get a sizeable lead and lost it today to a former mini tour player. I didn't have my A game today and he brought his. O well I gave it a run.
[/quote]

What course in Jackson??

[Undershooter30]

[quote name='blaird' timestamp='1441041390' post='12239872']
[quote name='Undershooter30' timestamp='1440979828' post='12236346']
I shot -6 yesterday to get a sizeable lead and lost it today to a former mini tour player. I didn't have my A game today and he brought his. O well I gave it a run.
[/quote]

What course in Jackson??
[/quote]
Sent you PM

[finalist]

Just won my club championship for the second year in a row. 2 under 70 and a 3 under 69 for two day stroke play total of 5 under par to win by 4 strokes. Great putting, pretty good driving, bad middle irons, great wedges between 30-130 yards.

[tailslid1]

Our club championship is match play. Takes 4 wins to be champion of the championship flight and overall club champ. Won my first three matches easily. I was one down going into 18. Birdie it to move onto sudden death. Halve the next three holes. Then he drops a 30' bomb to close me out. Made a good run but came up short.

Rick

[CheckJV]

Our 12 man championship flight this year consisted of 8 guys with [u]plus[/u] indexes and the remaining four with indexes less than 1. I'll never be able to play to that level (was a 6.7 at the time).

[ginger718]

We have a group of some pretty solid players, but three of us really stand out. We range from the ages of 21, 30, 35 and each one of us has played in the finals, and semifinals the last three years. And out of the three of us we have only lost to each other no one else. I have won it once and became the second youngest player to win at the age of 20 last year. I played some pretty good golf too down the stretch we do 36 hole qualifying to set up brackets and then match play the rest of the way with the final being 36 holes. Last year in the semi-finals I think I played the best match of my life the 30 year old and I both had 3 birdied pushes and 10 birdies between the two of us. And on the back I won 5 straight holes and lost 3 straight and pushed the last to sneak by with a win. It was a really neat experience winning though we have a pretty neat reward the winner gets a green sports coat with our logo on it, and your name on the inside of it. However you are only allowed to wear it on country club property.

[b.helts]

Yes. Instead, however, I am going on a golf trip with "the boys" to play golf and drink beer. About 36 a day. Both.

[Forged4ever]

[quote name='mikedejong' timestamp='1440624066' post='12214124']
We had our club championship this past weekend, and I finished second again. I have played in it 3 times and finished second all 3 times. Day one was really windy and tough, only one person broke 80 (76), and I finished with an 80 on the nose. It was the highest score I had shot in months, however, the conditions were really tough and I was ok with it under tournament conditions. Day 2 I was in the final group and I shot 75, low round for the second day. The guy who shot 76 was 77 day two, and beat me by 2 shots overall. It was really a great time, got to play with some guys that I hadn't had the chance to play with before, and met some really good guys. Overall, a good experience and I am happy with how I played. I do hope to pull one out one of these years though!
[/quote]You Will!!

Keep Swingin Bro and the very Best to Ya

Fairways & Greens And Pins & Cups My Friend,
Richard

[mikedejong]

Thanks Richard, all you can do is enter and give it a go right!

[OleVirginia]

Carded a soul crushing +13 on the front 9 in qualifying this year (even on the back) to miss the championship flight match play (top 15 from qualifying and the reigning champ) by 3 strokes. Played angry in the scratch flight and closed out all 4 matches by 16. Equipment change mid-year didn't help, putting was mediocre. Coming for the big boy next year.

[dpb5031]

Ours is match play after aN 18 hole stroke play qualifier. I shot the low qualifying round this year (again), and lost in the semis (again). I have a real difficult time putting consecutive good rounds together, so it's tough...

[Forged4ever]

[quote name='dpb5031' timestamp='1442508004' post='12326856']
Ours is match play after aN 18 hole stroke play qualifier. I shot the low qualifying round this year (again), and lost in the semis (again). I have a real difficult time putting consecutive good rounds together, so it's tough...
[/quote]There's not a doubt in my mind that you will next year!!

To have that first round and the low score tells ya that you have the game, now ya just have to work on your focus and PSR and you'll have absolutely no problem putting consecutive rounds together!!

I know from your posts that you have a strong mind, and we're gonna be doin a thread next year this time with a whole different tone

Stay Well Bro

Fairways & Greens My Friend,
Richard