Div 1 College Player playing in local club championship

[cmatthews77]

I know there's a thread on juniors competing in club championships and I have no problem with it but I serve on the golf and competition committees for my club and there's a lot of difference of opinion on a Div 1 collegiate player competing in our club championship. I see both sides. Thoughts?

[heavy_hitter]

> @cmatthews77 said:

> I know there's a thread on juniors competing in club championships and I have no problem with it but I serve on the golf and competition committees for my club and there's a lot of difference of opinion on a Div 1 collegiate player competing in our club championship. I see both sides. Thoughts?

 

Move your club championship to when they are in school and they can't play.

 

Personally, think it is ridiculous that a D1 golfer would want to play in the club championship, but don't have a problem with it.

[2bGood]

The championship is about finding the best player in the club. Seems silly to exclude someone because they are too good to compete to show who is the best in the club.

 

For the records I am in favour of pro's playing too.

[DavePelz4]

If he's a member of the club isn't he entitled to play in an AM event? Heck at Whisper Rock in Scottsdale there are probably 20-30 PGA Tour pros who play in the club championship. They're just giving strokes to the field.

[tatertot]

Is he/she a full member of the club? Seems like a pretty simple answer.

[ezpz]

I would find it weird if the best player in your club isn't playing in the club championships, what other reason than finding the strongest player in your club would there be for hosting such an event?

[BertGA]

I’m guessing they are dependents of the full member?

[BertGA]

> @ezpz said:

> I would find it weird if the best player in your club isn't playing in the club championships, what other reason than finding the strongest player in your club would there be for hosting such an event?

For the average club I’m guessing it’s a revenue stream, not a measure of the best player. You don’t need a handicapped field of 72 golfers over three days to crown the champ. It could usually be decided with maybe 8 guys and 2 rounds. If you really want to crown a champion, take gross scores.Unless you are at Seminole or some club filled with pros, 98%of the membership isn’t sniffing Club Champion territory, aside from that time they got fit for their new Epic Flash.

 

It’s bragging rights, getting your name on the plaque. And money. That’s what it is about.

 

[Noles]

Of course he should play. What is the case for him not playing?

[gioguy21]

he's not a pro; and he's a member of the club.

 

no issue. play better.

[Ty_Webb]

My club back home had a Walker Cupper win the club championship. He only won by a couple . I can't see any reason to exclude him if he's a member. If I was playing I would view that as a great opportunity to beat him and win some serious bragging rights.

[JJK947]

Not every D1 player is a world beater either. Does anyone know his handicap or tournament scores? Can't really see any reason to not let him play, regardless of how good he actually is. Anyone that has any competitive fortitude wants to play against the best field possible. If you want to play mediocre golf and win something, join a men's league. Or, just play better; I like that.

[SkiSchoolPro]

I think Stenson missed qualifying for the PGA Championship one year during a down patch in his pro career...he went back home, played in his Club Championship and finished 2nd. Nice bragging rights for the winner. I played a bit of D-1, but wasn't good enough to my Club Championship at that time. Being a D-1 golfer shouldn't exclude someone who is otherwise eligible to play. If you don't open it up to everyone, how do you know who the best is?

[UncleJohn’sBand]

If they are a member, they can play.

 

Should be pretty simple.

[tiger1873]

This obviously depends on the club and how good it's members are. Any self respecting D1 player would not want to play a club championship unless the membership was really good.

 

If the kid is still in college I would almost best they are not a member but on a family membership. In that case it should be easy to state that the main or full member is only eligible for the championship. Pretty simple and most clubs do not accept members kids for club championships.

 

[Aaronwilson_95]

Likely because the CC is in August right before the player heads back to school. Thus allowing them 2 competitive rounds to work on some things in there game & get their game tightened up on their home course before going off to college. Plus maybe some pro shop credit & and a parking spot etc etc always helps.

[Noles]

> @tiger1873 said:

> This obviously depends on the club and how good it's members are. Any self respecting D1 player would not want to play a club championship unless the membership was really good.

>

> If the kid is still in college I would almost best they are not a member but on a family membership. In that case it should be easy to state that the main or full member is only eligible for the championship. Pretty simple and most clubs do not accept members kids for club championships.

>

 

I could not disagree with this post more.

[GolfSRQ]

He’s not the member his parents are.

Our club pulled that out on my son the day prior to our Match play tournament. They said he couldn’t play. I flipped out , and at first they said they didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable playing with guys who might drink or Curse (he’s 15). I didn’t accept that answer , and when we got into it they stated according to bylaws he’s not the member , my wife and I are. ???

[wkuo3]

In the past company golf tournaments, we had had many High School and College golf team members came in and took most of the top prices as "friends and family" of someone somehow related to the work place.

That's why we had changed the structure of payout using 20% for all flights Gross and Net , 80% goes to lottery / raffle prizes. Hate to see these young golfers wasted their talent trying to take the candy from a bunch of office workers like lions in the herd of sheep.

[cardoustie]

If he's a Member he should play

If I was a member I'd want to try to beat the kid

And as others have said, there are all sorts of levels for d1 and d2 golfers. Some aren't good

[tiger1873]

> @Noles said:

> > @tiger1873 said:

> > This obviously depends on the club and how good it's members are. Any self respecting D1 player would not want to play a club championship unless the membership was really good.

> >

> > If the kid is still in college I would almost best they are not a member but on a family membership. In that case it should be easy to state that the main or full member is only eligible for the championship. Pretty simple and most clubs do not accept members kids for club championships.

> >

>

> I could not disagree with this post more.

 

Most clubs the members are only 2 adults living in the house traditionally this is a husband and wife who are married or married partner as we now have to call it if there not a husband and wife.

 

Kids are usually associate members and do not carry voting rights. Some club may allow kids to play in member tournaments but most will not allow kids under 18 playing from experience. I think it is a good rule because no good can come out a kid playing if they win it will create problems and if there good and lose it will create problems. Let the members who pay actual dues duke it out.

 

Juniors and college kids should instead play Amateur tournaments there eligible for and if there smart will instead play casual rounds with those older members who will help them when they are older.

[GolfSRQ]

I asked our pro about this question a while ago. And the reason most clubs don’t want high school and college kids

Playing is that they will smoke the paying members and that will cause discord. Our pro had 5 high school kids at his old club that would dominate every club tournament. They had to switch policy because they were having a lot of disgruntled Members and losing participation.

[Big Ben]

Oh the audacity of those kids who happen to be great golfers spending time and I assume money at the club. If I’m a scratch member and get smoked by a D1 Player I’m fine with it because guess what, he’s the better golfer! Figure out what it takes to win next time. Ego is not your amigo!

[Aaronwilson_95]

It’s not going to create goodwill amongst the kid. Someone at my old home club saw me playing one afternoon and said someone your age doesn’t belong on a golf course. Old people love competition until the competition is to good and then they enforce rules to “keep the competition fair “

 

 

Would the ruling still keep that kid out if he was a full junior member (under 40) & the dues were technically being paid in his name and his parents weren’t members ?

[UncleJohn’sBand]

> @tiger1873 said:

> > @Noles said:

> > > @tiger1873 said:

> > > This obviously depends on the club and how good it's members are. Any self respecting D1 player would not want to play a club championship unless the membership was really good.

> > >

> > > If the kid is still in college I would almost best they are not a member but on a family membership. In that case it should be easy to state that the main or full member is only eligible for the championship. Pretty simple and most clubs do not accept members kids for club championships.

> > >

> >

> > I could not disagree with this post more.

>

> Most clubs the members are only 2 adults living in the house traditionally this is a husband and wife who are married or married partner as we now have to call it if there not a husband and wife.

>

> Kids are usually associate members and do not carry voting rights. Some club may allow kids to play in member tournaments but most will not allow kids under 18 playing from experience. I think it is a good rule because no good can come out a kid playing if they win it will create problems and if there good and lose it will create problems. Let the members who pay actual dues duke it out.

>

> Juniors and college kids should instead play Amateur tournaments there eligible for and if there smart will instead play casual rounds with those older members who will help them when they are older.

 

 

Isn’t a club championship an amateur event?

These kids are older than 18, they are in college.

 

For any older member to get disgruntled or have some sort of negative discord at the prospect of having the BEST golfer at the club as club champion as opposed to a few happy old guys who pay dues is part of the reason golf is dying out.

 

 

 

[JeffreySpicoli]

What’s all the talk about “older members”?

 

The clubs I’ve been and am a member of have a senior championship that a college player would be too young for.

 

If members are complaining about a college player, then it’s coming from the younger members.

[Noles]

> @tiger1873 said:

> > @Noles said:

> > > @tiger1873 said:

> > > This obviously depends on the club and how good it's members are. Any self respecting D1 player would not want to play a club championship unless the membership was really good.

> > >

> > > If the kid is still in college I would almost best they are not a member but on a family membership. In that case it should be easy to state that the main or full member is only eligible for the championship. Pretty simple and most clubs do not accept members kids for club championships.

> > >

> >

> > I could not disagree with this post more.

>

> Most clubs the members are only 2 adults living in the house traditionally this is a husband and wife who are married or married partner as we now have to call it if there not a husband and wife.

>

> Kids are usually associate members and do not carry voting rights. Some club may allow kids to play in member tournaments but most will not allow kids under 18 playing from experience. I think it is a good rule because no good can come out a kid playing if they win it will create problems and if there good and lose it will create problems. Let the members who pay actual dues duke it out.

>

> Juniors and college kids should instead play Amateur tournaments there eligible for and if there smart will instead play casual rounds with those older members who will help them when they are older.

 

I've been a member at 3 different clubs and none have had this policy. In fact the opposite is true, they celebrate the juniors and encourage them to play. As for what tournaments a kid "should" play in, that is your opinion...and I completely disagree.

[tiger1873]

From some of the comments I wonder if many of you actually belong to member owned clubs or even being around them. Most non member owned clubs I have seen are more like public courses pretending to be a country club. They will do anything to make a buck off the members.

 

I personally like the rule because if it wasn’t there every member would be trying to get kids to play in there scramble every week. This way they just say there not allowed to play and avoids a lot issues for the kids.

 

 

[Noles]

> @tiger1873 said:

> From some of the comments is obvious that a lot you do not belong to member owned clubs were your dropped a decent amount down to join.

>

> Club member at these club love playing with kids even encourage them and yes will even sponsor them to play pro events if they need the money. You don’t make friends making those same people look like they can’t play.

>

> Guys who generally belong to these clubs have a hard time breaking 100 and just happy to see someone par a hole. The club champion usually wins if they can score an 80. It is pretty much like that at every decent club I’ve seen. Joining these clubs are great because you have the course to yourself usually and you may even see a few pros playing once in a while on them.

>

> If you belong to a club Corp or Troon club chances are you have no idea what I am talking about because those clubs are not the same there pretty much public courses acting like country clubs.

 

I've been a member at both types of clubs you described. The one with the big initiation fee and additional bond is the one that encourages juniors the most. Their list of club champions is filled with juniors. Don't assume that your experience is the same as everyone else's experience.

[BertGA]

Looked on the wall of my club today, our 2018 champ is currently playing for Georgia.