Do You Want to Know Your Missing Opponent's Match Play Scores or Not?

[Zekez]

My league is match play.  Tonight my opponent won't be there so he can use his scores from the last time that he played the same 9 holes course for his scores tonight.

Would you want to know his scores or not before playing?  Does knowing the scores make you grind it out harder and focus more or do you put more pressure on yourself? I lean more towards not wanting to know and just play. 

[iacas]

Yes. I would.

If he makes birdie or triple it changes the way you play the hole.

[boogielicious]

I would want to know.

[IowaGreg]

I agree, I would want to know.........  You would know how he's playing if he was actually there.

 

[BC-to-MI]

I'd want to know. Shot/club selection would definitely change if I know I need to par/birdie a hole vs just not have a blow up to win it.

[David in FL]

Of course I want to know.

FWIW, I HATE that type of work-around for an absent player.  It’s amazing how many people “take off” a week following an unusually good round the previous week...  😐

Play or forfeit.

[criley4way]

11 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Of course I want to know.

FWIW, I HATE that type of work-around for an absent player.  It’s amazing how many people “take off” a week following an unusually good round the previous week...  😐

Play or forfeit.

Yes I want to know. Match play strategy is determined by what your opponent does.

 

Also agree that it is BAD way to do match play. Part of the game is responding to what your opponent does. It is a big impact when you pipe a drive on a tight hole or stuff a wedge tight. How many matches have turned when your opponent is on the green with a reasonable Birddie chance and you chip in from jail to win?

Not real match play unless you are both there in real time.

[Zekez]

1 hour ago, criley4way said:

Yes I want to know. Match play strategy is determined by what your opponent does.

 

Also agree that it is BAD way to do match play. Part of the game is responding to what your opponent does. It is a big impact when you pipe a drive on a tight hole or stuff a wedge tight. How many matches have turned when your opponent is on the green with a reasonable Birddie chance and you chip in from jail to win?

Not real match play unless you are both there in real time.

I agree, but guys go on vacation, have to work, kids, etc. so missing happens.  The two guys can play another day if they can both do it, but when that isn't possible this is the way the league handles it.

2 hours ago, David in FL said:

Of course I want to know.

FWIW, I HATE that type of work-around for an absent player.  It’s amazing how many people “take off” a week following an unusually good round the previous week...  😐

Play or forfeit.

Funny you say that.  the last time I played this 9 hole course (we have 4 9-hole courses) I shot a 37 which is one of my best rounds ever..  So I could just not show up and they would use that score.  But I want to golf and winning that way is pitiful.

[CarlSpackler]

3 hours ago, David in FL said:

Of course I want to know.

FWIW, I HATE that type of work-around for an absent player.  It’s amazing how many people “take off” a week following an unusually good round the previous week...  😐

Play or forfeit.

^^^ This ^^^

[saevel25]

3 hours ago, David in FL said:

FWIW, I HATE that type of work-around for an absent player.  It’s amazing how many people “take off” a week following an unusually good round the previous week...  😐

I also as well. I think it comes from bowling leagues. You can preplay if you can't show up during league nights. I think the bowling alley can deny this though.

What if the weather is crap the next day? Yea, I don't like it.

[criley4way]

1 hour ago, CarlSpackler said:

^^^ This ^^^

I can't make the tennis match tonight. I'll just play alone next week...Said NO ONE EVER.

[CarlSpackler]

2 minutes ago, criley4way said:

I can't make the tennis match tonight. I'll just play alone next week...Said NO ONE EVER.

In all fairness, you can't play tennis alone, but I've seen all sorts of crazy things to deal with an absent opponent. We used to have a ghost sub if somebody didn't show up. The ghost sub played to a players handicap, so they basically got a net par on every hole. People quickly figured out that you were better off letting your ghost play if it was windy or conditions were otherwise less than ideal.

1 hour ago, saevel25 said:

I also as well. I think it comes from bowling leagues. You can preplay if you can't show up during league nights. I think the bowling alley can deny this though.

What if the weather is crap the next day? Yea, I don't like it.

We used to allow players to schedule their match at another time, but they both had to be there playing under the same conditions. There is something to be said about going head to head with an opponent. I love match play and don't think it happens enough.

[Vinsk]

I would want to know but it wouldn’t make any difference. It’s not like I can say, ‘ok, I definitely can’t shank this approach because my opponent birdied this hole’ and make any difference.

[criley4way]

41 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

I would want to know but it wouldn’t make any difference. It’s not like I can say, ‘ok, I definitely can’t shank this approach because my opponent birdied this hole’ and make any difference.

You can't prevent a mishit but If you know where you stand in match it changes the thought, if you know your opponent had a 6 on a long par 4 you might be more conservative. If they birdied a par 5 you might go for it in 2...

And you can always choose to shank it when they had a bad hole 😉

[Vinsk]

8 minutes ago, criley4way said:

You can't prevent a mishit but If you know where you stand in match it changes the thought, if you know your opponent had a 6 on a long par 4 you might be more conservative. If they birdied a par 5 you might go for it in 2...

And you can always choose to shank it when they had a bad hole 😉

This is all true for normal golfers. When it comes to golf I have the mental prowess of a sparkler.

[criley4way]

7 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

This is all true for normal golfers. When it comes to golf I have the mental prowess of a sparkler.

Happy 4th of July

[Missouri Swede]

1 hour ago, Vinsk said:

I would want to know but it wouldn’t make any difference. It’s not like I can say, ‘ok, I definitely can’t shank this approach because my opponent birdied this hole’ and make any difference.

For me, it probably would.  And not in a good way. 

[Patch]

Knowing, or not knowing I would take either way. Maybe I'd like to know the other player's final score, but not a hole by hole break down. The old "tmi" scenario.

I'd be playing the course, not the absentee player. The course in itself, and how I would play it, would keep me plenty occupied.