Playing Straight Up

[Jrwatkins7]

When the guys in our Men's Club play every weekend we typically have 20-30 guys, and we typically have a few different games.  We do a group honeypot for KPs, low front 9, low net back 9, low net and low gross.  We also usually have Nassau games in each group.  Most of us also have standing bets with each other on personal low net, too.  Several of the guys that are scratch, one, two or three handicaps play straight up, though. And as I got down to a three this year (back to a 4 now), I am being told that I should be playing them straight up now.  Since I beat them straight up (sometimes, not often) I should just suck it up and play straight up.   I broke par finally three times this year, but still don't fee like I am in their class.  For you folks that are hovering around this index area, what are your thoughts?

[Double Mocha Man]

28 minutes ago, Jrwatkins7 said:

When the guys in our Men's Club play every weekend we typically have 20-30 guys, and we typically have a few different games.  We do a group honeypot for KPs, low front 9, low net back 9, low net and low gross.  We also usually have Nassau games in each group.  Most of us also have standing bets with each other on personal low net, too.  Several of the guys that are scratch, one, two or three handicaps play straight up, though. And as I got down to a three this year (back to a 4 now), I am being told that I should be playing them straight up now.  Since I beat them straight up (sometimes, not often) I should just suck it up and play straight up.   I broke par finally three times this year, but still don't fee like I am in their class.  For you folks that are hovering around this index area, what are your thoughts?

I think I'd need to bring my accountant along with me for that rather large array of betting games.  And a bigger wallet.

[NM Golf]

22 hours ago, Jrwatkins7 said:

When the guys in our Men's Club play every weekend we typically have 20-30 guys, and we typically have a few different games.  We do a group honeypot for KPs, low front 9, low net back 9, low net and low gross.  We also usually have Nassau games in each group.  Most of us also have standing bets with each other on personal low net, too.  Several of the guys that are scratch, one, two or three handicaps play straight up, though. And as I got down to a three this year (back to a 4 now), I am being told that I should be playing them straight up now.  Since I beat them straight up (sometimes, not often) I should just suck it up and play straight up.   I broke par finally three times this year, but still don't fee like I am in their class.  For you folks that are hovering around this index area, what are your thoughts?

As a scratch, I don't like to give shots and will never give someone their full handicap. I cut my teeth playing pros straight up back in the day, it may have cost me a couple bucks but it was worth it to learn how to play from those guys.

In your case, if you don't want to play someone straight up then don't. You can always try and negotiate on the first tee. If you don't feel comfortable with the bet then don't have a bet with them. Personally, I would give you one a side. 😜

[Buckeyebowman]

On 12/17/2019 at 5:50 PM, Double Mocha Man said:

I think I'd need to bring my accountant along with me for that rather large array of betting games.  And a bigger wallet.

Yeah. That's a lot of "stuff" to keep track of. And not to cast aspersions, but you need to be certain that the guys keeping track of all that "stuff" are honest. I only say this because I was a member of a league where one of the guys wasn't! It was a big league league (72 golfers), and a really good one. We had 3 Field Days a year, one of which was a traveling Field Day. 

At Field Days I entered all the league games, and this guy would run a game of his own. I, and my buddy, entered it as well. At one Field Day I played out of my mind! I posted a net 63 or 64, and this guy tried every way he could to screw me out of the money! Finally, another contestant who was looking over his shoulder at the score sheet said, "He won! Give him his money!"

He did so, and a little while later came up and put his arm around me, announcing that we were "going out drinking later!" I looked him dead in the eye and said, "No we're not!" 

On 12/18/2019 at 3:39 PM, NM Golf said:

As a scratch, I don't like to give shots and will never give someone their full handicap. I cut my teeth playing pros straight up back in the day, it may have cost me a couple bucks but it was worth it to learn how to play from those guys.

In your case, if you don't want to play someone straight up then don't. You can always try and negotiate on the first tee. If you don't feel comfortable with the bet then don't have a bet with them. Personally, I would give you one a side. 😜

When I was at the height of my powers, I didn't like to give strokes again really good players either. Nor did I like accepting them from players better than me. I had absorbed the axiom, "You don't get better by playing people who are worse than you!" There are times when you must struggle.

[dagolfer18]

This is interesting. My teammates and I have agreed to do a six-man tournament sometime next week. Two rounds over two days, both rounds nine holes. First round is matchplay (straight up, of course!), where three will make it into the final stroke play round on day 2. Because of how a matchplay bracket is set up, as our #5 out of six players on the team (probably 46 average for nine holes), I have to play the #2 player (who probably shoots around 38 or 39 average). Unless I go out there and shoot two 40s or two sub-40 rounds, I’ve got zero chance to win. Heck, our #1 player is a 5 handicap! Although I won’t play my teammates straight up if I had a choice, I will play my dad straight up. When we both have a good day, we’ll shoot within 5 strokes of each other, so it’s a close game with us a lot of the time. 

[bkuehn1952]

I rarely hear a "5" suggest to a "+1", let's play straight up for $X a hole.  The "5" is always more than happy to play me straight up.

[DaveP043]

Lots of folks are happy to tilt the odds in their own favor.  A @bkuehn1952 says, its always the low handicap guys who try to guilt the higher handicaps into playing even up. No matter what anyone claims, the handicap system actually works reasonably well, as long as everyone plays and posts they way they should.