Club Championships

[dagolfer18]

We’ve got our 2020 club championship coming up in the summer. It’s a Saturday/Sunday tournament, eighteen holes per day. There’s five divisions: Championship (blue tees), Men’s (white tees), Senior (60+, gold tees), Super Senior (70+, red tees), and Ladies (red tees). Each year, anywhere from 10 to 15 people sign up for each division, and if you win, your name gets out on the pro shop/snack bar doors for the next year. I don’t remember the gold/red tee winning scores, but I do remember that the championship winning score was around 152 for two rounds, and the white tee winning score was around 170. I’m planning on participating this year, most likely playing the white tee division. I’m interested to hear if anyone else has played in their own course’s club championship. If you have, what’s the format, and how did you do?

Edited January 3, 2020 by dagolfer18

[David in FL]

Every year.  Ours is coming up the end of this month.  We also play 36 holes of stroke play across 4 divisions.  The women have their own separate tournament.

Even something as relatively benign as a small club championship will add a whole new dimension of pressure to your game and give you an appreciation for those who play higher level tournament golf.  
 

Have fun, and don’t forget to let us know how it goes here...

 

[mcanadiens]

My association does a two-day, 36-hole format with one round on each of our two courses. We are split into flights A, B and C depending on handicap. As you might guess based on that Index number, I'm a C.

A couple of years ago, when my trend was still improving, I tied for first. Tied because the guy I tied with had already poured four shots of whisky down by the time they told us. I was too big a softy to make him go back out, so we split it. This past year wasn't a good one for me. Think I finished 8 out of 12 after a horrific second round.

Hoping for better in 2020.

[DaveP043]

For our club championship we do match play in 8-player brackets, so you have to win 3 consecutive matches to win your flight.  I'm usually in the top handicap flight, the true "Champion" comes from the scratch bracket, playing the back tees.  I've won my flight a few times.

Our Senior Championship is like your tournament, 36 holes of stroke play.  Prizes are awarded for low net, and the Champ is the low gross for two days.  I've tied for that with 70-76, lost on the 3rd sudden death playoff hole. 

I love competition, it brings a different level of intensity.  Good luck in your tournament!

[TRUCKER]

I never understood playing in our club champion tournament, as I would have to play it as a net game. To me the only champions, are the guys playing gross scores...🤷‍♂️

[David in FL]

11 minutes ago, TRUCKER said:

I never understood playing in our club champion tournament, as I would have to play it as a net game. To me the only champions, are the guys playing gross scores...🤷‍♂️

That’s an excuse a lot of golfers use to avoid competitive, tournament golf.  

Beyond that, many such tournaments are flighted and allow golfers of all skill levels to compete, even on a gross basis, with those of similar skills.

[DaveP043]

30 minutes ago, TRUCKER said:

I never understood playing in our club champion tournament, as I would have to play it as a net game. To me the only champions, are the guys playing gross scores...🤷‍♂️

I don't know about other clubs, but there are relatively few players who can compete for a gross club championship at my club.  Using flights, or making net divisions, are ways to encourage a much larger percentage of the membership to participate.  I've never claimed to be THE "Champion" after winning my flight, but I've always had fun competing, and I don't feel embarrassed at all at being called "flight champion" the couple of times I've been successful.

[NM Golf]

I've won the Club Championship at my club five times. It's a two-day stroke play gross competition from the back tees to determine the club champ. Everyone else just plays in a "regular" net tournament from the middle or forward tees. My lowest score in my five wins was 68-69 (-7), but one year I won it with a score of 73-74 (+3). 

[Sandy Lie]

17 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I don't know about other clubs, but there are relatively few players who can compete for a gross club championship at my club.  Using flights, or making net divisions, are ways to encourage a much larger percentage of the membership to participate.  I've never claimed to be THE "Champion" after winning my flight, but I've always had fun competing, and I don't feel embarrassed at all at being called "flight champion" the couple of times I've been successful.

At our Club there are multiple Divisions by age. The only recognized “Club Campion” comes from the “Open Division”. The other two divisions are Senior and Super Senior (age requirements) that have both Gross and Net winners. All Divisions are flighted.  There is a minimum age requirement in the Open Divisionbut no maximum.   What’s interesting is that family members are allowed to play which doesn’t sit well with some Members.  Essentially the son of a Member plays (typically a college level player) that gives other Members that re good players in their own right a chance to win.  Last year the Open Division had 9 players.  They play the tips on Course 2, 4 and 5. 

[TRUCKER]

54 minutes ago, David in FL said:

That’s an excuse a lot of golfers use to avoid competitive, tournament golf.  

Beyond that, many such tournaments are flighted and allow golfers of all skill levels to compete, even on a gross basis, with those of similar skills.

Yeah, and your one the guys that calls himself a "CHAMPION" because you won the net flight...🤣

41 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I don't know about other clubs, but there are relatively few players who can compete for a gross club championship at my club.  Using flights, or making net divisions, are ways to encourage a much larger percentage of the membership to participate.  I've never claimed to be THE "Champion" after winning my flight, but I've always had fun competing, and I don't feel embarrassed at all at being called "flight champion" the couple of times I've been successful.

🤝

[mcanadiens]

31 minutes ago, TRUCKER said:

Yeah, and your one the guys that calls himself a "CHAMPION" because you won the net flight...🤣

It's not as though the term "club champion" is some sort of sacred title. Why shouldn't someone feel good about winning their flight?

Realistically, if an open tournament was all it was. My club would have two guys playing each other every year and the rest of us would just do our usual quota games.

It's amateur golf buddy. It's supposed to be fun.

 

[p1n9183]

I played it at my home course in 2007, 2008, 2009, (golf break), 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. I won them all :D. 
Here there are only one category playing from the back tees(blue). First stage is a 36 holes stroke play, best 8 advance to quartefinals. Each match is match play to 18 holes and 36 holes for the final.

My current record in match play is currently 28-0-0 at my home course, yes.. it´s getting a little borring.

[Darkfrog]

I've entered an annual, local, 2-round tournament twice, and it was a neat experience. Both times in the gross flight, which was more causal than the net flight. I met/played with some nice people, and generally everyone was out to have fun and enjoy a friendly, competitive, round of golf. Pace of play was much slower, and I didn't like the nerves/anxiety on the first tee and over short putts. Not something I plan on doing regularly, but I think once a year it's a good challenge for me.

First time I played as a 27 handicap index, and ended up finishing T-5 with 5 other players, and we each took home a sweet $5 prize ($25 split 5 ways).

Second year I played as an 18 handicap index, and ended up dead last.

[TRUCKER]

5 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

It's not as though the term "club champion" is some sort of sacred title. Why shouldn't someone feel good about winning their flight?

Realistically, if an open tournament was all it was. My club would have two guys playing each other every year and the rest of us would just do our usual quota games.

It's amateur golf buddy. It's supposed to be fun.

 

It is sacred if you've become so good that you are able to play someone straight up. Ask NMGOLFER if he feels a little different taking down another player of his caliber. I would call him the club champion, not a net player.

[mcanadiens]

4 minutes ago, TRUCKER said:

It is sacred if you've become so good that you are able to play someone straight up. Ask NMGOLFER if he feels a little different taking down another player of his caliber. I would call him the club champion, not a net player.

It's semantics.

Look. If I won my C flight. I'd probably call myself C-Flight Champion, not Club Champion. ... Club Champion is the guy that shot a friggin 62 from the tips earlier this year. ... The freak.

It doesn't mean that there isn't value in it for us B or C players in a Club Championship event even if it isn't the top flight.

 

 

[DaveP043]

24 minutes ago, TRUCKER said:

It is sacred if you've become so good that you are able to play someone straight up. Ask NMGOLFER if he feels a little different taking down another player of his caliber. I would call him the club champion, not a net player.

So you're a 15 handicap, does that mean you play straight up against everyone?  Or do you just choose not to play tournaments at all?  

 

28 minutes ago, Darkfrog said:

 I didn't like the nerves/anxiety on the first tee and over short putts. Not something I plan on doing regularly, but I think once a year it's a good challenge for me.

Some of us get hooked, we love that feeling of nerves and anxiety.  And some people prefer golf as a relaxing pastime.  There's room for all of us.

[Mr22putt]

1 hour ago, Sandy Lie said:

What’s interesting is that family members are allowed to play which doesn’t sit well with some Members.  Essentially the son of a Member plays (typically a college level player) that gives other Members that re good players in their own right a chance to win.  

Ya, that's BS...either you're a member or not.....it's black and white.

[DaveP043]

22 minutes ago, Mr22putt said:

Ya, that's BS...either you're a member or not.....it's black and white.

I understand the issue.  I know that at my club, children of members have playing rights until they turn 25 (I think).  Anyone with playing rights is allowed to compete in any of the tournaments.  We do have a couple of young players, one in college now, and another recent graduate, that are the best players at the club.  I don't have a problem with the best player winning the championship..