First Club Championship Tournament, Any Pointers?

[Lugowskins]

This will be my first year playing in the club championship and my first real competitive rounds. I played in a league this year but it was pretty laid back so I'm not sure how I'm going to react once I get out there. Its a two day event lowest gross score wins, my thought process for day one is to play pretty safe just keep the big number off the card and keep myself in play going into day 2. There are really only 3-4 guys capable of shooting decent scores I expect the leader to be +4-5 after day one so I am hoping to just keep it under +8 and stay in striking range for day 2 when I can come out and take some chances. There are 4 holes on the front and 1 on the back that I can drive that I will be opting to lay up on on day one and pull driver on day 2 (provided conditions and score play out like I think it will). Just try to stay calm after bad shots, which isn't a strong suit, and don't take a shot off I think I've got a chance to take it. I've been playing well lately and the competition is far from stiff (we're a small community not a lot of serious golfers). All that being said is my head in the right place going in, should I be approaching things differently? 

[pganapathy]

I would suggest a decent warm up on day one hitting a few balls before you tee off.  If you find that you are hitting your driver and longer clubs well, go for the reachable holes.

Most importantly though is making sure you stay in contention and don't get DQ'd for a rules violation.  It is easy when playing casually to make minor rules transgressions and ignore them.

[Lugowskins]

4 minutes ago, pganapathy said:

I would suggest a decent warm up on day one hitting a few balls before you tee off.  If you find that you are hitting your driver and longer clubs well, go for the reachable holes.

Most importantly though is making sure you stay in contention and don't get DQ'd for a rules violation.  It is easy when playing casually to make minor rules transgressions and ignore them.

Good call on the rules violation I don't think it will be an issue but certainly wasn't something I was taking into account. Unless it is egregious and I know its someone actually trying to win I couldn't see myself calling anyone out on a violation but I know there are a couple guys out there who don't share that mindset. There is no range or warm up area at the course so I am going to wake up early and work through the bag on my practice set up in my garage but there will be an hour and a half or so between then and actually teeing off so I don't know how beneficial that will actually be.  .

[cipher]

Number one pointer from me is just to have fun!  Enjoy the experience and learn from it, no matter the result.   

[Double Mocha Man]

When you win make sure when hefting the trophy you don't let the lid fall off.  And smoke a good cigar.  And tell us about it (the round of golf, not the cigar).

[bkuehn1952]

As was already suggested, be familiar with the most common Rules situations you are likely to face.  Know the basics of your options for Penalty areas (water hazards) and Unplayable Lies.  Understand the correct process of dropping from an immovable obstruction, etc,...  Read the material provided by the Tournament organizers so you know about any Local Rules and Conditions of Competition.

Very few players look for opportunities to "gotcha" on a Rules violation and I wouldn't worry about the Rules as long as you know the basics.

Most importantly, have fun and win or lose, look at this as adding to your total golf experience.  Crashing and burning, if it happens, will only make later success all the sweeter.

[Shindig]

2 hours ago, cipher said:

Number one pointer from me is just to have fun!  Enjoy the experience and learn from it, no matter the result.   

Do this!  That's the best advice I can offer.  Go, have fun, try to shoot a good score, and if you have a bad score on a hole or two, don't get down on yourself.  

When I played in my first one, I started mapping out bogeys.  I was a 18 or so handicap and had one hole my first time where I bogeyed all three days -- and the field average in my flight was over 6 (it's a par-4).  

But for real, go have fun.  That should be the focus. 

[lastings]

haha...   take whatever strategy I had last weekend at my club championship and throw it right out the window.    

day 1 - got there 1.5 hrs early.   spent 30 min on the putting green, 15 min on the chipping green.   went inside adn had a cliff bar and a Gatorade.  then wen't back out.   hit a warm-up bucket and spent the last 10 min on the putting green before tee off.   

shot 94 and effectively threw the tournament away.   

 

day 2 - got to the course 15 min early and disgruntled because I was already out of it.   wen't inside, got a beer hit about 10 putts on the green and tee'd off.  

shot 79.   

 

so, I guess my advice would be don't over think it. 
 (also, make sure you know the rules., specifically the difference between red stakes, yellow stakes, and white OB steaks.   and don't hit a provisional if your tee shot may have gone in a staked hazard.)

 

 

[Double Mocha Man]

16 minutes ago, lastings said:

haha...   take whatever strategy I had last weekend at my club championship and throw it right out the window.    

day 1 - got there 1.5 hrs early.   spent 30 min on the putting green, 15 min on the chipping green.   went inside adn had a cliff bar and a Gatorade.  then wen't back out.   hit a warm-up bucket and spent the last 10 min on the putting green before tee off.   

shot 94 and effectively threw the tournament away.   

 

day 2 - got to the course 15 min early and disgruntled because I was already out of it.   wen't inside, got a beer hit about 10 putts on the green and tee'd off.  

shot 79.   

 

so, I guess my advice would be don't over think it. 
 (also, make sure you know the rules., specifically the difference between red stakes, yellow stakes, and white OB steaks.   and don't hit a provisional if your tee shot may have gone in a staked hazard.)

 

 

Good story! The realities of life never fail to amaze.  Best laid plans...

[Lugowskins]

On 8/21/2020 at 5:56 PM, lastings said:

haha...   take whatever strategy I had last weekend at my club championship and throw it right out the window.    

day 1 - got there 1.5 hrs early.   spent 30 min on the putting green, 15 min on the chipping green.   went inside adn had a cliff bar and a Gatorade.  then wen't back out.   hit a warm-up bucket and spent the last 10 min on the putting green before tee off.   

shot 94 and effectively threw the tournament away.   

 

day 2 - got to the course 15 min early and disgruntled because I was already out of it.   wen't inside, got a beer hit about 10 putts on the green and tee'd off.  

shot 79.   

 

so, I guess my advice would be don't over think it. 
 (also, make sure you know the rules., specifically the difference between red stakes, yellow stakes, and white OB steaks.   and don't hit a provisional if your tee shot may have gone in a staked hazard.)

 

 

Welllll turns out your story was the closest to reality lol I went out and sh*t the bed with a 91 came out with an equally sh*tty 85 on day 2. Lost a total of 22 strokes to lost balls in the 2 days, it was almost impressive.

The front is the much easier 9 probably the easiest I've ever played and I went 48-47 I had 9 pars on the front alone but a ton of blow up holes I took quad on hole 9 both days and had a bunch of doubles and triples almost entirely due to (sometimes multiple) lost balls. I seemed to settle down on the back both days shot a 41 the first day and on the second when I started drinking and messing around I shot a 38.

Sad thing is that my short game was good enough to score relatively low I was chipping well only had 31-30 putts without a three putt all weekend.

But alas its time to get back to work only 362 days until next club championship lol

[Lugowskins]

Just now, Lugowskins said:

Welllll turns out your story was the closest to reality lol I went out and sh*t the bed with a 91 came out with an equally sh*tty 85 on day 2. Lost a total of 22 strokes to lost balls in the 2 days, it was almost impressive.

The front is the much easier 9 probably the easiest I've ever played and I went 48-47 I had 9 pars on the front alone but a ton of blow up holes I took quad on hole 9 both days and had a bunch of doubles and triples almost entirely due to (sometimes multiple) lost balls. I seemed to settle down on the back both days shot a 41 the first day and on the second when I started drinking and messing around I shot a 38.

Sad thing is that my short game was good enough to score relatively low I was chipping well only had 31-30 putts without a three putt all weekend.

But alas its time to get back to work only 362 days until next club championship lol

Forgot to bring up I had a rules issue. Not one that I broke but one that was just a massive bummer.

I had been hitting my driver like crap all weekend, not just bad but like barely making contact and hitting horrific snap hooks all weekend kind of crap (explains a lot of lost balls, not all but a lot).

Anyway I get to the par 5 on the back on day 1 and pipe one, starts up the right side and draws back to the middle. The fairways are like concrete and it must have ran a mile. There was a group probably 330 yards ahead of us at the corner of the long dogleg left par 5 and they didn't seem to react to something rolling up on them. Anyway we pull up and my group plays their balls we all assume I'm another 40+ yards up to the corner get up there and cannot find it. Must have looked for over 10 minutes (it was a very slow play day so we weren't holding anything up) everyone agreed it almost surely didn't come close to rolling left OB it wasn't drawing hard enough for that and it is probably 370ish to go long through the fairway so we were stumped. 

Eventually the guy in our group who was essentially running it as well said I had to go re-tee since we couldn't establish a point of entry, I was not pleased. So I take the long drive back to the tee box where a group had just pulled up and proceed to hit another snap hookey one that goes 200 yards and barely stays in play left. I hit a good 54 degree up to the corner and another good pitching wedge from 155 to about 12 feet and two putt for a double. Kind of the story of my weekend some good shots that I can't even be excited about after losing a ball. 

[klineka]

On 8/21/2020 at 12:27 PM, Lugowskins said:

so I am hoping to just keep it under +8 and stay in striking range for day 2 when I can come out and take some chances.

There are 4 holes on the front and 1 on the back that I can drive that I will be opting to lay up on on day one and pull driver on day 2 (provided conditions and score play out like I think it will).

This wont be as much help now since you already played, but IMO this isn't the right way to plan a course strategy.

In general, if the hole is wide/safe enough for you to hit driver on day 2, then you should hit driver on day 1 too. Or if laying up is the proper play, then lay up both days. Don't force a shot that brings unnecessary trouble into play just because it's day 2 of a 2 day tournament. That's silly. Same thing with approach shots. Doesn't make sense to play to the safe side of the green on day 1 but then fire at every tucked pin on day 2 just because it's day two. Whenever you're over 100 yds from the flag, just aim for the center of the green. You'll hit more GIR and shoot lower scores.

Outside of a rare situation like needing to birdie the 18th hole to tie the lead or something, I always let the course/hole design dictate my strategy, not whether I am on day 1 or day 2 of a tournament

I highly recommend picking up a copy of the book "Lowest Score Wins" which was coauthored by the owner of this site. 

[bkuehn1952]

4 hours ago, Lugowskins said:

... Must have looked for over 10 minutes (it was a very slow play day so we weren't holding anything up) ...Eventually the guy in our group who was essentially running it as well said I had to go re-tee 

Your search should have been limited to 3 minutes under the Rules of Golf.  After 3 minutes you go back to the tee under stroke & distance.  If you found the ball after the 3 minutes were over, you should pick it up as it could not be played within the Rules.

[Sandy Lie]

On 8/21/2020 at 12:27 PM, Lugowskins said:

This will be my first year playing in the club championship and my first real competitive rounds. I played in a league this year but it was pretty laid back so I'm not sure how I'm going to react once I get out there. Its a two day event lowest gross score wins, my thought process for day one is to play pretty safe just keep the big number off the card and keep myself in play going into day 2. There are really only 3-4 guys capable of shooting decent scores I expect the leader to be +4-5 after day one so I am hoping to just keep it under +8 and stay in striking range for day 2 when I can come out and take some chances. There are 4 holes on the front and 1 on the back that I can drive that I will be opting to lay up on on day one and pull driver on day 2 (provided conditions and score play out like I think it will). Just try to stay calm after bad shots, which isn't a strong suit, and don't take a shot off I think I've got a chance to take it. I've been playing well lately and the competition is far from stiff (we're a small community not a lot of serious golfers). All that being said is my head in the right place going in, should I be approaching things differently? 

Not sure how big the Field is and how competitive everyone is. But my recent experience on my 3rd day was with a cheater!  Basic rules violation of Rule 14.1. We were due to wet conditions playing lift and clean a.k.a. “Lift, Clean and Cheat” ha ha!  But there is a rule on how to lift your ball. Without getting to deep in the rule the basic part of the rule is to mark the spot of the ball. Most common method is to use a tee and mark the location.  Anyway, we called him on it, and he basically ignored us. He repeatedly did it the whole round. At the end of the round I tried to give him 9 penalty strokes.  We were a threesome and the other guy didn’t seem to give a flying fig about it.  He was scoring using Golfgenius so he never recorded penalty strokes.  I called him on it again after play concluded. He again didn’t give a f@$k!  So I refused to sign his card, talk to one of our Pro’s about it ad disappointedly he did nothing!  
My point is I tried to protect the Field from this guy and was not successful.  Always protect the Field from Thales who violate the rules.

 

sorry for the rant.  But do have fun! Play well.

[gray]

6 minutes ago, Sandy Lie said:

Basic rules violation of Rule 14.1. We were due to wet conditions playing lift and clean a.k.a. “Lift, Clean and Cheat” ha ha!  But there is a rule on how to lift your ball. Without getting to deep in the rule the basic part of the rule is to mark the spot of the ball. Most common method is to use a tee and mark the location.  Anyway, we called him on it, and he basically ignored us. He repeatedly did it the whole round.

Did what? Not mark his ball? If so, was he lifting from the rough and placing in the fairway, or similar? If he just wasn't marking and placing his ball in about the same spot, what's the big deal? 

[klineka]

2 minutes ago, gray said:

Did what? Not mark his ball? If so, was he lifting from the rough and placing in the fairway, or similar? If he just wasn't marking and placing his ball in about the same spot, what's the big deal? 

If the rule for LCP says you have to mark your ball when you lift it and you lift it without marking, that's a violation. 

Would you feel the same way if someone was playing in a tournament and never marked their ball on the putting green but placed it in about the same spot?

[iacas]

On 8/25/2020 at 8:02 AM, Lugowskins said:

Anyway I get to the par 5 on the back on day 1 and pipe one, starts up the right side and draws back to the middle. The fairways are like concrete and it must have ran a mile. There was a group probably 330 yards ahead of us at the corner of the long dogleg left par 5 and they didn't seem to react to something rolling up on them. Anyway we pull up and my group plays their balls we all assume I'm another 40+ yards up to the corner get up there and cannot find it. Must have looked for over 10 minutes (it was a very slow play day so we weren't holding anything up) everyone agreed it almost surely didn't come close to rolling left OB it wasn't drawing hard enough for that and it is probably 370ish to go long through the fairway so we were stumped.

Please see what @bkuehn1952 posted. Your ball was lost after three minutes and if you didn't have virtual certainty it was in a penalty area, you of course had to re-tee.

[Sandy Lie]

On 8/25/2020 at 3:49 PM, klineka said:

If the rule for LCP says you have to mark your ball when you lift it and you lift it without marking, that's a violation. 

Would you feel the same way if someone was playing in a tournament and never marked their ball on the putting green but placed it in about the same spot?

So yesterday our Club played another InterClub match.  All the players gathered around the Host Club Head Pro and went over the course conditions and said we are playing “Lift, Clean and Place”.  So after he concluded and said are there any questions I asked him are we following Rule 14 as described and not just casually moving the ball with a club?  I also described the procedure.  Another player from our opponents Club said yes that’s how we will do it.  
 

And of course a complaint was mentioned that it would slow down play!  What a surprise!  Just amazing!  We won the match!