Does Tournament Play Affect Your Scoring?

[bkuehn1952]

It has been said that golf tournaments will add several strokes to one's scoring average.  This does not make sense to me.  In theory, unless the tournament venues are made considerably tougher than the course rating, one should be able to match or slightly beat one's handicap somewhere around 20-25% of the time.  That is the case with my play.

There will always be some increase in nervous energy when playing a tournament but many people learn to cope with nerves.  Frankly, I always get a bit excited on the first tee, whether it is a competition or playing by myself on a Sunday afternoon.  So except for a few players, nerves shouldn't be the cause of higher scores.

My thought is that higher numbers are a product of players allowing modifications to the Rules during casual play (mulligans, gimmees, relief from divot holes, drop where a ball is lost, etc...).  It is pretty easy to chop a few strokes off one's score with a breakfast ball and treating woods and brush as lateral hazards.

[geauxforbroke]

Originally Posted by bkuehn1952

It has been said that golf tournaments will add several strokes to one's scoring average.  This does not make sense to me.  In theory, unless the tournament venues are made considerably tougher than the course rating, one should be able to match or slightly beat one's handicap somewhere around 20-25% of the time.  That is the case with my play.

Depends on that kind of tournaments you play. Are you talking team tournaments, club championships, amateur tour tourneys?

Originally Posted by bkuehn1952

There will always be some increase in nervous energy when playing a tournament but many people learn to cope with nerves.  Frankly, I always get a bit excited on the first tee, whether it is a competition or playing by myself on a Sunday afternoon.  So except for a few players, nerves shouldn't be the cause of higher scores.

Nerves certainly play a part, but I would say it's more about pressure to perform. When I was playing competitively as a junior, I could feel the pressure, especially in larger tournaments. There was such a desire and will to play well, that a lot of times I would put too much pressure on myself.

Originally Posted by bkuehn1952

My thought is that higher numbers are a product of players allowing modifications to the Rules during casual play (mulligans, gimmees, relief from divot holes, drop where a ball is lost, etc...).  It is pretty easy to chop a few strokes off one's score with a breakfast ball and treating woods and brush as lateral hazards.

There's probably something to that. Take one mulligan, a few gimmees, and ignore a lost ball, and a 85 just turned into a 78.

[WUTiger]

Pace of play is a big factor.

A few years ago in another state, I had a 16 HDCP (B Flight for the city tournament). The worst thing that could happen was getting stuck behind the A Flight foursomes. These guys played slower than some of the current tour pros, and this was back before people had GPSs and Rangefinders as distractions. Switch clubs three times before hitting an approach shot, measuring each putt three times, aaaagh!

On one hole, I hit my drive into the edge of the rough. One A group was on the green, and another was in the treeline. During the half-hour delay, I walked up and identified my ball in the rough, and then walked back a hundred yards to where our carts were.

Then, when we finally advance to our drives, I can't find my ball. It's no longer by the little bush where I saw it! So, it's a lost ball, I have to drive back to the tee and re-hit. Despite all this distraction, we are still pressing the A-Flight when we tee off on the next hole. A-Flight groups have fallen two holes behind everyone else.

End result: I tend to score a few strokes higher for a 6-hour round than a normal round. I just can't "get into the rhythm of things."

[David in FL]

Originally Posted by geauxforbroke

There's probably something to that. Take one mulligan, a few gimmees, and ignore a lost ball, and a 85 just turned into a 78.

Yep.  I've seen mid-single digit players miss 12" putts under stroke-play tournament conditions.

[geauxforbroke]

Originally Posted by David in FL

Quote:

Originally Posted by geauxforbroke

There's probably something to that. Take one mulligan, a few gimmees, and ignore a lost ball, and a 85 just turned into a 78.

Yep.  I've seen mid-single digit players miss 12" putts under stroke-play tournament conditions.

Tournament conditions can do strange things to your head.

[cipher]

Originally Posted by geauxforbroke

Tournament conditions can do strange things to your head.

Yes they can...

[iacas]

Some courses are set up more difficult for tournament play.

Some are not.

The pressure has never really affected me at all.

Poll added.

[David in FL]

Originally Posted by iacas

Some courses are set up more difficult for tournament play.

Some are not.

The pressure has never really affected me at all.

Poll added.

Sadly, I'm going to have to say yes.  Not necessarily by a lot, but when I play in a tournament, more often than not it's also at a course that I'm less familiar with than the courses that I more often play.  Plus, I tend to play a lot of match play in my normal games.  Stroke play adds an additional level of stress that just can't be discounted.....

[geauxforbroke]

Originally Posted by iacas

Some courses are set up more difficult for tournament play.

In most of the two-day junior tournaments that I used to play in, they would make the first day much harder than the second. Tees would be back and pins would be in much harder locations. Then the second day, tees would be moved up, especially on par 5s, and the pins would be much more accessible.

Interestingly, with the exception of the top 5 or so golfers, most players didn't improve significantly on the second day. Always made it interesting on the second day.

[bplewis24]

I voted no, and I actually may do a little better in tournaments (3 of my 4 personal bests over the past 6 months have been in tournaments).

I think it has something to do with my focus and frame-of-mind entering competitions.  I practice a lot, and sometimes go into casual rounds thinking I should play great since it's just a casual round, and end up rushing through my routines sometimes.  Whereas in tournament play I find myself visualizing a lot of the holes days before the round, and making a conscious effort to maintain focus before and in between shots.

The one thing I sometimes do worse is putting inside of 8 feet.  Most tournaments I putt how I normally do from those distances, but if I miss one or two early, pressure starts to set in later in the round on those putts.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by bkuehn1952

It has been said that golf tournaments will add several strokes to one's scoring average.  This does not make sense to me.  In theory, unless the tournament venues are made considerably tougher than the course rating, one should be able to match or slightly beat one's handicap somewhere around 20-25% of the time.  That is the case with my play.

There will always be some increase in nervous energy when playing a tournament but many people learn to cope with nerves.  Frankly, I always get a bit excited on the first tee, whether it is a competition or playing by myself on a Sunday afternoon.  So except for a few players, nerves shouldn't be the cause of higher scores.

My thought is that higher numbers are a product of players allowing modifications to the Rules during casual play (mulligans, gimmees, relief from divot holes, drop where a ball is lost, etc...).  It is pretty easy to chop a few strokes off one's score with a breakfast ball and treating woods and brush as lateral hazards.

How about an option for "No, I score better in tournaments"?  My personal best came in the Club Championship, and for whatever reason, I've recorded more of my sub 80 scores in competition than in casual rounds.  If I had to pick one from your poll, then it would be option 2 - No I don't.  I don't have to account for more difficulty either, as for the most part I don't see tournament setups as being any different from any other rounds.  The only tournament which my Men's Club set up more difficult was the Club Championship.

Originally Posted by geauxforbroke

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkuehn1952

My thought is that higher numbers are a product of players allowing modifications to the Rules during casual play (mulligans, gimmees, relief from divot holes, drop where a ball is lost, etc...).  It is pretty easy to chop a few strokes off one's score with a breakfast ball and treating woods and brush as lateral hazards.

There's probably something to that. Take one mulligan, a few gimmees, and ignore a lost ball, and a 85 just turned into a 78.

One reason why I play by the rules all of the time.  I never have to deal with an inflated handicap or shift gears mentally.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

How about an option for "No, I score better in tournaments"?

Technically that would be "Yes, I score better in tournaments." :)

[RPMPIRE]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

I voted no, and I actually may do a little better in tournaments (3 of my 4 personal bests over the past 6 months have been in tournaments).

I think it has something to do with my focus and frame-of-mind entering competitions.  I practice a lot, and sometimes go into casual rounds thinking I should play great since it's just a casual round, and end up rushing through my routines sometimes.  Whereas in tournament play I find myself visualizing a lot of the holes days before the round, and making a conscious effort to maintain focus before and in between shots.

This is the same with me. I've broken 90 and 80 during tournament play. The thought and pressure of something on the line (even if you're just playing for gift certificates) gives me some added focus in and between each shot.

[RickK]

Originally Posted by geauxforbroke

Tournament conditions can do strange things to your head.

+1  So, so true.

[Aquaguru]

I agree that a tournament atmosphere is a lot different. The way I try to prevent myself from performing poorly is to putt out no matter what in the casual rounds. II still miss the 12" putts whether its in a casual round or tourney round. Either way its frustrating.

[Wally]

Nope. I enjoy competition but it doesn't affect me. My mindset is that the only competition and thing in my way is myself. Same thing goes for rounds with friends or with people who are better than me. I have played with pros, and it's like, "Wow, look what they did!" But, I just focus on my game as best as I can.

[meenman]

I used to struggle in tournaments, but this year I seem to play better in them. The course is set up a bit tougher on tourney days, but I seem to be concentrating more or it just may be the fact that I am away from my normal foursome and worry about my game vs searching for my normal playing partners lost golf balls all day.

[Storyboard]

I usually play 2-man playstyles. And often with the same partner. So the "pressure" isn't as high generally speaking, on the other side it can sometimes get higher when my teammate OB or waters the tee-shot and I have to make a good one or else I let him down also. But to answer the question I usually play alittle bit better, my focus increase and I play "smarter" or rather not always as aggressive as I do when I'm playing for fun or practice.