Mini Tour Play

[Ben]

Played in a Golden State Tour event today. Mission Hills Gary Player course (73.4/131, 7062Y, Par 72) in Rancho Mirage (Palm Springs area). I was -1 for 15 of the holes! The other three, well, not so hot. A triple and two doubles. Oh that's fun! I love it! It was alright though. I stayed calm and didn't let it turn into a total tailspin. Made a BUTTLOAD of putts today, tester 3, 4, 5, and 6 footers. Unfortunately most for par. But at least something was going great.

Anyone else here play any mini tours?

Besides Golden State, there's also The Pepsi Tour and The CalPlayers Tour here in So. Cal. I've also found this site with links of most known tours in the nation: http://www.dmoz.org/Sports/Golf/Orga...ns/Mini-Tours/ I did notice The Hooter's Tour wasn't listed there...

[MAC]

hay.. so i guess you're from So. Cal. good stuff man, im from down here also but i play in the amateurgolf.com thing.

[AndrewM]

I dont think the Hooters tour exists anymore does it?

I was under the belief it had morphed into the Golden Bear tour, which also seems defunct.

The Gateway tour is a good one with a similar design, you pay upfront for the year (circa $20K) and that gets you into all the multiday events. You can also then sell your spots and if you arent a full time member you can buy spots from other people.

I have done some dabbling here in FL, on a circuit called Moonlight Golf Tour.

Planning on starting here again shortly if time allows. The only problem with that is they are one day events, and only hold multi day events a few times a year.

To really test yourself I believe you have to play more than one day. So many guys can go out and post 65/66 on any given day, but much fewer can post 69 two or three days in a row.

[golfbarefoot]

This is supposedly the best Amateur around. Sponsored by the Golf Channel.

http://www.thegolfchannel.com/amateurtour/

[Ben]

I dont think the Hooters tour exists anymore does it?

I heard the guys in my group yesterday talking about Hooters Tour. The link seems to work too.

I know what you mean about the single day events. I'd love to play multi-day events but I still work full time. I pick and choose events to play based on my days off (Mon and Fri).

[lamebums]

If I can get myself down to a two handicap or less in the next couple years, I might try my hand at local stuff. But until then, I'm resignated to flailing away on the local muni's and trying to become less of a hack.

[Ben]

If I can get myself down to a two handicap or less in the next couple years, I might try my hand at local stuff. But until then, I'm resignated to flailing away on the local muni's and trying to become less of a hack.

The

Pepsi Tour I mentioned has a "Indexed Division". It may be worthwhile to play in some stuff like that if there's something similar in your area? MAC mentioned http://www.amateurgolf.com/ It's also a great way to play Net golf events. Lot's of tournaments like local City Championships, or also USGA Amateur Local Qualifiers.

[AndrewM]

I heard the guys in my group yesterday talking about Hooters Tour. The link seems to work too.

I guess just the Golden Bear tour is defunct... not sure what I was thinking about the Hooters Tour.

[FIJIGolf23]

The Hooters Tour is alive and kickin. An excellent golfer from my hometown is trying that one at the moment, but not having the success he had in college.

I'm definitely going to try for a few bigger tournaments next summer. This summer I have learned A LOT about course management and anger management and have really shaved some strokes. I plan to try for a couple USGA events and try to Monday qualify for the Nationwide Tour's Knoxville Open that is held in my hometown.

[Ben]

...and try to Monday qualify for the Nationwide Tour's Knoxville Open that is held in my hometown.

Wow, that reminds me, I've got Monday Qualifying to sign up for for the Mark Christopher Tournament next month...

[Shindig]

Wow, that reminds me, I've got Monday Qualifying to sign up for for the Mark Christopher Tournament next month...

Semi-related:

I've been planning to go to this event (as a spectator, unless I have a miracle improvement in my game before then). The online site says tickets are available only at the gate -- any chance of this selling out on a Saturday or Sunday? I figure it's a NWT event, so it might not, but I'd hate to drive out there and it be sold out.

[Ben]

I think you'll be safe, it is NWT after all. I've never even heard of the Nissan LA Open getting sold out.

[Ben]

Well, tried again today. Pepsi Tour event at Spanish Hills in Camarillo . Shot 6 over. Doubled 18 figuring "I'm 4 over, I can't win, lets try to hole a shot or have a tap in birdie." NUKED my first shot over the green never to find that ball again in the shrubs, OB par.

I was actually hitting the ball great! Tons of good swings, and tons of good looking tee shots, approach shots and a few nice chips. Just could not buy a putt... Oh that stunk. I two-putted every green but three. I guess I can be thankful I had no three-putts. I suppose.

So, straight from the event, I headed to Angeles National G.C. (after a quick pitsop at Del Taco) and putted for an hour and a half.

[Terrier]

Everyone on the mini-tours is high or on painkillers. Or putting.

So says Gary

[FIJIGolf23]

That's tough man. It sounds like it was just one of those days.

Did the practice session afterwards help build your confidence back up?

[Ben]

Everyone on the mini-tours is high or on painkillers. Or putting.

If you'd have seen one of the guys in my group you may not find that too far from the truth. This guy was nuts.

That's tough man. It sounds like it was just one of those days.

Yeah, the practice helped. I hadn't been putting bad, just not getting as much time in on practice as I'd like. And although the ball wasn't dropping yesterday, I was making some good rolls.

[BritBoy]

how did the monday qualifier go?

[Ben]

^^ Didn't end up trying. It was $350, and I'd just played in an event, that I didn't win any money in. Plus I wasn't feeling to confident in my game at the time. On top of all that, tHe Nissan Open qualifier is only $200, and the US Open $150. $350 for Nationwide Tour just didn't equal out this year.