Joe vs pro

[VegasRenegade]

So as a comparison played same course today, no best ball shot 12 strokes higher, only one came from a drive ob the rest from inside 40 yards lots of bad lag putts, had two 3 putts and 1 four put. Only 2 pars and 4 double bogies

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VegasRenegade

Practice session at a local course that I think is harder than UH, more trouble tougher greens. Played fron nine twice alone two best ball. Shot 43,38

nothing worse than bogie one bird, only had two bad drives together twice but always one was in play.

Many times put first drive in fairway 215 220 then improve it by 20 tp 40 yards. Biggest advantage for me from 40 yards second shot most always improvement. Also long putts, if first one got away second was close. Only made one put after missing first 8ft for par. New hybrids are great on this hard dry course 5 hybrid was going 200 yards.

Are you sure about your 20HC?

So as a comparison played same course today, no best ball shot 12 strokes higher, only one came from a drive ob the rest from inside 40 yards lots of bad lag putts, had two 3 putts and 1 four put. Only 2 pars and 4 double bogies

Okay, now I finally got it.

[turtleback]

Since we are waiting to get the results of the match, I'll throw out a question.

Would Joe have a better chance against the pro in the stipulated match play format, or would he actually have a better chance playing stroke play.  For typical 20s one of the biggest drivers of their scores is the blow up hole(s).  But would they occur in the scramble?  In my own experience blow up holes come when you hit a bad shot and then proceed to compound the error with other ill-considered attempts to get out of trouble.  One bad shot can easily end up costing you 3 or 4 strokes.

In the scramble format you have a chance of voiding the bad shot in the first place with your second chance.  But if you still get into trouble, then on the recovery shot I think the strategy some have (mistakenly, IMO) advocated off the tee now makes more sense to me.  If in trouble, with your first recovery attempt just get the ball back into play in a good position.  If you fail at that, try again with the second.  If you succeed with the first recovery THEN you can try that more difficult recovery - the one you usually try and get in trouble with.

It will be interesting when Joe posts the results of the match, to see whether the match play result was different than the result would have been under stroke play, or at least how the results compared.

[Big C]

Since we are waiting to get the results of the match, I'll throw out a question.

Would Joe have a better chance against the pro in the stipulated match play format, or would he actually have a better chance playing stroke play.  For typical 20s one of the biggest drivers of their scores is the blow up hole(s).  But would they occur in the scramble?  In my own experience blow up holes come when you hit a bad shot and then proceed to compound the error with other ill-considered attempts to get out of trouble.  One bad shot can easily end up costing you 3 or 4 strokes.

In the scramble format you have a chance of voiding the bad shot in the first place with your second chance.  But if you still get into trouble, then on the recovery shot I think the strategy some have (mistakenly, IMO) advocated off the tee now makes more sense to me.  If in trouble, with your first recovery attempt just get the ball back into play in a good position.  If you fail at that, try again with the second.  If you succeed with the first recovery THEN you can try that more difficult recovery - the one you usually try and get in trouble with.

It will be interesting when Joe posts the results of the match, to see whether the match play result was different than the result would have been under stroke play, or at least how the results compared.

Honestly, I'm not sure it would make much of a difference. Both guys are going to hover around par-bogey each hole. It's really easy to take a penalty (or to 3 putt) when you have to take the worst of your two shots, so if I had to speculate, I guess I would say the blowup possibility is greater for the 3HCP. I couldn't ever see Joe doing worse than double in this format. Also, bear in mind the pro will almost NEVER birdie a hole. So the scales are probably tilted in Joe's favor slightly more for stroke play, but I'd favor him in either format.

[VegasRenegade]

If I was playing stroke play with strokes I'm pretty sure o get beat most of the time because of blow up holes, in the last flighted tournament I played I had stretch of five holes that went double, triple, triple, double triple. The rest of the holes all bogies. match play with strokes I think we split most of the time.

[vangator]

You need to play the same tees or refigure your handicaps accordingly.

[BuckeyeNut]

"Joe" me is playing my "pro" in a 9 hole match play. My handicap is 20 pro is currently a 3.

The game is I play two best ball including putts. Pro plays two worse ball including putts.

What chance to you give me.  I made the game rules.

Playing worst ball is brutal tough...............nevermind keeping the ball in play from the tee by playing the worst ball, but the scrambling/scoring shots/putting playing the worst shot will make it nearly impossible to score.   Not to mention holing out twice on each hole for it to count.

A 20HC player playing best ball should win the vast majority of these matches.

A 20HC player playing a 2 ball scramble should score at worst in the 70's if not flirt with level par or better.   In contrast,  3hc playing worst ball won't be able to score. he'll probably score in the 90s-100s!  LOL

[VegasRenegade]

Don't know about 70s tried it last week shoot 81

[BuckeyeNut]

Don't know about 70s tried it last week shoot 81

The above score should be plenty good enough. I honestly think if I played worst ball, breaking 100 could be a challenge.

[Big C]

In contrast,  3hc playing worst ball won't be able to score. he'll probably score in the 90s-100s!  LOL

It's tough, but it's not quite that tough. I mentioned I tried a worst ball format earlier in this thread. I'm going off memory, but I think I was 11 over par through 9. Lot's of bogies, a few doubles, one par (which I was quite proud of), and no triples or worse. I played ok, but I feel like bogey golf was attainable.

If I had to guess a score for a 3 Capper, I'd say 5 over par.

[iacas]

Worst ball's a bitch.

http://www.golf.com/ap-news/norman-readies-senior-players-championship

"I'd play two golf balls, and you always had to hit the worst shot," Norman said Wednesday after a playing in the pro-am for the Senior Players Championship. "So if you hit a great drive, you had to hit the next drive great, too."

That was when Norman's golf game was a priority in his life. Nowadays, with a burgeoning portfolio of business interests, the 57-year-old isn't nearly as maniacal about his swing.

"The best score I remember playing ('worst ball') was 72. So, it really makes you concentrate," Norman said in his familiar Australian accent.

Emphasis mine.

Also, you basically never make birdies, and are scrambling from some not-very-great positions on every hole for par.

[Big C]

Worst ball's a bitch.

http://www.golf.com/ap-news/norman-readies-senior-players-championship

Emphasis mine.

Also, you basically never make birdies, and are scrambling from some not-very-great positions on every hole for par.

I'm not sure if your post is in response to mine? We agree that worst ball is a very tough format.

It is not, however, a format where a 3 HCP would expect to shoot bogey golf or worse.

[iacas]

I'm not sure if your post is in response to mine?

No. I quote when I respond to someone.

It is not, however, a format where a 3 HCP would expect to shoot bogey golf or worse.

I think you'd be surprised. Dave typically shot 39 or 40 and he was a +4 at the time. So a 3 is 7+ strokes worse… you'd be surprised. Now, they're also playing from only 6600 (3300) yards, so… That helps quite a bit.

[mvmac]

I think you'd be surprised. Dave typically shot 39 or 40 and he was a +4 at the time. So a 3 is 7+ strokes worse… you'd be surprised. Now, they're also playing from only 6600 (3300) yards, so… That helps quite a bit.

Yeah I was going to say that 41 would be a pretty good score for a 3.

Think I'm going to play worst ball for 9 tomorrow and Vlog it.

[iacas]

Think I'm going to play worst ball for 9 tomorrow and Vlog it.

YES!

Looking forward to you having to choose your bad drive that's two yards farther left and two yards behind your other drive… :D

[mvmac]

Looking forward to you having to choose your bad drive that's two yards farther left and two yards behind your other drive… :D

Should be fun, I don't really have any expectations but I'm curious to "experiment".

[VegasRenegade]

We go off at 3:30

[Lihu]

We go off at 3:30

Good luck. Keep that first ball in play. :-)