Joining A "No Match" league

[iceman777]

Im a 22 handicap . Would like to join or start a "for fun"league in RI . Just want to play 9 holes a week and don't care about matches with handicaps etc . Any ideas on how to go about joining or starting such a local league ? None of my friends play and all the local public courses seem to just have the competitive type leagues. thanks

[iacas]

If you're gonna call it a "league," I think the competition is implied.

The first definition I could find that applied was "a group of sports clubs that play each other over a period for a championship."

What you're wanting seems more like a regular group of guys to play golf with at an established time and place. You could call it a "league," but I think that will confuse more people than it'll help.

Or, perhaps this would work… call it a "league" but offer almost random prizes each week. Offer a closest-to-the-pin prize one week. Offer a longest putt one week. Worst shot one week. That sort of thing. That way it is still a "league" of a sort without being super "competitive."

[Kalnoky]

Some courses have a separate men's club and league nights. The men's club hosts a lot of "hit-n-giggle" (they call it that, not me) events with different formats. It's more about socializing and having fun. The league night is stroke play and that is more competitive. They post the scores on a big board for everyone to see. Although, in fairness, the league night around here has a few guys w/ 30+ handicap. They just like to play golf - everyone is welcome. Anyway, it's worth asking the clubhouse for more details. Either way you go, people are pretty encouraging, you'd be surprised. 

Sometimes I really enjoy the serenity of playing alone. But sounds like you're a very social guy. I bet if you give it a chance you'd probably really enjoy even a "competitive" league. 

 

[David in FL]

Sounds like you just need to find some golf buddies who are available to play when you are.

[chilepepper]

I think most folks are going to want some kind of competition. It doesn't need to be much....5 bucks. Handicaps level the playing field 

Edited September 22, 2017 by chilepepper

[boogielicious]

19 hours ago, iceman777 said:

Im a 22 handicap . Would like to join or start a "for fun"league in RI . Just want to play 9 holes a week and don't care about matches with handicaps etc . Any ideas on how to go about joining or starting such a local league ? None of my friends play and all the local public courses seem to just have the competitive type leagues. thanks

I am in a small league of 16. You could just do closest to the pin and longest drive competitions if you didn't care about overall scores. We play using a modified Stableford, but use other fun comps.

Another one is the beer hole par 3 challenge. On a par 3, all four tee off. If anyone gets on the green, the furthest from the pin has to buy a round for the group unless the closest to the pin doesn't par.

[Buckeyebowman]

On 9/22/2017 at 4:59 PM, chilepepper said:

I think most folks are going to want some kind of competition. It doesn't need to be much....5 bucks. Handicaps level the playing field 

You got that right! If your not competing for something, why are you out there? We'll compete for as little if, I beat you, you owe me a beer!

There's gotta be something on the line!

Edited September 24, 2017 by Buckeyebowman

[NM Golf]

On 9/22/2017 at 10:49 AM, iceman777 said:

 Would like to join or start a "for fun"league in RI .

Competition is fun! Golf is a game, games are competitive in nature. It's not necessary to play for a bunch of money or anything like that, but I think you may have trouble finding too many people that don't want to play for anything. I literally cannot remember the last round I played where something wasn't on the line. 

[JonMA1]

On 9/22/2017 at 12:49 PM, iceman777 said:

Im a 22 handicap . Would like to join or start a "for fun"league in RI . Just want to play 9 holes a week and don't care about matches with handicaps etc . Any ideas on how to go about joining or starting such a local league ? None of my friends play and all the local public courses seem to just have the competitive type leagues. thanks

I understand where you're coming from @iceman777.

Sure I like friendly competition in any sport. I don't mind losing if I've played well, and it's not that big of a deal when I win - so long as my opponent is like-minded.

But inevitably, competition brings out the worst in some. Going by the hundreds of posts describing bad behavior during competition... cheating, arguments, bad tempers, gamesmanship, complicated or misunderstood rules... I'd venture to guess there are many who might be very interested in what you've described.  

So the idea of organizing a group of non-competitive golfers in a relaxing atmosphere makes perfect sense to me. A foursome who regularly play together is close, but the idea of having more participants and changing the teams from week to week seems like it might be interesting.

As far as I know it's still going on, but we had a group made up mostly of over 50's who'd get together 3 night out of the week to play doubles tennis. Both men and women of various skill levels participated. It never mattered who showed up or didn't., there were always enough participants, and partners were randomly matched. Score was kept, rules and etiquette were followed, but I doubt anyone really remembered or cared who won each match. Partners switched throughout the matches and there was very little drama. I'm not sure why this wouldn't work for golf a golf league.

Please let us know if this becomes reality.

[tehuti]

You might want to check out local Meetup groups. There may be a social golf meetup in your area. I recently joined one for the same reason but haven’t been to anybof their group events yet.

[Pardner]

12 minutes ago, tehuti said:

You might want to check out local Meetup groups. There may be a social golf meetup in your area. I recently joined one for the same reason but haven’t been to anybof their group events yet.

I play in a local meetup group here in the Triangle area.  It's a great way to meet golfing buddies.  They can be hit or miss though and you might be lucky to find one in your area that's active.  Some folks just like to join meetup groups and never play and some folks create a group only to find it's a lot more effort and money than they expected and never schedule any events or let it fizzle out quickly. 

[djfajt71]

Our Wednesday night league is based on quota points.  In essence, you're only competing against yourself, with a max of double bogey on every hole.  We have CTP prizes, skins, and a weekly raffle.  The people that run it do a great job and all the money paid in, gets paid back out. 

[NM Golf]

On 9/26/2017 at 2:42 PM, JonMA1 said:

But inevitably, competition brings out the worst in some. Going by the hundreds of posts describing bad behavior during competition... cheating, arguments, bad tempers, gamesmanship, complicated or misunderstood rules... I'd venture to guess there are many who might be very interested in what you've described.  

Where are these 100s of posts? I have been playing competitive golf for over 20 years, literally in hundreds of tournaments, and its an extreme rarity to see someone act in the way you have described. I would venture to say that people act better during competition.

As I have said, I don't understand the "anti-competition" crowd. My youngest daughter played in a non competitive soccer league. The league didn't keep score but those kids did. There are winners and losers people, thats life.

[JonMA1]

4 hours ago, NM Golf said:

Where are these 100s of posts?

Are you challenging me on my statement? Want to make a wager? 

This is one thread. Even if only 1/4 of the 800 posts stated there was cheating, that's "hundreds". Now consider all the threads over the last 20 years on this site regarding sandbaggers, league play, outright cheaters and those accusing others of outright cheating just because they're sore losers. C'mon man.

The majority of people aren't like this, but there are enough. If you've avoided it, good for you. I've been in three golf competitions and I'm batting 1.000 with shitty attitudes. The first was subbing for a league when an opponent accused me of cheating - until his partner quickly confirmed the score on the hole was legit. The second was a simple game of bingo, bango, bongo (or whatever). I won a few lousy quarters and the one of the guys got pissy. QUARTERS!! And he was the one who wanted to compete, Lol. The third, wasn't even a competition until two of the four started talking a little smack. (I have to admit, it was fun beating them).

4 hours ago, NM Golf said:

My youngest daughter played in a non competitive soccer league.

You let your child play in a non competitive sports league? You're a monster!! 

4 hours ago, NM Golf said:

There are winners and losers people, thats life.

I've always been amused by folks who believe competitive sports teaches life lessons. Life teaches life lessons. I've won and lost sports championships. You know what? Neither taught me anything about life. It's just sports.

You can't understand how people can enjoy this game without competing. I can't understand why it matters to you. Golf means different things to different folks. Maybe the fact that others are enjoying the game for whatever reason should be good enough?

[Denny Bang Bang]

On 11/7/2017 at 10:19 AM, tehuti said:

You might want to check out local Meetup groups. There may be a social golf meetup in your area. I recently joined one for the same reason but haven’t been to anybof their group events yet.

I did this as well when I moved out West.  I’ve met a few guys through it that I really enjoy playing with (and hanging with outside of golf as well).

There are other similar apps out there as well

[iceman777]

I can understand how some like the competition , but for me , golf is simply me against the course . All the local leagues are handicap leagues . Never could understand , how if Im playing a guy who gives me 6 strokes , and I shoot a 50 for nine and he shoots a 45 , I "win' with the strokes . its ridiculous . I won nothing . Just want to play with guys who might have similar handicaps and be the best I can be . Don't care what you shoot .

[Buckeyebowman]

3 hours ago, iceman777 said:

I can understand how some like the competition , but for me , golf is simply me against the course . All the local leagues are handicap leagues . Never could understand , how if Im playing a guy who gives me 6 strokes , and I shoot a 50 for nine and he shoots a 45 , I "win' with the strokes . its ridiculous . I won nothing . Just want to play with guys who might have similar handicaps and be the best I can be . Don't care what you shoot .

True, but in competition one could phrase the idea differently. The course is your common opponent. How you do against "old man par" determines your rank, and how you finish among the field.

That's how I always played it. Why not? Nothing I could do about another player's shot. It's the course that plays defense. That's why I could admire a fellow competitor pulling off a great shot under pressure. I knew how he felt.

[JonMA1]

5 hours ago, iceman777 said:

I can understand how some like the competition , but for me , golf is simply me against the course . All the local leagues are handicap leagues . Never could understand , how if Im playing a guy who gives me 6 strokes , and I shoot a 50 for nine and he shoots a 45 , I "win' with the strokes . its ridiculous . I won nothing . Just want to play with guys who might have similar handicaps and be the best I can be . Don't care what you shoot .

I'm the same way. My regular playing partner is a little worse than I am because of health issues. We keep score but I've never considered it a competition. Same when I'm playing someone better.

The few times I've met up with others from this site, we just played golf. We were trying to play well, but there wasn't a competition - at least none that I was aware of. The really weird thing was that it was still enjoyable golf.