Play in the Championship flight or not?

[Fourputt]

On 8/10/2018 at 4:43 PM, Valleygolfer said:

I'm thinking second tier and just seeing what happens...

I always had that option for the Club Championship, and at one time it might have made some sense.  I won 2nd flight a couple of years, and once with scores low enough to be in the top 5 in 1st flight (played scratch, like yours), but I never declared out of my normal flight.  Like you, I just didn't feel that I was consistent enough to truly compete with guys sporting anywhere from scratch to a 4 or 5 handicap.  I never regretted playing against the other guys at my skill level. 

I know that I had more fun playing in 2nd flight than I would have by putting unnecessary pressure on my game in Championship flight.  In the end that's why I play, to have fun, so I've no regrets, and now those options are no longer even under consideration.   So my advice would be to choose what you think you will enjoy the most.  

[Valleygolfer]

14 minutes ago, Fourputt said:

I know that I had more fun playing in 2nd flight than I would have by putting unnecessary pressure on my game in Championship flight.  In the end that's why I play, to have fun, so I've no regrets, and now those options are no longer even under consideration.   So my advice would be to choose what you think you will enjoy the most.  

I would like to think that I would enjoy the competition if I felt more consistent in my game. The challenge would be in trying to play at that level which would be the fun as long as I was playing consistently at that level vs struggling the whole round to hang in there. Most of the guys that play at that level in my club are a bit surly and that would not be the fun part. As long as I play my game and ignore them it would be fine. I do realize that unless I get my head right, I will have a hard time staying <5 if I got there, but I believe I can do it. We shall see. All in all I learned I need to relax more and play my game and whatever happens, happens, and just make the next shot better. My rounds for the championship should be up on Game golf if anyone cares.

[Fourputt]

On 8/13/2018 at 10:15 AM, Valleygolfer said:

I would like to think that I would enjoy the competition if I felt more consistent in my game. The challenge would be in trying to play at that level which would be the fun as long as I was playing consistently at that level vs struggling the whole round to hang in there. Most of the guys that play at that level in my club are a bit surly and that would not be the fun part. As long as I play my game and ignore them it would be fine. I do realize that unless I get my head right, I will have a hard time staying <5 if I got there, but I believe I can do it. We shall see. All in all I learned I need to relax more and play my game and whatever happens, happens, and just make the next shot better. My rounds for the championship should be up on Game golf if anyone cares.

I started enjoying golf more when I quit taking it too seriously.  That doesn't mean that I quit caring or playing under the rules of golf, but I just accepted that at a 10 handicap, I was about as good as I was going to be, and I decided to be happy with that.  That let me shoot a few rounds each year in the mid 70's to soothe my ego, and I kept more than 90% of my scores at 85 or less.  For me, that was probably the best I have ever performed at any quasi-athletic endeavor, so it was not too difficult for me to find satisfaction in my game. 

Now at age 71, I'm happy to still be playing and hitting enough acceptable shots to keep bringing me out to play tournaments in the same men's club I've played in since 1989.  When I joined this public course tournament club, my handicap was exactly where it is right now, but I improved rapidly during the last half of that first season, stalled at around 10 the next year and stayed there for 24 years. 

Weekend after next is the 54 hole club championship, and my entry is submitted.  I'll probably be in 4th flight, with a course handicap of 19, a ways off from where I was at my prime, but I'll be playing with guys who are pleasant playing companions, so I'll be looking forward to a fun 3 days (Fri-Sat-Sun).

Edited August 15, 2018 by Fourputt

[NM Golf]

From a scratch player's standpoint we love for you to enter the championship flight because you up the payout and have very little chance of beating me. I have been the club champion at my club five times, but I never won it until I was below a 1 handicap. I just looked back at the last ten club champions and all of them were scratch players when they won. Unless your club is much less competitive, play in your flight. Set some goals, practice hard and efficiently, and get your game to a point where you can compete with the best players day in and day out. Then you should play in the championship flight, until then you will just be donating your entry fee.  

[Fourputt]

28 minutes ago, NM Golf said:

From a scratch player's standpoint we love for you to enter the championship flight because you up the payout and have very little chance of beating me. I have been the club champion at my club five times, but I never won it until I was below a 1 handicap. I just looked back at the last ten club champions and all of them were scratch players when they won. Unless your club is much less competitive, play in your flight. Set some goals, practice hard and efficiently, and get your game to a point where you can compete with the best players day in and day out. Then you should play in the championship flight, until then you will just be donating your entry fee.  

To add to this, I can't recall anyone being Club Champion with higher than a 5 handicap.  This being a public, sort of municipal (recreation district) course, we have a lot more guys in the 10-15 handicap range than in in single digits.