Competition and Yellow Tees

In order to work out someones handicap, does the round have to be played from the medal/competition tees or can the yellow tee scores be manipulated to achieve a handicap?

dont know if its down to local rules or not,but at my club its 2 cards from the comp tees and 1 from the yellow

Michael,

As long as the Yellow Tees are placed on a 'measured course' with a SSS then it is OK.

I should imagine that there is not a club in the country that plays every hole, in every competition, off the white tees and off of the yardage plate. This, of course, makes a mockery of the whole system. Then take into account the number of times, due to inclement weather, the pins are placed on the front of the greens, shortening the course even more.

A competition is qualifying for handicap purposes if it is played on a measured course and the course set up with within 100 yards of the measured course distance.

Our men's winter yellow tees add up to more than 100 yards shorter in total so none of their winter comps count towards their proper handicap but they do have a winter handicap system they use just for within the club.

....plus most courses will operate placing on fairways during the winter months. When this is in place, your round would not qualify for handicap

If you are after a handicap then you would normally put in three scorecards from the competition tees. But you could enter them from the yellow tees (as long as the yellow tees have a SSS).

Play the three off the competition tees and this will give you your correct handicap for when you actually play in a competition. Why get a handicap from the yellow tees then have to play your competitions from the white tees!

If what you are after is adjusting your handicap after you have received one then as long as the tee you are playing from has it's own SSS, that will do.

Russ

Thank you folks . It looks like the white tees are the way to go!!

"....plus most courses will operate placing on fairways during the winter months. When this is in place, your round would not qualify for handicap"

Preferred Lies during the winter are acceptable for Qualifying scores. Clause 15 of the CONGU Manual.

really?? Wasn't aware of that. My club doesn't qualify comps where placed lies are involved, so must be a local rule. Rightly so in my opinion.

It is specifically permitted (and encouraged in the right conditions) by Clause 15 of the CONGU manual.

It is also permitted to use artificial tees (providing there is no material change to the length of the hole) and also fairway mats. Decisions 1a) and 1b).

It is to encourage clubs to run qualifiers during the winter so that players have more opportunity to return handicap cards.

Does this mean by playing off the yellows as i do, entering my scores on golfshake and having my handicap calculated on this, i'm going to be at a disadvantsge when we play the 36 hole comp in a few weeks

Well we will be playing off the whites Gary. Playing the course as it should be played

I think playing the course as it should be played is a bit optimistic Chris. Playing it at is full length and thrashing wildly from side to side may be more accurate in my case. (I've had my one good round of the year...)

ah thats a yes then

golfshake does not use the CONGU system so the CONGU rules do not apply

But Tim, that lovingly grown rough needs to be played and appreciated. And those trees need to serve their purposes. And after they put fresh sand into all the bunkers last week it would be rude not to visit them. As for the fairways, well everyone else can play those

Gary, You'll only be at a disadvantage as it will be slightly longer. If however we were playing stroke play rather than stableford then you'd be at a BIG disadvantage.

I just hope this year the rounds are a bit quicker, remember if you can't score, pick up!!

It's fine, I'm just up for the day out and the Craic😄

Dan,

That would create havoc. Imagine different groups playing off different tees & all of a sudden you have got a bottle neck. I'm talking from experience.

One club I was a member at (for only 6 months as it was not run properly) allowed players who did not enter the comps to play off the normal tees & did not have to wait until all players who were in the comp to finish teeing off. You had groups that were off comp tees playing in the comp in between social groups playing off the yellow tees! Madness I tell you!!

Whereas my new club you can't tee off until the last group in the comp has gone & you play off the 'tee of the day', so if there's a comp on & you don't enter you still get to play of the comp tees.

I think you may have misunderstood Floody. I think Dan wants to be able to play off whites or yellows as suits his mood as opposed to teeing off on the 10th if the 1st is busy

Nope I understood fully. Having different groups teeing off different tees (whites / yellows) on the same day causes congestion.

I petitioned for this last year and would do so again this year. Golfers in a comp at a new course should play off yellows, I'm obviously talking about Minchinhampton and not making a broad statement for all comps

I disagree Floody. My club allows you to play off whichever tee you prefer (as long as it is available that day) and I don't think it is the cause of any congestion. In most cases players would be, at worst, vacating the tee as the group behind leave the green. Yes the course will play longer, but most courses are no more than a few hundred yards longer. I really don't see how it can cause congestion like slow or inconsiderate play would

As for you, Mr Ramowski, I have said to you many times that we should play off the whites in Golfshake events. It's a competition so you should play off the competition tees. For that reason, we will ALL play off the whites at Minch, including you!

I agree with Chris. I've played our course following a few mixed pairings with the ladies playing from the reds & the men playing yellows with no hold ups caused by this.

Saying that, the first competition I played in had me teeing off from tees I didn't know existed, they were that far back!

Chris, White tee/comp tees are used predominantly for competitions, therefore IMO you should only play off them in a club organised competition. Playing off the comp tees is also a way of letting other players know that you have courtesy on the course on non comp days, I.e singles matchplays etc. A bit annoying if you let someone through to find out their just having a knock!

So how are you supposed to know the course from the back tees if you cannot play from them John? I always play off the whites if they are available at my course and I see no reason why this shouldn't be permitted.

As regards courtesy of the course, surely that should be dictated by pace of play. If a group is playing quicker then etiquette dictates they should be allowed through. A match out on the course, such as a pairs knockout for example, should not have the right to hold up the whole course just because they are playing in a comp. I agree with the course being effectively closed on competition days (such as monthly medal) until the last group has gone off. Other than that any group should be expected to adhere to etiquette whether they be in a comp or just a knock

Chris,

I have to disagree with your statement.

If a group is playing quicker then etiquette dictates they should be allowed through

If you are in position behind a few groups and a group closes behind you playing quicker then they should not be allowed through because you could play quicker too, if the groups in front also did. In my eyes 'pushing' is just as bad as 'slow play'.

Chris,

So how are you supposed to know the course from the back tees if you cannot play from them John?

By playing in the comps!!!!

A match out on the course, such as a pairs knockout for example, should not have the right to hold up the whole course just because they are playing in a comp

I'm pretty sure that's standard etiquette at most private courses??

I have never really understood why more club comps are not played from a mixture of the measured courses at that club. Blue, white, yellow, black. They all have their own SSS and because of their length a different set of challenges. Club selection and course management strategy can be very different.

Dan,

Imagine you were in the final of a match where the winner got their name on the boards in the clubhouse. This sceanrio you are going to be taking every shot serious. Do you really want to be 'pushed' from people behind or have your concentration broken by having to stand aside & let groups through?

I've always respected the rules & the players in these matches & if I get stuck behind them I'll either try & jump a few holes ahead (if it's possible) or wait as some day (hopefully) I maybe in a final :@

Dan,

I don't make the rules I just abide by them

This is a big problem at most clubs, the members who are in the competitions feel that anyone else on the course is a distraction and the etiquette rules do not apply.

Personally I feel that a single should have no standing whatsoever and when I play on my own, I just jump from hole to hole when it looks like being too slow for me. I do have a buggy, so that makes it very easy to do.

I agree with the comments above (Lyth, Floody) that pushing is worse than slow play. I also agree that a faster group does not automatically get the right to be played through. They should only be played through if the group in front is a hole or more down on the group in front of them. It's pointless playing a group through if they will immediately be held up by the next group

No group should have the right to barge and bully their way through the field because they think they are quicker in exactly the same way that no group should have the right to hold others up because they consider their game more important than everyone else's

Providing there is space immediately in front for them to move into.

As DH has said. On a golf course there is only 1 lane. How can you overtake if there is nowhere to go?

AND, Motorways get 10mile tailbacks (stop & start) when a row of cars doing 90 have to break for a car doing 70.

Interesting article in the April issue of today's golfer.

They asked hundreds of green keepers to fill out a survey & one of the questions was "what's your pet hate about club golfers" & in the top 5 was "playing from the back tees when not playing in a competition"!!!

And the rest were?

When golfers try & bully greenstaff to change what they are doing.

Taking trolleys & buggies to close to greens

When golfers don't accept the course is closed due to reasons outside of their control

Wanting a rolls Royce course but only wanting to pay skoda prices!

If you want anymore buy the magazine you tight arse

Na, I'll just read it in the newsagents