As a high handicap golfer, I find the constant stream of medal wins in competitions a little frustrating – even though I have enough strokes to compete if I play at my best.
Many amateur golfers believe that the World Handicap System rewards high handicap players and makes it harder for “better” players to win club competitions. I don’t necessarily believe this story, as I would swap places with a single-digit handicap golfer in a heartbeat, even if it meant I had “less of a chance” of winning on the weekend.
Competition can be daunting for high handicap golfers, but over the last few years I have found solitude in one particular aspect of the game, team golf, and I firmly believe we should have more of it…
Why we need more team golf competitions in the club
When I’m on the golf course not thinking about my pace of play or how others perceive my game, I make it a priority to avoid hitting the ball into the weeds and being eliminated from the competition.
For a high handicap golfer, playing golf is not a walk in the park as many “better golfers” claim, and although I have competed most weekends over the last two seasons, I have yet to win a single event.
I often feel that even if I won it would cause such a ruckus that it almost puts me off. I agree with the policy of some clubs to offer gross prize money at every club competition as it really rewards the best golfers of the day, but I also shouldn’t have to feel like I don’t want to win.
I don’t expect a challenge as I’m still in the early stages of my development as a golfer, but I want to at least have fun. Individual stroke play can be lonely, but team golf provides a platform to build confidence and relationships at a golf club regardless of ability or experience level.
(Photo credit: Howard Boylan)
Maybe it’s because the less pressure and responsibility allows me to relax a little more and play better golf as a result, but more likely it’s because in a team format it’s no longer just about me. Before golf I always played team sports and maybe that element of camaraderie brings a sense of familiarity as well.
In some cases, I can rely on my playing partners to perform well, but I know that I am fully capable of making quality golf shots that provide that addictive feeling of contributing.
It’s not just the fact that I have a teammate that brings out the best in me, the change in format also suits my current level of ability (and that of many other golfers looking to improve). When you’re playing for medals every week and every shot counts, you’re bound to make very few mistakes… and that’s not a realistic expectation right now.
Taking time on the tee to talk about strategy, laugh at mistakes, and build each other up is a great way to help players of all levels have fun playing the game.
(Photo credit: Howard Boylan)
When these inevitable mistakes happen early in a round, it can quickly affect my concentration and ability to stay positive, ultimately limiting my enjoyment of the sport.
The team competitions I have experienced so far have usually been match play, or at least Stableford betterball play, meaning that one or two bad shots or holes do not have as much of an impact on the overall result.
Being able to walk down the fairway, discuss your next shot with your partner, and encourage each other adds to the game in my opinion, and is much better than feeling alone and grumpy, skulking around thinking about how difficult it is to master the game.
Although played in groups, golf can be a lonely sport when things aren’t going well…
(Photo credit: Howard Boylan)
At my home club, Sand Moor GC in Leeds, I compete in the Dunlop Salver every year with my father-in-law Richard. The format of this competition is foursome match play and although I was knocked out in the second round this year, I firmly believe that I got more out of these matches than any other competition I have entered.
The draw for the Dunlop Salver is published a few weeks before the first round and in every game we have played over the last few years we have been drawn against a different pair of members we have not met before.
The opportunity to spend a few hours with new people, some of whom have been at the club for much longer than Richard and I, really enriches our club experience and allows new connections to be made. Although we are united by a common interest in the sport we all love, natural opportunities to meet other players are not easy to find and this type of event bucks that trend.
Golf is so much more than the individual stroke play, and we need more opportunities to build relationships and gain experience on the course.
(Photo credit: Howard Boylan)
The club has also offered a great mix of team formats throughout the winter, with ‘Yellow Ball’ becoming one of my new favourites after experiencing it for the first time earlier in the year. Played in groups of three or four, this Stableford ball competition allows all players in the group, regardless of ability, to contribute to the team result and have a lot of fun in the process.
On each hole, a player plays the “yellow ball,” which in turn doubles your Stableford points for that hole. This responsibility cycles between the individual players on your team throughout the round, providing the danger we crave, but within the relative safety of a team unit.
Personally, I would like to see more variety in club competition schedules. I understand that traditional formats of play need to be preserved and respected, but even a slight increase in alternative team formats could appeal to many more golfers who, like me, are not particularly keen on medal mania.
