I've been excited about playing in a tournament, I got my handicap established, even racked up 20 rounds... it sits at right on 26.

I have had warnings about AM tours being sand baggers, and club champs etc not being very kind either.

I just found out my flight, and tee time, and there are 3 flights.
0 - 5.5
5.6 - 12.5
and
12.6 +

My understanding is its scratch in each flight... so I am giving up 14 strokes against the best in the flight, let alone those who sandbag a little at best.

Their handicap + 10 strokes is 6 better than my best.

Should I save my pennies (green + 15 entry +10 skins) and wait for Best Ball or Scramle or Shamble, or have a go and get killed?
What would you do if you're a 26 handicapper in a 12.5+ flight
PS: Its my wedding anniversary lol, but she gave me permission to golf.

green fee + 25 bucks? I say go for it, could be fun.

I talked to one of the organizers last night... and after some language barriers were eliminated, it all came together.

In the GC AM Tour... you play Gross in your flight... or SCRATCH in my mind.
So when I asked them how you compete in your flight in our tournaments, I aksed if you play scratch in your flight, they say no, there are 3 flights.

So what I figured out was, I had to ask, do you play gross in your flight. Then they clicked.
So, in your flight... they award 1 gross, and 3-4 net.
So obviously 14 strokes off means gross wont help me, but I do have a shot with the NET stuff, in my flight, so game on, I'm playing.

what`s a shamble?

Ok... I just learnt all these.

Scramble, you play the best shot... each person in your group.
So if I hit fairway and player b misses. We play 2 balls from my fairway ball. Next I hook it in the sand, they put it on the green, we both putt from the green.
Stroke play scoring, but best ball for each shot.

Shamble is similar, except, its only BEST BALL for the DRIVE. You are on your own after the drive.
So like my above example, he is on the green, I am in the sand, I have to play from the sand.
We both score separately.

Some shambles will only count the best score too, so if he 2 putts par, and I sand + 2 putts 5, we record the 4.
Some shambles are individual scores, so i would take my 5, him his 4, and see how we go... but most are teams so you just record your best score.

Hope this makes sense.

First of all.
THANK YOU OOB GOLF AND IT'S MEMBERS>
Yes I yelled.
Secondly, I warn this is going to be a long drawn out response, but hopefully you think its a worthwhile read.

Club Champs yesterday.
It was my first mens club event, but it was my favorite course.
Obviously this thread, I was asking for advice, and unsure if I should play or not. I woke up Sunday morning, aching from a hard

indoor soccer game saturday night, it was my wedding anniversary, our first, but my wife was supportive and made sure I played.

I wamred up by going to the chipping green. Chipped out of the sand, out of water, thick and thin rough... I was feeling pretty

good. Normally I dont get to warm up, twilight after work is a rush to fit in the 18.
Next I went to the range, and the nerves kicked in. It took me 10 drives to get one off the ground. My Wood and Hybrids were

worse than normal, and they are my weakness, so I was worried. I text my wife, and she responded with:
You are the only kiwi there, and you are great, you'll do well. Amazing what a few good words will do.
I made a few putts and then sat down to watch the others tee off.

I was in the last group, so I had to sit and watch a while. I started chatting with a nice old man... after about 10 mins, and a

new friend, found out he was in my group. Another one in my group, Kal, a super nice guy (Indian so we could talk cricket lol),

made my playing group a lot more relaxed than I feared.
I let them all tee off first, got my oob gold app set, and away I go.

First drive was long and a little left, but an outstanding 2nd put me close and GIR on the par 5, narrowly missing a birdie, but

a great par to start.
I hit over a couple of greens, the new clubs trick me sometimes, but all and all, some great golf.

I hit a couple of great 10-15 ft putts, but missed 2 heartbreaking 2 ft putts.

With 26 Hanicap Index... I was given 30 strokes... so 10 over after 9, my best ever front 9... i was in contention.
I can usually shoot just under 100 here, with 1-2 blow up holes, so if i can keep double and under, I could be in the money.

10th tee, hit right, decent lie, but the tree in front of me scared me.
Of course, I hit a great shot, but caught the tree, and left me in the bunker.
I am not a great bunker player, luckily I'm not in there too often, although today tested me.
I line up way way right of the hole hoping to get up, at least hit the lip and roll around. I got under it perfectly and got on the green, still 8 ft away, but wait its still rolling. It slowly crept down and around, and ended up 2 feet from the hole.
I stink the putt for another par, now 10 over through 10 holes.

This is about the time they say, whats your handicap, 30, oh holy crap. I started to feel bad for having such a good round, and wondered if they were going to believe me. I showed them my phone, I said, I can show you every score I've even made in my life.
A couple of holes later, the best player in our group, who wasn't have a good day gave me some encouraging advice.
"Never feel bad for having a good round, because noone will feel bad for you when you're having a bad round"

11th hole, I pitched my 45 yard pitch shot 2 yards, and held back my profanity and hit a good next shot. Another close miss and I shoot a double. 12 over after 11
250 yard drive, and a great iron shot left my 2 putting a par, 12 after 12
13th hole, I took a chance, and tried to go through the tree. Of course I hit the tree... but if I cleared it or not, i was still hitting 3 to the green. Duffed the chip for another double. Trying to hold it together.

3 straight bogeys left me standing on 17th par 3. Never hit the green before, only par'ed 1 time in my life... just need a good finish. So I duff the shot and it rolls 100 yard down the middle. I miss the pitch up and go over the top... so I pitch back on the green for 3... putting for a bogey.

NOW - HEAR IS WHERE I LEARNED A HUGE LESSON.
18 foot putt... up hill, little right to left, ok more than a little.
I was going to ask someone to mark their ball, someone offers to mark the ball, i say, dont worry about it, i shouldn't go anywhere near there.
I push it, and hit the ball 4 ft right of the hole... CAN YOU BELIEVE IT. Of course, murphys law, you dont mark it, you'll hit it. So then we have a green conference, and think about how many PENALTY STROKE, NO!!!!!!
I WILL ALWAYS MARK EVERY BALL ON THE GREEN - AND I URGE YOU TO.
Let me tell you, everyone marked their ball on the 18th, even the ones way way way to my left.
Luckily i sunk the next putt, double bogey, plus the penalty that we agreed to confirm in the clubhouse.

I hit a shocking drive, my head was hanging low, thinking I just blew a great round, but if i pull it back and par, it will still be 4-5 stroke better than my best. So I hit my iron from the rough with some confidence, until I saw it roll 50 yards, luckily it was on the fairway at least. 3rd shot, 190 out, looking into the wind on the 18th, a par 5.
Hybrid 4 isn't my best club, I always take 2-3 swings to get my weight right. So 1, 2, 3, I step up, and hit it. Best hybrid I hit all day... the wind lifts it, but straight as an arrow, it goes plop in the middle of the green, and stops within a foot of landing, leaving me a 8 footer for birdie, 2 for par.
I step up to putt, EVERYONE marks their ball, we have a giggle (crying on the inside, almost), I hit it... its going its going it going, it pulls up short and left, leaving me a 2 inch tap in for par.

Awesome round. I thank everyone for being such great playing partners, because they really calmed me, usually I play terrible with strangers, but not today. Best score by 5, with the penalty to come.
We explain the situation, confirm the 2 stroke... adjust the scores and sign our cards.

I look at the board. Doing the math in my head, what was my final score, what was my net. I see some net 80s, a few 70s, I see some mid to high 60s, I think I'm 62, 63, 64, somewhere around there. They write up another score, a 63... oh no, did my 62 become a 64 because of my stupid mistake... they get to me, they write up 63... 63, a tie, i'm even (kicking myself for the 2 stroke penalty still but on a high from a great round regardless). They write up a few more numbers, safe, safe, safe, safe.
Whoo freaking hoo, I'm tied. I think the golf gods for not punishing me more than the penalty.

I looked at the wall, they had last years winners, Championship Flight, 1st flight and 2nd flight, and I wondered how they would put 2 pictures up there. Then I see them writing something else... I see them write up 1st - CARD OFF... I won in a card off. They take my picture and I've over the moon.
I can't believe it... I managed to squeak it out.

I now have my picture going up on the wall, some script money to spend on a new putter, although this one did me pretty damn good, hard to replace a winning putter.
To top it all off, I ended up taking 3 of the 7 net skins, and walked away with another 90 bucks.

Freaking awesome day. $15 bucks got me entry, lunch and a range token.
$10 for skins, to get 90 back.
Some stiff competition got the best out of me. I didn't choke, I didn't crack, now I can replace the CHOKE shirt Profile Pic with something a little more fitting... hell, maybe i should get a golf shirt printed up like that.

Being on the high I was, I even checked the other flights, my net score was the best across all the flights.
I called my wife, told her we're going to dinner, celebrate a great day, and our anniversary, I still can't believe it.

Sorry for the epic report... but it was a great day, and wanted to share the whole story with anyone who cared enough to read it all.

Thanks again OOB, and all you members, I'm an addict, and I couldn't do it without the support

player wrote:

what`s a shamble?

A shamble is what I found myself in after my round yesterday....shambles.

gpickin wrote:

Sorry for the epic report... but it was a great day, and wanted to share the whole story with anyone who cared enough to read it all.

Awesome story. Now, what the H is a 'card off'?

I didn't have a clue till yesterday.
Aparrently this is how it goes.

My understanding is, they compare scores, hole by hole, like a PLAYOFF, but using your round.

Sometimes they start from the 18th and work backwards.
I scored a par 5, or eagle net.

Or sometimes they do the hardest hole... Number 6, I doubled or par net, if we tied, the 2nd hardest I bogeys, or birdie net.

Either way, I must have edged him out.

I'm just glad that penalty didn't lose it for me, otherwise I would be kicking myself for eternity.

Congratulations on playing a great round at the right time. Your fellow competitor was right when he told you to not feel bad about a great round because no one will feel bad when you have an off day. Very true. Enjoy the high as there will inevitably be days when you will not be at your best.

When I have seen a "card off", typically they look at the last nine holes (total), then the last six, then the last three and then start working back from 18 on a hole by hole basis. Of course, every tournament is different. Personally, I tend to not pay attention to the way ties are broken unless it involves an actual playoff.

Again, well done!

I hate a score card playoff....settle it on the COURSE...!!!!

Congrats! That's awesome that you won your first tourney.