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My dad talked to a friend this morning, who said at my club there was a scheduled father and son match(And i think uncles,wifes and different relatives can play) this morning however, due to heavy rain it has been called off.

And when my dad came back from work he said would i like to play. Sure enough i said yeah, so i might be playing in my first tournament sooner than i thought.

Trouble is, i haven't got a handicap yet, and i don't think i will have time to get one. Do you think my pro could give me a handicap for that tournament, or will i be given the maximum handicap you can get ? Or do you think i wont be able to play ? Hope i am able to .

I think it is a stableford competition, so do you think it will be play your own ball, or use one ball between pairs ? Also will pairs have to play with other pairs ? I assume so.

I'm excited, but nervous incase i mess up, embarrass me and my dad, or i forget a rule or something.

Some questions i have are:

Can someone explain the drop rule when/if i hit the ball into a hazard ?

What's the maximum handicap? And do juniors(I'm 14) get a different handicap than adults. I.E Lower maximum handicap or any help ?

When someone has just putt, and they are relatively near the whole, sometimes you see players mark it, and sometimes you see them putt the ball in. What should i do ?

Thanks

Why don't you ask your dad these questions before you head over to the tournament together?

Typically, a drop from a hazard is within two clublengths(from point of entry), no closer to the hole. If you want to though, you can move back as far as you want.

I am unsure about your question regarding handicap. all i know with regards to handicap is that the maximum allowable handicap @ St. Andrews is 24 (men) and 36 (women) If your handicap is above that, they will not allow you on the course.

With regards to the ball marking, in stroke play, the player has a choice. He can mark it and let the others in the foursome play, or he can choose to "finish it", and putt out. I typically will putt out whenever i am within 6 feet. Others i know will never putt out. As you may have noticed, many players also will mark their ball to line it up (using either the writing on the ball or a series of dots or a line) and then finish it. It is mandatory to mark the ball when you are adjusting the position of the ball. However, in match play, the rules are very stringent, and it is always required for the person furthest from the hole to hit. That means if you lag a putt to two feet, and someone else is at 6 feet, you MUST mark your ball and let him play. If his ball ends up inside yours, say 8 inches, he now must mark his and allow you to play.

Good Luck!

He was at work when i posted the questions, and i just wanted your opinions really

Any help for me on the nerves ? And any tournament advice in general ?

You mark one of your oponents cards don't you ? Doesn't that get a bit confusing,i mean if they tell you, they have to be honest about their score ?

Thanks

I don't know what the official deal with this "tournament" is, but unless they take everyone who doesn't win and never let them play golf again, I'd just go out there, enjoy a round of golf with your dad, and let your golf game take care of itself.

Thanks

I know this is a stupid question, but when you mark your oponents card, do they tell you what they got or have you got to count ? What happens if their shot is way away from yours ? (You do mark your oponents card don't you ?)

Once i have played one tournament, do you think i will be more confident in other ones ?

Thanks

First of all, congratulations on playing your first tournament...I'm sure it will be a thrilling new experience for you. My best advice is to remain calm and keep your composure and let the experience unfold and give it a chance to sink in. Try not to think too far ahead or burden yourself with too many rules considerations...everyone around you will know it is you first outing and will understand if you have questions. Don't be afraid to ask...it would be worse to do what you think is right only to find out otherwise.

Everyone gets nervous, even the guys who've been there many times. Somehow the pomp and circumstance before the golf begins is often even more intimidating than the golf itself. Don't get too caught up in clubhouse posturing...some guys talk and/or look the part very well but the proof is in the putting. Believe it or not the nerves will settle down after a hole or two. Just try to pay attention and, most of all, enjoy the ride.

I'll try to answer some of your ?'s

If you don't know a ruling, by all means, ask.

Don't worry about your handicap, the tourney officials will work it out for you.

When in doubt, mark your putt and step away. When in doubt, farthest from the hole shoots first.

Usually teams swap cards and mark one another's score...yes it's important to keep the correct score as you will have to sign it attesting to it's accuracy, just like you will do with your own card. The problem is - can I keep up with their score while worrying with my own? The short answer is yes, it's easier than you'd think. The real answer is, however, that you don't want to overly concern yourself with your opponents score at the expense of your own. You won't be the only one counting, remember you have a seasoned partner and, besides, most people keep their score in earnest...not all, but most. Concentrate on YOUR SHOT, nothing else...that's the best thing you could ever do for your partner regardless of the outcome...you gave 100%.

Lastly, yes, by all means, judging by how attentive a young man you appear to be, you will get the hang of this tournament thing in no time. No worries.

Good luck, my friend

Shade

Thanks

What can i do to make sure i never mark their score card wrong ? Do you sometimes have to ask ?

I think the only thing i will find hard is trying to concentrate on golf rather than the nerves

Thanks again for the help

Just check after each hole that you both write down the same score,
or at the end of the round check both cards and make sure that both cards have the same score on each hole. :nodsmiley

Sorry, stupid question, but why would your oponent be writing down his score if you were writing it down ?

Thanks

Your club tournies may be more 'official' than ours. In our MGA (Men's Golf Association), one guy (usually one with a cart) gets the scorecard and everyone tells him the scores, although most people are following fairly well already.

On the topic, my 13 yr old will be playing as my teammate this weekend at our club's Memorial Day 2-day tourney. They told me they don't usually let youngsters play, but just for this one, they will. Maybe it's because he's got an 8 handicap from the men's tees (6,500 yrds)? (I have an 18).

On our scorecards there is a small section at the top for the marker to keep track of his own score. It is his responsibility to make sure his own card is right before signing it and this is a good way for him to both keep track of his score during the round and to compare with the figures that his marker has written on his scorecard. Always keep track of your own score, Queen, as well as the player you're marking for. If you sign a card with a posted score higher than you shot, you're stuck with that score but if you sign one with a score less than you shot, disqualification is the penalty. Have a good day.
Jerry

Holy moly...quite a prodigy on your hands!

Buckshot, well, every parent would like to think of their youngster as the next Tiger, etc....my little fella is pretty good, but there's a lot of local (city/state) talent that we've seen. I'd probably rank him in the top 5-10 position in the state in his age bracket. There is one 14 (or maybe 15 by now) that I've seen... mark my words... you will see him playing pro some time in the next 4-6 yrs (I don't think I should put youngsters names on the net). He hits the ball 300 yrds and has been playing below par on many of the highschool and summer tournaments he plays. There's another 1-2 kids in my son's age bracket (13-14) that basically win 1st place about 95% of the time between the two. They may not be that long as the first guy I mentioned, but their approach/short game is deadly accurate. Sadly, one of them lost to the other in the end-of-summer Tournament of Champions by simply.... not having the correct score listed for the 18th hole... the other kid originally put down the wrong score for the 18th hole, then changed the correct score for the total score, but forgot to correct the score for the 18th hole that he originally put down.... end result....disqualificationi, ugghhh, don't like to see anyone lose that way.