[Other Sport] Ryder cup 2018.

[hans kraay fan club]

Wow, what an absolute plum.
Indeed, I thought it was harsh talking about Tiger getting no points, when he effectively played against Molinari and Fleetwood on his own, so bad was Reed.

Indeed.

It may not only be because he was playing badly, either. The foursomes is much more a true team format than the four ball, where ultimately you each do your own thing, then see who did best. Given that the seemingly decent Spieth refused to even share a fairway with him in the four-balls, maybe Furyk just couldn't find anyone willing to share a ball with him!

 

[Dave the OAP]

But is the length of the course similar to the courses they're playing?

In competitions, yes. I played at the PGA at the belfrey off the Whites and that was the tees the pros played off.

I also played at St. Andrews on the jubilee course on the whites the day after the Scottish amateur open.

You can chose what you play off and most golfers not in comps play off yellows

 

[Birdie Boy]

But is the length of the course similar to the courses they're playing?

I was thinking the same and checked and the albatross course (Ryder cup course) is 7331yds. I suspect only east Sussex national would get close to that in this here parts. At around 700yds longer than the course I play, the Dyke, which is fairly long compared to others around here, it would be a big step up!

 

[Weststander]

[MENTION=20]Publius Ovidius[/MENTION] , please may I ask you a question as someone who plays golf? I know it's already been touched on in this thread, but approximately how many strokes per round is the true difference between these Ryder Cup players and the likes of yourself?

I've read autobios of footballers who were/are gifted golfers with low handicaps of 4 or 6, but they explained that the true gap with tour pro's is far larger that the numbers appear. Their 4 or 6 is based on their better rounds on courses they know intimately, playing under little pressure and without thousands watching.

Hypothetical of course, but would you for example shoot a score 36 higher than RC level players, on the same course under equal pressure?

 

[goldstone]

Well der we live in Europe, beside we were crap as GB and Ireland winning 3 in about 50 years.

I know almost nothing about golf, but this sounds pretty incredible. Are you telling me that a combined GB and Ireland team used to play the USA, but because this team always lost it was expanded into a Europe-wide team in the hope that it could sometimes win?? You couldn't make this kind of thing up!

 

[Birdie Boy]

[MENTION=20]Publius Ovidius[/MENTION] , please may I ask you a question as someone who plays golf? I know it's already been touched on in this thread, but approximately how many strokes per round is the true difference between these Ryder Cup players and the likes of yourself?

I've read autobios of footballers who were/are gifted golfers with low handicaps of 4 or 6, but they explained that the true gap with tour pro's is far larger that the numbers appear. Their 4 or 6 is based on their better rounds on courses they know intimately, playing under little pressure and without thousands watching.

Hypothetical of course, but would you for example shoot a score 36 higher than RC level players, on the same course under equal pressure?

To turn pro, standard pro player not Woods or the like, would need to be around +5. So with a 4 handicap player they would be 9 shots different. Woods etc. would be even bigger difference.

A 9hc player won the comp yesterday, beat me by one shot the bxxxxxd, and shot 76 on a par 72 course. If he was to play the Ryder cup course he would need as good around to get in the eighties but most likely would be nearer the nineties, imo.
If Woods was to play our standard of course, they would be low fifties and hitting a lot of par 4s in one and par 5s would be a driver and a wedge/9.

 

[goldstone]

OK you're not european.

How about British? English maybe? A Sussex person? Or do you not like to be categorised into any group?

In fact I'm fine with being British, English, or Sussex. But European? No thank you.

 

[Weststander]

To turn pro, standard pro player not Woods or the like, would need to be around +5. So with a 4 handicap player they would be 9 shots different. Woods etc. would be even bigger difference.

A 9hc player won the comp yesterday, beat me by one shot the bxxxxxd, and shot 76 on a par 72 course. If he was to play the Ryder cup course he would need as good around to get in the eighties but most likely would be nearer the nineties, imo.
If Woods was to play our standard of course, they would be low fifties and hitting a lot of par 4s in one and par 5s would be a driver and a wedge/9.

Thanks, really interesting. On a course such as the Paris RC, Augusta or Kiawah Island USA, would you and your competitor yesterday card just 18 higher than a Molinari or Speith?

 

[Dave the OAP]

[MENTION=20]Publius Ovidius[/MENTION] , please may I ask you a question as someone who plays golf? I know it's already been touched on in this thread, but approximately how many strokes per round is the true difference between these Ryder Cup players and the likes of yourself?

I've read autobios of footballers who were/are gifted golfers with low handicaps of 4 or 6, but they explained that the true gap with tour pro's is far larger that the numbers appear. Their 4 or 6 is based on their better rounds on courses they know intimately, playing under little pressure and without thousands watching.

Hypothetical of course, but would you for example shoot a score 36 higher than RC level players, on the same course under equal pressure?

Well I normally shoot around 76 to 80 on a 68 par course, which is around my handicap although playing at various courses, especially as Brighton and Hove is one of the most difficult courses around, I do tend to play to handicap( I played in Essex this summer and they played me off 6 and I went round in 1 over par net!)


But you are looking at pros who if you played at your very best, would certainly be shooting your handicap plus probably about 10. Most players at my level,are happy to hit a green in regulation , 2 shots on a par 4, but pros at their top of their game are looking to put the ball around 5 ft from the flag and are unhappy if they don't. Pros also do not duff shots!

It's all in the head and technique. Their timing is such that ordinary shots for them are 350 yards drives( at my hc is normall 260) and especially putting. Drive for show putt for dough. That is where the chasm is. And of course to do that in a cauldron of fans.

Of course it is their jobs and practice 7 hours a day if they are not playing in tournements, where most golfers on here will agree they turn up to play and have a few practice puts and swings of the club.

 

[Dave the OAP]

I know almost nothing about golf, but this sounds pretty incredible. Are you telling me that a combined GB and Ireland team used to play the USA, but because this team always lost it was expanded into a Europe-wide team in the hope that it could sometimes win?? You couldn't make this kind of thing up!

Yes that is exactly what happened

 

[Dave the OAP]

To turn pro, standard pro player not Woods or the like, would need to be around +5. So with a 4 handicap player they would be 9 shots different. Woods etc. would be even bigger difference.

A 9hc player won the comp yesterday, beat me by one shot the bxxxxxd, and shot 76 on a par 72 course. If he was to play the Ryder cup course he would need as good around to get in the eighties but most likely would be nearer the nineties, imo.
If Woods was to play our standard of course, they would be low fifties and hitting a lot of par 4s in one and par 5s would be a driver and a wedge/9.

We have a pro am competition and two years ago, when the wind was blowing, not one sussex and surrey pro broke par for 18 holes. Brighton and Hove GC can be brutal

 

[Triggaaar]

In competitions, yes. I played at the PGA at the belfrey off the Whites and that was the tees the pros played off.

I also played at St. Andrews on the jubilee course on the whites the day after the Scottish amateur open.

You can chose what you play off and most golfers not in comps play off yellows

Yeah I play off yellows, but the courses I've played just aren't as long as those I see on tv.

 

[Triggaaar]

Indeed.

It may not only be because he was playing badly, either. The foursomes is much more a true team format than the four ball, where ultimately you each do your own thing, then see who did best. Given that the seemingly decent Spieth refused to even share a fairway with him in the four-balls, maybe Furyk just couldn't find anyone willing to share a ball with him!

Wow. It reminds me of our recruitment policy here - no dickheads. I imagine a couple of their team would fail at the first hurdle here.

Can't imagine any European player saying they wouldn't play with one of the others.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Yeah I play off yellows, but the courses I've played just aren't as long as those I see on tv.

A lot of whites to yellows tend to be the carry of the ball once you hit it.

We have two par 5's at B&H and the second hole has a tee off that is about 80 yards behind the yellow, BUT it is also down in the valley so you drive over scrub by 100 yards and the fairway is another 100+ yards further on.....so that is. A damn good hit, but you muff the drive and there is nowhere to go and many A medal round has ended on the second hole!

 

[Balders]

I'm a regular golfer and have got down to a hcap of 5 until I started to age! In general terms golf courses are ranked via the Standard Scratch Score (SSS) for each Tee (White/Yellow/Red) and every UK golf course has one and it is given based primarily on it's length but also on obstacles (hazards etc) assuming a "standard scratch golfer" hits a drive 250yds. As an example my home course is 6,300yds long, has a Par of 71 but has a SSS of 69 - so in theory a scratch golfer would shoot 69 if he were "playing to his handicap". In essence, our course is therefore 2 shots easier than par. If you go to top courses that have been used for Tour Events, not only are they a lot longer, but you'll find that they have a Par of 72 and a SSS of 74 maybe 75. So the scratch golfer should shoot 74 or 75 to play to his handicap (without getting into buffer zones and CSS and moving to a slope based rating in 2020 lol)

I suspect that Le Golf Nationale would be 75 minimum and for a 6 handicapper playing Stableford, 33pts would be bang on their handicap!!

On the topic have how much better the top players are, all the stuff above is based on a scratch handicapper, not Tour players, so I always refer to the following blog which explains it much more succinctly! http://tryingtobeascratchgolfer.blogspot.com/2009/12/scratch-0.html

 

[Questions]

Indeed.

It may not only be because he was playing badly, either. The foursomes is much more a true team format than the four ball, where ultimately you each do your own thing, then see who did best. Given that the seemingly decent Spieth refused to even share a fairway with him in the four-balls, maybe Furyk just couldn't find anyone willing to share a ball with him!

Spieth like Fowler has always struck me as a decent young man but if he even dared to tell Furyk that he couldn’t partner Reed then I am very surprised. In that instant you do what your captain asks, you don’t intimate that you are uncomfortable with a certain player. There must be some truth in it though for Reed to speek out.
Put him with Tiger as know one wants to play with either...... sad.

 

[Dave the OAP]

I'm a regular golfer and have got down to a hcap of 5 until I started to age! In general terms golf courses are ranked via the Standard Scratch Score (SSS) for each Tee (White/Yellow/Red) and every UK golf course has one and it is given based primarily on it's length but also on obstacles (hazards etc) assuming a "standard scratch golfer" hits a drive 250yds. As an example my home course is 6,300yds long, has a Par of 71 but has a SSS of 69 - so in theory a scratch golfer would shoot 69 if he were "playing to his handicap". In essence, our course is therefore 2 shots easier than par. If you go to top courses that have been used for Tour Events, not only are they a lot longer, but you'll find that they have a Par of 72 and a SSS of 74 maybe 75. So the scratch golfer should shoot 74 or 75 to play to his handicap (without getting into buffer zones and CSS and moving to a slope based rating in 2020 lol)

I suspect that Le Golf Nationale would be 75 minimum and for a 6 handicapper playing Stableford, 33pts would be bang on their handicap!!

On the topic have how much better the top players are, all the stuff above is based on a scratch handicapper, not Tour players, so I always refer to the following blog which explains it much more succinctly! http://tryingtobeascratchgolfer.blogspot.com/2009/12/scratch-0.html

That blog is spot on.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

I have trouble getting past the spinning windmill sails on the 5th but manage to get it in the pirates mouth nearly every time, it's can be a very frustrating game can golf.

 

[Balders]

Just thought I'd add the following: St Andrews Old Course has a par of 72 and a SSS of 73 (6,700yds) compared to the Marquess at Woburn which has a par of 72 and a SSS of 75 (7,300yds)

So in theory Woburn Marquess is 2 shots harder than the Old Course at St Andrews. If the Marquess is 75 SSS, I'd dread to think what Le Golf Nationale is lol.

 

[Questions]

I normally shoot between 68 to 72 when I play Brighton or Worthing. Although to be fare I dont tend to do so well on the 2nd hole.


Well, someone had to do it.