At 09:20 PM 8/7/2007, Tom wrote:
I'd guess I've played in just about every format over the past 50+
years, gross to better ball net, and all the variations thereof. I
prefer gross within handicap groups - that is players no more than a
stroke or so apart. Gross is so much easier and baggers aren't so
much of a problem.
Every year at RSG-Ohio, the Saturday afternoon round is twosome match
play, no strokes but somewhat "flighted". It's Ohio vs The Rest Of
The World, which works because there's roughly as many locals as
out-of-staters. (Sometimes they have to designate an honorary Ohioan.
No comments about whether that's an honor.) So it's Ryder Cup Sunday
format, with each match worth a point.
When this event started, the Ohio and World rosters would each line
up according to handicap, and that defined the matches. Today, a
dozen years later, it tends to be more of an "I challenge... I
accept" sort of thing. Some of the matches have become traditional,
and some form based on trash talk (trash email) leading up to the
event. Others, perhaps most, come from a look at the handicap list.
But it still tends to be fairly evenly matched handicaps, because the
challenge-accept model almost guarantees that will happen.
I said match play. I meant Match Play Madness (TM), the brainchild of
David "Thor" Collard. Thor wanted a game that was closer to what he
imagines golf was like at the very beginning, before there was a rule
to assure equitability and skill (as opposed to luck). The rules are
very simple:
(1) Play the ball as it lies.
(2) Play the course as you find it.
Similarly, the decisions are very simple:
"No, you can't."
A more detailed description is at
http://users.zoominternet.net/%7Etutelman2/MatchPlayMadness.html
You'd be amazed how different this is. For instance, this is the only
golf game I know where you'll hear, "Not only is his ball in the
parking lot, he's got a BAD LIE in the parking lot." (Yes, I did hear
that in 2007; you can see pictures at
http://users.zoominternet.net/~tutelman2/Ohio06.html)
If you're intrigued by some of the games that come out of this rule
simplification, you can see more anecdotes and pictures (even a few videos) at
http://users.zoominternet.net/~tutelman2/Ohio05.html Be sure to look
at the "swamp thing" anecdote, with pix and video.
http://users.zoominternet.net/~tutelman2/Ohio06.html More here
besides the bad lie in the parking lot.
Enjoy!
DaveT
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