Forum > Rants

Matt Hargraves

I dont really know how to take this, the club run a match play compertition for higher handicappers, and i was in the final on sunday and won 3&2 . First proper comp i have won. Played a guy i had played before nice and friendly and all i didnt conceed a putt to him on the 13th that was like 3 foot away and he missed it, little grumble from him but nothing to bad then friendly enough and he conceeded on the 16th. Now bear in mind that he had been kicked out of the comp earlier for not plaing his game in time and then reinstated and the only time we could play was 7 that morning I now feel pritty hard done by that i have been accused of cheeting and playing off the wrong handicap and thus disqualified.

I played of 24 on the day him of 19 so i got 5 shots, as i though that i would have got .1 back from the previouse weekends comp taking me to 23.5. It turned out that i had got the .1 back but one of my cards have gone missing from some earlier weekend so i was still of 23.4 .

been up to the club and seen the sheet that they have and yes it says 23.4 but looking at all the entries from me theres 2 weekends where i have not entered a card and im 99.9 % certain that i havnt missed 2 weekends worth of golf and am sure i went out on the 13th  which there is no card in from me according to them.

So i want to know what to do. as im off up tommorrow to see games and handicap guy to find out what has happened to this card. If it was a doubles comp and i didnt get .1 back then fair enough but im sure it was singles.

Im really tempted to jack it in i mean i sloged my guts out in the game to win and dont think the shot in question affected the outcome, but what gets me is anyone who has played with me knows i dont cheat, i DO count my airshots, miss hits, double hits ect and dont try to get drops from imaginarry rabbit scrapings. The amount of rule bending i see going on is unbelivable. and for this to happen is really annoying, i mean the other guy shouldnt even have been in the comp. 

I dont know how i should feel part of me feels really gutted at been disqualified for what could be a honest mistake, or that the club which is more likly have messed up some of my scores.
Part of me feels angry that someone has even questioned my hc.
Part of me thinks i should say **** *** and join another club next year.
I want to feel that this set back will make me better but just not feeling it at the moment.

Im busy going through the diary pencilling in what i was doing each day.

Paul Everett

Hi Matt,

I'm no expert on club competitions so will not comment directly about them ... But, I have played a few comps through work and know only too well that there are a lot of 'golfers' who do not accept being beaten (especially by someone with a higher handicap than them) and will take any number of steps to ensure it dosen't happen. I have had a couple of rare games when I could do no wrong and have scored better than my handicap and been called a cheat and a bandit, had my score 'doctored' higher than it actually was etc. As frustrating as it is, I am afraid it is part and parcel of these comps. I still enter but do not worry about winning. I just enjoy taking part.

Hopefully your meeting with the club guy will sort it all out and the slurs will stop.

Well done, btw, on winning. 

Matt Hargraves

John Pettitt

Sounds to me as though the guy was a sore loser especially taking the ffort to find out your real handicap.

Personally. Matt, I would not be bothered because if that is the way he wants to win, then let him. Not worth worrying about.

Technically of course he is correct as it is encumbent on you to make sure what your current club handicap is before playing this type of macth and not assume that the handicap committee will have done everything that they should have done.

You know you won, Matt and that is all that really matters.

Jon Williams

Matt I think John has just about summed it up.  The real prize is that you know on the day you beat him in match play.  A technical disqualification doesn't change that even if it does rob you of a pot or your name on the honours board. 

Unless you are generally unhappy with the club stick with it as you will find sore losers at any club.  Don't be too hard on the handicap secretary if it does turn out to be his mistake as I assume he is a volunteer and anyone can make a slip up.

David Lythgoe

Matt,

There are two things that come to me.

ONE - Did you presume that you got the 0.1 back or was it put officially on the Noticeboard. If it was, what was your 'New Hcp'?

TWO - What was your actual Hcp in your last event that was "posted"?

From what you say it looks like "friends of friends". He has been let back in and then you are DQ'd without being asked what you think. That is very bad etiquette from your Club.

TheLyth

Robbie Allison

Always check your hcap to see if yours has moved either way.

""assuming"" can get you into an awful mess in any sport.

I don't think it will of been the other player questioning your hcap it is more likely to be the club secretary or hcap secretary or comp secretary doing his/her job correctly by reviewing the winners hcap against what was played off on the day.

The fact that you think some cards have not been input correctly over the last couple of weeks don't exclude the onus on you to check your playing hcap before a comp - it is your fault I am afraid mate...

Take it on the chin mate, you dropped a big blob by ""assuming"" and now must pay the price,

Gutted, yes you will be. I would be but, I would be annoyed with myself for just assuming not anyone else...

There is always next year and win or lose I bet you don't assume again hey..

Onwards and upwards....

Christopher Watmore

Matt the first thing I will suggest to you is that you never increase your handicap yourself. Although you have played in comps and know how you've performed, only the Handicap Commitee or Secretary can increase your handicap, so you should in any doubt have played off the lower handicap. However this rule is confusing because if the opposite happened and you felt your handicap was lower you should cut yourself and play off the lower handicap. At my club we had this issue last week, where a guy played in a Competition on Wednesday, the handicap secretary was away so results weren't processed however the guy should have been cut 0.9, but the following day went out and won a trophy event because he hadn't adjusted his handicap to reflect.

On the actual subject you mentioned I too recently won a summer long matchplay event at the club and then have had my result called into question by several of the players who lost to me along the way. They've all made complaints about my Handicap being too high and that I've somehow 'Cheated' by playing off the figure of 17 I've been off nearly all year. Too be fair they do have a point because in a couple of competitions this year I seem to have run a foul of the Competition Comittee and been disqualified a couple of times. These were times when I'd played well and should have received a reduction in handicap. Instead on one occasion I was given a 0.1 increase and that moved me to 17 and the 2nd time I wasn't even entered into the results. So I'm now blaming the Comittee as they have in my eyes wrongly kept me off the wrong handicap for the recent months. Disqualify me from comps if its justified but the scores should still count towards my handicap. This matter has irked me so much that in my last competition I wrote a begging letter on my entry envelope asking not to be disqualifed this time and on the back of my scorecard before I handed it in I wrote a checklist of all the things I know I'd done right so as to avoid disqualification. A couple of days later I received a letter in post from the secretary informing me my actions and recent disqualifications may result in me being suspended from future competions at the club.

Jonny P

David Lythgoe

Robbie,

In Match-Plat Events at most Clubs a Players Hcp is not posted with any result, just the Winners name being "put through", so this guys got to have said something behind Matts back.

Matt may have been nieve about what his actual Hcp was and should have had a look at the Noticeboard to check it before starting out, specially in a Final. But the committee should have talked to him before DQing him.

TheLyth

Robbie Allison

The hcap aint posted but after the event the hcap secretary will review the winners card and compare the hcap thereon against what it should be and if there is a difference then the ugly dq'd wording comes into play.

I doubt it stems from this lad back stabbing but, ya never know really I suppose...

Matt Hargraves

Thanks for the replys fokes been a bit of a rollacoster of emotions past few days. It was matchplay so no cards are handed in just i wrote my name on the board in the correct place after the round and it was funny how the HC commitee new id played off the wrong handicap when they rang. There was a card missing from my records but it was a doubles comp so not counted and i was in the buffer zone in another. So yes i was of 23.4 . I would have checked the sheet if the clubhouse had been open but we had to play at stupid o clock on the morning and i couldnt get in again my fault.

It was all sorted out at the club last night very profesionally on the night by the Handicap guy. Alegidaly the other guy "it wasnt sour grapes and he wanted to play again off off proper hc" which as we know would break another rule. I said no as even if i did play and won morally it would not feel right.Also he will now get cut 2 shots for winning the event :P

I did feel anoyed at the other guy, then annoyed at myself as its my fault for not making sure earlier i did feel like quiting and joining another club. But i think this has made me even more determined to improve.

Little disapointed that i did text to say sorry last night to him and let him know that i had sorted it out and been disqualified/disqualified myself but no reply.

Think what I will take from this is 1 know the rules of golf which is infact a rule. Know rule 1 - 3 (this could have won me the comp before we got to the first hole) , never ASSUME anything at all ever!! try not to go out before the shop is open.

Robbie Allison

And don't forget your silly hat....

Thats a must - at knotty anyway....

Take ot on the chin and move on mate.....

Dave ley

John Flood

Matt,

as eveyone has said it was technically your fault. What would be interesting to know if is the hole where you got your extra shot as a 'turning point' in the match, i.e did it take you to 2 up or level the match or did he concede the hole etc???

There's always next year.

Jonny P