The staff has done a great job given how varied the membership is and, frankly, some of the difficulties with the current ownership setup
Not a fan of Mr. Walker?
I skimmed the handicap discussion and all I know is @LPondgolf won the NIT and I didnt come close. Seems like proof enough for me.
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Thatās just science.
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not for me to say, Iāve just heard there are some frictions with the current stucture
Having been in a tournament recently (which you won) listening to you say how nice it was that you didnāt have to give up strokes was amusing, and in the same vein of this discussion. For all of you, I have tiny violins playing in the background for you. (Note that I know none of you are actually saying itās unfair, just tough. But hey, being good has challenges in a game thatās supposed to be for all levels.)
@iacas, you want to do the honors?
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Agree. It is especially hard on greens complexes you are not used to hitting approaches into. The wide fairways also play a huge role because usually you can count on a higher handicap to pump a ball or 2 OB. Giving up 7 to a player who has shot even par on good courses (Bandon) is a tough scene.
I think there are others in here who could better speak to that. I will say from my limited experience visiting. It seemed like it was Mr. Walkers way or the highway. I did enjoy about an hour to hour an a half long conversation with the man. He had some great stories and seemed like he really enjoyed talking about his golf course etc. I could see how he could rub some people the wrong way, but my experience with him was fantastic, welcomed me and my friend back anytime. Very cool to hear from the him how it came to be a golf course and see pictures of construction with him telling stories. Was a special way to end the day at the course.
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If only there was some way to ārateā how hard a course is for say a scratch and bogey golfer, and take that into account when handicapping these matches. Alas.
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I can totally relate to this with the 96-80 I shot back to back earlier this summer, and the 51-39 in the same round too. 
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That part with the piano when @Randy goes āthat was really niceā was my favorite NLU thing in a long time. Nothing beats that āthat was really niceā feeling and seeing him enjoy that was sweet as hell.
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Iāll chime in here as someone who is definitely on the bitter end of losses after giving up a bunch of strokes.
At the very first North Star here in MN, I took second in our Net Stableford after shooting literally the best round of my life. I shot 69 with 6 birdies and only snuck out second. As @aspoiledwalk said earlier, itās kind of a weird place being a low single digit. Not good enough for any real Am events, and gonna get dusted most of the time in net events.
I lost 4&3 against @bobs219 up at Northland this year while firing a 76. Kinda tough to not be a tiny bit butthurt. Also, I notice this seems to happen more in Match Play. When Iām playing something like the 9 point game with some guys Iāve got to give up strokes to, it seems a bit tighter. I think itās just the fact that the high cappers can have their 3 or 4 blow up holes, cause their par net birdies are gonna kick my teeth in later.
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We need a highcap vs. lowcap team match play Refuge duel stat. Though, from reading this thread, I almost suspect the sad sack low caps would lose on purpose to show that theyāre rightly aggrieved.
I think we could call this event āThe Lose-Lose Situationā
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I believe the RACDG SoCal net match play champ was one of the lowest handicap players, though he went through one round by avoiding scheduling his match against a high capper and being awarded a victory by forfeit. @anon68983737 may have more details.
I have no idea if thereās anything to this, but I would think putting being the most variable part of the golf game round to round, and low caps having to have a great putting round to go real low would have an effect on things? Obviously anyone who wins a net tournament is going to have a great day overall, but its potentially more likely that one of the higher caps keeps the ball in play, has a good putting day and makes a ton of net birdies, than a low cap going out and making a ton of real birdies? Idk probably wrong but I think itās just hard to make a ton of birdies
Just realizing that this means that whoever is undefeated going into the final match could lose once and still not win a double elimination tournamentā¦ā¦or that person wins, so they didnāt need another matchā¦ā¦
No, itās equally likely that either player plays to their course handicap. Youāre overthinking this. Itās hard for a scratch player to make birdies. Itās equally hard for a bad player to make net birdies (thatās why itās a net birdie, usually on one of the harder holes on the course).
Because they have different skill levels. And thatās why the handicap system exists.
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Tying a couple conversations together, Iāll preface this by saying I have no idea other than what was shown (which I havenāt dissected) how the match played out shot for shot, but how the handicap system works for match play generally may not always match up with how it works at a specific course between players with specific strengths and weaknesses:
- It looked they played mostly member tees, which is a mix of back/gold and one-up/blue. This somewhat negates the advantage a long hitter gets, though @Djpie didnāt clear the hill on #1 (possible headwind), so not sure how that played out.
- On the front nine at Kingsley, a long hitter already loses some advantage especially from the blue tees, which is most of the member mix, aside from two short par 3s (2, 9), a short par four (8), and a shortish par 4 (4). The main difference between the blues and golds on the front, for me anyway, is the club you tee off with. From the blues I may hit 3W on 3, 4, 6, and 7, and Iād hit driver from the gold, but the approach is usually from the same spot. Advantage to the shorter hitter there, because heās going to be playing in from the same spot as the longer hitter.
- The gold/blue differences really donāt manifest themselves until the back nine. 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 have HUGE differences in how the holes are played between blues and golds.
- Point is, a shorter hitter/higher handicapper can build an advantage on the front that a longer hitter has a hard time cutting into until the back nine, and if the lead is big enough, he may run out of holes.
- That said, @Soly appeared to be in really good position on the first six holes, especially for someone seeing it for the first time. If youāre hitting it good through six holes and canāt get any separation though, it gets frustrating, and can lead to blowing it left into the trees on 7.
- Final though: DJ probably deserved to win based on that shot on 13 by itself. Itās a shot I have never been able to hit there, though I think @JohnnyPanton can relate, unless Iām thinking about someone else who has eagled that a couple times.
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