And you're probably wondering what the heck is a flag tournament. Well, it's a pretty strange format.
Each player gets a flag with his name on it and proceeds to play a number of strokes equal to his handicap+70. When the player's allowed strokes run up, he sticks his flag where his last shot landed. The further from the starting point wins the match. What if you finished 18 holes before finishing your strokes? You proceed to play from the first tee again, all until you run out of strokes.
Ever played something like this before?
______________________________ "Stick to your blue collar RASS, I will smoke Cohibas"- ccsigloIII.
Posts: 2441 | Location: Egypt | Registered: June 14, 2007
Yeah of course penalty strokes count. It plays like a totally normal game the only difference is that you play a specific number of strokes.
Anyway, I played like crap. I finished my 92 strokes and stuck my flag on the 15th fairway. I did some really CRAPPY scores like a 9 on the par 4 first and 12 on the par 4 fifth (2 successive out of bounds)!!!!
Funny thing, I wasted a birdie put on the par 5 13th by a just 2 inches. Settled for a par. That was my only par of the day. Yes, I was THAT bad. But it's my first match and the draw put me with 2 players I've never played with before so it was a bit tense.
But one of my golf buddies won the match which made it up for me. It was really fun and a good day nevertheless.
______________________________ "Stick to your blue collar RASS, I will smoke Cohibas"- ccsigloIII.
Posts: 2441 | Location: Egypt | Registered: June 14, 2007
Originally posted by J. Andrew: but it has to take all day. Does it start with the first guys off in the AM and then just run all day at the course?
Why would it take all day? It takes the same amount of time, more or less, as it would to play an 18-hole round...you "finish" when you run out of strokes. Some guys may only play 16 or so holes (if they are playing bad) while others may play 19 or so (if they are playing good). Once you reach par + your handicap, the round is over. For example, my round yesterday, I shot 74. Par is 70, plus my handicap of 4, would have allowed me 74 shots before my round was over. I completed my round when I holed out on the 18th hole...that is where I would have placed my flag. If I had made a putt or two earlier in the round I would have gotten to play an additional shot or two on the 19th (1st hole) hole before placing my flag.
Posts: 689 | Location: Nature's Air Conditioned City | Registered: August 21, 2007
Originally posted by J. Andrew: but it has to take all day. Does it start with the first guys off in the AM and then just run all day at the course?
Why would it take all day? It takes the same amount of time, more or less, as it would to play an 18-hole round...you "finish" when you run out of strokes. Some guys may only play 16 or so holes (if they are playing bad) while others may play 19 or so (if they are playing good). Once you reach par + your handicap, the round is over. For example, my round yesterday, I shot 74. Par is 70, plus my handicap of 4, would have allowed me 74 shots before my round was over. I completed my round when I holed out on the 18th hole...that is where I would have placed my flag. If I had made a putt or two earlier in the round I would have gotten to play an additional shot or two on the 19th (1st hole) hole before placing my flag.
Yeah, I get the concept. It is not difficult. My post refers to the length of the tournament as a whole. If each player places their flag after their strokes are gone, then everyone would have to start from tee #1. So the tourney would run all day, as opposed to a shotgun that would take 5-6 hours, give or take.
Originally posted by J. Andrew: but it has to take all day. Does it start with the first guys off in the AM and then just run all day at the course?
Why would it take all day? It takes the same amount of time, more or less, as it would to play an 18-hole round...you "finish" when you run out of strokes. Some guys may only play 16 or so holes (if they are playing bad) while others may play 19 or so (if they are playing good). Once you reach par + your handicap, the round is over. For example, my round yesterday, I shot 74. Par is 70, plus my handicap of 4, would have allowed me 74 shots before my round was over. I completed my round when I holed out on the 18th hole...that is where I would have placed my flag. If I had made a putt or two earlier in the round I would have gotten to play an additional shot or two on the 19th (1st hole) hole before placing my flag.
Yeah, I get the concept. It is not difficult. My post refers to the length of the tournament as a whole. If each player places their flag after their strokes are gone, then everyone would have to start from tee #1. So the tourney would run all day, as opposed to a shotgun that would take 5-6 hours, give or take.
Its actually a tournament you can run during regular play/tee times on a weekend/holiday so as not to disrupt a normal day with a tournament. Players can "enter" the tournament as they come in to sign up with their regular foursome. It can last all day or you can have specific tee times set aside for those participating in the event. Or if you dare, it could last all weekend or week...but that could be a nightmare for the grounds crew with all the flags on the golf course...a mower obstacle course, if you will. No big deal really...just have to remember at the end of the tournament to go see who placed their flag the furthest...
BTW, I'd hate to play the tournament where it took you 5-6 hours to play a shotgun start event...talk about slow play...four hours is MORE than enough time to play an 18-hole round...
Posts: 689 | Location: Nature's Air Conditioned City | Registered: August 21, 2007
Originally posted by ShortFatHokie: BTW, I'd hate to play the tournament where it took you 5-6 hours to play a shotgun start event...talk about slow play...four hours is MORE than enough time to play an 18-hole round...
Me too...but I've done it many times. Two groups on each tee to start. All it takes is one slow group and everyone's playing a five hour round.
Originally posted by ShortFatHokie: BTW, I'd hate to play the tournament where it took you 5-6 hours to play a shotgun start event...talk about slow play...four hours is MORE than enough time to play an 18-hole round...
Me too...but I've done it many times. Two groups on each tee to start. All it takes is one slow group and everyone's playing a five hour round.
That's typically why I hate playing in outings/tournaments with a shotgun start...I despise slow play.
Posts: 689 | Location: Nature's Air Conditioned City | Registered: August 21, 2007
Don't know why are you guys saying it would take all day. The tee times started from 12:00 PM till 2:30 PM. With 20 mins between each two teams. My tee time was around 1:20 PM and we finished at around 5:00 PM.
There weren't many players who proceeded to play the 19th hole. Most players stuck their flags at the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th holes. There were only 4 flags on the 19th hole. One at the tee box (John tried to out drive a guy who placed his flag around 250 yards into the 19th fairway, sliced and went out of bounds), in addittion to these two flags, there was another one just right to the 19th green (2nd shot was his last) and the winner, my friend, had 3 shots left when he was on the 19th tee box. He played a drive, a 2nd shot into the bunker, and a 3rd from the bunker onto the green to win. He had to place his ball anywhere on the green to be crowned a winner and he did. He's a very consistent ball striker even though he only started playing golf last August. It's a natural talent I think. Even more, he won using a new iron set and a new putter that he got just one day before the match. He only played them one round before the match day.
On a busy course, such a match could be an annoyance to other players, but since our club doesn't boast that much number of golfers (not more than 100 active members by any means, the official registered are around 250) it wasn't a big deal. And most active members were taking part in the match as well.
______________________________ "Stick to your blue collar RASS, I will smoke Cohibas"- ccsigloIII.
Posts: 2441 | Location: Egypt | Registered: June 14, 2007
Originally posted by LuckyBreak: Don't know why are you guys saying it would take all day. The tee times started from 12:00 PM till 2:30 PM. With 20 mins between each two teams. My tee time was around 1:20 PM and we finished at around 5:00 PM.
There weren't many players who proceeded to play the 19th hole. Most players stuck their flags at the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th holes. There were only 4 flags on the 19th hole. One at the tee box (John tried to out drive a guy who placed his flag around 250 yards into the 19th fairway, sliced and went out of bounds), in addittion to these two flags, there was another one just right to the 19th green (2nd shot was his last) and the winner, my friend, had 3 shots left when he was on the 19th tee box. He played a drive, a 2nd shot into the bunker, and a 3rd from the bunker onto the green to win. He had to place his ball anywhere on the green to be crowned a winner and he did. He's a very consistent ball striker even though he only started playing golf last August. It's a natural talent I think. Even more, he won using a new iron set and a new putter that he got just one day before the match. He only played them one round before the match day.
On a busy course, such a match could be an annoyance to other players, but since our club doesn't boast that much number of golfers (not more than 100 active members by any means, the official registered are around 250) it wasn't a big deal. And most active members were taking part in the match as well.
And there you have it...LOL.
Sounded like a good time Lucky!!!
Posts: 689 | Location: Nature's Air Conditioned City | Registered: August 21, 2007
