We had our Member Guest this weekend. The organizer is a big, outgoing jovial guy, named Dino. He looks exactly like what you'd expect a Dino to look like-a cross between Tony Soprano and his buddy Big Pussy. He is responsible for taking the tourney from a one day affair with little turnout to a two day, with a nice dinner. Great promoter!
I got on the Board and chaired the Golf Committee last year, and had input on handicapping. I've been Handicap Chair at other clubs, and scored an 83 on the USGA Rules test.
Format has been scramble first day, best ball second. While scramble isn't a recognized format, USGA Handicap book suggests 50% of the lower partner, 10% of the higher. I lobbied to use that system, and gots tons of crap from people saying they weren't getting their strokes. On the best ball (four Ball), we used 90% handicap but didn't use the USGA recommendation to adjust 10% when there is a large differential in handicap. Sure enough, 4/5 top teams would have been subject to the adjustment. I lobbied to use the adjustment this year.
Instead, I wasn't invited to the MemberGuest meetings. They used 30% of team handicap for the scramble, and you won't believe what Dino did for the best ball.
I had asked a newbie to the area who I play poker with to be my partner. Never played with him. He's a 24. Legit. He never played in a tournament, and kept on thinking we were in match play against our playing partners, almost picking our ball up when the other team was in with 3 and we were still putting for 4. Lol. For the next day, I explained how best ball works. My handicap was 6, so if they used 100% handicap, he'd simply get 1 stroke more than me on each hole, and we record our best net score. But we'd probably use 90% and may get adjusted further.
The flyer said the best ball would be 75% of team handicap. This made no sense to me, and I called the pro a few days before the tournament to clarify. He agreed it made no sense, and said he'd talk with Dino.
To my, and almost everyone else's surprise, before Sunday's round, Dino announced, so that everyone's score would count (wha??), we'd use 75% of the teams handicap on the best ball. The pro didn't even show up.
I went out and shot 75, my partner made bogey on my one double, so we shot 74. He only tied me on one other hole. 51.5 net! We won.
I'd never won a MemberGuest, and still feel this one should have an asterisk. But, playing the last three holes into a 25 mph wind, I hit driver 6 iron, driver four iron, for two pars. Then on the par 5 final, hit driver, driver off the deck, 8 iron, then made a 40 footer. It felt great to know the pressure was on and to finish strong.
So even though the format was stoopid, I played the best I've played in 3 months, and will take the win.
