Tell us about your 'Eclectic' game today...

First topic message reminder :

In the light of some potential starters tomorrow, I thought it might be a good thing to have a seperate thread for giving accounts of our 8 eclectic qualifiers over the winter, right here. Let the tales of woe, and banditry to the extreme, commence...


CURRENT LEADERBOARD (09.03.2012)

1GrumpyGolfer wrote: Rounds are fast running out and the clock is ticking. Who will pull away from the pack and post a super low number and who will pretend they don't really play winter golf

Now that it is getting tight at the top and close to the finish I am not going to post any leaderboard updates to avoid the temptation of a magic pencil.

-15 (6) SetupDeterminesTheMotion
-15 (7) JDandfries
-14 (5) Maverick
-14 (7) Ban_Bam
-13 (6) Noshankingtonite
-12 (F) Doc
-12 (F) GolferMartin
-12 (F) JAS
-12 (5) OldParwin
-12 (7) Raycastleunited
-11 (F) Davie
-11 (4) Hend085
-11 (F) Hibbz
-10 (5) NavyBlueShorts
-10 (6) Mercurio
-10 (6) MustPuttBetter
-10 (5) ChrisGG
-9 (6) turnip
-8 (5) Drive4Show
-8 (3) Eyetoldyouso
-7 (3) theshanker
-3 (7) Nay Bother

Score (No. rounds played) Name

Round cancelled this morning

Having been up half the night on the great big white telephone to god puking my guts up, I'm going back to bed so please cancel my round for today

Will see how I feel tonight as to whether tomorrows round is on

Did you get my email Grumps? I'm doing my 2nd round tomorrow, not best pleased its gonna be gusting to 30mph but hey ho that should give me some opportunities to improve scores on the downwind holes

Well improved on some holes in my second round but that did not include the first two where I deposited my first drive OOB and the tee shot on the second into the boondocks. Two shots - two lost balls! In terms of the match it's just as well I had a partner cos he won both holes.

Decided to join in on the third and it was a very tight match thereafter. Improved on 4 holes in total - one a birdie for a half! We managed to win 4 & 2 in the end although neither of us played well individually, we played well for each other.

Need to buck my ideas up if I'm going chanllenge in this comp though, I'm still over par gross - not good enough, must do better...

Hey Jas

told my playing partner he is not getting out of tomorrow due to wind, Sadly think bar 2, the holes i need to improve on are the upwind holes.

Playing catch up this weekend are:

Ban_Bam (R3)
Doc (R3)
MustPuttBetter (R3)
Nay Bother (R3)
Davie (R2)
JDandfries (R1)
Setup (R3)
Hibbz (R3)
Mav (R4)
JAS (R2)
GolferMartin (R2) - scores received

Leaderboard updates will come on Monday because the file is at work. Good luck to those still to play their rounds this weekend. Grumpy

1GrumpyGolfer wrote:Playing catch up this weekend are:

Ban_Bam (R3)
Doc (R3)
MustPuttBetter (R3)
Nay Bother (R3)
Davie (R2)
JDandfries (R1)
Setup (R3)
Hibbz (R3)
Mav (R4)
JAS (R2)
GolferMartin (R2) - scores received

Leaderboard updates will come on Monday because the file is at work. Good luck to those still to play their rounds this weekend. Grumpy

Am I not putting round 2 in this weekend?

Mercurio wrote:

1GrumpyGolfer wrote:Playing catch up this weekend are:

Ban_Bam (R3)
Doc (R3)
MustPuttBetter (R3)
Nay Bother (R3)
Davie (R2)
JDandfries (R1)
Setup (R3)
Hibbz (R3)
Mav (R4)
JAS (R2)
GolferMartin (R2) - scores received

Leaderboard updates will come on Monday because the file is at work. Good luck to those still to play their rounds this weekend. Grumpy

Am I not putting round 2 in this weekend?

Sorry Merc, I remember now, it's just that you were so organised. Yes you're playing your latest round too. Happy?

Fun morning on the golf course today. Extremely breezey conditions for our 4bbb match (and my 3rd round eclectic). Played well - helped no doubt by my mid-week game on Thursday. Despite shooting well under my handicap our opponents dished us out a 2&1 defeat thanks to some extremely good dovetailing: they scored a gross level par 72 betterball playing off 11 and 15 ... tough school. Anyway - delighted to have struck the ball so sweetly today, and knocked a few shots off my eclectic score.

After last nights hurling the touch of Deli belly I had is rescinding so round 4 for me tomorrow is, may take some loo roll and avoid the white trousers incase of a sharting incident occuring.

Looks like I need to be looking over my shoulder at some guys now.

Good round for me today in very windy conditions. I took double figures off my round 1 score though that says more about how bad the man-flu-inflicted round one was than the game today.

Was a 4BBB stableford comp off 3/4 handicap and my partner and I got 41 pts which wont trouble the comp leaderboard but which did me a power of good for the eclectic. Still many holes I can improve on but got a couple of nice pars today on holes I'd normally struggle on so there is room for improvement but got some of the harder holes out of the way

PM on the way with scores to 1GG

No cards from me yet as I haven't played the nominated combination of 9's. Some good scores already - no worries about any pressure from me lads!

Sorry grump have been away all week, have last Saturdays card to send you and hope to play round 3 tomorrow(Sunday 27/11)

B_B. good going in a tough match. Can't have everything I suppose.

Davie. Nice going too. Got your PM

D4S. Got your PM too.

OPW, whenever you're ready mate

No game today, course closed,

Just mailed you a rather insipid card of 81 Grumps Just the one birdie after a completely mince eagle putt on 17 but managed to cover most of the damage done on first round. Looks like only hole 13 now isn't par or better, distinct lack of birdies over 36 holes though.

After 12 points from the 8 holes, I walk onto the 18th tee with 34 points. I get away with my drive after skirting the trees on the right. I have a 6i in my hand which I proceed to shank, then shank a wedge, then find a bunker, then stay in the bunker. I end with a quadruple and the 34 points I came to the tee with.

To make it worse, the person who won our division did it with 35 points.

The 18th has given me a double and a quadruple so far in the eclectic

Yet another round of playing well, hitting loads of greens but holing absolutely bugger all! Managed to convert the last remaining bogey on my card into a par but that was the only improvement

Think I might buy a couple of dozen putters this week in the hope I can find one that works

drive4show wrote:Yet another round of playing well, hitting loads of greens but holing absolutely bugger all! Managed to convert the last remaining bogey on my card into a par but that was the only improvement

Think I might buy a couple of dozen putters this week in the hope I can find one that works

Funny you should mention that D4S - I have this 30" heavyweight............... actually, that came out a little wrong!!

Round 4 got off to a slow start was very windy at our place today, the front 9 all but one hole(the 7th) played right into the teeth of the wind. Didn't help being held up on the front by a 4ball who had to look for everyball on every shot, eventually calling us through on the 9th tee after having a word with them.

Hit the ball well but really was a case of just grinding to front 9 trying to hold a score together and hit the turn where the majority of holes had a trailing wind. Managed to make a pair of eagles on the back half 1 at the short par 4 10th thanks to driving the green and holing a 12 footer; the other at the Par 5 13th again downwind which meant little more than a drive and 7 iron to 8feet and a single putt.

Have to say enjoyed today, but is my last eclectic round pre Xmas, as busy shopping for kiddies and the comps coming up are foursomes, greensomes and knockout.

Email sent grumps

I've come to the conclusion that the rest of you play Mickey Mouse courses - two eagles in a round?!?!?!?

Mercurio wrote:I've come to the conclusion that the rest of you play Mickey Mouse courses - two eagles in a round?!?!?!?

Both holes playing massively downwind one a par for playing off the tees today at 285, not woth out its risk but the reawrd is there if it pays off, the other a short par 5 playing about 4-5 clubs downwind today so nothingto do with mickey mouse just taking advantage of conditions plus in those conditions i'd be massively dispappointed not at least getting birdies at both holes down wind like that.

Still not birdied the windmill hole though.....

Don't be bitter Merc - this is why i suggested low handicappers should get less rounds to submit than higher. Having run an eclectic for our group this year it was obvious to me that this would happen. Low handicappers are likely to get off to a flyer, but level off after around 4-5 rounds. 8 rounds is way too many! - having said that - 3/4 handicap allowance is also very high and will benefit the higher handicappers considerably. Hopefully by the time we get to the 7th and 8th rounds there will be a good mix of handicaps competing.

It's banter not bitterness, ban_bam.

forgot to turn my smilies on (i know you're not too bitter !!)
my point is that mav's flying circus is bound to reach its highest altitude soon, though with an average of 23 putts a round, if he doesn't hit the gross 40's before 8 rounds are out i'll be very surprised

Hang on a minute...I thought I was doing absolute mince (off the bottom of the leaderboard) But given the talk of handicaps & handicap allowance, is the leaderboard showing gross or net scores? Just for clarification Grumps, the 2 cards I have submitted have contained my Gross scores!!

40's that'd be nice!

Jas raises a good point there and something I'd be interested in knowing as for me you will need to add a shot back onto my score that may lower my eclectic 1 shot and tkae me bit closer to the field!

My -3 is net so I would assume they all are

I should now be either -2 or -3 after my two rounds.

It depends what handicap I'm awarded after going from 14 to 13 after my first round.

You'll be off 7 Merc

Very windy up north on Saturday.

Missed an easy chance for birdie on the first. But hit a lovely 4 iron to 10ft at the second in a left to right wind, with my natural draw held it on the left side of the green. Managed to hole this one (net eagle).

Scored another birdie on 12 (net eagle) only to lose the hole when playing partner drove the green & holed the putt for an eagle (net albatross).

My best shot of the day was on 7th. about 165yds straight into the wind, hit my 5 wood, a stinger that barely got above 5ft and flew straight at the pin. Missed the putt though.

Windy and wet for us on saturday - the wind suits my game, but I hate the wet.

Hit it solid, but holed very little AGAIN! scores PM'd to grumpy

MustPuttBetter wrote:You'll be off 7 Merc

7? I thought it was 3/4s?

My understanding is that it was 3/4 handicap and Grumpy's wonderful secret formula was to be used to level out the difficulty of the courses. (Pretty sure his formula is just to use the sss) which in my case off the relatively easy winter tees is 68 against a par of 70 meaning I'm behind the 8-ball to begin with. Not that I want anyone accusing me of being bitter mind you.

Another frustrating round for myself yesterday. Four birdie chances inside 10', including 3 in 4 holes, and none converted. Also managed to drop 6 shots in the last 6 holes to shoot a disappointing 79.

Only bright spot in terms of the epileptic was knocking a bogie down to a par.

All my scores are gross. Only 2 poxy birdies in 4 rounds and 16 pars, hardly setting the leaderboard alight. With 3/4 handicap that takes me down to -6 nett.

Leaders.....be very afraid, I'm coming to get ya.......

The scores I've sent in were also gross and I too have managed only two birdies. This coupled with two bogies still on the card and the sss of 68 against par of 70 less my 3/4's of 6(5) means I now stand at -3. (I think!)

Let's hope Grumpy is Johnny Ball.

I'm guessing the scores we submit should all be gross scores. 1GG will then do his magic and post the leaderboard in nett terms

Mercurio wrote:7? I thought it was 3/4s?

No, 1/2

That means I need to find another 12 shots just to tie with Mav as he is now (I assume it'll be even more once his two eagles from yesterday are included). Even if I took my best all-time eclectic score (from 63 rounds), I'd only be -13 after applying half-handicap.

If I par the 7 outstanding holes that'll give me 8 shots and then I'll likely need (at least) 7 birdies on top of that to beat Mav. That's a lot left to do.

That's the way it goes Merc.

Grump said you've got to factor in the fact that you're improving. If you're on say a handicap of 1 by the time the eclectic finishes and you started on 14 it's only fair that you play the entire thing off 7

MustPuttBetter wrote:That's the way it goes Merc.

Grump said you've got to factor in the fact that you're improving. If you're on say a handicap of 1 by the time the eclectic finishes and you started on 14 it's only fair that you play the entire thing off 7

Am I reading that correctly or are you being ironic? How many people are likely to go from a handicap of 14 to 1 in 8 rounds of golf?

Think of it this way, were it not for the handicap cut you'd be likely to finish near the top, and that can't be right?

MustPuttBetter wrote:Think of it this way, were it not for the handicap cut you'd be likely to finish near the top, and that can't be right?

Why wouldn't it be right? Why is it right that I lose 7 shots but Mav only loses 1?

Just the idiosyncrasies of the handicapping system Merc. It's not perfect but it's all we have. Personally I agree with it

Imagine if you went and won the eclectic in the midst of this handicap scandal. There would be outcry

Mav doesn't have that problem

What handicap scandal?

Going from 14 to 13?!?!

Don't shoot the messenger Merc

It was D4S, Super and Digs who suggested the cut for the eclectic after you announced you were down to 13

I wasn't aware it had been discussed.

I'll see if I can locate the thread . . .

Woah, woah , woah - where in OldShanker's rules does it say off 1/2? Notice I say his rules not mine It's off 3/4.

Gross scores are submitted. Your handicap and SSS are factored in and gives you the nett scores you see on the leaderboard.

Like Hibbz says Johnny Ball will think of a number and it will be wrong! The courses have to be equalized. I think I'll save that little gem for later based on the fun that is going on at the moment.

Hee hee

Now that Grump has busted me..... I'm only winding you up Merc. Was going to see if I could get you to send some PMs