Compete or just play your own game?

[Kilroy]

Do you prefer to compete or just play?

[Ginker]

Compete!

[justsomeguy]

Just play. Frankly I've always considered competitive golf to be a tricked-up version of the game - especially a stroke-play tournament. While match play can be fun and interesting, the essence of the game is trying to personally achieve the best score you possibly can. What other people do has little or no bearing on that goal.

[downhillslider]

I focus better when competing.

[Gropper]

Oh I live to compete. It's why i play sports!! but I do enjoy being out with friends and frying to get better at this game.

[jeffc]

love to make it interesting with a little wager but I don't need to - just playing as we did this aft with some good company is plenty of fun as well.

[Marcos]

I love to just play but,lately we have been playing with a few junior members at our course(4 hdcp) and I find it very motivating to compete on a friendly basis every week.I must say that this is new to me and I really enjoy the competition.My wife actually has great time also and the young guys are so nice and great kids to play with.Golf should be fun and I think we have hit the jackpot on this one.

[spackler]

Golf is fun by itself, but it's a little bit more fun with a couple bucks on the line.

[quinner]

I enjoy playing golf and but any sport is better with something riding on the game.

[Kiwi]

One of my goals for the year was to enjoy the game. For me that means no keeping score, just enjoy the day, the game and the camraderie on the course. Of course I want to make a good shot, get upset (a little) when I make a mental mistake, and try to learn from each shot, but competing, for me, takes the fun out of it. To each his own.

[DenisO]

I've always been competitive by nature when I get into something I really like. With golf I haven't been too competitive because I don't feel like I'm at the level I want to be before competing. Over 3 years I think I've only played in 2 tournaments and both were best ball with a partner (we got first though in one of them )

[1972Apex]

I'll play for fun or compete... but it's gotta be straight up

[nokids]

is 'compete' code word for gambling? if so i chose (c), play for pride, not money.

[Kilroy]

Well it wasn't really supposed to be "code" but yes I suppose that's what I mean.

Harvey Penik was always a proponent of playing for something. A nickle, or an ice cream or a post-round beverage. Just something to make every shot important to you.

[fundonny]

No need for Mpare to answer, we all know. Ching ching ching.

[mberube]

I love to compete. Straight up or with HDCP it doesn’t mater to me as long as there is something on the line.

[Hacker]

No need for Mpare to answer, we all know. Ching ching ching.

HAHA!!

[mpare]

You know me too well. I just answered the poll. Compete. I love it. Keeps me interested. Keeps me focused.

No need for Mpare to answer, we all know. Ching ching ching.

[Hacker]

You know me too well. I just answered the poll. Compete. I love it. Keeps me interested. Keeps me focused.

...keeps your little purse full

[cobra]

I just go out and enjoy the round the first few weeks of the season. After that I get a little more serious, trying to keep track of fairways hit, gir, putts etc. I compete against myself and try to lower my score every year. Sometimes even if I don't score well, I'm happy because I hit the ball well if that makes sense.

[Hearzy]

I think competing is fun for sure. Unfortunately I have a ways to go before I can compete for money

[mberube]

I think competing is fun for sure. Unfortunately I have a ways to go before I can compete for money

That’s where handicap’s come into play. Your opponent gives you x number of shots to make it fair. Then to win you must try to beat your own 10 best scores. If you do that then you have a good chance to win. It makes thing interesting for all caliber players.

[1972Apex]

I think competing is fun for sure. Unfortunately I have a ways to go before I can compete for money

You can always compete against golfers of your level. If your handicap is within 4-5 strokes of your opponent you can play straight up and still have a VERY good chance of taking home the cash.
I personally prefer to see people play straight up against players of their own level rather than begging for strokes against better players. The latter is a sure-fire way of ensuring you will never get better...

[quinner]

I played a small match yesterday for the last 6 holes against someone who is 7 strokes better than I and it came down to the final hole. He had a putt to tie the match and missed it.

[Kilroy]

rather than begging for strokes against better players. The latter is a sure-fire way of ensuring you will never get better...

Respectfully disagree. "Begging for strokes"? Pretty condesending.

[mberube]

You can always compete against golfers of your level. If your handicap is within 4-5 strokes of your opponent you can play straight up and still have a VERY good chance of taking home the cash.
I personally prefer to see people play straight up against players of their own level rather than begging for strokes against better players. The latter is a sure-fire way of ensuring you will never get better...

How does that prevent you from getting better? IMO beating your usual score is easier to attain that beating a player that has 5-6-7+ strokes better then you. That being said it is flattering when it happens.

[1972Apex]

Respectfully disagree. "Begging for strokes"? Pretty condesending.

It may be condescending but it is sadly true LOL! You obviously don't play with some of the people I do. I see it a lot. Guys offering to play for money and then immediately saying 'OK, you're a 7 and I'm a 10 so you have to give me 3."
First of all, that is a LOSER attitude! Furthermore, these people never improve because every time they come to a hole where they get a stroke they play for bogey or Par. They spend the whole round thinking about where they are getting strokes, what their opponent is doing etc. I've often said quite openly on the course 'show me someone who insists on strokes and I'll show you a loser."
I play with two people who ALWAYs play me straight up, my brother and Lucky Luc.
I taught Luc to golf 3 years ago and he has been trying to beat me straight up ever since. The man would not dream of asking for a stroke if his life depended on it. This is why today he is darn close to single digit and pushes me every time we play.
My brother is the same way. Two years ago I was beating him regularly by 10 strokes and not once did he ever suggest I give him any. That level of competitiveness and determination is why this past Sunday he shot a smooth 75 to absolutely cream me!
By contrast, most of the true gamblers I know who play for money against handicaps have not improved in years. And I don't mind saying that part of the reason for that is that THEY DON'T REALLY WANT TO!
Oh, and some of you are on this forum...
This of course does not apply to everyone. Kilroy for example loves handicap play and I can attest to the fact his game has improved tremendously over the years despite that unfortunate trait
To me handicaps are good for one thing and one thing only... determining which flight you are in. Once you are in that flight, play everyone straight up and may the best man win!

[mberube]

Interesting theory and it makes a lot of sense but IMO it all depends on the type of person you are and not on the fact that you ask for stokes or not. Some players work hard at getting better and others would like to be better but don’t make the necessary effort to get better. Maybe both go together. The player that does not ask for strokes takes that challenge to get better.

[DenisO]

What Apex said is definitely true about improving. Obviously you will still improve if you are getting strokes, but you improve a lot faster when you don't get any advantages because you try much harder to get to the level that you're competing against. I found this out as a kid when I used to play computer games and how much more I'd improve by playing against much better competitors rather than newbies that I could beat easily

[Kilroy]

Interesting.
I still disagree. If someone's cap is 3 strokes lower, there is no question as to who the better golfer is. The odds are definitely in their favor. As you said, the guy expecting to play with handicaps would be the loser, most of the time. I can undrestand the lower capped player not wanting to square up the odds if the primary goal is to win.
If, however the goal is to have a game where anyone can win, by being "on" that day, well it's obvious that a handicapped game does the job of leveling the field.

As for playing with handicaps hampering improvements. I feel you're way out in left field on that, but it is an interesting viewpoint. Improving has more to do with dedication, effort and focus. Handicapping does not inhibit that IMHO.