White Card
The games we play
When you play a tournament the game you are playing is decided and must be followed. More often, though, you play in a flight with 3 or 4 players and the usual stroke competition is not always such a joyful experience.
Usually you loose the motivation and concentration after a couple of holes and you run out of things to talk about long before the round is over.
If you instead play different kinds of match plays, the round can give make you happy and give you much excitement, and thereby higher motivation and a better game.
In my experience it is important that the results are not too uneven and that the handicap differences are taken into account in a fair way. The possibility to pick up the ball and strike the hole must also be present (as we have all had to now and then).
Don't rush it!
An important ingredient is that you really want to play together. Often you are playing with 2-3 you do not know in a 4-flight and I recommend that you wait a few holes before you suggest a sidegame. By that time you know how good the others are and if they want to strike up a conversation that goes beyond the mere polite formalities. Strokeplay /Staableford is always an individual game and you do not have to suggest that kind of game to the others on tee 1 (and not later either).
I have found that it is better to suggest a game after a few holes when you feel that there is an interest to play together; if so suggest that you play for a price (a round of drinks at hole 19 is often the best).
Best-ball-Aggregate, Copenhagen and Skins game are all variations of games that are suited for different situations.
Timing and team setup
In order to be entertaining the games must be fairly easy to understand (some people have problems with Aggregate and mathematics), give some excitement and be fair when considering the handicap levels.
Make sure the low handicappers are not teamed against the high handicappers when everyone knows each other, and wait a few holes before you suggest the game if you are playing with strangers. If the game is decided beforehand you should decide on Mulligans/best drive/closest to pin before you start playing.
The Clubhause
