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How Do You Get the Most Out of Local League Play?


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So as it goes, I joined another golf league this year. I can only squeeze in 9-hole league play based on my working hours. I got my three best golfing buddies to join with me, and we’ve played a few different course’s leagues over the years.

My questions for the forum:

  • Do you play in golf leagues?
  • Have you noticed any effect on your golf game?
  • What advice do you have for getting the most out of local league play?
  • Lastly, isn’t that pro shop money just the cherry on top?!

I’ve noticed a few things during the past few years myself doing the golf league every Thursday:

  1. My handicap dropped from 12-14 range down to an 8.
  2. I’ve won some money towards the pro shop that my wife doesn’t need to know about!
  3. It’s completely changed the way I play golf.

That last point is probably closely related to my first point. A lot of people try to get as much variety in their golf game as possible regarding courses, but there might be something to playing one course over and over again. I am able to not just look at data on how I play, but I’m able to feel the differences week-to-week. I know I have tried driving it a dozen times on the first hole, but I consistently play better if I lay up and can actually see that difference by playing that front 9 twice a month. Also, reading greens becomes more methodical as I know the slope, now I just need to read the speed which is great practice.

Cheers

  • Driver: image.png.c67e4844d8a191f8afb6a4e307a65ffa.png Stealth 8* turned down to 6* X-Stiff, Graphite Design Tour AD XC-6
  • 3 Wood: image.png.a1548764b69c6d3406f6f9f1ab1acd22.png Sim 14* X-Stiff, Aldila Rogue Silver
  • 2 Iron/2 Hybrid: Mizuno image.png.e2dedc2a71191940659367b8fac460ef.png MP-20 HMB, Graphite Design Tour AD; image.png.f066373041037bed32d08e715a7127f2.png Forged Tec set to 17* X-Stiff, Catalyst 6.0
  • P-4 Irons: image.png.d0a79f435e2331981ac11a33dd54e77a.png MP20, Dynamic Gold X100 
  • Wedges:  image.png.5e4bb78c97a6cf70133b4dfd9b768747.png Vokey SM9 50 degree 08F, 56 degree 08M and 60 degree 08M
  • My Putter: image.png.dce9f23e6ed6368fab8361d0c072c157.png B.2, LA Golf Shaft
  • Ball: image.png.0ca81de9028caab738d4428af820440f.png AVX
  • 5.3 Handicapped; Right Hander; from Salt Lake City, Utah
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I have played in golf leagues through work for about 20 plus years. It can have both a good and bad effect on your golf game. There are golfers that take the game seriously, golfers that are there to get drunk, and the cheaters. So it all depends on who you are paired up with that week on if your game will improve or you are just going through the motions to get it over with. We had one guy that was so obnoxious that I forfeited my match when I saw on the schedule we were paired up. For me not playing golf to avoid someone tells you how bad this guy was. Granted it took a few years before I had enough of him to not show up. Yelling in your backswing, chanting miss the putt, stepping on your line on purpose, and finding a clearly lost ball deep in the woods in the middle of the fairway. The league officials had to talk to him a few times but it made no difference. He eventually retired and tried to still play but we told him he had to be an active employee to play. 

I'm all about the leagues and typically it is a good thing. You can see improvement in your game and you learn about course management through playing the same holes weekly. My league played two courses and the league only played 9 holes due to daylight issues. So we at least had 5 nines to play. One course had 27 holes. So there was variety.  

I found that my 18 hole handicap was always lower than my 9 hole work league handicap (The league kept it's own handicaps for the players). With 18 holes you have time to get into a better zone and you have plenty of holes to recover from a bad hole. When playing a 9 hole work league, you run out of work, race to the course, grab your gear and race to the tee box. No warm ups, so you don't get any rhythm going for a few holes. 

:titleist-small: Driver, TSi 1 S Flex

:cobra-small: 3 wood, Aerojet Max UST Helium Nanocore R Flex

:cobra-small: 5 wood, Aerojet Max UST Helium Nanocore R Flex 

:cobra-small: 7 Wood, Aerojet Max UST Helium Nanocore R Flex 

:cobra-small: 5 Hybrid King Tec MMT R Flex

:cobra-small: Irons, Tour UST Recoil 95 R Flex (6 - Gap)

:cobra-small: Wedges, Snakebite KBS Hi- Rev2.0 54* & 60*

:cobra-small: Agera 35"

image.png Ultralight 14-way Cart Bag

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At the end of the day I think what you get out of any league plays relies completely and utterly upon what you want to get out of it, frankly.  

I play in two leagues (Tuesday and Thursday)  Both are fairly competitive leagues with a lot of guys who can get their ball around.  Older, younger, same age... Just guys out there who are playing the game we love.  There are some, like Tom said that are there to just get drunk and have fun but they always seem to shoot good scores incredibly. 

For me, though I approach them two fold. 

1.  I use the leagues to practice competitive golf so that when tournament time rolls around I'm not feeling like I haven't done this before.  While the talent in tournaments is often better or more on point with attempting to score and win something than you'd experience in a typical league, the principles are the same and it helps. 

2.  I also like to utilize the league play to practice some things that I'm working on but am not fully comfortable with yet putting into play during a tournament setting.  Shot types, heights, etc.  This kinda gives me that no real pain feeling to work on during that time cause I'm really not playing or anything other than fun. 

Just my thoughts. 

Hitt'em well!

BNewt51

Golf Addict.... Father of 4.  Pennsylvania Golfer 

Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond - Ventus Red X :callaway-small:

3 Wood:  TS2 14* :titleist-small:

Hybrid:  Titleist TSI 2 18*  (Only used on Soft Rainy days)  image.png.94e8f04243fe8584238d70d382b90525.png

Utility Irons:  4 iron (Steel Fiber FC 110 - Stiff)  image.png.edaa152b6173d27a9529d0f1d7fcc172.png

Irons:  Titleist T-150 4-PW Steel Fiber CW 110 - Stiff  :titleist-small:

Wedges:  Vokey 48-8 Vokey 54-10 Vokey 58-6 all SM9's  :titleist-small:

Putter:  Scotty Cameron Special Select 5 Flowback (custom shop copper finish) or Bettinardi QB8  :titleist-small:  :bettinardi-small:

Ball:  Pro-V1x :titleist-small:

Titleist Tour Carry Bag Black and White  :titleist-small:

Bushnell Range Finder (Patriot Pack)  

*King of taking (borrowing) all my club ***** friends clubs after they've discarded them after a couple months!

 

 

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I never played in a league but really want too .. just have to work my schedule around it. 

:cobra-small: Speedzone Driver Tensei AV Blue or  :ping-small: G400 SFT 10. KBS TD 50 Category 3 shaft 

:cobra-small: King Speedzone Black Yellow Fairway 3 wood Tensei AV Blue 65 

:cobra-small: F9 SpeedBack Black Grey Fairway 5 Wood   :Fuji: ATMOS Tour Spec Blue 7 shaft

:titelist-small: T300 4i-GW - Tensei AV Blue AM2 Regular Flex  or :mizuno-small: JPX 900 Hot Metal 5 - GW Project X Lz 4.5 Regular Flex Graphite 

:ping-small:   Glide 2.0 SS Wedges 54 & 58 

:taylormade-small: TP Red White Ardmore Putter - BGT Stability Tour Black shaft 

:918457628_PrecisionPro:Precision Pro NX7 range finder 

:cobra-small: Ultralight Cart Bag 

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I've generally found league is good for getting used to playing competitive-esque style golf. However, depending on the course it may stop their. I've played leagues that use handicaps and those that are team based and mostly just play scrambles every week. Both have their pros and cons. Generally speaking, playing handicap league I didn't really notice much change in my game other than I was able to focus better but that was depending on the group. If you're course's league is more "fun" (drinking), then league can actually be detrimental, especially if playing scrambles. Put four guys together and everyone, including yourself, are just trying to crank drives and hit par 5s in two. This can have very negative effects on the swing even if it's only nine holes a week. You can prevent these problems by swinging within your means but it's not always easy. 

On the whole, I would say focus on having fun and meeting people at league. Even if it is a solo handicap league, try to enjoy the evening. Many people go to league to get away, drink beer, smoke a cigar, eat food that they shouldn't, tell politically incorrect stories, and have fun for few hours. It's not vegas but most leagues are the stereotypical guy things and there is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes relaxing and having fun while golfing is the ultimate way to improve some issues with your game.

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