Skill level when entering tournaments

[harr0140]

I am curious what your skill level was when you first entered tourneys. I want to go out and play in some, but I dont want to be an embarrassment, or slow down the tournament. I have yet to play a round with anyone but my wife so I have no frame of reference as to how good people are in general let alone in a tourney.

I joined the PDGA just because I think it was important to show my desire for the game (which is mostly free anyways, I might as well promote the sport for $50). I will be active with my local club I hope given I have the time to do so (it might be tough being an active golfer!)

I can't throw more than about 200 feet yet and most are probably 150 feet on drives. I can putt pretty well, but I also don't know all of the rules quite yet. Obviously I will study the rules more closely so I don't incur multiple penalties in a round, but if anyone can have some advice about skill level in the tourneys.

I know some of you will say just get out there and play, and I would do that, but I want to have some frame of reference as to what the others in the tourneys are capable of, becuase if I am way below that level I will be uncomfortable and probably not want to go back until I improve.

Help me out,

Mike

[_.-Dut-._]

With several divisions to play you will be able to find one that your competitive in. For your first tourney you could go Recreational or even Novice if its offered. After the first one you will have a better idea of where you are ability wise.

I think everyone is nervous about the first tourney, but honestly there so much fun you will have wished you started sooner. You meet people to disc with and I think playing tourneys helps to hone your skills. No need to worry about slowing anything down, as most tourneys have a small wait between holes often anyways.

[ERicJ]

Ideally, find an unsanctioned event. There are many Ice Bowls (http://icebowlhq.com/) going on right now. Most of those are unsanctioned and would be an ideal first event. Second choice would be a PDGA sanctioned C-Tier event. Those are smaller and a bit more relaxed than the A & B-Tier events.

I was probably worse than you are now when I played my first tournament a little over a year ago... in fact that tournament was only the second time I'd ever thrown a real, i.e. beveled edge, disc golf disc. I'd played my local course a few times before using el-cheapo catch-and-throw Frisbees(R). When I saw the ad for the tournament in my community newletter a guy showed me what real disc golf discs were. I bought a driver, mid, and putter from Play it Again Sports. I didn't know anything about disc brands, models, plastics. I just saw "Driver", "Mid", and "Putter" and that's what I got. I took the discs to a field and threw 'em a bit for practice. But the tournament was the first time I'd ever thrown real discs at any baskets.

Kinda funny that I finished second in REC (http://www.pdga.com/tournament-results?TournID=7316#Recreational) in that event, but my pathetic arm at the time was actually pretty well suited for that course in that I was playing everything really safe where others were getting wet or going OB trying to make perfect shots.

ERic

P.S. use the search feature on DGCR as there are several other threads about what to expect at your first tournament.

[_.-Dut-._]

Sorry, I meant to add. When I first started I didnt know all the rules aswell, but the guys on your card will be more then willing to help. If your about to do something and your not sure if your allowed to then just ask the group your in. You will also get a rule book in your players pack if you have not recieved it already, the rules are also posted at:

http://www.pdga.com/rules


Hope this helps! :)

[harr0140]

my pack should be here in a couple days so i havent seen it, but i did print the rules and terminology online.

I am almost ashamed (notice I say almost) at how into the sport i am and I have only played 10 rounds in 12 days, but i must be into it if i played when it was 25 degrees out in 12 inches of snow, because I was so disappointed that on my way home from florida i was only able to play 2 courses in tennessee. When we went through bowling green it was raining too hard, so my wife would have been very mad at me!

[Hoey]

The Recreational division is the best division to start with to get your feet wet. If someone is laughing at you in the rec. division, I think it says in the rulebook somewhere that you can punch them in the face. The first one is free, but I think you get a penalty stroke with each successive punch.

Just kidding, but the point is to have fun. That's it. If you have fun, you win.

Then you'll get better and make the move up if that's what you're feeling...

[harr0140]

That made me laugh outloud, thank you for that!

I will have to look for the local tourneys then and find what the divisions are. I assume not all tourneys have recreational divisions. Are these divisions handicapped?

I still am waiting for my package from PDGA so I am unsure if I get a handicap included or if I need to signup and pay for a handicap also.

[Ryan P.]

The first tournament i played in i shot 950 for my SSA during the two rounds, but i waited a long time before i played one. I'd suggest playing in one asap. They are awesome. Most golfers don't care too much if you're not that good, as long as your not nagging. They care more about your personality than your ability. Tourneys are fun though.

[DWill]

You also might want to see if your local course/club plays weekly/monthly doubles tournaments. This is a great way to meet more players and possible get partnered with a more experience and skilled player that can help you too.

Playing in the Rec or Novice division is probably your best bet for your first tournament. Keep in mind, these players are probably just as new and inexperienced with disc golf and tournament golf as you, so they might not know the rules themselves either. Hope this helps.

[Lewis]

You're only competing against players in your division, so there's no need for a handicap. If you've picked the right division, you score should be similar to other players in the division, whether you're over or under par.

But I have a follow-up question. Now that I've been playing for about a year and a half, I'm starting to score under par every once in a while in my solo recreational rounds. I've only played in "unsanctioned" events like my local Ice Bowl, but I'm curious where the transition points are, relative to par, for the divisions. It's pretty clear to me that if you're consistently scoring over 5-10 strokes par on a course of average difficulty, you should be in the recreational or intermediate divisions. But at what point do people start to filter up into higher divisions? In short, what division should a guy who scores within a couple of strokes of par on most days play in?

All this is to imply that I've never been rated and have no concept of ratings.

[_.-Dut-._]

But I have a follow-up question. Now that I've been playing for about a year and a half, I'm starting to score under par every once in a while in my solo recreational rounds. I've only played in "unsanctioned" events like my local Ice Bowl, but I'm curious where the transition points are, relative to par, for the divisions. It's pretty clear to me that if you're consistently scoring over 5-10 strokes par on a course of average difficulty, you should be in the recreational or intermediate divisions. But at what point do people start to filter up into higher divisions? In short, what division should a guy who scores within a couple of strokes of par on most days play in?

All this is to imply that I've never been rated and have no concept of ratings.

In my opinion if your shooting within 1-2 strokes above/below par at your typical par 54 course then you should probably start in Intermediate. At that point your rating and how comfortable you feel will dictate if you move up or not.

[borndasaur]

Check with the Tournament Director (TD) when you register. He should ask what division you are in and, when you explain that it is your first tourney, he will offer advice as to your playing level. A good TD won't throw you to the sharks and he will probably put you in a group with people willing to show you the ropes.

[Lost in the Brambles]

I've been playing for almost 2 years. My buddy and I entered the Terror Creek Doubles @ Mountlake Terrace WA last October. It was bring your own partner, we took 4th in the amature division. It was a lot of fun, everyone was friendly and helpful. I'm definitely going to enter events in the future.

[ERicJ]

The Recreational division is the best division to start with to get your feet wet. If someone is laughing at you in the rec. division, I think it says in the rulebook somewhere that you can punch them in the face. The first one is free, but I think you get a penalty stroke with each successive punch.

Just kidding, but the point is to have fun. That's it. If you have fun, you win.
:D I don't laugh out loud at much on message boards but that one got me good. Nicely done.

[ERicJ]

I will have to look for the local tourneys then and find what the divisions are. I assume not all tourneys have recreational divisions. Are these divisions handicapped?

I still am waiting for my package from PDGA so I am unsure if I get a handicap included or if I need to signup and pay for a handicap also.
The PDGA does not handicap anything. They provide a player rating after you've played at least one sanctioned round. A player rating can be used to tell how you would fare against other rated players. You can even estimate reasonably precisely by how many strokes if you know the SSA of the course. But generally, on typical courses, the difference will about one stroke for every ten rating points. E.g., an 890 rated player will throw 11 strokes worse than a 1000 rated player.

That being said the PDGA has partnered with DGU (http://www.discgolfunited.com) this year, which offers a handicapping service. I can't speak for their service as I just registered with them tonight.

This past year I developed my own disc golf handicapping system from by taking what I thought was the best from several other systems I looked at. It allows me to run a weekly Mini where everyone competes in one division. But that's the exception rather than the norm. Most events of any decent size, even the unsanctioned ones, will have at least two or three divisions.

ERic

[ERicJ]

The first tournament i played in i shot 950 for my SSA during the two rounds
Just to clarify for the new guy: 950 would be the rating for your rated round(s). The SSA (Scratch Scoring Average) is for the course and ranges from about 45 for a pretty easy 18-hole course to 70 for a brutal 18-holer. SSA is the score you would expect a 1000 rated player to average on that course.

ERic

[ERicJ]

But I have a follow-up question. Now that I've been playing for about a year and a half, I'm starting to score under par every once in a while in my solo recreational rounds. I've only played in "unsanctioned" events like my local Ice Bowl, but I'm curious where the transition points are, relative to par, for the divisions. It's pretty clear to me that if you're consistently scoring over 5-10 strokes par on a course of average difficulty, you should be in the recreational or intermediate divisions. But at what point do people start to filter up into higher divisions? In short, what division should a guy who scores within a couple of strokes of par on most days play in?

All this is to imply that I've never been rated and have no concept of ratings.
That's a pretty tough question to answer without knowing which course your talking about. If the course had a known SSA it'd be easy to get your approximate player rating.

Adding SSA to DGCR course listings is one of the ideas floating around the forums. This is an example of where it would be quite useful: allowing players to put their personal scores into the DGCR Scorebook and have them rated.

#include_typical_SSAs&RoundRatings_will_be_approximate_disclaimer.h

ERic

[garublador]

I haven't played a lot of tournaments, but the ones I have been in the lower AM divisions have been really laid back. It's more like playing a round with some new people than anything else. You get to see what competition play is like without the seriousness of the higher divisions.

Don't worry about playing too slow either. My observations have been that the pro and masters divisions play as slow as anyone.

[bazkitcase5]

Yes, pros play slow. Even in practice rounds, when me and my pro friends are playing, larger groups will catch up to us. We will offer to let them pass, but realizing that we are pros, they decline thinking we are better players and should therefore finish the holes faster. Completely ignoring the fact that they just caught up to us. haha

Also, as Eric said, it is dependent on each course, but ratings can give you a general handicap. On 18 holes courses where the SSA = 54 (again, what a 1000 rated player would average, also our version of a scratch player), then it is exactly 10 points per stroke. So if you average a +10 on this course, it would be safe to say your handicap would be a +10 (or however the terminology works).

[kmunt09]

Just to clarify for the new guy: 950 would be the rating for your rated round(s). The SSA (Scratch Scoring Average) is for the course and ranges from about 45 for a pretty easy 18-hole course to 70 for a brutal 18-holer. SSA is the score you would expect a 1000 rated player to average on that course.

ERic


Is there a place where course SSA's are listed???

[harr0140]

I just asked that in another thread myself.

I have yet to run across one posted anywhere but if I hear I will let you know.

[zensuit]

Yes, pros play slow. Even in practice rounds, when me and my pro friends are playing, larger groups will catch up to us. We will offer to let them pass, but realizing that we are pros, they decline thinking we are better players and should therefore finish the holes faster. Completely ignoring the fact that they just caught up to us. haha

Also, as Eric said, it is dependent on each course, but ratings can give you a general handicap. On 18 holes courses where the SSA = 54 (again, what a 1000 rated player would average, also our version of a scratch player), then it is exactly 10 points per stroke. So if you average a +10 on this course, it would be safe to say your handicap would be a +10 (or however the terminology works).

Brother, you don't KNOW slow until you've played top flight amateur ball golf tournaments...I once left the course in the final round of a tournament while I was tied for 4th and 1 under par because I was on the 11th hole and we'd been playing for 4 hours....

[ERicJ]

Is there a place where course SSA's are listed???
Go to the PDGA tournament results page for an event and click on the "Course Statistics" link to view the SSA.

E.g.
http://www.pdga.com/tournament-results?TournID=7458
http://www.pdga.com/course-ratings-by-tournament?TournID=7458

Alternatively you can start here:
http://www.pdga.com/course-ratings-by-course

I've found that it's best to just search by state since there's not necessarily any consistency to the course names. Actually there's not an consistency to the State names either. For Texas you'll have to search both "Texas" and "TX".

ERic

[kmunt09]

Alternatively you can start here:
http://www.pdga.com/course-ratings-by-course


ERic


Hey, thanks a lot for the help!

[scarpfish]

One thing that I would like to point out here. Sometimes the course layouts used at tournaments are NOT the same ones you'll see in casual play. Its not that unusual at some tournaments to see alternate tees, pins, entire holes, or in some cases complete temporary courses put up. A great deal of our courses are designed for the casual player, and TD's like to kick them up a notch to add challenge. Keep this in mind when you're looking at those course statistics on the PDGA website.

Best thing I could really tell a player trying to figure out their skill level is to play with other people. Casual play is fine, but something like a local league or unsanctioned tournament where you see results and track how you're doing compared to others would be better.

[BENFTS]

i have been playing for just about 2 years and am entering the am masters at de laveaga in Santa Cruz. i have played in a few monthly's and 2 non-sanctioned events. what should i enter as am1 or am2?

[ejvogie]

I haven't played a lot of tournaments, but the ones I have been in the lower AM divisions have been really laid back. It's more like playing a round with some new people than anything else. You get to see what competition play is like without the seriousness of the higher divisions.

Don't worry about playing too slow either. My observations have been that the pro and masters divisions play as slow as anyone.

Slower in my experience. They have to choose from about 20 discs and figure out which shot in their arsenal they're going to use. Beginners don't have the luxury of those problems. ;)

[_.-Dut-._]

i have been playing for just about 2 years and am entering the am masters at de laveaga in Santa Cruz. i have played in a few monthly's and 2 non-sanctioned events. what should i enter as am1 or am2?


If you can thrown 300' and hit 7/10 putts from 20' then go Advanced Masters. If you can't then join open intermediate/Rec, whichever you feel more comfortable with.

First Tourney you dont have to worry about sandbagging, after your first youll have a much better idea of where you should be playing.

[garublador]

Slower in my experience. They have to choose from about 20 discs and figure out which shot in their arsenal they're going to use. Beginners don't have the luxury of those problems. ;)I was at one tournament where the pro card (it was a small, local tournament on a short course) was super slow because 3 of the 4 guys on the card had to unpack their portable chairs, sit down, throw and then pack up their portable chairs at each lie. The funny thing was the one guy who looked like he was in the worst shape (he was pushing 400 lbs.) was the one who didn't need to sit after each throw.

Just another, quick observation about that tournament. The only reason those guys scored better than the rest of us was their putting. They didn't drive any better than most of the intermediate players.