Playing away from home: open competitions or casual games with friends?

Open competitions

When travelling to a different course or club, I’m always keen to perform well. I want to prove to myself I’m capable of knocking it round a different venue in a respectable number. I’ll feel most satisfied with a golfing day out if I can put some sort of a score together.

Open competitions afford you the opportunity, and the impetus, to play for a score. For me at least, that motivation to be a bit more competitive is exciting. Golf is all about opportunity – every round presents it.

An open offers the opportunity to enjoy a little competitive success, to win a prize and maybe even get your name up on the board.

For most of us that’s a pipe dream, but you must be in it to win it!

I’ve met some brilliant people playing in open competitions. People I’ve learned from, people whose company I have enjoyed, people who have become friends. Playing with the same group of pals all the time is comfortable, but it’s difficult to be inspired to raise your game and you won’t move out of your social comfort zone – doing so is always a healthy exercise.

And the club open is a tremendous way to play other courses cheaply and, generally, when they’re presented in their best condition. One-round or one-day opens at some of the more prestigious venues in the country can be entered for fees that are otherwise unattainable for an unaccompanied visitor. Longer opens often offer even better value for money and the chance to really get involved in the social side at a club over the course of a few days, and evenings.

Playing in opens is a challenge, both competitively and socially, and we golfers relish a challenge, don’t we? Challenge yourself in 2023 and enter a few...

Casual games

I have certainly switched sides at some point over the last decade or so on this one. Twenty years ago, it would most definitely have been ‘open competitions’ and, far more recently than that, I would have been arguing that side for many of the same reasons my esteemed colleague is employing here.

But now competitive golf with people I don’t know is the last thing I’m looking for on a golfing day out. I play precious little competitive golf these days, with my desire to do so decreasing at pretty much the same rate as my ability to be competitive.

What I’m looking for now is just a nice day out at a decent course with people I know I enjoy playing golf with. I don’t have a wide circle of regular golfing friends, so chances are it will be a rare outing with someone I’ve not seen for a while. What I most want is a proper catch-up in a relaxed environment free from the pressure of the scorecard, though there may well be an informal match.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve met and played with lots of good people in open competitions in years gone by. But I’ve also endured the occasional nightmare with the would-be tour pro (thinks he’s the next Rory Mcilroy but can’t break 90), who has no conversational skills and shoots straight off the moment the final putt has dropped.

Life is just too short to risk that. The last thing I would want to do on a day out is shoot several over my handicap in a competition (highly likely) in the company of someone who barely says a word for four hours – double that if it’s a 36-holer!

I’d far rather savour the whole experience of a day out with friends than risk a precious day away from the laptop being hijacked by variables beyond my control.