For many of us, playing in a medal can be quite daunting. I didn't play in my first one until last year, 5 years after I'd joined the golf club. Theres a 'fear factor' about it for most golfers - "I'm not good enough" or "I don't know the rules" or "I don't take golf that seriously, its just for fun".
But what I've found is that none of these clichés are true - its turned out to be immense fun and my golf has improved much faster than through playing countless practice rounds on my own or casually with friends. I would strongly encourage all members to give it a go - its not half as stressful as you anticipate and you would be made to feel very welcome.
You can check the dates and formats for all our club competitions and medals here.
How do you register?
Just add your name to the sign in sheet in the changing rooms (including your handicap) and pay your £1 entry fee into the honesty box (plus an optional £1 if you want to take part in the "Magic 2's" competition which you should).
You also need to "check in" using the Scottish Golf app and record your score on each hole as you play using the app. Find out how here
I don't know anyone playing in the medal
To play in a medal, you do need a playing partner. If you don't have one then we can usually arrange for you to join another group - email secretary@aberfoylegolf.co.uk.
Alternatively, you can use our Whats App group to try to find a playing partner yourself (you do need to subscribe to our website to access this page).
Scoring
Scoring in a medal is dead easy - its stroke play. So you record your gross score for each hole and at the end you deduct your handicap (see here) to get your net score which is the one that matters in a stroke play competition.
I don't know the rules
Heres the thing, none of us know all the rules of golf so don't worry too much. If I'm unsure of something I'll normally ask my playing partners - don't be afraid to ask. Heres a few basics to bear in mind - follow these and you won't go far wrong :
There are no "gimmes". Putt out at every hole.
Unless you're in a situation where you're looking for relief of some sort (ground under repair, etc), play the ball where it lands. Don't move the ball or "feather your lie", no matter how bad that lie is.
How do I get a handicap ?
To play in any club competition (including medals) you do need a handicap. But the good news is these are pretty easy to get. You simply need to play 3 rounds, with a partner and submit a card.
These days these rounds can be from the yellow or white tees and it doesn't need to be a full round - you can play just the front 9 or the back 9.
Record your round using a paper card from the changing room and when submitting it, mark it as "for handicap", noting which tees you played from and pop it in the honesty box in the gents changing rooms.
Our hard working secretary (Bob) normally registers the scores from the medal on the evening of the competition or the day after and you can find out the results on the Scottish Golf app. Don't worry if its not your best round - even the most experienced golfers will have poor rounds and you are likely to see a few "NR" results in each medal meaning the golfer failed to finish one or more holes.
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