Am I a bagger?

[Frank Delicious]

I do agree with your last sentence here Frank. But not all of us are friends with the guys that are better than us. I learned the most and made my biggest skill level jump by paying $10 entry fee to the "Pro-Shootout" every Wednesday night at a local course. I watched, learned, and got dusted by some of the best players in the state. My driving accuracy improved and my putting raised almost to their level. I took moral victories by beating one or two of them and won nothing at all but a single CTP that summer. What I did receive was confidence, and playing against the Adv guys now is no big deal compared to running with the top dogs. My 2 cents.

You gotta learn how to make friends with people. I'm going to give you a sentence that will unlock a lot of doors for you on and off the course.

"Hey man, I would really like to learn how to [insert thing you want to learn here] and I'd be willing to buy you a beer while we [discuss/do/practice] it."

 

[juanbond]

"Hey man, I would really like to learn how to [insert thing you want to learn here] and I'd be willing to buy you a beer while we [discuss/do/practice] it."

Oh man, all kinds of not-safe-for-work madlibs just popped into my head...

 

[sidewinding]

You gotta learn how to make friends with people. I'm going to give you a sentence that will unlock a lot of doors for you on and off the course.

"Hey man, I would really like to learn how to [get it on with a dude] and I'd be willing to buy you a beer while we [discuss/do/practice] it."

I don't know what to say to this.

 

[Frank Delicious]

So Sidewinding, you are interested in learning how to get it on with dudes? Well you have come to the right place. Why don't you come on in and I'll make you my special, the Roofie Cock...tail.

 

[slowRoll]

"Hey Frank, I would really like to learn how to forum troll and I'd be willing to buy you a beer while we practiced ripping apart non logical arguments presented by perfectly well meaning people who cannot type as fast as we can. I know you're really good at focusing on trivial details like that sweet multi thread rant about "paying your dues" that had nothing to do with anything. You're like some kind of web ninja slicing guys down verbally with your quick wit and sarcasm, and I want to learn how to do that too!"

How'd I do? BTW I don't think if you are still that injured, you should put yourself through the all day (sometimes multiple days) grind that sanctioned tourneys can be. I am glad you are feeling up to playing again. My comments earlier are based from my own personal experience and are skewed as such. I came in second playing Int 6 months into playing against a guy that had played for 7 years. It made me genuinely mad that he was playing down with the rest of us newbies. It was only later that I realized that he was playing his rating and he really had played some of his best golf that day. We are friends now and I still joke with him about "bagging" that day with him retorting about "how doid second place feel?" all in good fun. The only reason I say you should not play Begin/Rec/ whatever they call it is that new players can have a hard time understanding why the guy with all the discs and the bag with shoulderstraps is playing down here with me and my 2 disc superstar (z flash, dx roc was how I started). You've got to do what you think is best, and I stated earlier that I think you've already made up your mind. I'm just trying to offer counsel and give you the opportunity to look at things from another viewpoint. Have a good weekend all.

 

[craftsman]

I use the statement:" I can't break 400 but I have some nice pre-rolls"

 

[billnchristy]

Wow...everyone here has a bag full of discs that competes...even my sorry ass.

You know what was cool though? Seeing 2x world champion Chris O'Cleary play the Atlanta Open with an Innova Standard bag with 5-6 discs in it...she kicks ass.

 

[Frank Delicious]

How'd I do? BTW I don't think if you are still that injured, you should put yourself through the all day (sometimes multiple days) grind that sanctioned tourneys can be. I am glad you are feeling up to playing again. My comments earlier are based from my own personal experience and are skewed as such. I came in second playing Int 6 months into playing against a guy that had played for 7 years. It made me genuinely mad that he was playing down with the rest of us newbies. It was only later that I realized that he was playing his rating and he really had played some of his best golf that day. We are friends now and I still joke with him about "bagging" that day with him retorting about "how doid second place feel?" all in good fun. The only reason I say you should not play Begin/Rec/ whatever they call it is that new players can have a hard time understanding why the guy with all the discs and the bag with shoulderstraps is playing down here with me and my 2 disc superstar (z flash, dx roc was how I started). You've got to do what you think is best, and I stated earlier that I think you've already made up your mind. I'm just trying to offer counsel and give you the opportunity to look at things from another viewpoint. Have a good weekend all.

I'm sorry, you didn't pass the test. I can't teach you.

Plus every tourney I've played in everyone has a bag of disc, even if it is just a lightning bag containing 4 or so discs.

 

[BrotherDave]

Wow, some of you guys need to get in touch with Apoth's pharmacist b/c yall are really getting worked up over nothing. Frank is not trolling, he is actually using a very logic based argument that simplified is: Years playing has no direct relationship to skill level. You can have all the rules knowledge and "course management" know-how you want, it's not going to make that driver thread that fairway or stick that up shot into the chains.

Bagger's suck but to be a bagger you have to A) beat the crap out your division and B) repeat step A a lot. That's it.

Dayute, play in any division you feel will be competitive, fun, and healthy in terms of your conditioning. That's all that matters.

 

[kinfolkfan]

I was not getting worked up. Just giving my opinion. Frank is the one calling people dumb, so what ever. No big deal to me. And I really do wish you all the best, even Frank.

 

[sillybizz]

PDGA wise I'm a 865 rated player and casual rounds wise I'm probably about a 900-910 rated player, I just don't play a ton of tournaments but my PDGA rating says I should or could play rec. but I don't. I've also been playing for over 6 years. If I played Rec. I know I would be sand bagging.

 

[REDARMY]

my short answer that may have already been covered (since i didn't feel like reading all 4 pages of this thread), is that you can play as low as you want if you're not a pdga member with a rating.

now, if you play rec and blow everyone else in that division out of the water, the TD could (and should) bump your individual scorecard up to novice or inter.

round these parts (st. louis), payout for any am division is only in merchandise, but as dave said, your mileage may vary.

 

[Sharkbite]

I prefer to step up, even though I suck anymore. Its nerve raking for me to shot with rec players in a tourny. Nothing against recs players or anything but the game just has a better flow in Adv or Pro Plus I think you shot better with better players. and I dont care about winning plastic

 

[Frank Delicious]

I calls them as I see them (in reference to me calling people names).

 

[jclepa]

Let me clear up about 10 pages of stupidity for you... We're talking SNDG not PDGA.... We have far fewer divisions, no ratings yet, heck... we even have some progressive TDs that let the pro women play against am men when they want... Plus, there's none of those membership fees, because we believe in volunteering to help grow the sport and the organization...

Good luck in the tourney tomorrow... Once you play the two courses I have a feeling you'll want to come back...

 

[SomeChump]

I've been playing for over ten years, havent played a tournament in almost that long and only played a couple of Am's. For the last year I've been recovering from multiple major shoulder surgeries and have only been back playing for about a month. I now have to drive RHBH and I was always a RHFH player before so its like I'm really learning the game over. I want to play in a tournament this weekend and was wondering if it'd be OK for me to play Novice. Would it even be worth the money (money is tight b/c of my mountain of medical bills.) Whats the usual payout for Novice division? I know I'd probably finish close to last if I were to play AM's but since I've been around the game for so long is it ok to play Novice?

I'm a decent player (I can shoot 6-8 under from the short tees at my home course). I played my first tourney today, it offered Open, Master's Open, Advanced, and Intermediate. I was worried I'd be a bagger in Intermediate since I usually play in "Advanced" at the weeklies. I played okay, not great, but not my worst ever. I finished 11 out of 28 with a 125 for the two rounds (much harder course than my home course, tons of wind). The winning intermediate score was 110.

In the end, it turned out I was no bagger at all, and in fact wasn't even really competitive in the division, at least for the podium. My advice to those not sure where they should play is to play in the lowest available division. While lots of people were like me, playing their first tournament, battling with inconsistency etc, those at the top of intermediate were experienced tournament players with impressive skills. I'd a been smoked in advanced.