First tournament - what division?

[elkevo]

I'm going to be registering for my first tournament coming up this weekend and will either be playing in the Rec or Novice, I'm not sure which, though. I've seen the PDGA site that describes the divisions, but it didn't help me much. I've been averaging about 15 over par the last few rounds on a 22 hole course. What division would y'all recommend I register in? I've been leaning toward Rec.

 

[JC17393]

I'm going to be registering for my first tournament coming up this weekend and will either be playing in the Rec or Novice, I'm not sure which, though. I've seen the PDGA site that describes the divisions, but it didn't help me much. I've been averaging about 15 over par the last few rounds on a 22 hole course. What division would y'all recommend I register in? I've been leaning toward Rec.

Without knowing the course you're talking about, it will be hard for anyone here to judge what your score means.

That aside, best advice you can get is to ask the TD of the tournament for his thoughts. Tell him what you average on a course you're both familiar with and he should have a fair idea of where those scores would fall in a tournament, and thus what division would be best for you.

If all else fails, if you're leaning toward Rec, go for it. Though there'd be nothing wrong with playing Novice your first time out, even if it turns out you're over qualified for it. Playing is the only way to know for sure where you best fit.

 

[chevis]

i played rec in my first tourney & just slaughtered it. great win for me . nobody said anything, but i knew what division to play in the next tournament by where my score landed in the divisions above.

 

[ejvogie]

This may be different in your region, but around here you need to be shooting even par to land in the middle (or lower) of the pack in Rec. Most people wind up shooting over their average in tournament play, so my recommendation would be Novice. But if you have friends playing Rec and you'd like to join them, there's no harm there either.

 

[roggenb3]

Don't play Novice. I don't know your region but around here Novice typically has like 2-5 people in it. Don't worry about the skill difference, you'll have more fun in a real division like Rec.

 

[esdubya]

Play Rec! You will always get better and learn more playing with better players. Rec is usually the biggest or one of the biggest divisions so you will end up playing and meeting more people.

Overall, treat this first tournament as a learning experience and try not to worry about where you finish. Just have fun and be observant.

 

[elkevo]

I ended up registering in Rec. Hopefully, I don't play terrible. How do you get past the nerves for your first tournament? I'm already feeling the anticipation and anxiety with the tournament only a few days away.

Oh, the tournament is the Back Bay Battle in Biloxi, MS.