Playing a course for the first time, in a tourney.

[threevok]

I believe I've seen statistics that, in tournaments, scores in second rounds average slight worse.

Conterintuitive, but presumably a matter of physical and mental weariness. (The pace of play, and lots of standing around, make tournaments more tiring than casual rounds). Either that, or players think they've got things figured out, and take riskier lines.

I've noticed this too. I wonder what other external factors come into play though, like different course layout for the second round, more wind in the afternoon, more spectators in the afternoon, louder mariachi music during happy hour, etc.

 

[GripEnemy]

I believe I've seen statistics that, in tournaments, scores in second rounds average slight worse.

Conterintuitive, but presumably a matter of physical and mental weariness. (The pace of play, and lots of standing around, make tournaments more tiring than casual rounds). Either that, or players think they've got things figured out, and take riskier lines.

I should have specified...not back to back rounds (tournament setting). I meant if I go to a course for the first time and go back again say, next week? The "next week" round is better.


Completely agree if I play two rounds in a row the first score will usually be better.

 

[DavidSauls]

I've noticed this too. I wonder what other external factors come into play though, like different course layout for the second round, more wind in the afternoon, more spectators in the afternoon, louder mariachi music during happy hour, etc.

Hotter (most of the year)?

 

[DavidSauls]

I should have specified...not back to back rounds (tournament setting). I meant if I go to a course for the first time and go back again say, next week? The "next week" round is better.


Completely agree if I play two rounds in a row the first score will usually be better.

It seems likely. Myself, unless it's a tournament, I don't keep score the first time I visit a course, so I can only reply on my general impression.

 

[The Last DJ]

You've got some good feedback rolling in. It's especially rewarding to win a round when you're playing a course for the first time against the locals. Best of luck to you!

 

[GT Chris]

Great advice, especially on the walkthrough. Depending on how analytically you attack a course, I've got a couple more specific things you can do:

Write down what the wind is doing, if it's doing anything. It may be different in the fairway than on the tee. Observe where the trouble is, especially OB. This often manifests itself in my notes as "it's better to miss right than to miss left" or "water 40' long." And on multishot holes, I'll try to step off distances from the tee to the landing zone(s) and from the landing zone(s) to the pin.

If you can't do a walkthrough, then try to find a hole from a course that you are familiar with that is similar to each hole on the new course. You can stand on the tee on hole 1 at new course X and think "This is just like hole N and course Y that I play all the time. I'll throw the same shot." I do this any time I play a new course, tournament or not.

Good luck!

 

[filobedo]

I have played at least 10 - 15 sanctioned tournaments on courses I have played blind in several states around the country including Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Wisconsin. I usually walk part of the course prior to the first round but most of the time I just play it blind. I have never had an issue with anyone getting angry with me if I ask about how a hole plays if I cannot see a basket, best place to place drive, etc.

 

[DiscFifty]

Awesome comments, thanks guys!

 

[DiscFifty]

Question for the rule bookers....is there any rule that states the course should be in "final tournament position" x-amount of days before the tournament so peeps can play it before the tournament? Or is it ok if the pin layouts, tee positions, etc, are not announced until the day of the event? Thx.

 

[Nemmers]

Question for the rule bookers....is there any rule that states the course should be in "final tournament position" x-amount of days before the tournament so peeps can play it before the tournament? Or is it ok if the pin layouts, tee positions, etc, are not announced until the day of the event? Thx.

Never heard of a rule like that. After all, some courses have alternate layouts (pin placements, teepads, etc.) which they will change to after the first round.

 

[JC17393]

Question for the rule bookers....is there any rule that states the course should be in "final tournament position" x-amount of days before the tournament so peeps can play it before the tournament? Or is it ok if the pin layouts, tee positions, etc, are not announced until the day of the event? Thx.

Here are the PDGA deadlines for having final layouts in place (tees marked, pins in position, etc):
Worlds - 4 days prior
Other Majors (Masters, US Womens, etc) - 3 days prior
National Tours - 2 days prior
A-tiers - 1 day prior
B & C-tiers - no requirements

That's per the Tour Standards document (3rd bullet point under Miscellaneous).

 

[DavidSauls]

Though it is a "best practice" for TDs to have this information available as soon as possible, and at the very least, the day before the tournament.

 

[DiscJunkie]

Edit:
Nevermind, answered above.

As far as those times go, WOW, that's not much lead time...

 

[mfcastillo17]

I'll never play a course blind in a tournament unless I have no expectations of doing well. For me, preparation and practicing the course is a part of the tournament experience that I enjoy just as much as the event itself.

Even courses I have played before, I still prefer to get a round in at least a month before the event as the course changes a bit, the discs you throw change a bit, and over the course of a year improvements to my game have been made which may cause me to throw a different shot then previously.

 

[JC17393]

Edit:
Nevermind, answered above.

As far as those times go, WOW, that's not much lead time...

It's the minimum required...of course TDs can have the courses set up sooner than that if they choose (particularly if the "setup" is simply a matter of having baskets in the correct pin locations). But I think the thing to keep in mind as far as why there isn't more required lead time (or any at all in smaller events) is that the vast majority of events are in public parks.

The TDs of those events are at the mercy of the park as far as timing goes...they may want to put in flags and signs to mark the course (particularly a temp hole/course) but aren't allowed to do it too far in advance. Or putting out such things risks damage or loss of those things by vandals, thieves, or careless casual players.

The bigger the event, the more presumed cooperation between organizers and parks officials and a greater expectation of setting up the course in advance.

 

[DavidSauls]

Good points.

Circumstances vary widely from course-to-course.

We have a private course that's fairly remote, and very few people come to practice it more than a day before the tournament. We're not restricted by park rules, but the amount of work involved. We have overlapping layouts and handouts to explain which holes or baskeets are being played which days, but the actual setup isn't finished until the night before the tournament.

They just finished a big tournament in Charleston, SC,where one of the courses is an annual temporary course in a public park. They can't put out anything until a couple of days beforehand, and it's a huge effort putting 20 temporary baskets and tees in place. Plus, you wouldn't want to leave them out any longer than necessary.

 

[BuzzzChief]

I think about half the tournaments I've played have been on courses or layouts I've never seen before. My only career win was on two courses that I didn't even walk before playing, but I wouldn't recommend that. I was just playing particularly well that day.

It's usually fine as long as you show up early and walk the course. You don't have to throw every hole, but it's good to check pin placements and find any blind hazards like dropoffs, water, etc. You don't want to throw your drive in the tourney, and then walk up and see your disc is in the stream you didn't know about. Look for good landing zones on 2-shot holes. More than anything you should get comfortable and be ready to putt. Inside the circle, pretty much all holes on all courses are the same.

 

[Steve West]

...As far as those times go, WOW, that's not much lead time...

Take a course that has two weekend events in a row. Different TDs, so naturally they want different layouts. If the course needs to be set up 4 days in advance that means the TD of the second event must convince the parks department or course owner to do the set up on Monday, and get them to come back out a second time on Monday to fix what the TD found wasn't set up right.

 

[teemkey]

I believe I've seen statistics that, in tournaments, scores in second rounds average slight worse.

Conterintuitive, but presumably a matter of physical and mental weariness. (The pace of play, and lots of standing around, make tournaments more tiring than casual rounds). Either that, or players think they've got things figured out, and take riskier lines.

I've definitely experienced the 2nd blahs, worst was >100 points. My conclusion is that since I'm a night owl, rising early with little sleep impacts the 2nd round as I run out of energy (both physical & mental effects).

So now I start preparing several days before the tournament, rising earlier and structuring my die around safe healthy foods.