Dear Members,
The EMGA Board has been considering ways to improve the pace of play while maintaining the enjoyment of the game. Under traditional stroke play, players must hole out on every hole to post a valid score, even when facing high scores. We considered implementing a maximum-stroke-per-hole rule (doesn't align well with standard stroke play) or continuing to either penalize or enforce mandatory ball pickups, but those seem to be ineffective or causing ill-will.
Consequently, we are exploring transitioning OPCs from stroke play to Stableford scoring, a format that has gained widespread popularity in leagues globally. Tournament scoring will continue to vary depending on each tournament format. Stableford scoring in OPCs offers three key advantages:
1. Improved Pace of Play: Once a player can no longer score points on a hole (after reaching a net double bogey), they pick up their ball and move to the next hole. This prevents the lengthy delays often caused by a player struggling on a difficult hole.
2. Mitigated Disaster Holes: In stroke play, one bad hole can ruin an entire scorecard. In Stableford, that hole simply results in zero points, keeping the player competitive for the remainder of the round.
3. Balanced Handicaps: Net Stableford effectively balances high and low handicappers by rewarding aggressive play without disproportionately penalizing occasional double bogeys (though this may be less significant given our flight-based format).
Importantly, your experience on the course should be better and more enjoyable. All scores under the Stableford format will continue to be posted to GHIN. An initial analysis of past flight standings in OPCs using Stableford scoring indicated minimal changes to the rankings.
To test this approach, the Board proposes using the remaining OPCs after the Kregel tournament, those OPCs in September and October, as a trial period.
Please let us know if you have any serious concerns or feedback regarding this proposal.
Thanks,
Larry Walker, President EMGA
PS.
Stableford scoring:
Net double bogey = 0 points
Net Bogey = 1 point
Net Par = 2 points
Net Birdie = 4 points
Net Eagle = 8 points
Net Double Eagle = 10 points
