Here's the scenario... I'm playing best shot doubles against two other people.

If I'm playing "california" doubles against two other people, do I get to throw two times for each stroke? Or is it like playing a regular round of golf? Is there a limit to how many "mulligans" i would get? If I were to only get one throw per stroke, and the other team gets two per stoke (obviously only one counting) that wouldnt be fair... any help would be appreciated...

Erick

There are three versions of singles playing in doubles events I have heard.

The single player (paying one entry fee) gets one "extra" shot per hole. Not really a mulligan because the player still gets a choice of which shot to use after the throws.

The single player (paying one entry fee) gets one "extra" show for every two throws. This is mainly on courses that have many par 4 type holes where an extra drive or putt doesn't quite even the field against a pair of players.

The single player pays two entry fees and competes as a team with two shots on every throw just as if he was two players.

California means you get one extra shot per hole. Whether you take it on your drive your upshot or your putt is up to you but you only get 1 per hole. You cant save them up for other holes you either use it or you dont. So if your parked i suggest you run the ace because your not getting that mulligan back.

You could play you get to throw 2 times from every lie. That would be more like doubles but i think you could have an advantage over a doubles team cuz they have 2 people throwing the same shot where you can miss your shot and adjust accordingly on the second one. I think Cali as we call it is fair against a average doubles team. Say a Pro Am teamm but definatly not fair against a Pro Pro team.

Just my opinion. I could be wrong :D

yeah, i was thinking that more than one extra shot on every hole wasnt fair... i think one shot extra on every hole makes sense...

I am going to be paying two fees for what is worth...

Erick

The odd-man gets an extra shot once per hole. If there are any true par 4s on the course consider giving the player an extra shot twice on just those holes. ("An extra shot twice" means they can throw a second shot two different times but they cannot save them up and take 3 shots from one spot.)

Some people say the player has to use the second shot it they throw it. I don't like that variant because you are playing against a best-shot team and you should get the best-shot of your two.

One shot per hole still leaves you at a disadvantage to a team. You basically become the team member that has to make the safe shot on all of the holes if you want to reserve the advantage of being able to make two putts.

This is because you are gambling for a team share of the prize but paying for only half of a team.

If you are paying the cost of a full team, you should have the full benefits of a full team. IMHO

If a player is taking their second throw on a putt, we usually make them wait while a person from the other team putts so they don't get to putt back-to-back if possible.

Not giving the solo person two throws on every single shot is completely unfair. Every other Doubles team gets two throws on every single shot, why does the solo person not get equal treatment? I would never play California if I was only offered one extra throw per hole, that is completely unfair.

Getting just one extra throw per hole is the price of just paying one entry fee. If you pay both entry fees, you get two throws.

But everyone else that pays one entry fee gets the benefit of playing with another partner who throws on every shot, so the solo person should receive the same benefit.

It can't work that way because this player has only paid half the entry fee of a full team and has the potential to win double the payout relative to entry fee.

Are you trolling, Jeff?

In case you aren't....2 people making one throw each is a lot different, and I mean a lot different, than one person throwing twice. The one person basically gets a practice throw and then another chance to groove it on the second throw. Allowing the odd-man to groove it on every throw is completely not fair.

I managed a -9 at Emerald once playing as odd-mad, so that means there is plenty of advantage to it.

I'm not trolling.

We had this debate seemingly every year when I was vice-president of the local club. Everyone wanted to change to just one extra shot per hole for solo golfers at our weekly random draw doubles. I presented statistics from the last several years that showed that the number of times at doubles that there was an odd number of golfers who played solo and WON was once or twice a year, and the season ran from April - October. It would be a different story if the solo golfer won even a noticeable percentage of the time, showing a clear advantage. That definitely isn't the case.

I understand Chuck's point about paying two entry fees, but when the entry fee is $3, we don't bother. We do make the solo pay the $1 ace pot twice just in case they were to hit an ace with their second shot.

Rhett, I understand your point about practice throws, but again I look to the statistics. Would you shoot -9 and win doubles at Emerald even 25% of the time if you played solo every time? I think not.

Getting picked last and having to play solo is a punishment. Everyone else gets a partner to play with, and benefits from having possibly two different styles of golfer. Everyone else has the desired disc for the shot they want to make, whereas the solo might not have a "backup" disc with the same flight characteristics to make the second shot in the preferred delivery. Solo golfers should not be "punished" with only one extra stroke per hole and put at a clear disadvantage.

Keep in mind that most of this discussion is centered around how to treat the odd man out at the weeknight random draw doubles at the local pitch-n-putt, with a mix of golfers in the high 800s to mid 900s. If this was a big money doubles tournament ($20 entry fee or more) and a 1000+ rated golfer showed up expressly to play solo, it's an entirely different story.

Everyone wanted to change to just one extra shot per hole for solo golfers at our weekly random draw doubles.



When we do our Ramdom Doubles in the summer we alter the rule depending on WHO is the "odd man"

If it is an PRO then standard "California" rules apply. One shot per hole.

If it is an AM then we allow 2 SHOTS per lie...

Always seems to work out fine.. :D

It sounds like we do the same thing Magilla does.

AMs get two shots on every throw.
PROs get 1 extra shot per hole.

Once you cash as an odd man AM, you move up to only getting one free shot per hole.