Tips for first-time captain (of a perennial loser RC team)???

hobnailboot · June 23

I have the burden or captaining a perennial losing team on a 16-man golf trip later this year. This is year six of the trip and we have never beaten our rival team. Two years ago, we got so slaughtered that there were real discussions of dismantling the annual teams and moving to quad teams or some other format. I hate to lose but hate quitting more than that and argued to keep it together.

(As an FYI, our eight-man team is all high single-digit hcps, with a 3 and a ~15 bookending. We play fourball the first three days and singles the final day.)

My question: What does a good captain do? Any ideas on how to get my squad over the hump? Open to anything and everything.

Note: Looking for tips on how to win, not how to better structure the event. We're too prideful to changeup teams, etc.

Warrior42111 · June 26

is it handicapped, gross? What are the other teams handicaps?

assuming accurately handicapped, you need to pick the matchups well within your team. Some people play well together and others not so much. My partner and I won our league (fourball format) we weren't the greatest but we played to our handicaps well, and played with each other well. If one person is in trouble you need a teammate who will pick them up not do their own thing. If I go into trouble or OB off the tee, unless it's a dormie situation my partner is dropping down a club and getting in play.

Also ties are absolutely fine in fourball. Usually when a team folds is when they get super aggressive and try to win holes by firing at tight pins short siding themselves and stupid penalties.

hobnailboot · June 27

It's handicapped.

Us:

19.0
3.0
11.0
9.5
6.5
7.5
9.0
4.5

Them:

7.5
11.0
14.0
8.0
8.5
18.0
5.0

***

It seems our captain strategy the last several years has been all about vibes... Who do you most want to play with? But to be honest, there's only a couple of *bad* pairings I can imagine on my team. We all like each other and get along well from a vibes standpoint. Know each other quite well, etc. A special group.

I do think we had a couple of vanity caps that I'm hoping to get back up to a realistic number before the trip.

larrybud · July 15

Sandbag more than they do and/or drink less than they do.

Petethreeput · July 15

I would start the day of singles with this...

Then I am sure you have the results from years past and the guys they have that win by a great margin pair them with the guys on your team who do not rise to the occasion and have the others play in competitive matches. But the most important part is the pre-match speech, and don't skimp on the trousers, make it real.