GC Am Tour - Worth it?

Hi all,

I'm starting to look at putting together a summer schedule and in my quest to find more gross competitions I found the Am Tour. I've known about GCAT for a couple years but did not know it was gross until now. I'm intrigued.

My question is...for those of you who have played it, is it worth it? The tournament entry fees look pretty high compared to other tournaments I'm considering (local and regional) and there's a base membership fee on top. How has your experience been? Is the competition commensurate with the cost?

If there are any thoughts additional to the points above, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks in advance.

There is a thread or 2 on here about that topic. I havent done GCAT but opted for Golfweek tour instead. Financially it makes more sense and can be just as good but that depends on your area.

There is a thread or 2 on here about that topic. I havent done GCAT but opted for Golfweek tour instead. Financially it makes more sense and can be just as good but that depends on your area.

Same.

The OP's location says San Diego. There's no Golfweek tour in San Diego but there's one in L.A. And once you become a member of the Golfweek Tour you can compete in any tournament in the country. You are not restricted to just your "home" tour.

It's okay. I don't consider it to be "real" tournament golf but it's a good time nonetheless.

https://www.amateurgolftour.net/

Background -- I'm starting my 2nd season of GCAT. I am a mid-handicapper looking to improve, and tournaments have definitely helped me with that. Did last year in the 16-19 division and this year moved into the 12-16. Here's a few thoughts:

1. Pros: The local tours typically feature at least a few private courses that you can't ordinarily get on. Some are better than others. You can play on any local tour and earn points if you care about that, so if you're in SD and feel like going to LA or Palm Springs for a weekend, you can play their tours.

The guys I have played with have been great. I don't have a lot of friends who want to go play nice golf courses so it's been good for me with wanting to try a bunch of new tracks since I moved to CA. Usually top 25% of your flight will win a gift card + cash prizes for Skins. If you want to play in nationals (this year at PGA National), it's not crazy hard to qualify if you're in the right division -- you just need to finish top 3 in a major or on your tour's point list at the end of the season.

2. Cons: Yeah, it's expensive. Part of that is the prize pool (which if I remember right, I don't think Golfweek does other than a trophy). I do think the quality of courses has been higher than when I played in the Golfweek tour a few years so it's a tradeoff. Playing on different tours, some are better than others at pace of play. The hands on ones can keep it moving but if you go to a different region for a major or something and they're less intense, you can be in for a very long day.

Overall, if you have the means, like the courses, and want to compete, I think it's a solid option hence why I am doing it again.

There is a thread or 2 on here about that topic. I havent done GCAT but opted for Golfweek tour instead. Financially it makes more sense and can be just as good but that depends on your area.

I searched prior to making this thread and the content I found was either sparsely responded to (just like this thread) or a few years old. Figured I'd try again.

There is a thread or 2 on here about that topic. I havent done GCAT but opted for Golfweek tour instead. Financially it makes more sense and can be just as good but that depends on your area.

 

Same.

 

The OP's location says San Diego. There's no Golfweek tour in San Diego but there's one in L.A. And once you become a member of the Golfweek Tour you can compete in any tournament in the country. You are not restricted to just your "home" tour.

 

It's okay. I don't consider it to be "real" tournament golf but it's a good time nonetheless.

 

https://www.amateurgolftour.net/

Thanks for the input. I was unaware of the Golfweek tour, and the distance up to LA looks inconvenient but I'll give it a look.

Background -- I'm starting my 2nd season of GCAT. I am a mid-handicapper looking to improve, and tournaments have definitely helped me with that. Did last year in the 16-19 division and this year moved into the 12-16. Here's a few thoughts:

 

1. Pros: The local tours typically feature at least a few private courses that you can't ordinarily get on. Some are better than others. You can play on any local tour and earn points if you care about that, so if you're in SD and feel like going to LA or Palm Springs for a weekend, you can play their tours.

 

The guys I have played with have been great. I don't have a lot of friends who want to go play nice golf courses so it's been good for me with wanting to try a bunch of new tracks since I moved to CA. Usually top 25% of your flight will win a gift card + cash prizes for Skins. If you want to play in nationals (this year at PGA National), it's not crazy hard to qualify if you're in the right division -- you just need to finish top 3 in a major or on your tour's point list at the end of the season.

 

2. Cons: Yeah, it's expensive. Part of that is the prize pool (which if I remember right, I don't think Golfweek does other than a trophy). I do think the quality of courses has been higher than when I played in the Golfweek tour a few years so it's a tradeoff. Playing on different tours, some are better than others at pace of play. The hands on ones can keep it moving but if you go to a different region for a major or something and they're less intense, you can be in for a very long day.

 

Overall, if you have the means, like the courses, and want to compete, I think it's a solid option hence why I am doing it again.

Thank you. Appreciate the input. This helps.

I played it for a season and a half in Northern California...I’ve heard it’s hit or miss with the regions and will depend a lot on the director of that region’s level of effort and care.

The events (and annual membership fee) are expensive enough to make you really focus on your game just to break even. Too much of the entry fee goes towards paying the GCAT juice, so your best hope is to win a skin or two to make your money back.

If you’ve got money to burn, it’s a fun way to get to play tournament golf almost every weekend. I won’t be playing in it again, as I have enough other options to keep me happy.