Michigan Amateur Golf Tours expriences?

curious what your handicap is? I know a few players that win local events and compete in michigan amateur. They can go low and make it look easy!

I just updated my signature. My GAM handicap is locked out, so I don't remember my handicap, but it was somewhere between a 6 and a 7.

High 70's/low 80's or so.

I highly recommend beginning with the Golf Channel tour and local events. To be honest as a 6 or 7 you have a long ways to go to play in the michigan amateur. Even as a 1 or 2 I'm not even close. I would say if you can get to a +1 to +3 then I would say go for it. Just being real. Good luck in your endeavors.

Odshot,

your right on with being too far from playing in the Michigan Amateur. I think a 5.0 will let you qualify and in the Michigan Open a 8.0 will let you qualify too. I would rather improve my game on a regular tour and spend the money later on those events when my game is ready. I think its at least $130 to event the Amateur and $200 for the Michigan Open. Who's to say I couldn't have a good and lucky day and somehow qualifiy, but reality needs to set in as having a legitimate shot of competing. I don't know if handicapped tournaments are legit or not? I have never played in the format and only have seen how they somewhat work, but never competed in one. I have seen the MI Publinx team at my local course, and am comtemplating joining them with 5 events a year, but am still exploring the world of amateur golf.

There are so many tours to compete in, its too many options. Looking for some competive fun for the summer in hopes of improving my golf game.

GAM offers net am. The Publix teams usually require a tryout from what I know and you have to be pretty solid to make a team most times. The golf channel tour is expensive, so I have never played in it.

Sounds like you are too young for the Mid-Am.

R7, I play on one of the area Publinx teams on the eastside, You should very highly consider playing in the publinx tournaments, If you play well usually you will cash in or if you get in the skins pot you have a chance to win cash there as well They're VERY reasonably priced. Try going to the mipublinx.com website. In the past people have complained about the time to play the tournaments, That has been severely corrected. I played in them last year in under 4:45 each time. Tom

[quote name='mags300' timestamp='1297994899' post='2988459']
R7, I play on one of the area Publinx teams on the eastside, You should very highly consider playing in the publinx tournaments, If you play well usually you will cash in or if you get in the skins pot you have a chance to win cash there as well They're VERY reasonably priced. Try going to the mipublinx.com website. In the past people have complained about the time to play the tournaments, That has been severely corrected. I played in them last year in under 4:45 each time. Tom
[/quote]

What's happening in this world when anything under 4:45 is considered acceptable? I'm not flaming Tom here at all, because I'm thrilled when I get in a tournament round under 5 hours these days (and forget about college rounds - unbearable - 6 hrs was the norm), but look at what's happening to the game! Anything over 4 hours deserves penalty strokes, IMO.

Rant over.

[quote name='hitsalittle' timestamp='1298005650' post='2988968']
[quote name='mags300' timestamp='1297994899' post='2988459']
R7, I play on one of the area Publinx teams on the eastside, You should very highly consider playing in the publinx tournaments, If you play well usually you will cash in or if you get in the skins pot you have a chance to win cash there as well They're VERY reasonably priced. Try going to the mipublinx.com website. In the past people have complained about the time to play the tournaments, That has been severely corrected. I played in them last year in under 4:45 each time. Tom
[/quote]

What's happening in this world when anything under 4:45 is considered acceptable? I'm not flaming Tom here at all, because I'm thrilled when I get in a tournament round under 5 hours these days (and forget about college rounds - unbearable - 6 hrs was the norm), but look at what's happening to the game! Anything over 4 hours deserves penalty strokes, IMO.

Rant over.
[/quote]
+1 on that.........But I figure it's heading in the right direction, So I take in stride.

[quote name='r7superquad' timestamp='1295314133' post='2904342']
Hi all,

I am making the transition from junior golf tours to mens adult tours and events. What have you played in that deserves recognition?

I want to play in a tour with a reasonable membership fee and event fees that won't break the bank. Work in the summertime and am flexible with my work schedule.

Been looking at joining Michigan Publinx, eGolf, and the Golf Channel tour. I know of the GAM events, but don't think my handicap is low enough for the Michigan Amateur right now and some of the tours offer a GAM membership with joining the tour. Not ready to rejoin the GAM without some direction.

Any help or personal experience would be helpful. Thanks
[/quote]

I am a 7/8 handicap here in Florida and was thinking about playing the Golf Channel Am Tour myself but then I found that the FSGA (I would think Michigan has the MSGA? Org that holds all the big AM tournaments in the state) has what they call a series of one-day tournaments through-out the year...and they are all on quality golf courses. Also it is cheaper then the GC AM tour. Just my 2 cents...

[quote name='i-Guy2' timestamp='1298038717' post='2989425']
[quote name='r7superquad' timestamp='1295314133' post='2904342']
Hi all,

I am making the transition from junior golf tours to mens adult tours and events. What have you played in that deserves recognition?

I want to play in a tour with a reasonable membership fee and event fees that won't break the bank. Work in the summertime and am flexible with my work schedule.

Been looking at joining Michigan Publinx, eGolf, and the Golf Channel tour. I know of the GAM events, but don't think my handicap is low enough for the Michigan Amateur right now and some of the tours offer a GAM membership with joining the tour. Not ready to rejoin the GAM without some direction.

Any help or personal experience would be helpful. Thanks
[/quote]

I am a 7/8 handicap here in Florida and was thinking about playing the Golf Channel Am Tour myself but then I found that the FSGA (I would think Michigan has the MSGA? Org that holds all the big AM tournaments in the state) has what they call a series of one-day tournaments through-out the year...and they are all on quality golf courses. Also it is cheaper then the GC AM tour. Just my 2 cents...
[/quote]

for MI, that would be GAM: www.gam.org

[quote name='odshot68' timestamp='1295314902' post='2904389']
I highly recommend beginning with the Golf Channel tour and local events. To be honest as a 6 or 7 you have a long ways to go to play in the michigan amateur. Even as a 1 or 2 I'm not even close. I would say if you can get to a +1 to +3 then I would say go for it. Just being real. Good luck in your endeavors.

[/quote]

It's true that if you want to think about winning a GAM scratch event, you need to be well into plus territory, but to qualify for the Amateur, around 75 (give or take a couple, depending on the course and conditions) in the qualifier will usually get you in. You've played with me, so you know what kind of game I have, and I've qualified for the Am before. I got in 5 years ago with a 75, which was good for 8th in a qualifier with 12 or 13 spots. I've tried unsuccessfully to qualify each year since then, but it's not been because the qualifying scores have gotten any better -- just the burden of having expectations and choking under pressure (the time I had about 40 putts was a fun round...).

For the OP, you'd be better off starting with net events or publinx to gain exoerience in competition. Some publinx teams are very competitive and are difficult to qualify for, but a lot of them are made up of guys like you who are single digit handicaps looking to get out and play some competitive rounds. Events like the Am and Mid-Am require have a handicap requirement of 5.4 or less to enter.

[quote name='hitsalittle' timestamp='1298005650' post='2988968']
[quote name='mags300' timestamp='1297994899' post='2988459']
R7, I play on one of the area Publinx teams on the eastside, You should very highly consider playing in the publinx tournaments, If you play well usually you will cash in or if you get in the skins pot you have a chance to win cash there as well They're VERY reasonably priced. Try going to the mipublinx.com website. In the past people have complained about the time to play the tournaments, That has been severely corrected. I played in them last year in under 4:45 each time. Tom
[/quote]

What's happening in this world when anything under 4:45 is considered acceptable? I'm not flaming Tom here at all, because I'm thrilled when I get in a tournament round under 5 hours these days (and forget about college rounds - unbearable - 6 hrs was the norm), but look at what's happening to the game! Anything over 4 hours deserves penalty strokes, IMO.

Rant over.
[/quote]
That's a nice thing about playing in GAM events -- they have a pace of play policy, and they enforce it by adding strokes if you get a bad time at the end of each nine. I think it's 2:15 for each 9, which I still think is too slow, but it's a step in the right direction.

[quote name='hitsalittle' timestamp='1298005650' post='2988968']
[quote name='mags300' timestamp='1297994899' post='2988459']
R7, I play on one of the area Publinx teams on the eastside, You should very highly consider playing in the publinx tournaments, If you play well usually you will cash in or if you get in the skins pot you have a chance to win cash there as well They're VERY reasonably priced. Try going to the mipublinx.com website. In the past people have complained about the time to play the tournaments, That has been severely corrected. I played in them last year in under 4:45 each time. Tom
[/quote]

What's happening in this world when anything under 4:45 is considered acceptable? I'm not flaming Tom here at all, because I'm thrilled when I get in a tournament round under 5 hours these days (and forget about college rounds - unbearable - 6 hrs was the norm), but look at what's happening to the game! Anything over 4 hours deserves penalty strokes, IMO.

Rant over.
[/quote]

I agree - unfortunately 4:45 is slowly becoming the norm, least on Saturday. What's weird, the extra time doesn't help their scoring. Also why I now take 3 cigars along, when it use to be 1.

I enjoyed the Shooter's Tour when I played in it a couple of years ago. Nice people, nice pace of play. Unfortunately they only had a couple of tournaments within an hour or so of where I live, so I don't really want to deal with that.

You might also want to look at the Michigan PGA Stroke Play Series. You only have to be an 8 or better. It's NOT a net event, but you get to play private courses with local PGA Pros. About 20% of the field were amateurs. Some guys (even pros) were shooting in the 90s a few times, so don't be intimidated. I also was allowed to play a practice round at 2 of the 3 courses for REALLY cheap. No thank you to Orchard Lake CC who wouldn't let me out for a practice round, but Oakhurst was $40 and Pine Lake was something like $20.

Get into all the GAM events you can. You need to be 5.4 or lower to get into the Michigan AM Qualifier. ALL tournament experience is good tournament experience, so play in them if you can afford it.

I'm 3 index and did play in the net events, even though I get killed (of course, I get killed in the gross events too!). But most of the time you can sign up for a qualifier at a private club, AND get a practice round cheap. The 2 man net event is an absolute BLAST. DO IT!! 2 man, net best ball. Usually a 67 or 68 gets you in. Qualified once, on the number, in a scorecard playoff!

GAM Events are REALLY well run. Pace of play is excellent.

About 5 years ago I played in the Michigan Publinx net tournaments (not the match play stuff), and I quit after agonizing slow play, and the same guys would be at the top of the leader board every single tournament. I looked into their scores, and many were NOT posting scores. I complained to the leadership, and never got a response, so I never went back.

Shooter's tour does their own handicap, and the GAM events police handicaps very closely. On guy was DQed last year after posting a crazy low score, and another 2-some was DQed in the team event after shooting something like a net 56! lol. It's not possible to prevent all sandbagging, but they do take it seriously.

Shooters Tour is well run and plays every other weekend. Its the most reasonable priced tour in the Metro Detroit Area.

http://east.shootersgolf.com/

Larrybud is right, playing in any tournament will make you a better player and it's fun. Right now I'm 7.7 but I'm coming around, I was a 5 not to many years ago and I decided to enter the U.S. Senior Am Qualifier, it was being held at Kenwood CC in Cincinnati, when would I ever get a chance to play Kenwood.....uh....let me think? Never! It cost me $125 to enter and that included a practice round. Did I think I had a chance, no I didn't but you know what, it rained the day of the qualifier, scores were high and I came in tied for 7th with an 80. They took two, but I still got to play a course I would not normally get to play. So don't let anyone tell you that you aren't good enough to play in those tournaments, the fact that you can apply says that you are good enough. I play in the Golf Channel Am Tour and I play all over the place, I go to Florida in the winter and I play a lot of private courses because of the tour. It's a real fun experience. Hell, I won one in Dec. in Florida and came in 3rd a couple of weeks ago.

You learn how to play, a lot of times you are playing courses you have never played and you learn how to read what your fellow competitors play a certain hole, you learn to listen to what they say. I makes you a better player. You know those guys at your club with the 3hdcp on that course and they never play anywhere else. You know what I say to them, I say bring your wallet and let's go play a new course neither one of us has played before and when we're done, I'll be loaning him cab fare to get home.


Jump in, you need to get your feet wet, the water is great!

+ 1 about playing tournaments

Golfweek Tour has an east and west tour in Michigan now.

[quote name='knickerbocker' timestamp='1299942485' post='3048820']
Golfweek Tour has an east and west tour in Michigan now.
[/quote]
Whats the latest on Shooters Golf Tour? Anyone know what the participation is like?

[quote name='300Drive' timestamp='1331241226' post='4464251']
[quote name='knickerbocker' timestamp='1299942485' post='3048820']
Golfweek Tour has an east and west tour in Michigan now.
[/quote]
Whats the latest on Shooters Golf Tour? Anyone know what the participation is like?
[/quote]

When I played in it in 2007 it was excellent. They had really good pace of play, really nice people, very well run. The only reason I stopped is that all but a couple of tournaments were at least an hour from my house. Got tired of driving.