Frequently Asked Questions about the Hank Invitational
Q: What is Ryder Cup format?
A: Ryder Cup format is a match play tournament in which each participant plays 4 rounds of golf over a 3-day period. All golfers are divided into 2 "sides" or teams and the two sides play against one another for the tournament purse. For more info, see this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryder_Cup#Format
Q: 4 rounds of golf in 3 days?! That is way too much golf!!!
A: It isn't as much as it seems because (a) it is match play, which helps shorten rounds some, (b) the first round each day is some form of a 2-man scramble, and (c) the second round on Friday is alternating shot format-so you/your partner only hit every other shot during that round and it is more like playing 9 holes than 18. The other 2 days? 18 holes on Saturday in a scramble-type format; 18 holes on Sunday is Singles play where you play your own ball.
Q: How much will 4 rounds of golf cost?!
A: The goal every year is for the maximum total fees to be at or below $200.00 (not including the $20 tournament entry fee).
Q: Do I know anyone else that is playing?
A: The invitation list is pretty broad and loosely connected. You can view the complete list of invitees on the tourney's Evite. Odds are you know someone on the list. If you don't, you'll get to know a few guys quickly and will get a chance to play with several participants to where you'll know them a lot better by the end of Round 4. If you bring a sense of humor you'll fit right in even if you start out as a stranger to many.
Q: What if I don't know anybody on the list?
A: You are MORE THAN WELCOME to bring along any friend(s) you want. It is encouraged and every effort will be made to have you and your friend(s) play in the same foursome as often as possible in the first few rounds, depending upon how the handicaps balance out. Even if you and your friend(s) are not together for EVERY match, you will play together as many times as possible.
Q: Am I good enough to play in this tournament?
A: YES! ANYONE can play because all pairings/matchups, as well as the selection of the two sides, are based solely upon handicap. The best golfers will play with/against one another and the worst will do the same. Alternating shot matches COULD pair one side's best and worst golfer together against the other side's best and worst golfer as well. The main idea is that handicaps will be used to balance everything out so that nobody is involved in a match in which they have no chance. Your handicap is used to figure your course handicap for each course and matchups are set to keep the competitive balance as even as possible. Historically we have had a few guys who were nearly scratch golfers and a few guys who were 25-30 handicap and everyone else falls somewhere in between. It has worked out just fine each year.
Q: Is this tournament super-competitive?
A: NO! The spirit of the event is to have a very fun and friendly, but competitive, tournament. Emphasis on friendly and social but everyone throws in $20 apiece so that there is something to play for and to prevent it from becoming a drunken-fest. Drinking is not discouraged by any means but we are not looking to have 72 holes of drunkenness, either. The total purse keeps it competitive enough so that the balance of competition and lots of fun and laughs is easier to find. Frequent super-competitive, screaming, chest-bumping, d-bag-ish behavior is frowned upon and will just end up getting you/your partner made fun of by the other guys. Outside of one guy, this was not even close to a problem over the years. For that reason alone, that one guy is not invited back again but will always be remembered.
Q: What rules will be used to govern the tournament?
A: The tournament will be based in the USGA Rules and there are a few custom tournament rules as well. I use the term "based" because USGA rules will be used for things like counting strokes, assessment of penalty strokes for lost balls, out of bounds, etc. Cheating and dishonesty are unacceptable but we will NOT be enforcing every single USGA Rule and nit-picking one another to death. We will NOT be weighing clubs and examining groove shapes and things like that either. Again, the spirit of the event is FUN and FRIENDLY, while also competitive. You will be provided all custom tournament rules in advance.
Q: What kind of prizes are at stake?
A: It depends on the number of golfers we get each year. For example, assume we have 20 golfers who are divided into 2 sides of 10 golfers. Each golfer will pay $20 as his entry fee for the entire tournament. So, a little less than $400 total would be at stake-the winning side will take the majority of the money and divide it among the 10 guys on that side. There will also be $5 and $10 prizes for things such as largest margin of victory, longest drive, closest to the pin, shortest drive (past the ladies' tees), furthest from the pin on the green, lowest score in winning a single hole, and highest score for winning a single hole for singles play matches. Gotta award some of the hackers for entertaining the masses. Approximately $5 will also be deducted for administrative expenses (materials to mark prize winners, subscription to manhunter.com, paper for tournament info packets, etc.).
Q: How will the two sides and their captains be chosen?
A: You will be required to provide verified proof of your handicap after having played 2-3 rounds in the calendar year prior to the tournament. You must submit either a printout verifying your handicap or be able to link to a website verifying your handicap. See the How Do I Get a Handicap? page. All of the golfers will then be divided into two sides, using handicap to create the most evenly balanced sides possible. If you fail to provide verified proof of your handicap, it will be assumed that you are a better golfer than you really might be and you will be paired accordingly. This prevents sandbagging so that the guy with the 2 handicap doesn't get paired in a singles match against a 13 handicap (or, even worse, a 25+ handicap). Once the sides have been chosen, a captain will be selected for each side to review the sides and pairings. Captains will only have control over the matchups for the singles matches on Sunday involving certain players on their side who have the lowest handicap index. This will be determined by the number of participants; the goal is for the top 2-4 players on each side to be matched up against one another automatically while the captains choose the remaining matchups strategically.
Q: How are the pairs and matchups determined for the pairs matches?
A: This will also be done by handicap and the use of handicap to calculate each player's course handicap for each course played over the course of the three days. Further, every effort will be made to pair/match you up with at least one guy you know in every match you play. However, since handicap is the most important factor to keep things even, there may be occasion(s) in which you play in a foursome where you don't know anyone. Unfortunately, this is sometimes unavoidable but it also gives you a chance to get to meet a few decent guys you didn't already know. One benefit of returning to play in subsequent years is that you will already know most of the guys in the tournament. When a match involves people who really want to play together but their handicaps do not balance, one pair might be given strokes on certain holes to balance things out or one pair might play from the back tees. This would be done on a case-by-case basis and is not the usual procedure for determining pairs/matchups.
Q: I don't have a handicap index. How do I get one?
A: See the How Do I Get a Handicap? page.
Q: Will the courses be hard and/or expensive courses?
A: The goal is always (1) to keep the costs down for all as much as possible; and (2) to play as nice of a course as possible each day while keeping costs in mind. The intent is NEVER to select the most difficult courses possible. The courses are mostly chosen on value for the money.
Q: How much time will all of this take?
A: This will depend on our total numbers; the more guys we have, the longer each round will be. The first tee time will be at approximately 7:30AM on Friday, around 9-10AM on Saturday, and around 8AM on Sunday. The afternoon rounds on Friday begin with an approximate 1:30PM tee time. Plan on all day on Friday, mid-day Saturday, and the first half of the day on Sunday. Time is provided between rounds on Friday for a quick lunch or snack. Some of the guys will meet at a nearby bar after the Friday and Saturday rounds are over to have dinner and some drinks, but that is definitely optional. All players will be welcome to join any end-of-the-day activities.
Q: Why are we playing in July, right in the worst heat of the Midwest summer?
A: This has been discussed every year. Due to many participants' kids being in school and/or youth sports, as well as the risk of thunderstorms and rain, neither May nor June are good options. Likewise, the same participants with kids are more likely to be committed to family vacations or back-to-school preparations in August. September and October bring either youth sports, or college/NFL football, and several participants don't want to miss attending or watching their teams' games on Saturday or Sunday. This leaves July as the best guarantee of dry weather without interference from the other activities and commitments listed above. The heat and humidity is the unfortunate trade-off. The tournament has now been permanently set as the same weekend The British Open is played so that participants will have a good reminder on the calendar and a way to avoid scheduling conflicts as they plan their upcoming year's activities. In 2009, the tournament was unlucky in that some of the hottest days of summer happened to fall on the weekend of the tournament. Outside of maybe one or two years, the heat has not been a major problem and, for the most part, we avoided 100 degree temperatures.
A: Ryder Cup format is a match play tournament in which each participant plays 4 rounds of golf over a 3-day period. All golfers are divided into 2 "sides" or teams and the two sides play against one another for the tournament purse. For more info, see this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryder_Cup#Format
Q: 4 rounds of golf in 3 days?! That is way too much golf!!!
A: It isn't as much as it seems because (a) it is match play, which helps shorten rounds some, (b) the first round each day is some form of a 2-man scramble, and (c) the second round on Friday is alternating shot format-so you/your partner only hit every other shot during that round and it is more like playing 9 holes than 18. The other 2 days? 18 holes on Saturday in a scramble-type format; 18 holes on Sunday is Singles play where you play your own ball.
Q: How much will 4 rounds of golf cost?!
A: The goal every year is for the maximum total fees to be at or below $200.00 (not including the $20 tournament entry fee).
Q: Do I know anyone else that is playing?
A: The invitation list is pretty broad and loosely connected. You can view the complete list of invitees on the tourney's Evite. Odds are you know someone on the list. If you don't, you'll get to know a few guys quickly and will get a chance to play with several participants to where you'll know them a lot better by the end of Round 4. If you bring a sense of humor you'll fit right in even if you start out as a stranger to many.
Q: What if I don't know anybody on the list?
A: You are MORE THAN WELCOME to bring along any friend(s) you want. It is encouraged and every effort will be made to have you and your friend(s) play in the same foursome as often as possible in the first few rounds, depending upon how the handicaps balance out. Even if you and your friend(s) are not together for EVERY match, you will play together as many times as possible.
Q: Am I good enough to play in this tournament?
A: YES! ANYONE can play because all pairings/matchups, as well as the selection of the two sides, are based solely upon handicap. The best golfers will play with/against one another and the worst will do the same. Alternating shot matches COULD pair one side's best and worst golfer together against the other side's best and worst golfer as well. The main idea is that handicaps will be used to balance everything out so that nobody is involved in a match in which they have no chance. Your handicap is used to figure your course handicap for each course and matchups are set to keep the competitive balance as even as possible. Historically we have had a few guys who were nearly scratch golfers and a few guys who were 25-30 handicap and everyone else falls somewhere in between. It has worked out just fine each year.
Q: Is this tournament super-competitive?
A: NO! The spirit of the event is to have a very fun and friendly, but competitive, tournament. Emphasis on friendly and social but everyone throws in $20 apiece so that there is something to play for and to prevent it from becoming a drunken-fest. Drinking is not discouraged by any means but we are not looking to have 72 holes of drunkenness, either. The total purse keeps it competitive enough so that the balance of competition and lots of fun and laughs is easier to find. Frequent super-competitive, screaming, chest-bumping, d-bag-ish behavior is frowned upon and will just end up getting you/your partner made fun of by the other guys. Outside of one guy, this was not even close to a problem over the years. For that reason alone, that one guy is not invited back again but will always be remembered.
Q: What rules will be used to govern the tournament?
A: The tournament will be based in the USGA Rules and there are a few custom tournament rules as well. I use the term "based" because USGA rules will be used for things like counting strokes, assessment of penalty strokes for lost balls, out of bounds, etc. Cheating and dishonesty are unacceptable but we will NOT be enforcing every single USGA Rule and nit-picking one another to death. We will NOT be weighing clubs and examining groove shapes and things like that either. Again, the spirit of the event is FUN and FRIENDLY, while also competitive. You will be provided all custom tournament rules in advance.
Q: What kind of prizes are at stake?
A: It depends on the number of golfers we get each year. For example, assume we have 20 golfers who are divided into 2 sides of 10 golfers. Each golfer will pay $20 as his entry fee for the entire tournament. So, a little less than $400 total would be at stake-the winning side will take the majority of the money and divide it among the 10 guys on that side. There will also be $5 and $10 prizes for things such as largest margin of victory, longest drive, closest to the pin, shortest drive (past the ladies' tees), furthest from the pin on the green, lowest score in winning a single hole, and highest score for winning a single hole for singles play matches. Gotta award some of the hackers for entertaining the masses. Approximately $5 will also be deducted for administrative expenses (materials to mark prize winners, subscription to manhunter.com, paper for tournament info packets, etc.).
Q: How will the two sides and their captains be chosen?
A: You will be required to provide verified proof of your handicap after having played 2-3 rounds in the calendar year prior to the tournament. You must submit either a printout verifying your handicap or be able to link to a website verifying your handicap. See the How Do I Get a Handicap? page. All of the golfers will then be divided into two sides, using handicap to create the most evenly balanced sides possible. If you fail to provide verified proof of your handicap, it will be assumed that you are a better golfer than you really might be and you will be paired accordingly. This prevents sandbagging so that the guy with the 2 handicap doesn't get paired in a singles match against a 13 handicap (or, even worse, a 25+ handicap). Once the sides have been chosen, a captain will be selected for each side to review the sides and pairings. Captains will only have control over the matchups for the singles matches on Sunday involving certain players on their side who have the lowest handicap index. This will be determined by the number of participants; the goal is for the top 2-4 players on each side to be matched up against one another automatically while the captains choose the remaining matchups strategically.
Q: How are the pairs and matchups determined for the pairs matches?
A: This will also be done by handicap and the use of handicap to calculate each player's course handicap for each course played over the course of the three days. Further, every effort will be made to pair/match you up with at least one guy you know in every match you play. However, since handicap is the most important factor to keep things even, there may be occasion(s) in which you play in a foursome where you don't know anyone. Unfortunately, this is sometimes unavoidable but it also gives you a chance to get to meet a few decent guys you didn't already know. One benefit of returning to play in subsequent years is that you will already know most of the guys in the tournament. When a match involves people who really want to play together but their handicaps do not balance, one pair might be given strokes on certain holes to balance things out or one pair might play from the back tees. This would be done on a case-by-case basis and is not the usual procedure for determining pairs/matchups.
Q: I don't have a handicap index. How do I get one?
A: See the How Do I Get a Handicap? page.
Q: Will the courses be hard and/or expensive courses?
A: The goal is always (1) to keep the costs down for all as much as possible; and (2) to play as nice of a course as possible each day while keeping costs in mind. The intent is NEVER to select the most difficult courses possible. The courses are mostly chosen on value for the money.
Q: How much time will all of this take?
A: This will depend on our total numbers; the more guys we have, the longer each round will be. The first tee time will be at approximately 7:30AM on Friday, around 9-10AM on Saturday, and around 8AM on Sunday. The afternoon rounds on Friday begin with an approximate 1:30PM tee time. Plan on all day on Friday, mid-day Saturday, and the first half of the day on Sunday. Time is provided between rounds on Friday for a quick lunch or snack. Some of the guys will meet at a nearby bar after the Friday and Saturday rounds are over to have dinner and some drinks, but that is definitely optional. All players will be welcome to join any end-of-the-day activities.
Q: Why are we playing in July, right in the worst heat of the Midwest summer?
A: This has been discussed every year. Due to many participants' kids being in school and/or youth sports, as well as the risk of thunderstorms and rain, neither May nor June are good options. Likewise, the same participants with kids are more likely to be committed to family vacations or back-to-school preparations in August. September and October bring either youth sports, or college/NFL football, and several participants don't want to miss attending or watching their teams' games on Saturday or Sunday. This leaves July as the best guarantee of dry weather without interference from the other activities and commitments listed above. The heat and humidity is the unfortunate trade-off. The tournament has now been permanently set as the same weekend The British Open is played so that participants will have a good reminder on the calendar and a way to avoid scheduling conflicts as they plan their upcoming year's activities. In 2009, the tournament was unlucky in that some of the hottest days of summer happened to fall on the weekend of the tournament. Outside of maybe one or two years, the heat has not been a major problem and, for the most part, we avoided 100 degree temperatures.