The Order of Merit

[Affo]

Currently the Order of Merit (click More... on Menu and it's the first option) covers a year and will be reset on March 1st 2019 to run for another year.

Is it of any relevance?

Please see the poll and make 2 choices:

Please choose 1 of the first 3 options, then 1 of the bottom 3 options.

This Poll will run for 6 days and it would be very helpful if as many people took the 15 seconds or so to read and click 2 options as possible.

Thank you.

[Seasider47]

Not very relevent to me. But I do check occasunally to see where I am if I'm above or below my nearest rivals. More relevant to me are the leaderboards and PGLS stats

[SimChars1968]

Why is the option not there to change it to a seasonal competition?
It wouldn't make much difference because the same members would top it posting their usual unrealistic low scores. Unfortunately, being an RTSM player, I hardly play the usual weekly tournaments because I can't be competitive against the 3-clickers. You run a handicap tournament that counts for nothing, so I don't see the point in that either.
I used to enjoy playing these events, but don't feel the inclination to spend my time doing so now.
Shame really.

[Charles]

Why is the option not there to change it to a seasonal competition?
It wouldn't make much difference because the same members would top it posting their usual unrealistic low scores. Unfortunately, being an RTSM player, I hardly play the usual weekly tournaments because I can't be competitive against the 3-clickers. You run a handicap tournament that counts for nothing, so I don't see the point in that either.
I used to enjoy playing these events, but don't feel the inclination to spend my time doing so now.
Shame really.

I agree. Right now the set up is not really realistic or fair. I occasionally play because I just like playing but get no real feedback on my play or my standing compared to the rest of the field. Only when there is a more balanced division in levels and swing types will players be getting better insight on their progress and standing in relation to the whole field to which they belong.

[Mwh65]

Why is the option not there to change it to a seasonal competition?

The OOM points are seasonal for the 4 tournies that use them (PGA 9, PGA 18, Stableford 9 and PGLS Open). As an example PGA 9 ...

Season Points
tourney_pga9_season_points.php

and its archives ...

Season Archives
tourney_pga9_season_archives.php

The yearly table will be removed but we have raised the Poll really in regard to the current OOM usage in the 4 tournies mentioned and whether players actually take any notice of them.

[SimChars1968]

As things are on here at the moment with the scoring, the only way you will pique peoples interest in playing more events is by having more handicapped competitions. The same as every golf club in the real world do. A golf club will have their monthly medal with a nett and a gross winner, gives everybody a chance, what is so difficult in setting this up.

[Affo]

Not anything you can really do regarding the scoring, it's a game and people generally get better over time and scores come down.

Trouble with handicaps driven purely by scores, you get easy courses for a couple of weeks, then harder ones. People only play harder ones and their handicap is skewed, next event is easy and they win easily because they have on purpose or inadvertently got a false handicap. The scores between events are so diverse that I don't really trust them that much, but people wanted them in the clamour for some sort of fair playing field. What you then get is players complaining that peoples' handicaps are too high and refusing to play them or moaning they are winning. Again, it's a game and sadly, some people will manipulate things in their favour.

The only option is then to cap handicaps at the maximum end...so why have handicaps if they need to be capped to again level the playing field. But capping is the only option it seems and maybe more qualifying events to establish an handicap...but who wants to play for weeks before getting one, in the real life I think it's 3 rounds isn't it, but again that isn't really realistic in the gaming world. I could knock up a few rounds over par in an hour, get my nice high handicap then play properly in any handicap event and win by a street...which I wouldn't really get any satisfaction from and it would only really annoy everyone else!

The RTCC has it's own OOM so you can see how you are fairing against like swing players?

Anyway, back to the question of the day - the OOM.

Personally, I only view it occasionally and if it disappeared I wouldn't miss it, but have chosen to change it to monthly (yes I placed a vote in both halves as instructed, amazing people can't follow simple instructions!!) just to make it more relevant. You have the Seasonal points over 3 months, so a monthly table keeps it fresher and the more chance for people to play well over a shorter period and feature higher up than over a Season or Year.

Wow, that's long post, can you tell I got the day off?? :)

[Perculator]

Funny you should mention this Andy, I was just thinking about it the other day. I check your World Rankings stat more often and was wondering how your rankings differ from the standard OOM.

Perc

[terbal]

order of merit is totally pointless. I for one never look at it. but i know what people are at the top and that never changes.When an ammy wins an event out right and get half the points of a pro who came second thats just not right. yes it has happened to me. I thing the world rankings are enough for people who like looking at these stats. The biggest stat of all there are to many people playing solo and not enough going into the m&g to play golf with others. golf is a social game.

[Affo]

Funny you should mention this Andy, I was just thinking about it the other day. I check your World Rankings stat more often and was wondering how your rankings differ from the standard OOM.

Perc

Perc, the OOM is just simply a total of points gained from the appropriate events. The World Ranking stat takes into consideration number in and strength of field. For example, if you won an event without the top 3 in the rankings playing, you would gain less points than if you beat them. It is a replica of the real World Rankings and the OOM is like the Race to Dubai without the final destination.

Hope that helps.