The criers and whiners golf format is a great way to play a different style of golf next time you’re on the course. Here is how it works.
Golfers in this format will be awarded strokes based on their handicaps. These strokes will be used as do-overs and mulligans throughout the round.
Say you are a 16 handicap. Then you will be awarded 16 free shots you can use at any point throughout your round. If you put your tee shot into the water, no worries, use one of your free shots and you now have fifteen leftover.
This game allows for a little more strategy as typically your handicap strokes are allotted for you based on holes difficult. In this format, you will choose when to use them.
It is also worth mentioning that golfers often use 2/3 or 3/4 of their handicap for this game. This is, of course, up to you. But some golfers find a full handicap worth of free shots is too many.
Who Is It For
This game can be played by golfers of all skill levels but it is especially enjoyed by higher handicap golfers. The reason for this is because high handicappers tend to have the most issues with consistency.
Nothing is more frustrating than losing drives and hitting balls out of bounds. And if you’re a beginner or a high handicapper you are likely doing this quite a bit.
With the “free shots” of the Criers and Whiners format, you will be able to replay these shots. And as we stated earlier the higher your handicap the higher number of re-dos you will get in the round.
This concept of “free shots” takes away a large portion of the frustrations that high handicap golfers face when they play a standard round of golf. These free shots are also commonly referred to as mulligans.
Strategy For Whiners And Criers
Like most formats and games of golf, there are some strategies you can use if this is your first time playing whiners and criers.
Know Which Hole You Will Need Strokes
One strategy that is going to help you succeed at this golf side game is knowing the upcoming holes. By looking ahead on the scorecard you should be keeping an eye on what holes are remaining.
Holes with large water hazards or tight fairways are the sorts of things you should keep an eye out for. These holes are much more likely to result in lost balls and penalty strokes for high handicappers.
If you know these holes are coming up then it can be smart to have a few “free strokes” left over so you can avoid any errors.
One way to know a tough hole is coming is to check out the handicap on the scorecard. The holes with the lower number under the handicap section are the harder holes. The hole ranked 1 is the hardest and the hole ranked 18 is the easiest.
Tune Your Game Based On Your Remaining Free Shots
Another helpful strategy to the whiners and criers golf game is basing your game off the number of free shots you have left. This strategy encourages you to play aggressive or conservative depending on the situation.
If you have a few holes remaining yet several free shots, then you want to play aggressive. Going for greens on par fours or trying to clear a water hazard are things you can risk when you know you have a free shot in the bag.
The opposite is true when you are low on free shots. At this point you are going to want to play a safe and conservative round. This may mean you will use your three wood from the tee blocks or hit a layup shot instead of going straight for the green.
Concluding Thoughts – Criers And Whiners Golf Format
We hope you enjoyed our guide to the Criers And Whiners golf format learn more with our guides to umbriago, chicago golf, or the snake golf format.