What's it like for a 10 handicap to play tournament golf?

What's it like for a mid-handicapper to play tournament golf? What's it cost?

Are you good enough to participate? How to participate in the next one?

June 14th, I played in The Chestatee Open, an amateur golf tournament at Chestatee Golf Club, organized by TheGrint Tour - Atlanta. (Web, IG)

The goal of this review is to give you a glimpse into what my experience was like so you can decide if you'd like to try it out.

Pre-round

Registration was pretty simple over at www.thegrinttour.com. Prices vary depending on the tournament, but this one was $199 for non-tour members and $159 for members. Considering a Saturday round at Chestatee is normally $120, it was a decent value.

I arrived about an hour early to check-in. I was given a bunch of tees, snack pack (hydration powder, trail mix, and peanut butter crackers), ~30 range balls, and was offered the chance to enter into the skins game, closest to the pin, and a few others. I opted for skins, closest to the pin, and a par 3 game for $30.

Some people showed up early like me, others showed up 15 minutes before tee-time. To each their own!

I warmed up on the range and hit some putts, until my tee time. Before first tee I took a moment to meet the 3 other guys I'd be playing with that day. All 3 super nice, laid back guys.

The round

First tee jitters are a real thing and it makes it that much more satisfying when you hit a good one. Luckily, I did!

I think from the outside amateurs think that tournament golf is a solemn, stuffy experience. But in my 2 events with TheGrint Tour I can say that is not the case. For example, my crew had a couple drinks and smoked a cigar. In between shots we chatted and congratulated each other on great shots. It almost felt like a casual round except... no gimmes, no foot-wedges from behind a tree, and no mulligans. Those strokes add up!

The course was beautiful. Chestatee closed up for 6 months last year to re-do their greens and they were pristine! I actually had the best putting round of my life - 28 putts!

I got off to a flying start and was 2 over going into Hole 8. Unfortunately, I tripled that hole and couldn't quite bounce back. Lessons learned! I was still happy with my 89.

That is well within my scoring dispersion for a 10 handicap. Still... 89 with 28 putts 🙃

Once 3/4 of our crew weren't in the running for the top spot, we all rooted for our guy David Lutz to finish strong. He capped his winning performance with a sandy par. Really impressive stuff. Would have been fun to feel the tension and nerves down the stretch if I had been competing for that top spot, but maybe next time.

Post-round

I actually really enjoyed the post-round process... Everyone tallies up their scores and compares it with what your scoring partner wrote down. Then you sign your card and their card. Makes your score feel legit. Much more than the usual writing it down on the scorecard and then losing it in your golf bag for 6 months. 😅

Winners get interviewed and pictures with their trophy. Some people headed home, some headed to the bar. I headed to the bar to hopefully get some newsletter subscribers! 😬 (SUBSCRIBE!)

You could tell that many of these guys had played together before. They chatted as if they were old friends, telling stories from other tournaments. They were also very welcoming to all of the newcomers. In fact, Mr. Eagle Flight Champion David Lutz 😉 bought a round for those of us hanging at the bar post-round.

Now let's specifically answer those questions posed at the beginning...

What's it like for a mid-handicapper to play tournament golf?

For those of us that care about getting better, there is nothing more illuminating about your golf game than tournament golf. It will identify exactly what you need to be working on.

For me it's pretty simple... I need to be more comfortable with my long-irons (6i and 5i). Twice I was ~190 out after my drive and I played those 2 holes +5.

Additionally, it will make your casual rounds feel even more relaxed. You've pushed yourself beyond your comfort zone. First tee jitters for a round at the local muni? Psh. That's nothing now. As a result you will average better scores in your casual rounds.

You'll also want to stop taking those gimmes, mulligans, foot wedges, etc to be better prepared for the next tournament. Your overall game with thank you.

Are you good enough to participate?

The great thing about amateur golf tournaments are the flights based on your handicap:

<0-3.9 Champ Flight

4-7.9 Albatross Flight

8-11.9 Eagle Flight

12-15.9 Birdie Flight

16+ Par Flight

That ensures that you are playing with others at a similar skill level and it remains competitive. There is not a minimum handicap required. If you want to test yourself in a tournament, you're welcome to.

Should you try competitive golf?

Frankly, I don't think a brand new player should be paying to play tournament golf (put that money into some lessons), but if you're shooting under 110 consistently I think you'd have a fun time.

I can't speak about the other amateur tours (yet), but I can say that TheGrint Tour is very laid back and welcoming to all players. Personally, I invited someone that shot in the 90s and someone that shot in the 100s. Both had a great time. I think it's a great starting point to competitive golf.

Like I said earlier, I think there's a fear of competitive golf from amateurs because we think we're not good enough or will be judged. No one's judging. Everyone is worried about their next shot, not yours. Don't know every rule? Your playing partners are happy to help.

How to participate in TheGrint Tour?

Step 1: Download TheGrint - It's a free app that provides GPS view of courses and an easy way to track stats such as Greens in Regulation, Fairways in Regulation, and number of putts per round. If you're not tracking those, you should be!

Step 2: Head over to TheGrint Tour - Atlanta and look at the upcoming schedule.

Step 3: Choose an event and register.

Pro-tip

If you think you'll play in more than 1 event, I'd HIGHLY recommend their Tour Membership. It's only $150 and you'll save ~$45/ event on average. It also comes with a ton of other benefits. It's truly a no-brainer and will save you money every year. Even though there are only a few events left for 2025, it'll last for the next 12 months, so it'll count for the events in spring/early summer 2026.

There are also national events at the likes of TPC Sawgrass, Streamsong and others. It's an incredible value. For example, at TPC Sawgrass they play Dyes Valley AND Stadium Course for $895 TOTAL. A Saturday round at the Stadium course alone will run you $750 and that's BEFORE the taxes, tips, and fees kick in.

Become a tour member here

(make sure you let them know joe@atlgolfs.com referred you because yes, I get some extra benefits if you count as my referral).

Email/DM me with any questions.

Thank you to TheGrint Tour - Atlanta for a great day! I look forward to the next tournament.