The Wednesday Night Mercy Rule

At our Men’s Night, we’ve adopted a triple bogey max rule. It's designed to keep the pace of play moving, protect fragile egos, and most importantly, make sure no one walks off the course with a score that looks like a phone number. No one wants to record a 10 on a par 4 and have to emotionally unpack that later in the clubhouse.

But even with the max rule in place, some golfers rise to the challenge. I’ll never forget the time a guy from out of town, working in Shoal Lake, showed up for two consecutive Men’s Nights and carded back-to-back 63s. I know, because I had the privilege of playing with him both times. This guy hit the max on every single hole. Every single one.

To make it worse, despite our repeated friendly nudges, he refused to pick up once he reached triple bogey. He kept hitting or mishitting, grinding out double-digit hole scores like he was chasing some secret achievement badge.

Last night, someone nearly joined the club with a 59. That’s at least five maxes. Someone said that the player might’ve been a lefty using right-handed clubs. If that’s true, it’s impressive. I can’t even write my name legibly with my left hand, let alone hit a golf ball the opposite way.

We are good with the max score rule because no one has ever won a skin with a partner having a triple. In fact, it would be an almost impossibility. In order to win a hole, the combined score of the high-low partners has to be even par. So, if someone had a max, the partner would need to have a -3 on a hole to even qualify. For example, if one person had a triple on the par 4 first hole, the other person would need to get a hole-in-one to make them eligible for the win.

Last night, five skins were won. Not surprisingly, no one had a max on their winning hole. Winners included Robin Kimpinski/Dave Gill ($137.51 on #1), Ryden Lanouette/Joe Shwaluk ($67.50 on #2), Matthew Ostash/Orin McKay ($26.25 on #5), Barry Nychuk/Nathan Nowasad ($126.26 on #6), and Scott Maynes/Chris Hogg ($42.50 on #9). 

The prizes on the first and last hole are among the highest single hole payouts we have had. It’s not often a single skin pays out more than $100, and it happened twice last night.

Having mentioned Robin, I should also note that he was closest to the pin on #9. Austin Hunter was closest on #5.

The max has become such a staple of Men’s Night lingo that even when a player earns their triple the old-fashioned way, by just batting their original ball around three too many times, they proudly declare, “That’s a real seven.”

Often when we play somewhere else, the rule usually comes into play. The two things that are often said at other courses prior to teeing off are “Let’s play from the white” and “Men’s Night maxes”. 

It appears the max in golf is somewhat universal. Jason and Neufeld and I played Minnedosa on Monday and got paired up with two guys from Shilo. They were good golfers. However, when one of them mentioned their score to their partner, they said "I'll take the triple max".

Of the 42 players out last night, around 30 recorded at least one max. For the 10 brave souls who shot over 50, the maxes were plentiful.

There were three scores under 40 last night. Congrats to Reegan Kominko and Matthew Ostash who had 36’s and Ryden Lanouette who had a 39. Usually, it isn't easy to go under 40 with a max. But when you do, it makes it even better. You get to say things like, “I had a 37 and that included a max on seven”.

And while triple bogeys may not win you prizes, they may provide you with a moment of quiet reflection as you pick up the ball and ride out the remainder of the hole. Think of the par-5 fourth. That hole has caused more emotional trauma than dial-up internet. Hitting max early on there means you get to cruise down the fairway, guilt-free, while watching your buddies finish the hole. You’re the group’s designated cheerleader at that point, and hey, that’s important too.

And when you think about it, a triple bogey max doesn’t even sound so bad when compared to the Horse Race qualifier, where you can rack up four over par on a single hole. Now that’s golf's version of cruel and unusual punishment.

Of course, our friendly max system even mirrors real golf rules to a certain extent. Under the World Handicap System, the maximum score you can post for handicap purposes is Net Double Bogey. That is par + 2 + any strokes you’re entitled to. So, if you're playing a par 4 and get a stroke, your max is 7. It keeps handicaps realistic and prevents blow-up holes from artificially inflating your index.

So next time you hit a max, take comfort…you are part of a proud Men’s Night tradition. A tradition that says, “Hey, we’re here to play golf, but not for that long.”