HOW I WON THE TOP DOG TROPHY AT THAMES GOLF CLUB IN 2008 & 2010. AND HOW THE TOP DOG TROPHY WORKS.

The Thames Golf Club "Top Dog" trophy

The Top Dog Trophy started when RB (Local Architect) joined the Thames Golf Club in early 2005. He started the Saturday Top Dog Competition which is for all players that play in the weekly Saturday Scramble at Thames Golf Club. In Mid February every year he warns everyone that the following Saturday, they will be having the draw for the start of the Top Dog Trophy.

So you have to give your name into the Golf Shop that week and pay your $2 entry fee, or on the Saturday that they do the draw. And from when the 1^st week of challenges start, you pay $1 to put a challenge in on someone during the year every time you put a challenge in. And all that money goes into the prize pool to be split into 4 percentage based prizes of your choice if you are lucky enough to finish in the Top 4 on the Final day of Top Dog Challenges.

Another rule to prevent someone from getting to the Top of the Ladder and not turning up because they want to stay at the top, is if the person you challenge is not there, you just have to beat the Average Stableford score of the day in the Saturday Scramble, and then you move up to the place you challenged on the ladder that day. On the Saturday that RJ (Local Architect) draws the order for the following week,s 1^st round of Top Dog Challenges, he puts everybody’s name into to a hat. And the 1^st name he pulls out is Number one on the ladder, and the 2^nd Name Number two and so on till he gets to the end.

How the Top Dog works is that you can challenge 5 places above the position you are in on the Ladder . So for example, if I am in number 6 position on the ladder, I can challenge Number 1. If we both get say 39 Stableford points, I stay in 6^th Position as long as no one Challenges me for my position. If they do and beat me, I drop a further position down on the ladder to 7^th Position. But if they don’t, I stay where I am. But if I had got 40 Stableford points to Number 1’s 39 Stableford points, I would be the Top Dog on the Ladder the following week, providing that the players from 2-5 positions don’t get 40 points as well. In other words, if the player in Number 2 position Challenges the Player in Number 1 position and beats him, he moves to number 1, no matter if the players in Number 3, 4, 5, 6, are also challenging Number 1 and beat him too. So it pays to be as high on the Ladder as you can. When you are Top Dog on the Ladder you don’t have to put a challenge in and pay your $1.

Being Top Dog on the Ladder, it is very hard to stay up there for a long time, because you normally have 4-5 players challenging you. And you will need at least 40 Stableford points to hold your position usually. Well RJ (Local Architect) announces usually the 3^rd Saturday in October is the last day for Top Dog Challenges. The person that is on top of the Top Dog Ladder on the last day of challenges is the Top Dog Trophy Champion for that year.

I feel myself the Top Dog Trophy is one of the fairest competitions held at the Thames Golf Club. Because it runs the whole year virtually, and anyone on any handicap can win it. But to have any chance of winning the Top Dog Trophy you must be 6^th Position or higher heading into the Final Week.


Top Dog 2008 

I was drawn out in 25^th place to start with in 2008. But managed to work my way up the Ladder during the year.  Well on Saturday 8^th November 2008, RJ (Local Architect) announced that that was the day of the final challenges would happen. I found myself in 2^nd Position on the Ladder. And that is probably the best position to win the Top Dog Trophy in my Opinion. IK (Course Manager) found himself the Top Dog that week of the last Challenges. So I knew all I had to do was beat him and I would win my 1^st TOP DOG TROPHY!!! I felt great about having a chance to win it!!!

I was on a 6 handicap and went out and shot a 74+4 in difficult conditions and had 38 Stableford Points. But I wasn’t sure that was going to be enough. But when I came into the Club House I saw IK (Course Manager) only got 37 Stableford Points. He immediately shook my hand, and said well done for winning. I collected my TOP DOG Trophy and $200 credit in the Golf Shop two weeks later at Prize – Giving. And with the $200 credit in the Golf Shop I purchased new Golf Shoes, and a couple of Golf Gloves.


Top Dog 2010 
In 2010 I was drawn out 7^th as my 1^st Position on the Top Dog Ladder. But 4 weeks out from the final Top Dog Challenge day I had slipped to 13^th Position on the Ladder. But I played some good golf leading in the final round of Top Dog Challenges on Saturday 16^th October. I was in 3^rd Position on the Ladder and SR (Junior Champion) who was in 2^nd Position, but he was unable to be there for the Final Day. So I knew if I beat HT (2010 THS DUX) who was the Top Dog for the final week. I would be the TOP DOG Trophy Champion for 2010, and the 1^st player to win the TOP DOG Trophy twice!!

I was on an 8 handicap and scored a good round of 74+4 for 40 Stableford Points!! HT (2010 THS DUX) had a 79+9 off his 5 handicap and only got 32 Stableford points. That meant that I had won the 2010 TOP DOG TROPHY!!! And became the 1^st player ever to win the Trophy Twice!!! I received the TOP DOG Trophy at the 2010 Prize – Giving at Thames Golf Club on Saturday 13^th November. I FELT VERY PROUD OF MYSELF!!! I also received the $220 voucher to purchase goods in the Thames Golf Shop. I got my Clubs re-gripped with the Credit because I badly needed them done.