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Posted: 5/21/03
How the Chelsea System Works
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How the Chelsea System Works
There is a rumor starting to circulate around that there is a "Preferred Player List" in the Chelsea system. This is absolutely untrue! Here are the facts:
1) You may make requests for any State Day this summer at any time. You do not have to wait until two weeks prior to a particular State Day.
2) "When" you make a request has absolutely no bearing on how teams are assigned tee times. Requests made weeks in advance are treated the same as requests made 1 hour prior to placement.
3) The Chelsea system is a lottery system.
4) The Chelsea system does, however, take several factors into consideration when assigning tee times in the lottery:
a. Each course is assigned a number according to "desirability" or "popularity. Courses are rated as "more desirable or popular", "neutral" or "less desirable or popular". This list is not available to anyone – it’s figured into the Chelsea programming.
b. The Chelsea system takes into account the point values of the courses that each person has played. When it comes time to run placement for a particular State Day, Chelsea uses the point history of each player in the group requesting placement, runs a complex mathematical formula and comes up with a "Priority List" for placement for each group.
c. A person who has only played once or twice cannot "hurt" a foursome when it comes to placement.
d. Players who have a history of playing courses that are considered "less desirable or popular" will have a higher standing on the priority list when it comes time to run placement for a "more popular" course.
e. If a player or group did not get into a particular course this year, Chelsea will take that into account when running placement next year.
5) Each State Day course is allowed up to three tee times to block that are not available for booking during the placement process. These are called "Starters Times" and are designated with an "S" or "n/a" on the tee sheet. These tee times are to be used for players who also happen to be volunteering to run the State Day. Typically this will be the first two times of the morning or the first and last time or the first, last and middle time. These are not "preferred" players – these are WORKERS!!!! Any abuse of these "Starters Times" will be dealt with.
6) Once again, the larger a time frame within which you are willing to play, the more of a chance you will have of receiving your first choice of courses. If you say that you want to play between 9:00 and 10:00, you may not get placed in the lottery if several groups request those same times. If 8:50 or 10:10 happen to be available, you will not get placed in that time because you did not request it.
7) Almost everyone requests times between 9:00 and 11:00. There are only 12 tee times available within that two-hour spread. If it can work into your schedule, be more flexible and be willing to play early, early or late, late. It improves your chances of placement!
The whole premise behind the Chelsea system is FAIRNESS!! If you don’t get your first choice or placed at all, it is strictly due to the lottery and the history of play or the time frame within which you are willing to play. There is no other form of preference taking place!!
