The clashes are great for leveling up faster. If you play a CC Pass on an 18 hole tourney every 4 hrs you'll get over 500 XPs. In a 24hr period one of those CC Passes will earn you and your CC over 1400 XPs. So both you and your CC benefit from those extra XPs.
Now, if you use those CC Passes to play in the clash you'll receive hardly any XPs. SO DO NOT PLAY IN A CLASH BUT "USE THE CLASH" TO LEVEL UP QUICKER.
Oh yeah, and everyone should just quit ***'in about it. This is an every two week gripe anymore. Until it changes take advantage the best you can.