Club match-play event

Chris_NH · July 9, 2019

We have a match-play event at our club that lasts several months. The event is full handicap using each player’s low handicap for 2019. For me, that translates to a course handicap of 12.

My first match was against a guy who won the event a couple of years ago and currently sports a course handicap of 3 - therefore giving me 9 strokes. He played really well (3 under through first 5) and it took me having one of my best rounds ever (even with all those strokes) to close him out 3&2.

Second match was against a buddy I play with mostly every week with exactly the same cap - no strokes. I didn’t play as well but beat him 2 up.

I just found out about my next match. I’m playing the reigning club champion, who is a +3.3 index, which translates to a +4 course cap. As a result I’ll get an insane 16 strokes. Part of me thinks I should be able to take him down as long as I have at least a decent round, and part of me looks at the 64s, 67s on his card and thinks I’m up a creek ;-). Regardless, I know two things: I freaking love match play and will enjoy this match and 2) I love the opportunity to play with a guy that good and watch him work his way around the course.

We haven’t scheduled a date yet, but I’m glad he won and that I get to face him. Somewhat intimidating, but should be VERY fun.

One question I have, though: why would a +3.3 GHIN translate to a +4 course index (128 slope). That makes no sense to me. Shouldn’t he be a +3 course cap?

tanker44 · July 9, 2019

You shoot an 80 thats a net 64. He has his hands full if you make lots of pars and avoid doubles. His course handicap looks correct at +4

https://www.usga.org/handicap-calculator.html

jpking17 · July 9, 2019

Don't chase the handicap...just play your round...sounds like you've done that well so far.

SecondandGoal · July 9, 2019

With a guy that good, it's probably going to be hard to get into his head, but if you play steady, hit fairways, and like tanker said, make pars and bogeys, you might be able to throw him off his game. He may eventually get frustrated by all the strokes he's giving up and start pressing, trying to force birdies, which can lead to mistakes.

I've seen that in recent matches in a similar tournament we run at my club. Ours is flighted, so I don't have to go against anyone as good as the guy you're facing, but I've won my first two matches by just playing steady and minimizing mistakes. Even though I haven't been scoring much better than usual, as a mid-cap, the effect of keeping my drives in the fairway and approaches at least near the green has been tremendous. When you're a mid-cap and not spraying shots everywhere, it can easily get into an opponents head.

Good luck with the final.

North Butte · July 9, 2019

> @Chris_NH said:

> We have a match-play event at our club that lasts several months. The event is full handicap using each player’s low handicap for 2019. For me, that translates to a course handicap of 12.

>

> My first match was against a guy who won the event a couple of years ago and currently sports a course handicap of 3 - therefore giving me 9 strokes. He played really well (3 under through first 5) and it took me having one of my best rounds ever (even with all those strokes) to close him out 3&2.

>

> Second match was against a buddy I play with mostly every week with exactly the same cap - no strokes. I didn’t play as well but beat him 2 up.

>

> I just found out about my next match. I’m playing the reigning club champion, who is a +3.3 index, which translates to a +4 course cap. As a result I’ll get an insane 16 strokes. Part of me thinks I should be able to take him down as long as I have at least a decent round, and part of me looks at the 64s, 67s on his card and thinks I’m up a creek ;-). Regardless, I know two things: I freaking love match play and will enjoy this match and 2) I love the opportunity to play with a guy that good and watch him work his way around the course.

>

> We haven’t scheduled a date yet, but I’m glad he won and that I get to face him. Somewhat intimidating, but should be VERY fun.

>

> One question I have, though: why would a +3.3 GHIN translate to a +4 course index (128 slope). That makes no sense to me. Shouldn’t he be a +3 course cap?

In your favor, there's the fact you can be pretty sure he's really not a +8 sandbagging his way to a +4!

Imp · July 9, 2019

I'm with you. According to the USGA Course Handicap calculator, as the slope increases I would think they should be moving closer to 0, and not away from it. Yet, the CH says the higher the slope, the more strokes they have to give away? Doesn't seem right to me either.

--kC

North Butte · July 9, 2019

So imagine the +3.3 index plays a Scratch on a course with slope of 113. The difference will be three strokes and the +3.3 has a course handicap of 3.

Now the same two guys play on a course rated 136. The difference needs to be greater because it's a higher slope. Sure enough, the +3.3 now has a course handicap of 4 and gets four strokes versus Scratch.

The slope/113 factor is applied to both positive and negative indices. Which has the effect of high slope ratings driving both plus and minus handicaps farther from Scratch as well as farther from each other. As it should be.

Chris_NH · July 9, 2019

> @"North Butte" said:

> So imagine the +3.3 index plays a Scratch on a course with slope of 113. The difference will be three strokes and the +3.3 has a course handicap of 3.

>

> Now the same two guys play on a course rated 136. The difference needs to be greater because it's a higher slope. Sure enough, the +3.3 now has a course handicap of 4 and gets four strokes versus Scratch.

>

> The slope/113 factor is applied to both positive and negative indices. Which has the effect of high slope ratings driving both plus and minus handicaps farther from Scratch as well as farther from each other. As it should be.

Gives, not gets - but yeah, this is finally what made it sink in for me.

Appreciate the comments guys. It’s been a fun process so far, and this isn’t close to the final. I’d have to win a total of 6 matches to win it all. One at a time ;-)

larrybud · July 11, 2019

The problem is that + handicap calculations just aren't right the way the USGA calculates it. I think they know this, but I think they also realize such a small % of + players play net events that they're not going to redo anything. Example, let's say two players shoot 68 on two different courses

One course the rating is

72/113

The other is

72/136

* On the 72/113, the player's score differential is -4

* On the 72/136, the player's score differential is -3.3

That makes no sense, and the "slope" line in the equation should never cross zero. The bogey rating (which the slope is calculated from) doesn't suddenly become "easier" because you happened to shoot below the course rating.

The proper slope divisor should be inversed once the scores is below the rating, such that the 68 should be

(68-72)*136/113 = -4.8

instead of

(68-72)*113/136 = -3.3

Chris_NH · July 12, 2019

> @larrybud said:

> The problem is that + handicap calculations just aren't right the way the USGA calculates it. I think they know this, but I think they also realize such a small % of + players play net events that they're not going to redo anything. Example, let's say two players shoot 68 on two different courses

> One course the rating is

> 72/113

> The other is

> 72/136

> * On the 72/113, the player's score differential is -4

> * On the 72/136, the player's score differential is -3.3

>

> That makes no sense, and the "slope" line in the equation should never cross zero. The bogey rating (which the slope is calculated from) doesn't suddenly become "easier" because you happened to shoot below the course rating.

> The proper slope divisor should be inversed once the scores is below the rating, such that the 68 should be

> (68-72)*136/113 = -4.8

> instead of

> (68-72)*113/136 = -3.3

>

You’re right. This is explained in detail on the USGA website and I agree, it seems backwards.

dmecca2 · August 22, 2019