My handicap dropped below 6!

[Ditty_72]

Lowest it's ever been, but it doesn't feel like it

I just entered in some scores to calculate my handicap and it came out as 5.9. I'm happy, but it doesn't feel like it, because I haven't been playing that good or anything lately. I also think it's a bit unfair because I play the same course all the time and get so used to it that it isn't even hard for me anymore. I go to other courses and shoot somewhere in the mid, sometimes even high 80s. I've only broken 80 at one course, and that's my home course where I do it consistently. I go to another course and stuggle, and play nowhere NEAR my 6 or 7 handicap. 5.9 is the lowest it's ever been, but what gives, I don't think it's accurate since that same course is played so frequently. It almost feels like cheating. I don't feel like I earned it.

[Johnny]

Join the club.. I have 4 scores in the 70's (high 70's) all at the course I play the most.. Handicap is 6.0. I dont think I play like it either.

[justinq721]

thats kind of funny due to the fact im also a "bad" 6 and only have 6 or 7 rounds in the 70's of the 25 or 30 rounds in the handicap service this year.

[dannypharvey]

i really don't get the USGA handicap system. i only understand the way we do it in the U.K! can someone VERY BRIEFLY explain it because i have heard that your handicap is lower under this system for some reason!

[Ditty_72]

Sure, I'll explain it briefly. Basically, take your last 20 scores, take the best 10, and average them out. Basically, if your handicap is 6, you should around 6 over 25% of the time. It's kinda screwed up and with this system, I don't know why so many players have such high handicaps. I almost feel guilty, it feels like you're cheating yourself with this system a bit. What's the system in the UK? I imagine it's more difficult to acheive a low handicap.

[dannypharvey]

UK method: for example sake i'm going to use a fictional golfer called 'jim'.

 

jim joins a golf club with a par of 72 and a sss (standard scratch score) of 72. say jim doesn't have a handicap but he regularly shoots about 15 over 87, the committee will alocate him a 15 handicap OR he will have to play 3 rounds of golf and get his card marked by someone else i.e, just a playing partner. the handicap committee will work out the average score over par.

 

also, golfers are put into categories over here based on their handicap. the categories are as follows

 

0-5 = ctg 1

6-12= ctg 2

13-20=ctg 3

21-28=ctg 4

 

so anyway, jim gets given an official 15 handicap. then, in his next competition he shoots 10 over par 82. now, because he is a category 3 golfer, his handicap will be reduced by 0.3 for every stroke he shot under his handicap, in this case 5 strokes so jim's handicap will be reduced by 1.5, making jim's handicap 13.5.

 

now if he was a category 2 golfer his handicap will come down by 0.2 for every stroke under his handicap and if he was category 1 it would come down by 0.1...

 

as far as handicap increasing is concerned, every time you shoot level with or over your handicap it goes up by 0.1 no matter what category you are.

 

and finally, your handicap is only ever changed by your results in competiton play and off the medal tee's.

 

hope i have covered everything and i apologise if there is an error in there somewhere.

 

Dan.

[Ditty_72]

hmm. That's an interesting way; I've never heard of anything like that system.

[cjdrcc]

You are in the presence of the worst + .3 handi in the world! I seem to manage to fire 75 2x a week and then I'll fire a 68 2x a week. I don't know why either. I'll shoot the most impressive 75 ever then the next day I'll shoot a 68 and think to myself, how the heck did I do that? I suck sometimes.

[BridgestoneKevin]

yeah, the handicap system is wack... one of my friends who i play with very often is a 0.4 handicap and im a 1.7 but my scoring average is a good stroke lower. well taht has nothign to do wtih it, but anyways he has some 72's and such but also some 80s here and there but they are all on our home course, when he goes and plays a tournament somewhere else he shoots high 70 or even in the 80s sometimes....While my tournaments are around 75s....handicap system is very bad.

[JSmith083092]

Yea, I shoot an average of 78-84 everyday at my home course which is guess what, 5900 yards. Thats pretty patehtic. I feel like I'm playing the womens tees. Then I go to a 6900 course and shoot mid to high 80's.

[j_wil_06]

Yeah, I never really understood the handicap system. I am a 6.9 but really have no idea how the system actually works. I guess if it is just an average, it is correct, because I average anywhere from mid 70's to mid 80's. But during times when I am not playing much, and my scores that I post are worse, my handicap never goes up. IWhen I play badly, my handicap should get worse shouldn't it??

[Ditty_72]

j_wil: It should but it doesn't. I explained the system briefly a couple posts ago; it doesn't get worse because it averages out your best 10 of your last 20 scores. (weird system). Your bad score was probably outside of your best 10 rounds, which is why it didn't count (probably)

 

JSmith: I know how you feel; my course last year was only 5971. It's now 6354, which still isn't that long, I wish I had the option of going back to 7000 yards or so to really see where I'm at. In a couple hours, I'm going to be in a tournament; it's 4 am here (can't sleep for some reason, so I'm on here; oh well, I have to get up for my tourney soon anyway), and anyhoo, that course is just a hair under 6500, so hopefully playing at 6354 will give me more of an edge than I would have had last year at only 5971, but I think I would have even more of an edge if I had the option to go back to 7000 yards; then if I played a course at 6500, it would seem much easier.

[mr.titleist]

Ive done some crazy stuff too. One time this summer. I played the front nine at like 1pm and played even. I went back later that night and was 10 over on the back which is much easier at my home course. Then a couple weeks later I played at the CC i work at and shot a 87. I played horrible with a horrible swing. The week after that I played again and shot a 79 with the same swing, a 37 on the front and a horrilbe 42 on the back. I let my putter get away from me. I think its just my head especially when i let my putter and driver go hay wire.

[emc]

I was working out from the USGA system that I would be of 4.4 under that system, but in Ireland I'm only off of 7.5, with the R&A system

[Triple-Double]

The big thing about the USGA handicap system is the course ratings. I know players that shoot OK numbers, but still are around a +2 because the rating is like 75. The USGA system would be better if all 20 latest scores counted IMO, not just 10 best.

[Ditty_72]

I shot 71 the other day- it's now down to 5.7, despite that being my only good round in the last week or 2. My next best is an 81.

[nuffy12]

But we also have the course standard scratch which is how hard the course played on the day.

 

This is when you take off the best two scores and worst two and then average the rest. This is what the handicap is done on.

 

But thats why its real hard to get down low in the UK and especcially my course, right the par is 72 the standard scratch is 71 and the css almost always goes to 70 or 69 so if youre off a lower handicap say 5 you have to shoot 3 over or less or youre getting youre .1 back.

 

Thanks Nathan

[Neurotica]

I had the same problem, only played one course all the time, not that hard either, posted a lot of good scores and "reverse" sandbagged myself. Now I play all over at different courses and my cap is now 3 strokes higher as a rule. This hurt me in tournaments at another course for a year until I adjusted to where I should have been (now a 10).

 

Regarding the calculations and handicap - it really is supposed to show a potential of your best golf, which in my estimations on this system is about 13~25% of the time. If you look at your cap and you are shooting a Net of 67 or less on your best day, your cap is too high and needs to/will come down.

 

EG you are a 6, so shooting a 74 at any course would be a good day, probably your best round out of 20. I would bet this would be the case on your GHIN card. Difference is you have to be able to do this at any course, so if that is not the case play more of a variety of courses if you can, and the cap will adjust where it needs to be. JMHO

[CUTiger]

a handicap is NOT your average...it's what you're realistically capable of

[markus1*]

Hi all,

I just still don't understand the American handicap system. Do normal fun rounds with your friends count to your handicap or do you have to play the rounds for the handicap in tournaments? I'm from Germany and here only tournament rounds count for the handicap... Hope it's not a dumb question and the answer is just clear but for me in the moment it's not clear.

[tanj]

I don't quite get the American handicap system either. According to my friend, Alison Whitaker who played in the US Women's Amateur (I'm in Australia), the handicaps there are around 3 strokes lower than everywhere else. For example, here she plays of scratch but when Dukes arranged to have her handicap transferred or recalculated in the US system, she came out as a +3!!!

 

As for playing of 6 and feeling like it, join the club. I feel as though there are two types of players. Those who consistently play decent and get their handicaps down slowly or those, like me, who struggle for a little, shoot a couple of 10 to 20 overs playing off 5 and suddenly fix the swing and shoot even par, then 2 over, then even par and bring the handicap down to a level I struggle to play to.

 

Whatever it is, just enjoy it!

 

Josh

[Ditty_72]

Every round you play goes towards calculating your handicap (assuming you play a full round).

[statechamps08]

you guys are idiots........the U.s handicapt systems depends on corse rating and slope not just par.........im a 6.9 i think.....but that doesnt mean im always 7 over par........like i saw someone else say is a score you willshoot on a good day.....not your average day

 

"A player's handicap is intended to show a player's potential, not their average score, as is the common belief. A player will play to their handicap less than 25% of the time. The USGA refers to this as the "average best" method. So in a large, handicapped competition, the golfer who shoots the best with respect to his or her abilities and the normal variations of the score should win."

[Neurotica]

you guys are idiots...

 

Keep your insults to yourself, sharing an opinion is fine, but insulting folks is not.

 

Try something like - I don't agree with you guys - you will find it works much better in conveying your opinion, 'cause most folks will read the first part and won't care about what else you have to say, IMO.

[animalistic]

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