Handicap Calculation...Why?

[lagordon70]

Why only include slope and not course rating...

This is a philosophical question for all the handicap gurus.

According to the USGA, a player plays to his handicap if you subtract their course handicap (handicap index * slope / 113) from the number of strokes, and it is equal to the course rating.

For example, pick a theoretical golf course from the white tees.
Par: 72
Course Rating: 70.4
Slope: 116
My handicap index 19.6

So my course handicap for this course is 19.6 * 116 / 113 = 20.1, rounded to 20.

According to the USGA, I shoot my handicap/my theoretical handicap score is 20.1 + the course rating (70.4) for a total of 90.5, rounded down to 90.

But...In all leagues I've played in, if I am playing someone else in a handicap competition, we would take the difference of our two course handicaps and the one with positive strokes would get a stroke on the X lowest handicap holes, etc. which I admit doesn't matter since it's relative.

However, in handicap stoke play competitions, when the leaderboard comes out at the end of the day, the course rating is not taken into consideration...Accordingly, I f I shot a 92, I'd be shooting 92 - 20 for a net 72 or "level par for my handicap" which is really 2 strokes higher...

So according to the USGA handicap system, I really should shoot a 90 not a 92, and I'm really only getting 18 strokes instead of 20.

I think it all averages out because everyone is playing the same offset from the course rating, but in the context of equitable stroke control, shouldn't it take into account a low course rating and a high slope, because as this situation shows, where my course handicap is over 20 (and I'd be allowed to post an 8) but when taking into account the slope, my total strokes above par is only 18, and I'd only be allowed to post 7's?

[leekgolf]

From the USGA:

 

The USGA Course Rating System™ is the standard upon which the USGA Handicap System™ is built. It affects all golfers in the calculation of a Handicap Index®. Players “play to their handicaps,” when their net scores (gross score—handicap strokes) equal the USGA Course Rating™.

 

The USGA Course Rating System takes into account the factors that affect the playing difficulty of a golf course.

 

Course rating teams from authorized golf associations carry out the on-course portion of the rating process. Authorized golf associations review the work of the teams and then issue ratings.

 

Accuracy and consistency are the keys to effective course rating. A course must first be accurately measured. The measured yardage must then be corrected for the effective playing length. These effective playing length corrections are roll, elevation, dogleg/forced lay-up, prevailing wind, and altitude. Obstacles that affect playing difficulty must then be evaluated in accordance with established standards. These standards increase objectivity in course rating."

 

My understanding is handicap is computed:

 

10 best of your last 20 scores

 

Score minus course rating

 

average of the differential

 

Modification for slope = index

 

Using your example

 

shoot a 90 on a course rated 70.4 = 19.6 differential.

 

For the purpose of this example, all of your scores are a 90. Then it would be the sum of the ten best scores (all 19.6 differential) = 196. Then multiplied by .96 = 188.16. Then divide by 10 = 18.8. (Course hdcp = 19)

 

 

Slope of course = 116, so 18.8 * 113/116 = 18.3 handicap index.

 

Understand handicap is NOT your average score, but a prediction of your current potential best score.

[brettcra]

You have to take into consideration that par is really kind of irrelevant, as 2 courses may both be par 72, but one may be much more difficult than the other. The rating takes this into account so that scores on different courses are accounted for when posting for your handicap. For instance, if you shot 90 on a course with a rating of 70.4, this is not as good as shooting 90 on a course with a rating of 73.4. Also, the rating is what a scratch golfer would be expected to shoot, the slope is more of a general difficulty of the course regardless of handicap. That is why only the slope is used to generate a course handicap.

 

Also, I disagree with the previous poster that said your handicap is a potential predictor of your best score. If that were the case, then your handicap would simply be your best score out of the last 20. You should be able to shoot or beat your handicap approximately 20-25% of the time, assuming that you aren't improving.

[cdesana]

The better question may be why not do the following. Toss out the 5 best and 5 worst scores and use the middle 10 for handicap calculation?

 

Using the 10 best of your last 20 is not a realistic handicap in my opinion.

[brettcra]

No, your handicap is not supposed to be your average score as many people think. It is supposed to be what you have the potential to shoot on a good day.

[cdesana]

I know what it is supposed to be, but I would prefer a more realistic handicap based on what the norm is. I also realize this system is in place to stop sanbaggers, and also in my opinion there is no way to stop someone from cheating if they are determined to do so.

[Joe Schmoe]

The better question may be why not do the following. Toss out the 5 best and 5 worst scores and use the middle 10 for handicap calculation?

 

Using the 10 best of your last 20 is not a realistic handicap in my opinion.

That would open the door even wider for sandbaggers. Now they would be allowed to shoot 5 great scores so long as they still shot 15 not so great scores.

[larrybud]

However, in handicap stoke play competitions, when the leaderboard comes out at the end of the day, the course rating is not taken into consideration...Accordingly, I f I shot a 92, I'd be shooting 92 - 20 for a net 72 or "level par for my handicap" which is really 2 strokes higher...

 

So according to the USGA handicap system, I really should shoot a 90 not a 92, and I'm really only getting 18 strokes instead of 20.

 

I think it all averages out because everyone is playing the same offset from the course rating, but in the context of equitable stroke control, shouldn't it take into account a low course rating and a high slope, because as this situation shows, where my course handicap is over 20 (and I'd be allowed to post an 8) but when taking into account the slope, my total strokes above par is only 18, and I'd only be allowed to post 7's?

 

I know what you're saying, but how difficult do you want to make it?

 

Anyway, your course handicap has already taken slope into account in determining the relative difficulty of a course as compared between a scratch golfer and a bogey golfer.

 

IN addition, ESC has nothing to do with TOTAL strokes over par, it only has to do with score on a hole to hole basis. You could be a 5 and make double on every hole.

 

Finally, the USGA handicap is used for nothing but equalizing the field of different level players. Unless you're playing different tee boxes, the rating has nothing to do with that.

[larrybud]

I know what it is supposed to be, but I would prefer a more realistic handicap based on what the norm is. I also realize this system is in place to stop sanbaggers, and also in my opinion there is no way to stop someone from cheating if they are determined to do so.

 

The system is used to level the playing field, yet still make it so that the better players usually float to the top of the leaderboard. There needs to be SOME incentive for playing BETTER, and not just AVERAGE.

[Joe Schmoe]

You have to take into consideration that par is really kind of irrelevant, as 2 courses may both be par 72, but one may be much more difficult than the other. The rating takes this into account so that scores on different courses are accounted for when posting for your handicap. For instance, if you shot 90 on a course with a rating of 70.4, this is not as good as shooting 90 on a course with a rating of 73.4. Also, the rating is what a scratch golfer would be expected to shoot, the slope is more of a general difficulty of the course regardless of handicap. That is why only the slope is used to generate a course handicap.

 

Also, I disagree with the previous poster that said your handicap is a potential predictor of your best score. If that were the case, then your handicap would simply be your best score out of the last 20. You should be able to shoot or beat your handicap approximately 20-25% of the time, assuming that you aren't improving.

Close except the rating is the general difficult of the course regardless of handicap, and the slope is how much more difficult the course is for the bogey golfer than the scratch golfer.

Lets say the fairway goes out flat 250 yards and then has a sudden downhill. The scratch golfer will reach the downhill getting extra roll, the bogey golfer wont. That means the slope should go up.

[lagordon70]

I know what you're saying, but how difficult do you want to make it?

 

Anyway, your course handicap has already taken slope into account in determining the relative difficulty of a course as compared between a scratch golfer and a bogey golfer.

 

IN addition, ESC has nothing to do with TOTAL strokes over par, it only has to do with score on a hole to hole basis. You could be a 5 and make double on every hole.

 

Finally, the USGA handicap is used for nothing but equalizing the field of different level players. Unless you're playing different tee boxes, the rating has nothing to do with that.

 

But you're right with the different tee boxes. Even though the slope is different, does it take into account the change in difficulty?

 

Consider the following example par 72 course:

White tees 71.1/130

Black tees 74.3/145

 

My index: 19.6, playing white tees

My opponent: 3.0, playing black tees

 

Using a strict course handicap:

Me: 19.6 * 130 / 113 = 22.54 or 23

Opponent: 3 * 145 / 113 = 3.84 or 4

...for a differential of 19 strokes in my favor

 

With course rating taken into account we get the following:

Me: 71.1 + 22.54 - 72 = 21.64, or 22

Opponent: 3.84 + 74.3 - 72 = 6.14, or 6

...for a differential of only 16 strokes in my favor

 

So from different tees you definitely should take course rating into consideration, especially when you have mixed handicap play with men and women playing from different sets of tees.

[lagordon70]

And I just realized that my league does exactly that when there is a discrepancy between the course rating from the men's and women's tees.

 

For an example tournament...

Men : play white tees slope 131 rating 71.1

Women: play red tees (women) slope 135 rating 75.3

 

Some Guy course HCP 23

Some Lady course HCP 22 + 4 (where the 4 is the difference between the course ratings...)

[leekgolf]

Here is the USGA's explanation:

 

Purpose:

 

A Handicap Index compares a player’s scoring ability to the scoring ability of a scratch golfer on a course of standard difficulty. A player posts scores along with the appropriate USGA Course Rating and Slope Rating to make up the scoring record. A Handicap Index is computed from no more than 20 scores plus any eligible tournament scores. It reflects the player’s potential because it is based upon the best handicap differentials posted for a given number of rounds, ideally the best 10 of the last 20 rounds.

 

10-2. Handicap Index Formula

 

The Handicap Index formula is based on the best Handicap Differential(s) in a player's scoring record. If a player's scoring record contains 20 or more scores, the best 10 Handicap Differentials of the most recent 20 scores are used to calculate the Handicap Index. As the number of scores in the scoring record decreases the percentage of scores used in a scoring record decreases from the maximum of the best 50 percent. If the scoring record contains 9 or 10 scores, only the best three scores (30 to 33 percent) in the scoring record will be used. Thus, the accuracy of a player's Handicap Index is directly proportional to the number of acceptable scores posted. A Handicap Index must not be issued to a player who has returned fewer than five acceptable scores. The following procedures illustrate how authorized golf associations, golf clubs, and computation services calculate a player's Handicap Index.

 

The procedure for calculating a Handicap Index is as follows:

 

Step 1: Use the table below to determine the number of Handicap Differential(s) to use:

 

Click Here for Handicap Differentials Table

 

Step 2: Determine Handicap Differential(s);

 

Step 3: Average the Handicap Differential(s) being used;

 

Step 4: Multiply the average by.96*;

 

Step 5: Delete all numbers after the tenths' digit (truncate). Do not round to the nearest tenth.

 

Example 1: Fewer than 20 scores (11 scores available).

 

Total of lowest 4 Handicap Differentials: 104.1

 

Average (104.1 / 4): 26.025

 

Multiply average by.96: 24.984

 

Delete digits after tenths: 24.9

 

Handicap Index: 24.9

 

* Bonus for Excellence is the incentive for players to improve their golf games that is built into the USGA Handicap System. It is the term used to describe the small percentage below perfect equity that is used to calculate a Handicap Index (96 percent). As a Handicap Index improves (gets lower), the player has a slightly better chance of placing high or winning a handicap event.

 

Example 2: Twenty scores available. The following is an example of a Handicap Index calculation for a player with 20 scores.

 

Total of 10 lowest Handicap Differentials: 154.8

 

Average (154.8 / 10): 15.48

 

Average multiplied by.96: 14.861

 

Delete all digits after tenths: 14.8

 

Handicap Index: 14.8

 

Step 6: Apply Section 10-3 for players with two or more eligible tournament scores.