What's your ideal handicap?

[MelloYello]

When you first take up golf you dream of being scratch...

 

...but you play golf long enough and you realize getting strokes is how you stay in the money! 🙂 

 

I'm currently about a 4-5 handicap and that's saved me a few times recently. And you know what? It feels really good. Am I frustrated to miss a few make-able putts? Do I feel bad when I occasionally card some stupid double? Absolutely! But the handicap allows for that.

 

While I constantly work to strike the ball better, hit more greens and have focused a lot of putting this past year, I have a feeling that with my level of commitment I'm probably closer to my ceiling than I'd like to admit. What's great about being a 5 is that you can play well for stretches and for long stretches truly are in control of what you're doing. You're good enough such that shot selection and decision-making really matters a lot. I can't tell you how big a thrill it is to win a match because you made a couple smart decisions rather than threw caution to the wind and got lucky. Staying patient all the while knowing you're the tortoise has been my M.O. and it's really made golf a lot more fun. 

 

So as I look towards getting better, I can't help but worry that while there's room to improve, it'll also reduce the nice cushion I've got at the moment. And TBH, I'm not sure how much that's a good thing. I played someone a few weeks ago and had to give them a ton of strokes. It wasn't fun. I kind of knew that unless they absolutely blew up somewhere that I'd essentially have to play perfectly. It really sucked the fun out of it. My opponent played reasonably and I lost never really feeling like I had a great chance. 

 

IDK what the point of this thread was. Maybe just to share my current take?

 

But I guess I'm also kind of wondering how some of your good players transitioned from being good net players to being good gross players. We all play with strokes in friendly matches but there seems to come a point where the pressure really ratchets itself up. How do y'all deal with that in the big picture and have some of you "chosen" to remain at a certain handicap level as opposed to sticking with that beginner's instinct of always trying to improve every little imperfection? 

Edited May 22, 2021 by MelloYello

[teckneeklyperfect]

I always try to play my best and am always striving to improve, but at 61YO and a 9hcp,  its tuff

[wagolfer7]

The current trend in most team tournaments by USGA recommendations - it actually benefits + golfers in net tournaments 🙂 

 

Playing against higher handicaps depends on the format as well.  Net Match Play is very difficult.  But Stroke Play can still be competitive. 

[SNIPERBBB]

Those kind of matches it's more about being consistent vs being high or low cap. The streaky guy just wins when he plays well. The steady Eddy will win more over time with less pressure to perform at a higher level to win.

[dvq9654]

I would love to be a genuine scratch, with a game that travels. I've been down as low as 1.5, but that didn't travel very well cause I generally play on easy courses, so getting to a scratch level while playing better courses would be my ideal. I don't play net, so those implications aren't particularly concerning to me. 

[scooterhd2]

uh. Scratch. definitely scratch. 

[phizzy30]

Been low as a 2 but have always dreamed of being a + cap.  I marvel at the way my two + cap buddies I play with.  I try and absorb what they do out on the course like a sponge.  I've also seen Brooks, DJ and Phil up close throughout the years when they would come down to play at Riviera.  Those guys are on another stratosphere. 

Edited May 22, 2021 by phizzy30

[mgoblue83]

Scratch golfer with a 9 handicap is the only answer.

[tocino]

scratch would be ideal but I'll settle for a single to low teens handicap

[Three_Jack]

As a 7, scratch is the goal. Flirt with par a lot, throw in some under-par rounds once in a while would be a lot of fun.

 

Been trending down from a 16 or so in 2017, so I'd like to see that trend keep going towards scratch. I'm gonna be 34, so I think I still got a lot of time left to achieve it and not ready to say I've plateaued(though over the last few rounds it feels like it hah)

[getitdaily]

My ideal handicap is a 10. I'd love to show up at member/guest tournaments, and other handicapped events and throw down a net 61-64.

[bazinky]

Whatever gets me strokes on the reachable/shorter par 5s. I hate playing those holes when I feel like I need to make birdie just to get a halve.

Edited May 21, 2021 by bazinky

[Ty_Webb]

Given that Tiger Woods in 2001 after having won the Tiger Slam and a couple of them by a country mile went looking for a new swing coach to try to improve tells me that there is no point at which competitive people stop trying to get better. So I'm going to say my answer to this question is "about 2 shots better than I am right now".

[trilerian]

A traveling scratch, that is my dream.  Although I'll probably be content if I ever get into the single digits.  

[getitdaily]

5 minutes ago, trilerian said:

A traveling scratch, that is my dream.  Although I'll probably be content if I ever get into the single digits.  

Traveling scratch huh? So you want a bad night with a cute girl who frequents bars?

[trilerian]

2 minutes ago, getitdaily said:

Traveling scratch huh? So you want a bad night with a cute girl who frequents bars?

You never know, it might be a good night, it's the following nights that will most likely be bad...

[b.mattay]

Travelling +8 so I could make money at this game like the guys on TV 😉

Edited May 21, 2021 by b.mattay

[Pepperturbo]

This thread brings to mind how many people put a value on getting free strokes as opposed to having to step up their game and live up to a lower index.  I've seen it in friends too, it's as if they reach an apex then quit on themselves, it's too hard.  Their index never goes down and if it does, miraculously, it promptly goes back up.  Gives credence to why USGA indexes are no different today than before newfangled technology supposedly made the game easier.

 

I still enjoy challenging myself, even-up, against friends that are better at the game.  Though I have only won a small percentage of the games, I have won some.  When I lose, I learn more about how to play better under pressure.  If I want to win and stomp my opponents, I play people that rely on strokes.  The few strokes I do get means I am not as good as I want to be. 

[TourSpoon]

As someone who has played to a 5 for the longest time, I would love to be closer to scratch. Realistically, a traveling 2 would be just fine with me. Its just a little more consistency and reliability. At a 5 I am constantly straddling 80, so it would be nice to post 18/20 rounds in the 70s. 

[JeffreySpicoli]

My ideal index? +8.

 

Taking strokes is for losers. (We CEOs can agree on that.)

[pinhigh27]

+4 so a good day USGA qualifying is in play 

[phizzy30]

5 hours ago, getitdaily said:

My ideal handicap is a 10. I'd love to show up at member/guest tournaments, and other handicapped events and throw down a net 61-64.

Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not.  I read in other thread which I think you may have started where you posted you were scratch? 

[getitdaily]

Just now, phizzy30 said:

Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not.  I read in other thread which I think you may have started where you posted you were scratch? 

Lol. I'm a plus right now. Not sure exactly how much, probably plus 1. Thus why my ideal handicap is high. So I can post some super low net scores and tick off a lot of people...lol

[phizzy30]

1 minute ago, getitdaily said:

Lol. I'm a plus right now. Not sure exactly how much, probably plus 1. Thus why my ideal handicap is high. So I can post some super low net scores and tick off a lot of people...lol

LOL, so we have a sand bagger here.  I bet you've won quite a bit of money off your buddies and random strangers.  😉

[MelloYello]

20 hours ago, Pepperturbo said:

This thread brings to mind how many people put a value on getting free strokes as opposed to having to step up their game and live up to a lower index.  I've seen it in friends too, it's as if they reach an apex then quit on themselves, it's too hard.  Their index never goes down and if it does, miraculously, it promptly goes back up.  Gives credence to why USGA indexes are no different today than before newfangled technology supposedly made the game easier.

 

I still enjoy challenging myself, even-up, against friends that are better at the game.  Though I have only won a small percentage of the games, I have won some.  When I lose, I learn more about how to play better under pressure.  If I want to win and stomp my opponents, I play people that rely on strokes.  The few strokes I do get means I am not as good as I want to be. 

 

You do realize that we're both the same level of player, right, LOL? 

 

We would both be getting strokes from anyone who's scratch or better. You do understand how this works, right? 😉

 

I try and be friendly but your rhetoric is really offensive at times. You should tone it back for the sake of civility. This is a friendly forum. You shouldn't be assuming so much about people who are most certainly no worse than yourself. 

Edited May 22, 2021 by MelloYello

[Pepperturbo]

4 minutes ago, MelloYello said:

 

You do realize that we're both the same level of player, right, LOL? 

 

We would both be getting strokes from anyone who's scratch or better. You do understand how this works, right? 😉

 

I try and be friendly but your rhetoric is really offensive at times. You should tone it back for the sake of civility. This is a friendly forum. You shouldn't be assuming so much about people who are most certainly no worse than yourself. 

If you took offensive to what I said, that's your issue.  You have a good day.

[MelloYello]

Just now, Pepperturbo said:

If you took offensive to what I said, that's your issue.  You have a good day.

 

An apology would've sufficed.

 

 

 

 

[JeffreySpicoli]

Mello, I’m a CEO and I absolutely stripe a 2 iron. We are not all bad. Please don’t let Pepper besmirch all of us.

[MelloYello]

4 minutes ago, JeffreySpicoli said:

Mello, I’m a CEO and I absolutely stripe a 2 iron. We are not all bad. Please don’t let Pepper besmirch all of us.

 

LOL....is it not hard to swing in that double-breasted suit though? 

 

P.S. Is it better to measure cigar smokage by total qty smoked per 9, total $$ spent or overall annoyance among playing partners? 

Edited May 22, 2021 by MelloYello

[JeffreySpicoli]

27 minutes ago, Pepperturbo said:

If you took offensive to what I said, that's your issue.  You have a good day.

Please don’t take offense, Pepper, but the proper usage above is “took offense,” not “took offensive.” Have a nice day!