Soft and Hard Cap Trigger based on Calendar Year

Pfish · April 22

I understand the reason which is to eliminate rapidly increasing handicaps. However the method is based on the Calendar year regardless of how many times a person has played between the low index and the cap coming into force. Right now I have a soft cap on my handicap which I think will go away on Wednesday because my low index was on April 23, 2023. I have played 133 times since then and regrettably have been slowly getting worse not rapidly in my opinion. A person with an established handicap having their low index on the same date and not playing again until last week posting high scores are under the same rules. This does not seem fair.

rogolf · April 22

For every "rule" in life (and golf) you can always find a "victim" who thinks it's not "fair". However, the rule is meant for all.

You'll just have to deal with it.

davep043 · April 22

this is infinitely more fair than the previous USGA Exceptional Tournament Score Reduction. if that kicked in,which it sometimes did if your handicap went up, whenever you posted a score which would raise your index, the adjustment actually reduced your index.

Hawkeye77 · April 22

What you mean is 365 days, or "a year" - calendar year suggests a Jan. -Dec. basis for some. They picked a standard - that's what applies. Don't shoot a low score Thursday!

North Butte · April 22

Both the Soft Cap and Hard Cap would be unnecessary if every golfer kept their handicaps honestly. But that's not the way it is. So anyone who goes through a period of worsening play gets needlessly penalized.

In theory you can apply to the handicap "committee" at your "club" to have the caps lifted due to special circumstances but I don't know anyone who's ever done that. Probably because only a tiny fraction of handicap holders belong to a old-fashioned club as envisioned by the handicap system!

Pfish · April 22

Yes I should have said 365 days not calendar year. I was thinking of golf active season here I guess when I wrote that. I never had an exceptional tournament score so don’t remember the old method. I would have handicap committee override if I had been injured causing the higher scores but I guess at 75 I’m just getting old. In fact this year I decided to ride instead of walk the course. Maybe I’ll have more energy at the end of a round and better scores as a result. I can hope anyway.

Hawkeye77 · April 23

23 hours ago, Pfish said:

Yes I should have said 365 days not calendar year. I was thinking of golf active season here I guess when I wrote that. I never had an exceptional tournament score so don’t remember the old method. I would have handicap committee override if I had been injured causing the higher scores but I guess at 75 I’m just getting old. In fact this year I decided to ride instead of walk the course. Maybe I’ll have more energy at the end of a round and better scores as a result. I can hope anyway.

Good for you! Concern about good golf is better in my book than concern about whether handicap is too low or high.