Scratch golfers

[Lihu]

[QUOTE name="Lihu" url="/t/10582/scratch-golfers/60_30#post_949914"]   Seems like a +2.5 should be borderline pro. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE name="MS256" url="/t/10582/scratch-golfers/60_30#post_949926"]   He might or might not be able to "compete" (whatever that means). If his handicap is based mostly (or entirely) from his home course and the other guys have handicaps compiled from multiple courses in tournaments they could easily be better than he is. Then again maybe they are not better than he is at all but it just seemed that way because the high finishers had a good day (as high finishers always do). Maybe next tournament it will be his turn to light it up and the other guys will think they couldn't compete with him. [/QUOTE] Yeah, if it's a guy that just plays the same course with the same group 3 to 5 times a week to acheive a +25, probably not.  But if a guy can play anywhere and keep a +2.5, that certainly seems** like a guy that would/could fit in just fine on a mini tour. **  The translation of "seems" in my case is "I'm talking out of my ass."  I have no idea, just guessing. ;)

My definition of "seems" is like yours. ;-) Seems like no matter what course you play, to expect 2-3 birdies and par everything else per round is really good. I just don't see that person having trouble on any course.

[Jakester23]

I can't speak for a + guy. But one of my buddies is a 2.3 ( got down to 1.7 or something like that) and he's definitely better in his home course. He always shoots in the 70's but on his course he makes more putts and know where to miss. I've seen him have some good days on other courses but his best rounds are at his home course.

[Lihu]

I can't speak for a + guy. But one of my buddies is a 2.3 ( got down to 1.7 or something like that) and he's definitely better in his home course. He always shoots in the 70's but on his course he makes more putts and know where to miss. I've seen him have some good days on other courses but his best rounds are at his home course.

Almost 5 strokes per round is the difference between a 5 and a scratch. From what I have heard from many of the 5's on this forum, there is a big leap from 5 to a scratch. Some 2 to 3 even said there is a big leap to scratch.

Seems like to go from a scratch to a +2.5 would be enormous as well, if not more so.

[Jakester23]

What does that have to do with my post lihu?

[Maddog10]

Almost 5 strokes per round is the difference between a 5 and a scratch. From what I have heard from many of the 5's on this forum, there is a big leap from 5 to a scratch. Some 2 to 3 even said there is a big leap to scratch.

Seems like to go from a scratch to a +2.5 would be enormous as well, if not more so.

Last season I hovered between a 2 and 3, with my low being 1.8. I can confirm that there is a definite gap between a scratch player and myself. That's not to say I can't beat a scratch player on any given day, but he can go to any course and play to the course handicap whereas I would not have the same consistency on unfamiliar courses. My handicap is established on a variety of local courses, but they are all familiar to me. Take me to a foreign course and I will likely lose to the scratch golfer nearly every time.

As you said, the gap from scratch to +2.5 is even bigger than the gap from 2.5 to scratch. The lower you go, the more difficult it gets to shave those strokes.

[Lihu]

What does that have to do with my post lihu?

Sorry, I should have been a little more clear. The person you are talking about is a 2.3 and the person were are discussing is a +2.5 which added together is 4.8 strokes difference, or almost 5 strokes. That's a big difference.

Thanks for sharing your experience, @Maddog10 .

[Jakester23]

Yeah that is a huge difference. He's told me a bunch of times how hard it is to keep going down once get into the single digits.

[k-troop]

My definition of "seems" is like yours. ;-) Seems like no matter what course you play, to expect 2-3 birdies and par everything else per round is really good. I just don't see that person having trouble on any course.

A +2 doesn't have a scoring average of 70. He's shooting an adjusted score of -2 in the best 10 of his last 20 rounds. That's still damn good, but his straight scoring average (even throwing out blow-ups) is still probably around 73-75 depending on how difficult the courses he's playing. Most good golfers favor harder courses as well.

[Club Rat]

A +2 doesn't have a scoring average of 70. He's shooting an adjusted score of -2 in the best 10 of his last 20 rounds. That's still damn good, but his straight scoring average (even throwing out blow-ups) is still probably around 73-75 depending on how difficult the courses he's playing. Most good golfers favor harder courses as well.

It also reflects the score differential of the course rating.

A score of 70 would have different differentials when played at different courses.

There also could be a difference at the same course, but playing different tees.

The higher the slope (usually the back tees) the higher the differential to par.

Which equates in the average of the10 lowest differentials used in calculating a players Ghin Index.

Club Rat

[k-troop]

It also reflects the score differential of the course rating. A score of 70 would have different differentials when played at different courses. There also could be a difference at the same course, but playing different tees. The higher the slope (usually the back tees) the higher the differential to par. Which equates in the average of the10 lowest differentials used in calculating a players Ghin Index. Club Rat

Which is why I said "adjusted score"

[Club Rat]

Sorry @k-troop ,

didn't mean to bump your post.

Club Rat