When Not To Post Scores?

[phan52]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Hey, Phan and Fourputt ... finish reading the thread before you comment!

(Those happy faces are all to try and illustrate my lack of anger in my comment ... just having fun)  But seriously ... read up ;)

I did read on, and then amended my post accordingly, with this:

Your handicap might be affected to some degree every time you post a score, but that score by itself will never count. Unless, of course, your next 20 rounds really suck.

[Beachcomber]

Sounds like GD had a spectacular round like I did yesterday? Posting an 86. :(. My last two rounds have been an 85 and 86. Definitely struggling to find my swing plane.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

Sounds like GD had a spectacular round like I did yesterday? Posting an 86. :(. My last two rounds have been an 85 and 86. Definitely struggling to find my swing plane.

Yeah ... and you like how I'm blaming it on the weather too, eh?  Shhh ... don't tell the rest of these guys it's really because I stink and it wouldn't have made a hill of beans difference if I was playing in the sun.  That's just between you and me.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Actually it will never affect your handicap unless it becomes one of your 10 best before it drops off after 20 more rounds.

Sure it will (sometimes).  My tenth best was 20 rounds ago, and my 11th best was 2 shots worse than my tenth, hence, it affects my handicap.

Huh??   I don't what you are trying to say, and if it's confusing to me, then it's totally befuddling to someone trying to learn about the handicap system.  Your 11th best doesn't have any effect on your handicap index because only the best 10 are ever used in the formula.  If one of your ten best drops off, and what was your 11th best becomes the tenth best because of the change in the list, then it affects your handicap, but it is no longer the 11th best of 20, it's now tenth best.  As long as a score remains in the bottom 10, it has no direct impact on the index calculation.  It is only a place holder, and no matter how good or bad it is or how it's ranking may change during its stay on the list, the 20th score returned after it was posted will drop it off the list.  If it never reaches top ten status during its tenure, then it never affects your handicap.

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Seriously ... should have gone bowling instead!

Yes and no.  It will never be one of my ten best (if it comes to that, I'm retiring) but what it can do (and did) is knock off one of my previous ten best for being the oldest.  Prior to this round being played, my 20th oldest round was one of my ten , an 11.4 differential.  Once the next revision comes, that round drops off, and is replaced by this one (a 22.2 diff).  Since this one is not one of my ten best, it goes searching for the next one, which is a 13.2.

Actually, as of the last revision I was a 9.9.  Since then I've had one good round and this one and I am going to be a 9.8 on the 1st.  (Would have been 9.6 had I not played Saturday)

But it isn't the terrible score that did it, it was the fact that you played and did not get a differential that would be in the top ten.  If you had played and had your 11th best differential it would have had exactly the same effect on your index.

[Dave2512]

The problem isn't the blow up rounds but the scores on the bubble that come into your average as you bounce around. But you earned those in the past. No one score will cause enough change to stress about. If your HC is true you'll go out and shoot near, below and above your HC the next few times out. Being that the index represents potential chances are there will be some higher numbers than we'd like. Anyone serious enough about tracking these things knows this. Mr. GD has already expressed he was being facetious so there isn't a reason to correct him. His posts were more about making light of things for the OP than expressing his grief.

Currently we're in off-season here so nothing counts, good or bad. That said I am stuck on 43, 8 of 10 9 hole outings yielded this score. I feel hindered by winter conditions and all. Ball rolls far on dead grass, ball hits hard on frozen greens. Thank goodness these stats won't count. That's all I care about. My basement net is how I measure golf progress through this wait for prime season.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Huh??   I don't what you are trying to say, and if it's confusing to me, then it's totally befuddling to someone trying to learn about the handicap system.  Your 11th best doesn't have any effect on your handicap index because only the best 10 are ever used in the formula.  If one of your ten best drops off, and what was your 11th best becomes the tenth best because of the change in the list, then it affects your handicap, but it is no longer the 11th best of 20, it's now tenth best.  As long as a score remains in the bottom 10, it has no direct impact on the index calculation.  It is only a place holder, and no matter how good or bad it is or how it's ranking may change during its stay on the list, the 20th score returned after it was posted will drop it off the list.  If it never reaches top ten status during its tenure, then it never affects your handicap.

What do you mean, huh?  You clearly understood what I was saying because you explained it quite well.  But just for fun, let's do it again.  My most recent round on Saturday was horrible - in fact, it will fall as my 20th best of my last 20 - so it won't affect my handicap, right?  Wrong.  One of my previous 10 best is now my 21st oldest, and therefore not part of the equation anymore.  My PREVIOUSLY 11th best now becomes my 10th best and it is 2 shots worse than the one that just dropped off the list, therefore, this most recent horrible round, although it will never be one of my 10 best, did, in fact, affect my handicap.  Friday it was 9.6, and now it's 9.8.

[meenman]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

What do you mean, huh?  You clearly understood what I was saying because you explained it quite well.  But just for fun, let's do it again.  My most recent round on Saturday was horrible - in fact, it will fall as my 20th best of my last 20 - so it won't affect my handicap, right?  Wrong.  One of my previous 10 best is now my 21st oldest, and therefore not part of the equation anymore.  My PREVIOUSLY 11th best now becomes my 10th best and it is 2 shots worse than the one that just dropped off the list, therefore, this most recent horrible round, although it will never be one of my 10 best, did, in fact, affect my handicap.  Friday it was 9.6, and now it's 9.8.

But technically, your official handicap is only updated the 1st and 15th of the month - anything you track yourself is *unofficial* anyway

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Huh??   I don't what you are trying to say, and if it's confusing to me, then it's totally befuddling to someone trying to learn about the handicap system.  Your 11th best doesn't have any effect on your handicap index because only the best 10 are ever used in the formula.  If one of your ten best drops off, and what was your 11th best becomes the tenth best because of the change in the list, then it affects your handicap, but it is no longer the 11th best of 20, it's now tenth best.  As long as a score remains in the bottom 10, it has no direct impact on the index calculation.  It is only a place holder, and no matter how good or bad it is or how it's ranking may change during its stay on the list, the 20th score returned after it was posted will drop it off the list.  If it never reaches top ten status during its tenure, then it never affects your handicap.

What do you mean, huh?  You clearly understood what I was saying because you explained it quite well.  But just for fun, let's do it again.  My most recent round on Saturday was horrible - in fact, it will fall as my 20th best of my last 20 - so it won't affect my handicap, right?  Wrong.  One of my previous 10 best is now my 21st oldest, and therefore not part of the equation anymore.  My PREVIOUSLY 11th best now becomes my 10th best and it is 2 shots worse than the one that just dropped off the list, therefore, this most recent horrible round, although it will never be one of my 10 best, did, in fact, affect my handicap.  Friday it was 9.6, and now it's 9.8.

None the less you are just confusing the issue.  The formula never uses anything but the best 10.  It doesn't matter if you post a new round which comes in at 20 or at 1, it will still knock the oldest score off. That exceptionally horrid score will probably never be one of your ten best, so it will never be used in calculating your handicap, thus it will never have a direct effect on your index. You are just adding confusion for anyone trying to understand how the system works.  Those of us who have been using the system for some time know where you are coming from, but for a new player trying to learn how the system works, he would read it as somehow that 20th score is used in the formula, and that just isn't so.

If the score that's dropped off as the 21st oldest is just another in the worst 10, then your handicap index won't be immediately affected by posting a really bad number.  What it does do is help to keep the flow of scores current so that your handicap reflects your current level of play.  If you fall into a slump, then it's just possible that one or 2 of those bad scores could slip into the top 10 before you get the problems figured out.

[ghalfaire]

I am an advocate of posting all your rounds, but sometimes wonder.  Yesterday it was 34 degrees when we teed off and never got more than 40 until mid way through the back side and just enough breeze that you knew it was cold.    Those temperatures and old bones don't go together well and (I hope) this round is never one of best 10 of 20, but I'll post it.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by meenman

But technically, your official handicap is only updated the 1st and 15th of the month - anything you track yourself is *unofficial* anyway

That's right, and if I could sneak out of work early today and play a good round I could negate that last rounds effect.  Fingers crossed ...

Originally Posted by Fourputt

None the less you are just confusing the issue.  The formula never uses anything but the best 10.  It doesn't matter if you post a new round which comes in at 20 or at 1, it will still knock the oldest score off.  That exceptionally horrid score will probably never be one of your ten best, so it will never be used in calculating your handicap, thus it will never have a direct effect on your index.  You are just adding confusion for anyone trying to understand how the system works.  Those of us who have been using the system for some time know where you are coming from, but for a new player trying to learn how the system works, he would read it as somehow that 20th score is used in the formula, and that just isn't so.

If the score that's dropped off as the 21st oldest is just another in the worst 10, then your handicap index won't be immediately affected by posting a really bad number.  What it does do is help to keep the flow of scores current so that your handicap reflects your current level of play.  If you fall into a slump, then it's just possible that one or 2 of those bad scores could slip into the top 10 before you get the problems figured out.

Semantics.  Direct, indirect, who cares?  All I said was that it affected my handicap.  It was 9.6, it's going to be 9.8.  Period.  That is an effect.

And I don't think I'm confusing anybody.  Missouri Swede asked a direct question (post 10) and I answered it, as did David (posts 11 and 12) and he understood it (post 14) prior to you telling me I was confusing him.  There was no confusion.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by ghalfaire

I am an advocate of posting all your rounds, but sometimes wonder.  Yesterday it was 34 degrees when we teed off and never got more than 40 until mid way through the back side and just enough breeze that you knew it was cold.    Those temperatures and old bones don't go together well and (I hope) this round is never one of best 10 of 20, but I'll post it.

Think about it this way:  You keep the handicap for competition, right?  Whether it be club tournaments, bigger tournaments, or just friendly games with your friends.  Well, if you play in a competition, there's always the possibility that it could be played in adverse weather conditions as well ... and if you don't factor that in the casual rounds in those conditions, then you are potentially hindering yourself.  Like has been discussed above, a bad round here and there is going to have very little affect on your handicap anyway, but if you choose not to post it, you are only hurting yourself (or your future teammates).

[dak4n6]

So, if you have a plane sitting on a conveyor belt.....

[phan52]

Originally Posted by ghalfaire

I am an advocate of posting all your rounds, but sometimes wonder.  Yesterday it was 34 degrees when we teed off and never got more than 40 until mid way through the back side and just enough breeze that you knew it was cold.    Those temperatures and old bones don't go together well and (I hope) this round is never one of best 10 of 20, but I'll post it.

Where are you? Most Golf Associations that are in weather conditions like that have their handicap systems shut down until April 1.

[Dave2512]

Originally Posted by phan52

Where are you? Most Golf Associations that are in weather conditions like that have their handicap systems shut down until April 1.

Looks like he's in AZ so probably not.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Semantics.  Direct, indirect, who cares?  All I said was that it affected my handicap.  It was 9.6, it's going to be 9.8.  Period.  That is an effect.

And I don't think I'm confusing anybody.  Missouri Swede asked a direct question (post 10) and I answered it, as did David (posts 11 and 12) and he understood it (post 14) prior to you telling me I was confusing him.  There was no confusion.

My point was that it didn't make a damn bit of difference if it was a terrible round, or just an average weak round.  As long as it wasn't in the top eleven, the score itself made no difference in your handicap.  The way you stated it it sounded like the fact that it was 90 something was pertinent to the discussion.

And yes, direct or indirect is pertinent to any discussion about the handicap system.  Makes a huge difference whether the score is part of the calculation or just a place holder in the list.  But I'll bow out now since that difference doesn't seem significant to you.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

My point was that it didn't make a damn bit of difference if it was a terrible round, or just an average weak round.  As long as it wasn't in the top eleven, the score itself made no difference in your handicap.  The way you stated it it sounded like the fact that it was 90 something was pertinent to the discussion.

And yes, direct or indirect is pertinent to any discussion about the handicap system.  Makes a huge difference whether the score is part of the calculation or just a place holder in the list.  But I'll bow out now since that difference doesn't seem significant to you.

Correct all around ... especially the part about it being insignificant to me. ;)  All it was was an offhand comment at the end of my first post about my handicap going up a tad.  MS asked a question about it, I clarified, he got it, the end.

But, yes, I recognize that the specific score wasn't pertinent.  Didn't mean to confuse there.  It could have been 86, or 1,286  (OK, not really, my ESC on that course was 7, so I guess the high was 126) and it was going to affect the handicap the exact same amount.  I knew (and am pretty sure I said it too) that it was never going to be one of the top 10, and it only affected the handicap by knocking off one of the previous 10.

Anyways, this is boring, we both agree :) so let's go argue about something important ... like how to annoy people on the practice green!

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

My point was that it didn't make a damn bit of difference if it was a terrible round, or just an average weak round.  As long as it wasn't in the top eleven, the score itself made no difference in your handicap.  The way you stated it it sounded like the fact that it was 90 something was pertinent to the discussion.

And yes, direct or indirect is pertinent to any discussion about the handicap system.  Makes a huge difference whether the score is part of the calculation or just a place holder in the list.  But I'll bow out now since that difference doesn't seem significant to you.

Correct all around ... especially the part about it being insignificant to me. ;)  All it was was an offhand comment at the end of my first post about my handicap going up a tad.  MS asked a question about it, I clarified, he got it, the end.

But, yes, I recognize that the specific score wasn't pertinent.  Didn't mean to confuse there.  It could have been 86, or 1,286  (OK, not really, my ESC on that course was 7, so I guess the high was 126) and it was going to affect the handicap the exact same amount.  I knew (and am pretty sure I said it too) that it was never going to be one of the top 10, and it only affected the handicap by knocking off one of the previous 10.

Anyways, this is boring, we both agree :) so let's go argue about something important ... like how to annoy people on the practice green!

That's something I can get my teeth into.