is your handicap skewed?

**DJYoshi** · August 14, 2009

I finally updated my HC for the year, and I've been playing phenomenal golf since I went to a swing coach and he fixed all of my bad habits back in May.
Here's my thing, I play the same course 4 times a week (Francis Byrne) in West Orange, NJ. It has its good holes, but I consider it to be pretty easy (probably b/c I play there so much). It's a 69.4/121.
My scores have been in the mid - high 70's..with a few in the low 70's...and a high of 82.
When I went to play a much harder course..and one I've never seen (Bear Brook tips) this past Sunday..I shot a terrible 86...losing a sleeve of balls.
My thing is, do you feel that your HC is skewed a bit if you keep playing the same course like I do over and over? It's at the point where if I'm more than 8 over on the day...I feel like it's a failed round....
but when I'm at other courses I rarely play or haven't played yet... I'm happy at shooting in the high 70's/low 80's.

**cirem22** · August 14, 2009

I would have to say yes. the first time you play a course you obviously don't know how to play it like you would if you played it multiple times. I play different courses all the time and my first time is almost always the worst only to come back to it and do much better. I would say if your playing the same few courses over and over then handicap not skewed but if your playing bunch of courses for a first time then it could effect your handicap in a negative way.

Don't second guess your skill, go play the course a couple more times and i bet you do much better.

**iWALK18** · August 14, 2009

I thought you were going to go another way. I think if i played tougher courses my handicap would be lower. But that's assuming I would know the course, as you are pointing out.

**alf174** · August 14, 2009

I finally updated my HC for the year, and I've been playing phenomenal golf since I went to a swing coach and he fixed all of my bad habits back in May.

It seems in your case (and mine and others too), its all about comfort level and confidence; pretty normal. You play a course you don't know and you'll probably play more on the safe side or get into unforeseen trouble and that can transpose to a higher score.

I play 3 different tracks a week and try to mix in a 4th that I've rarely or have never played. And typically the 4th is a littler higher than my handicap would predict.

**Fairway_CY** · August 14, 2009

Hey Yoshi...

I feel like my handicap equates well wherever I play... probably because it's so high. I usually mark off the card how many strokes I would get... and then I make THAT my par for the hole and I play it that way... so quite a few Par 5's are turned into Par 7's, etc.

But, I've played Bear Brook a few times in the past and it's a much tougher course than some others out here. A lot of trouble and from the tips, there are some hefty drives to reach the fairway.

I'd say, playing the course for the first time as a 6 handicap... 86 isn't a HORRIBLE score. My first time I played it, I was a 28+ handicap and I shot 116 from the whites play to a course handicap of 30. That meant my GROSS score was an 86... so - yeah, I doubt that makes you feel any better but... it IS a tough course.

CY

**Wazzu8** · August 14, 2009

I think the handicap system favors people who play the same course..

One thing I think is horribly messed up in the handicap system is how they calculate your course handicap. At the course I work at my 14.8 puts me at a 17 for the whites and a 17 for the blues.

The whites are 68.8/126 ~5800 yards
The blues are 72.1/133 ~6400 yards

So when I play from the blues the course is much harder AND it's 600 yards longer.. So I don't even get one more stroke? At most it is one more stroke no matter the handicap. I won't even talk about the jump from the whites to the tips and how all I get is one more stroke..

**whetstone** · August 14, 2009

I just made my handicap up

**alf174** · August 14, 2009

I think the handicap system favors people who play the same course..

For competition against another player yes, but you should add the tee's rating to compare your score against the "playing to your handicap" score. That's 3 strokes.

**mirv** · August 14, 2009

i generally go on a course-by-course basis. if i'm playing my home course and someone asks my handicap, i'll go ahead and tell them "about a 10 or 11," because that's what i usually shoot out there. however, it's a fairly short course (5400 yards, par 70) and i know it like the back of my hand, so if i'm playing a course that i haven't played before or haven't played in awhile, i default myself to a handicap closer to 15 or 16.

**DavidFehertysBike** · August 14, 2009

No not really. My game seems to travel well, but youre always gonna be more tight on courses you dont know. I can struggle if the course has alot of blind shots and arkward angles. Like the course the state pub linx qaulifer was played on this year (galloping hill i think) Freakin disaster. I shot 86, even though i didnt really hit the ball that badly.

**PiKapp23** · August 14, 2009

Yea, I think I am suffering because of course slopes being too low. I normally play a local course several times throughout the season that has a high slope and rating (70ish/135) and score around 80-83 just because it fits my game well. This year I haven't played it much but instead have played a couple courses that seem to have slopes that are much too low (including a CC designed by Donald Ross that has a slope of 118 that is ridiculously low for that course based on length, greens, layout and rough). My scores on these courses have been too high considering how I played and that is causing my handicap to be higher than it should be based on how I am playing.

**CG031** · August 14, 2009

No My handicap isn't really skewed because I log a lot of tournament rounds at courses I never play, or have only played once. I also only play my home course 1-2 times per week at most, and it's one of the tougher courses in the area with a 72.5 rating and 6800 yards. On the back 9 I can't even two of the par 4's in 2 shots.

So, no, I don't find mine to be skewed.

**ezmoney5150** · August 15, 2009

I feel my handicap is bigtime skewed. The Slope rating on my course is high and it seems to keep my handicap low. I feel it should be somewhere between 10-15, but I'm not going to argue with the USGA. They're definitely smarter than me.

**DJYoshi** · August 17, 2009

No My handicap isn't really skewed because I log a lot of tournament rounds at courses I never play, or have only played once. I also only play my home course 1-2 times per week at most, and it's one of the tougher courses in the area with a 72.5 rating and 6800 yards. On the back 9 I can't even two of the par 4's in 2 shots.

where's your home course?

I just looked and have to change the slope & rating of Byrne. it's 72.4/133. I had a different course up on my HC home page... but i'd love to check out your home course 1 day.

**TN94z** · August 17, 2009

I can see shooting worse if it is the first time you have ever played the course...I do that as well. But if I have played the course before, my scores generally seem to be pretty consistent.

The thing about the course you play every day is, you don't have to think as much. You probably already know what club you will hit on every hole before you ever get there. That is the bad thing about playing at the same course a lot. But, if your ball striking is good, then there shouldn't be a huge difference. Maybe a big difference in the greens which would take a little getting used to.

**DJYoshi** · August 17, 2009

I can see shooting worse if it is the first time you have ever played the course...I do that as well. But if I have played the course before, my scores generally seem to be pretty consistent.

I went back to Bear Brook yesterday...2nd time I played it since last week's 86..and it got better. an 81...I just wasn't comfortable with some holes....

especially when most of your shots are blind shots where you don't pick a landing area. ie: long ass par 5 of 600 up a hill and it's about 230 to carry to the fairway up a hill. then a deceptively difficult par 4 where it's a drive uphill and your 2nd shot is downhill, but unless you drive your tee shot to 100 out you have to aim b/t a house and tree... shots like that made me feel uncomfortable and I have to guestimate or I took conservative swings...and most of the time only pulled a 3 - 5 iron..just to keep the ball in play where I could see the landing area.... But the ball striking was good...and I shot better the 2nd time than the 1st...so I wasn't too upset...

**alomar123** · August 17, 2009

Id have to admit it. I only play my home course for right now(cheap and close) and I have figured out its secrets. Also the putting greens are flat and the fairways are wide

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