Net Score=Load of crap

What's the point in even playing if a guy who shoots a 77 technically beats the guy shooting a 70. I've never competed in an actual league, and for this reason I probably never will.

The point is that the guy who's given 7 strokes on the other guy will (virtually) never stand a chance at beating him if they play with gross score. Why would he bother entering the tournament?

If you don't like it, play in gross score tournaments.

Isn't that the point of golf, less strokes than your opponent.....? I just think it's dumb...

So why do you bother maintaining a handicap?

It's not an official USGA handicap....there are numerous free programs that calculate a handicap...

My buddy is a 2.1 and I am a 20.1. How are we supposed to have any kind of competition without him giving me strokes?

The point is that net score makes golf the only sport where two people with wildly different skill levels can enjoy friendly competition. I couldn't play basketball, baseball, football, soccer, tennis, or really any other sport with a professional athelete and have it be fun for either of us. I could have a pro tennis player spot me a set and it still wouldn't be fun. I could play golf with a player much worse or much better than I am, and aside from some frustration here and there, have a good competitive outing. Also, with a handicap calculation, I could potentially take a couple of bucks off of, or lose a couple of bucks to, anyone in a skins game.

That's one of the things I love most about golf.

I played with one golfer who creatively adjusted his score after the round. Something about "a stroke on this hole & this hole."
I asked & he tried to explain the process to me. Just sounded like a pile of...anyways.

I understand the leveling of the playing field for tourneys & member events, but that guy just sounded wrong. Although i guess carrying a bogus lower handicap would only serve to screw you in those net tourneys.



Question for anyone-what's the highest score you're allowed to take on a hole? I've heard varied thories on this one. I write down what i shoot. Is that incorrect?

Ding ding...Keep an honest Handicap IF you play tourneys!

I've always believe to take what I hit, but it does depend on your Handicap.

Equitable Stroke Control Chart Course Handicap....................Maximum Score 0-9----------------------------------Double Bogey 10-19-------------------------------7 20-29-------------------------------8 30-39-------------------------------9 40 or more------------------------10

This is correct, but be careful not to confuse the score on your card (in a tournament for example) with the score used for handicapping purposes. I don't think there is any "highest score" one is allowed to take on any hole?

An extreme (and unlikely) example - Let's say a 0-9 handicapper had a very bad day at the office and shot a triple bogey on every hole - this would be the score he writes down on his card and enters into the tourney. However, when it comes to handicapping, ESC would reduce it to a double bogey on every hole - a difference of 18 strokes. I believe most clubs' handicapping systems should (those I have come across do) take care of the ESC adjustment automatically, so the golfer just needs to submit whatever he score he played. The ESC adjusted score is not the one that is considered for the purposes of the tourney.

I think what the OP is trying to say is that, despite being a 20.1, if you can't raise your game enough to compete against a 2.1, then you are toast!

I'm not sure where on earth he got this idea from - perhaps he doesn't have any golfing buddies, so needn't worry about giving / taking strokes?

Right. And as a low handicapper I find it fun to try and take down guys that I have to give up a huge amount of strokes to. Its puts me on my game. I'd have to give Fat Slice 23 stinkin' strokes!!! Its fun to take that on though.

Only if your handicap software takes hole by hole scores. Ours only takes the total score, so you have to adjust before entering. Otherwise, how would the computer know what scores to adjust?

To Chef35ca: What you shoot is what you shoot. There is no maximum for scoring purposes. If you are playing a friend and he picks up after 7 strokes (because that is all he can take for handicap purposes) while still 100 yards from the green, I wouldn't make any wagers against him because his actual score is likely to be 3 or 4 strokes higher. To the OP: It would be stupid and futile for 2 players with a large difference in skill level to ever try to compete straight up with each other because the better player would always win. Properly maintained and applied handicaps level the field, and in theory favor the lower handicapper because the .96 multiplier reduces the differential of the higher handicap more than it does the lower one. The downside is that the higher handicap tends to have more fluctuation in his scores, is more likely to shoot 5 or more strokes under his handicap than is the low handicapper. He is equally likely to shoot 10 strokes over his handicap. It just depends on which day you get to play him. No handicapping system has ever been able to cover all of the bases, which is why most clubs play stroke play competitions in flights, where a player only competes within a group of other players who play near the same level as he does. My Men's Club generally has no more than a 3 or 4 stroke difference from the high to the low handicap within any flight.

I played a match a couple of weeks ago and had to give my opponent 14 strokes. The only holes on the course we played straight up were the 4 par 3's. Despite the stroke differential, I beat him 4 & 3, closing out the match on 15.

That is a great refreshing attitude to have. +1

You took the words right out of my mouth...

Because many tournaments use flights, this does imply that the HC system either isn't perfect, or people don't have confidence in it. Why use flights if the HC system is supposed to adjust for differing skill levels?

The problem is not in the system, it's in the variability of scoring. The worse the player is, the more possible variability there is in his likely scores. A player who usually shoots around 95 has a lot more wiggle room than the player who normally shoots 73. The 95 player could easily have a miracle day (for him) and shoot 85. The 73 player will probably never shoot 63 in this lifetime. Yet both scores are only 10 better than their averages. That gives the 95 player a win in most any stroke competition because his handicap will skew the result.

No handicap system can possibly account for such swings, thus the flighting in stroke tournaments keeps things on a more even keel. If you do play a round or a wager against someone with a very different handicap than yours, it's best to play it as match play, because the system works better for that.

This is probably the main reason I haven't played in tournaments (other than scrambles) for years. I reestablished an RCGA handicap this season to guage my progress, to prove to some arrogant starters that, "yes, I am qualified to play from the tips", and because joining the AGA Public Players Club is only $40 per year.

You're on, buddy. Next time I go south I will PM you. Oh and for the record, I'd want strokes based on the CH, so you might be giving me 25 or more. HAH!