handicap?

The point is you didn't play to your handicap in the stableford, handicap would be 36 pts, I can't see how they can call you a bandit, now if you'd had 21pts on both sides we could maybe discuss banditry.

If you're trying to get your handicap down worry about your score not what people think you should be scoring.

I hear it way too often, you played to your handicap therefore you're a bandit - No that's what I'm supposed to play to.

Agreed, how can they call you a bandit shooting 2 points under!

I get bored of this banter to when I am playing in my society

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wansteadimp 

The point is you didn't play to your handicap in the stableford, handicap would be 36 pts, I can't see how they can call you a bandit, now if you'd had 21pts on both sides we could maybe discuss banditry.

 

If you're trying to get your handicap down worry about your score not what people think you should be scoring.

 

I hear it way too often, you played to your handicap therefore you're a bandit - No that's what I'm supposed to play to.

I don't know how it is over there, but under the USGA system, you only play to (or better than) your handicap on a good day.  If you play to your handicap more than just occasionally, then your handicap will go down and become a harder target.  Here your handicap represents your potential, not your average game.  It's like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey - he keeps walking toward it but since it's moving with him he never quite gets there.  If it swings wide enough, he might occasionally get a nibble.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt 

 

I don't know how it is over there, but under the USGA system, you only play to (or better than) your handicap on a good day.  If you play to your handicap more than just occasionally, then your handicap will go down and become a harder target.  Here your handicap represents your potential, not your average game.  It's like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey - he keeps walking toward it but since it's moving with him he never quite gets there.  If it swings wide enough, he might occasionally get a nibble.

 Great mental picture

It is the same principal achieved in a slightly different way.

But, you shouldn't get berated for shooting under your handicap.

Our handicaps only improve if you shoot better than it, so i play off 8.4, assuming compition standard scratch comes in on par, 37 points gets me a .2 shot cut, 38 points .4 etc. I need to miss the buffer so 33 or worse to get .1 back - now if I was a bandit I would have squeezed in 1 more bad round before the handicap events finished for the winter.

Most rounds I think should be in the buffer zone 34- 36 for me, 33-36 for someone off 12-18, 32-36 for someone off 19 and above and 35-36 for 6 and below.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wansteadimp 

It is the same principal achieved in a slightly different way.

 

But, you shouldn't get berated for shooting under your handicap.

 

Our handicaps only improve if you shoot better than it, so i play off 8.4, assuming compition standard scratch comes in on par, 37 points gets me a .2 shot cut, 38 points .4 etc. I need to miss the buffer so 33 or worse to get .1 back - now if I was a bandit I would have squeezed in 1 more bad round before the handicap events finished for the winter.

 

Most rounds I think should be in the buffer zone 34- 36 for me, 33-36 for someone off 12-18, 32-36 for someone off 19 and above and 35-36 for 6 and below.

I agree.  It's only when a player somehow manages to ALWAYS shoot under his handicap in meaningful rounds that he should be suspected of doing something underhanded.  He shoots above his handicap in weekly or minor comps, then goes low in club championship or other significant play.  That would be more than just suspicious.  

I'm sensitive to accusing too quickly, as I had nearly a 4 stroke jump in my handicap between two tournaments during my first year of club competition back in 1989.  I was playing to an honest 16, then played the 4 rounds of the club championship 84-88-73-78 and made my first Ace in that final round.  Fortunately, I knew many of the players in my flight from the past season's play, and from playing  a lot of casual golf with them, and they were as shocked as I was at my performance.  While there was a little grumbling from a few guys who didn't know me, I managed to show that it wasn't a fluke and I wasn't sandbagging, as my handicap continued to drop until I played most of the next 20 years right at 10 or 11.  I've never equaled that 73 in competition or casual play, although I've had a few 74's and 75's.