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“Single Digit”

bkuehn1952

Entry posted by bkuehn1952

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It seems like most serious golfers, at one time or another, want to be “single digit” players.  Of course, once one has achieved that status it becomes a fight to be a low “single digit”, then scratch, then plus...

One problem with this progression is we can’t even truly agree as to what “single digit” means.  I read a post where a player was quite elated to have reached an index of 9.9 and now felt he was a “single digit” golfer.  Another poster quickly added that 9.4 needed to be achieved as that produced “9” when rounded off.  In fact, 9.4 does indeed produce a “9” when placed into the course handicap conversion table for a set of tees slope-rated 113.  Another person offered up the idea that one did not achieve “single digit” status unless it was based on the slope from the tips of one’s home course.  Personally that is too variable for my taste but if one wanted to create a lofty standard, use a slope of 155, which would require a 6.9 index.

Then there is the issue of longevity.  Can someone who achieved 9.9 (or 9.4 or 6.9) for just a brief time period use the title of “single digit”?  My inclination is that one should have an index under 10.0 for an extended period of time, say 6-9 months or so.  Just as 15 seconds of fame does not make one famous, 15 days of “single digits” does not make one a “single digit” golfer.

My quest for “single digit” status started in the 1980’s.  Slope had not been introduced in Michigan at that time so one was a “single digit” when the handicap sticker said “9”.  My first handicap was around 16 or 17.  I became fixated on playing and recording scores.  One had to wait a bit after the 1st of each month to allow for the handicaps to be calculated and the sheets of stickers to be mailed to the course.   About the 7th of each month, I would head over to the course to claim my handicap sticker.  We all had a credit card-sized plastic holder on which one placed the sticker over the prior month’s sticker.  For me, the start of each month was exciting.  It was like Christmas or the first day of exams depending on whether the “16” dropped to “15” or surged upward to “18.”

With the growth in the use of the internet for handicapping, the handicap sheet and sticker system is long gone, save for perhaps a few private clubs.  By 1990, the simple “12” had been replaced by “12.2”.  I kept working at lowering the number and eventually I hit 9.9 or 9.4, and immediately wanted to be lower.  In my quest for a lower and lower index I resorted to fudging the numbers.  Various rules issues were often skipped over in my effort to produce a lower index.  A casual effort would be made at the 3½ foot putt; if it went in, all was good and if it didn’t, well I hadn’t really tried so let’s call it good.  Breakfast ball on the first tee?  Of course!  Eventually I became a vanity handicapper.  It was the rare day when I could even come within a stroke or two of shooting my handicap.

Eventually it became clear to me I was a “10” posing as a “6”.  I stopped manipulating the data and adhered (mostly) to the Rules.  My handicap index is not a badge of honor; it is just a number that somewhat reflects how I played in the past month or so.  My golf life is a lot simpler as a former vanity handicapper. ;-)

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Jeff Potts

I hear ya, I bounce back and forth with my cheating 8 at our home course in which we roll the ball and give 2 footers, any nicer clubs or resort course I'll take a 85 and run, prolly more of a 13 than an 8

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Lihu

I kind of agree with the OP, that a 9 isn't really a single digit player, unless he possessed the set of skills that a true single digit player does. My handicap is about 9.2, but that's because I combined 9 hole rounds with things like 39s on a relatively easy course with 43s on a longer course. They are, in addition to that "manipulation", my home courses. If I play any random course, I would likely shoot in the mid to high 80s. If I played a 155 slope course (e.g., 7500+ yards at sea level with Stimp 12 or higher greens), I would likely shoot in the 90s or higher.

What I consider a true single digit player is someone with a sub 7 index, and can tackle a random 155 course with a score below 80 once in a few rounds.

9 to 12 I would put into the mid-capper category and 13 to 22 would be in the bogey category. Unless that 9 was a really good player having a slew of bad scores, in which case that golfer would just be a single digit having a bad series of rounds and an inflated handicap.

A true low single digit player would be someone who could pass the PAT test for a PGA certified instructor on a good day.

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b101
2 hours ago, Lihu said:

9 isn't really a single digit player,

How? 9 is a single digit, therefore a single digit player. Doesn't matter whether it's 1 or 9...

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iacas
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1 minute ago, b101 said:

How? 9 is a single digit, therefore a single digit player. Doesn't matter whether it's 1 or 9...

Agree. 9 is single digits.

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Dave2512

I'd say you're there when your handicap is sub 10 for long enough it survives a couple revisions and trends down or stays under 10. If you are playing it straight I suppose would be the qualifier.

One thing I've learned being sub 10 for three years now is it's not worth sweating random high rounds because it evens out. The worst that can happen is it pushes the oldest ten best differential out when it the 21st of your last 21 and the trend adjusts by whatever the 11th best coming in is. Only once did I see significant movement from that but it was slight around half a point. Before the next update I played well enough for every score I posted to be equal to or better than the upper range of my ten best. Anyone that plays a lot experiences a little trend variance.

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Jeremie Boop

I am semi-fixated on getting to single digit HC range, only because I've been told I have the potential to reach that. I do not have any illusions of ever getting to low or scratch hc range though. That would require a lot more dedication and practice than I would probably be able to put in. Either way, even though it's still my goal to get into the single digits, I'm not letting it become something that causes me frustration like I used to. I see progress in more pars, birdies, and occassional eagle when playing, and know that as those scores become more frequent the natural result will be a lowering of my index.

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kpaulhus
On 4/10/2016 at 2:46 PM, Lihu said:

What I consider a true single digit player is someone with a sub 7 index, and can tackle a random 155 course with a score below 80 once in a few rounds.

As a former 7 index, you don't break 80 on a 133 slope often, let alone a 155.

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Lihu
7 minutes ago, kpaulhus said:

As a former 7 index, you don't break 80 on a 133 slope often, let alone a 155.

Agree, that would be around a 2 wouldn't it?. . .

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iacas
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1 minute ago, Lihu said:

Agree, that would be a 2 wouldn't it?. . .

What?

Seriously, huh?

This is known math. Simple math. C'mon, @Lihu. Get it together.

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kpaulhus
5 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Agree, that would be around a 2 wouldn't it?. . .

Right, but even if a 5 handicapper played a 155 course, they wouldn't break 80 often.

I played with a scratch golfer (0.7) and he shot 82 from the tips at Bethpage Black with me. Have you played a 155 slope before? It is insanely difficult than a normal course. It really puts things into perspective when you see the pro's shooting in the 60's on a golf course that is that hard.

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No Mulligans
On 4/10/2016 at 0:46 PM, Lihu said:

I kind of agree with the OP, that a 9 isn't really a single digit player

That begs the question:

9, how many digits is it? ;-)

Maybe something got lost in translation.

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Golfingdad
On 4/10/2016 at 0:46 PM, Lihu said:

What I consider a true single digit player is someone with a sub 7 index, and can tackle a random 155 course with a score below 80 once in a few rounds.

I'm not sure you realize what you're saying here.  There are very few courses out there with 155 slopes.  Even PGA West Stadium course is "only" 150 (along with a 76.1 rating).  Even using just that, if you shot 79, then that is a 2.1 differential for 1/4 of your rounds.  If you can do that, then you're going to be a heck of a lot lower than just sub 7.

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Lihu
24 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

I'm not sure you realize what you're saying here.  There are very few courses out there with 155 slopes.  Even PGA West Stadium course is "only" 150 (along with a 76.1 rating).  Even using just that, if you shot 79, then that is a 2.1 differential for 1/4 of your rounds.  If you can do that, then you're going to be a heck of a lot lower than just sub 7.

Sure, I would likely have trouble breaking 100 on such a course, but as a roughly 12 I did manage a 98 or 99 last year. I didn't track the score myself, and it seemed like there were many more strokes involved but I guess it was scored as a 98 or 99?. . .

 

30 minutes ago, kpaulhus said:

Right, but even if a 5 handicapper played a 155 course, they wouldn't break 80 often.

I played with a scratch golfer (0.7) and he shot 82 from the tips at Bethpage Black with me. Have you played a 155 slope before? It is insanely difficult than a normal course. It really puts things into perspective when you see the pro's shooting in the 60's on a golf course that is that hard.

I have not played one recently, but did attempt to play the tips of a very difficult course in China last year. Even with someone telling me what to use and where to hit it was unbelievably hard. I am hoping to play Mission Hills Norman sometime later this or next month with my boss's colleague.

 

34 minutes ago, iacas said:

What?

Seriously, huh?

This is known math. Simple math. C'mon, @Lihu. Get it together.

Obviously, I use GHIN and Game Golf to calculated everything for me, so I'll readily admit to being wrong.

However, I did at least attempt to do the "simple" math and got the same results as @Golfingdad

"Handicap estimate" based upon one round for a roughly 76 CR based upon the 155 slope = [79-76]*113/155*0.96 is about 2.

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Lihu
31 minutes ago, JetFan1983 said:

This a thousand times over. 

You erased what Erik wrote for me to get something together? So, what specifically are you stating I need to get together a thousand times over?

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iacas
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22 minutes ago, Lihu said:

You erased what Erik wrote for me to get something together? So, what specifically are you stating I need to get together a thousand times over?

He didn't erase anything. Single digits = < 10.

What does a 155 sloped course have to do with anything?

You also said:

On April 10, 2016 at 3:46 PM, Lihu said:

What I consider a true single digit player is someone with a sub 7 index, and can tackle a random 155 course with a score below 80 once in a few rounds.

  1. An 8 is a single digit handicapper. So is a 9. By definition.
  2. A 155 rated course is a 2.1 index differential. That means a 2.1 index golfer will only break 80 on that type of course about 20% of the time. Your math is way, way off.
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Lihu
3 minutes ago, iacas said:

He didn't erase anything. Single digits = < 10.

What does a 155 sloped course have to do with anything?

You also said:

  1. An 8 is a single digit handicapper. So is a 9. By definition.
  2. A 155 rated course is a 2.1 index differential. That means a 2.1 index golfer will only break 80 on that type of course about 20% of the time. Your math is way, way off.

Agree with the rest that is not bold.

Okay, I get it now. Thanks for explaining the bold part.

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