Is Your Handicap Accurate?

[Groucho Valentine]

16 hours ago, xrayvizhen said:

A lot of people forget this basic fact: A handicap is designed to reflect a golfer's potential and not necessarily what they actually are. It does this by disregarding a player's higher scores until the number of those higher scores become a preponderance of the past twenty rounds and creep into their list of the best 10 rounds which are averaged, and then reduced by 4%.

I'm a statistics keeper for my local nine-hole golf league and often have to explain this to people who complain about their handicap not going up after they've had a particularly abysmal round. Most have a hard time getting it and walk away muttering to themselves.

There are folks who want to cheat and post their lousy rounds into the GHIN system while excluding their good ones so that their handicaps are artificially inflated. Those are the people you want to avoid if you're playing a money game. Then there are guys who want their egos inflated (and not their scores) and so post the good scores and forget about the bad ones. Then they can look themselves up online and get a charge out of seeing their 7.2 or whatever next to their name. Bottom line, the system isn't perfect but it's pretty good and hopefully will get better with the new World Handicap System coming in 2020. So don't get hung up on what your or anyone else's handicap is. Just play the game and have fun.

This is true. I tell people my handicap and they expect me to go out and shoot 65 or something. Which i might do. Ive shot a 66 this year. But the reality is i only break par a handful of times a year. I always hope those rounds come during tournaments, but they almost never do these days. 😡

Most of my rounds are actually in the mid-high 70s. I only play in gross tournaments so i don't have a need for a handicap other than entry requirments, my score is my score.  But i never understood the practice of deflating your handicap. It doesn't do you any good to do that at all. You're betting off sandbagging if you're looking to cheat the system. 

[RetiredOldMan]

15 minutes ago, Groucho Valentine said:

This is true. I tell people my handicap and they expect me to go out and shoot 65 or something. Which i might do. Ive shot a 66 this year. But the reality is i only break par a handful of times a year. I always hope those rounds come during tournaments, but they almost never do these days. 😡

Most of my rounds are actually in the mid-high 70s. I only play in gross tournaments so i don't have a need for a handicap other than entry requirments, my score is my score.  But i never understood the practice of deflating your handicap. It doesn't do you any good to do that at all. You're betting off sandbagging if you're looking to cheat the system. 

At 72, if I can shoot Bogey golf, I am delighted. 

I guess a lower handicap is because of "My Pride" rather than my ability. In all honesty, it is what it is. But it seems like for bragging rights, you would like to understate your handicap. 

This is the first time I ever established a handicap. I am somewhat new to the game because of not playing for so many years. 

And at 72, and soon to be 73 years old, the strength and stamina are basically gone. I am now forced to ride in a cart (I can still walk 18 but I get tired and my swing and accuracy suffers) , play from the seniors or ladies tees, and have to be satisfied with 230 yard drive sometimes. 

I can't reach some Par 3's without using a wood, can't lift it out of the tall grass and get any distance. 

However, what brought this discussion topic to my mind was I played a +10 handicap golfer the other day, from the white tees, and beat him. Granted, he was having a bad day and I was having a good day. He out drove me on every tee, but I managed to stay in the fairway and was on the green on the par 3's in one stroke. 

Unless I have a long par 4, I can usually get on in two strokes. (At least to the fringe of the green) My downfall is if I hit it out of bounds and get flustered and the whole that I am playing goes to pot. 😞 Then, it seems I have a hard time recovering because I don't have the strength and ability to recover. 

We watch these Pro's on T.V. make all these spectactular shots, watch the long drive contests, then watch dozens of You Tube videos that claim anyone can drive a ball 275 to 300 yards if you just do a certain thing or buy a certain club.

Well, I have tried several things, bought certain clubs, and followed certain programs. The final result is, if I can consistenly hit 275 to 300 yard drives, I will still probably lose if I flub my second shot or 3 putt a green. And I will guarentee I will lose if I hit my drive 230 yards flub my second shot, fall short on my 3rd shot and get on the green in 4 and 2 or 3 putt. 

Sorry for disgressing. 

I would just like my handicap to be an accurate reference to my playing ability and wish everyone felt the same way. 

I do try harder to do my best when playing a lower handicap golfer and consequently, play a little better by playing to higher standards. I can sometimes beat a 10 handicapper, but I definitely have to be having a good day to do so. 

My immediate goal this year is to break 80. I feel certain I can if the conditions are just right and I am on the top of my game that day. I think 82 is my personal best. 

I usually play 3 or 4 times a week and try to play all year. It just is frustrating to shoot an 84 and still have a +20 handicap. I just need to shoot more 84's and lower and get the handicap down. I know a higher handicap helps me win, but I just don't personally appreciate my handicap coming to my aide so that I win at a golf game. 

I like to win. Period!! However, I am coming to the realization that my age is affecting my play but my brain has not understood this up to the current time. It has become most frustrating. Just you wait, you young golfers. 😄 

Retired Old Man

 

[iacas]

1 hour ago, RetiredOldMan said:

I would just like my handicap to be an accurate reference to my playing ability and wish everyone felt the same way. 

That’s not what a handicap does though. Next year it’s going to count your 8 best of your last 20 rounds.

It measures your potential. Not your average ability.

[RetiredOldMan]

43 minutes ago, iacas said:

That’s not what a handicap does though. Next year it’s going to count your 8 best of your last 20 rounds.

It measures your potential. Not your average ability.

Thanks, I understand now. 

Retired Old Man

[Nail]

I suppose it does. I am down to 15.4 now, I had hoped at the start of the year to be lower by now but i still have too many bad shots. I won the club comp last weekend so dropped from 16.3 to 15.4, I think the new system over here will see a more drastic change than over in the US. I think most people over here will end up with a slightly higher handicap. Up to even 3 strokes higher I think, as it stands you get cut too much for one good round in competition

[Nail]

21 hours ago, iacas said:

That’s not what a handicap does though. Next year it’s going to count your 8 best of your last 20 rounds.

It measures your potential. Not your average ability.

Will the new system average 8 of the last 20 and still multiply by 0.96?

[dennyjones]

The final details haven't completely been announced but the multiplier will probably be eliminated.

Sandtrap thread

 

The R&A - World Handicap System features announced

---

World Handicap System announced

 

[Lihu]

2 hours ago, Nail said:

Will the new system average 8 of the last 20 and still multiply by 0.96?

 

2 hours ago, dennyjones said:

The final details haven't completely been announced but the multiplier will probably be eliminated.

Sandtrap thread

 

The R&A - World Handicap System features announced

---

World Handicap System announced

 

Makes sense...

[iacas]

10 hours ago, Nail said:

Will the new system average 8 of the last 20 and still multiply by 0.96?

No.

[Buckeyebowman]

On 10/2/2019 at 10:05 AM, dennyjones said:

Sounds like they have inflated egos.   If you want to get them to be realistic, make sure they give you the 13 strokes between yours and theirs.   I bet they balk at that idea.   

I bet they say they drive the ball 300 yards on average too.

Bingo! I wondered if their handicaps are official, and if they're reporting honest scores. Ego knows no bounds. Up until a couple of years ago when I convinced him otherwise, my buddy insisted he was driving the ball 260-270. On a 390 yard par 4 he said, "Nailed it!" after hitting his drive. On the cart ride out, I asked him what he thought he hit that one. He said, "Oh, about 260." 

By this time he was equipped with a shiny, new Garmin GPS watch that told him he had 170 in. I said, "This hole is 390. If you hit your drive 260, you should have 130 in. You have 170 in. That means you hit your drive 220! No wonder playing from the whites has become such a slugfest for both of us. I think it's time we moved up." We did, and are much happier for it.

[Double Mocha Man]

Well, it looked like a 270 yard drive!

[gjunkie57]

No.  I just started tracking my handicap on an app and will update it on the website when I have more scores entered.  It’s not official but more accurate than me telling someone I shoot about bogey. 

1 hour ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Well, it looked like a 270 yard drive!

I am always dejected to find my ‘270 yd’ drive next to the 150 marker on a 340 yd par 4.  

[Killa]

15 hours ago, Nail said:

I suppose it does. I am down to 15.4 now, I had hoped at the start of the year to be lower by now but i still have too many bad shots. I won the club comp last weekend so dropped from 16.3 to 15.4, I think the new system over here will see a more drastic change than over in the US. I think most people over here will end up with a slightly higher handicap. Up to even 3 strokes higher I think, as it stands you get cut too much for one good round in competition

Actually I think it will drop over here. Most people don’t play a lot of tournaments and so they don’t have a lot of scoring rounds. 

4 hours ago, Buckeyebowman said:

Bingo! I wondered if their handicaps are official, and if they're reporting honest scores. Ego knows no bounds. Up until a couple of years ago when I convinced him otherwise, my buddy insisted he was driving the ball 260-270. On a 390 yard par 4 he said, "Nailed it!" after hitting his drive. On the cart ride out, I asked him what he thought he hit that one. He said, "Oh, about 260." 

By this time he was equipped with a shiny, new Garmin GPS watch that told him he had 170 in. I said, "This hole is 390. If you hit your drive 260, you should have 130 in. You have 170 in. That means you hit your drive 220! No wonder playing from the whites has become such a slugfest for both of us. I think it's time we moved up." We did, and are much happier for it.

Well that’s not necessarily true.  If he hit the ball way left on a dogleg right hole he might as well elongated the hole for himself. On a straight hole that can’t be the case of course. 
 

These fancy GPS watches also have a mode where you press the button and it measures the distance from that point to whatever point you travel. So that gives you an accurate estimate of how long you actually hit it. 

[Nail]

12 hours ago, Killa said:

Actually I think it will drop over here. Most people don’t play a lot of tournaments and so they don’t have a lot of scoring rounds.

Well I can only go by myself when i average out my best 8 rounds of the last 20 it would see me as an 18.2 handicap, yet because of the better rounds I have been cut to 15.4 so I'm sure I'm not an anomaly

Edited October 6, 2019 by Nail

[jamo]

My USGA handicap is 2.9 right now, which is about right. I had a 2-3 week period around late August/early September (none of which are included in the calculation anyway), but otherwise I've been playing at about that level before and after. I've played pretty stinky in some CSGA tournament rounds this year but I had a great year in my men's league. 

[Thelonious_Funk]

After 10/1 revision my handicap is 6.1 and stand by the integrity of my scores and thus my handicap.  I play by the rules, play by the ball down at all times, putt everything out, and record all scores under ESC guidelines unless I specifically designate a round practice before the first tee.

If I had to critique myself:

Rules: I would say I do a B++ job following the rules - stroke and distance OB, understand hazard rules and relief, unplayable, don't ground club in bunkers, never improve lie, no mulligans or breakfast balls, measure drops with clubs when necessary and proper drop, etc.

Putt everything out: A - I putt everything out within reason.  Playing as a foursome on a crowded public course on Saturday and I hit my putt to with 6 inches - I'm picking it up.  When a guest at a club I try to be polite and pick up if my host insists.  My club buddy knows I like to putt everything out so he doesn't try and give me 3 foot gimmes, but if it's a foot-ish and he gives it to me I usually pick it up. 

Recording all scores: A - I've played 30ish times from April to May and recorded all scores except for 5 (1st round of the season 25% of the greens were under repair and holes were cut in fairways, 2nd round of the season was a mud fest in a heavy fog on a course I've never played before, 3rd round was another mud fest 4 of the holes were closed.  One round in July - just drove in to Hilton Head from Pennsylvania - within 10 minutes of pulling to the rental my wife said if you want to play golf go - so I rushed to some random course and played a practice round hitting multiple balls on each hole in anticipation of the 5 rounds I was scheduled to play that week.  Then a random "fun" round in August - I played 18 in the morning and was scheduled to play 18 more with a friend in afternoon.  Honestly just said to myself I don't feel like worrying about what I shoot this round just go have fun - ended up working perfectly as we had to jump around holes to avoid a mens league.

Playing the ball down: A+ - I never improve my lie.

Curious for other's thoughts on my adjusted handicap season. - I've declared to myself my handicap posting season is my birthday April 20 to my daughter's birthday September 29.  During that time frame the weather is nice, the courses are in decent shape and I'm in regular season mode - playing golf consistently, practicing in my basement and getting to the range.  My brother invited me to play this weekend.  Haven't played in a couple weeks, haven't been to the range in a month, haven't practiced drills at home a lot recently.  Not sure if I want to make an exception and call this a handicap round and committing to post good or bad or calling it a fun round and committing not to post good or bad.

[DaveP043]

40 minutes ago, Thelonious_Funk said:

Curious for other's thoughts on my adjusted handicap season. - I've declared to myself my handicap posting season is my birthday April 20 to my daughter's birthday September 29.  During that time frame the weather is nice, the courses are in decent shape and I'm in regular season mode - playing golf consistently, practicing in my basement and getting to the range.  My brother invited me to play this weekend.  Haven't played in a couple weeks, haven't been to the range in a month, haven't practiced drills at home a lot recently.  Not sure if I want to make an exception and call this a handicap round and committing to post good or bad or calling it a fun round and committing not to post good or bad.

If you say your handicap is 100% accurate per the rules, I expect you would also follow the rules as to the posting season in your state.  If you don't, if you're choosing NOT to follow those particular rules, then you're not doing the right thing.  You don't say where you live, but you're not supposed to choose which rules to follow, and which rules to break.

[Double Mocha Man]

57 minutes ago, Thelonious_Funk said:

Playing the ball down: A+ - I never improve my lie.

Curious for other's thoughts on my adjusted handicap season. - I've declared to myself my handicap posting season is my birthday April 20 to my daughter's birthday September 29.  

Hey Thelonious... I have found that when I play the ball down I focus more and hit crisper shots with more backspin.  And score lower.  Still, when winter rules are in effect, I find myself fluffing the ball up.

Your state golf association determines your posting golf season.  Neither mud, nor rain, nor sleet, nor snow of night can stay you from your appointed need to play by the rules when you are in season.  On the other hand, if you play by yourself or declare your round a practice round (before you tee off) then my understanding is you don't need to nor should you post that score.  I once declared, in season, a round to be practice and nevertheless played by all the rules and shot a 69.  Guess what?  I didn't post that score.