Handicaps

[DavidFehertysBike]

After reading another handicap thread here just a second ago.."how did you get to single digits" It came to me that handicaps may be a little more important to golfers that I give them credit for. I never took much stock in them so I dont have one. I just go out and play.

I am wondering what mine would be though. I shoot in the mid 70's most of the time, and I've broken par 3 times (but once off of winter tees) with a low score of -3 68 on a par 71. What would my general handicap be? I dont know much about how they work.

[Big_M]

go to this site and type in your past scores... it uses the same USGA formula in calculating, the only thing you need to do is adjust for equitable stroke control.

http://golf.sports.yahoo.com/tracker

Just for the record... I now use scorecard (the software that iacas developed) and it keeps handicap, anti-handicap, and countless other stats (greens, putts, fw, fw per left rough, ss, ud, etc.)

[DavidFehertysBike]

Oh thats neat, thanks.

[larlev]

  DavidFehertysBike said:

After reading another handicap thread here just a second ago.."how did you get to single digits" It came to me that handicaps may be a little more important to golfers that I give them credit for. I never took much stock in them so I dont have one. I just go out and play.

You must be joking.....How long have you been playing?

[DavidFehertysBike]

  larlev said:

You must be joking.....How long have you been playing?

3 years in June. When I played in my club championship last semtember i played as a 0 handicap and still did reasonably well in the championship flight, i finished 6th with a score of 148. Its the only tournament I play in so i never saw a reason to be concerned with a handicap..

[crom44]

Unless you are playing in handicap tournaments or in a league, your handicap basically means nothing. It is merely a tool used to level the playing field among golfers of various skill levels.

[g-funk13]

In terms of improvement, I think tracking a handicap can be very misleading. Software like Scorecard can be so much more helpful. Golf Digest Challenge was helpful to me as well.

By the way, good for you shooting in the 70's after 3 years! It sounds like your hdcp would be between 2 and 5.

[DavidFehertysBike]

  g-funk13 said:

In terms of improvement, I think tracking a handicap can be very misleading. Software like Scorecard can be so much more helpful. Golf Digest Challenge was helpful to me as well.

I dunno..just make your putts and you'll be amazed how low you shoot..I probably three putted less than 20 times total last season.

[meenman]

Finally got my handicap to where is it no longer just a local handicap. It dropped to 35.5 with todays update. The first time i hit a course was in september, so is it wrong to consider this a decent milestone?

[DavidFehertysBike]

  meenman said:

Finally got my handicap to where is it no longer just a local handicap. It dropped to 35.5 with todays update. The first time i hit a course was in september, so is it wrong to consider this a decent milestone?

I suppose. Anything can be a milestone if it makes you feel good about your game and feel that you're making progress..

[Shindig]

  meenman said:

Finally got my handicap to where is it no longer just a local handicap. It dropped to 35.5 with todays update. The first time i hit a course was in september, so is it wrong to consider this a decent milestone?

It's a very meaningful milestone. Congratulations.

[larlev]

  DavidFehertysBike said:

3 years in June. When I played in my club championship last semtember i played as a 0 handicap and still did reasonably well in the championship flight, i finished 6th with a score of 148. Its the only tournament I play in so i never saw a reason to be concerned with a handicap..

Damn that's not bad....It just seems odd in this day and age not to know ones HC that's all.

[larlev]

  g-funk13 said:

In terms of improvement, I think tracking a handicap can be very misleading. Software like Scorecard can be so much more helpful. Golf Digest Challenge was helpful to me as well.

I agree....I don't like the fact that you can take 2 20 HC players..one plays a harder course, one plays an easier course (which is rated by who knows who)

How can each course be measured without any bias. What if the people/person rating it has a bad day? I play with other so-called 20 HC's and usually we are 10-12 strokes apart at the end of the day.

[immts007]

I don't have a handicap either. The one in my profile is a 'guestimate' that is probably waaaaay off. I'd say 105-108 is my average score - although I just shot a 98 for the first time!!

I'm going to start seriously keeping track this season

[Wisco-Kid]

  immts007 said:

I don't have a handicap either. The one is my profile is a 'guestimate' that is probably waaaaay off. I'd say 105-108 is my average score - although I just shot a 98 for the first time!!

Is this the first time you broke 100? or the first time you shot 98? Either way congratulations! Good job!

[kregan]

Doesn't the slope and course rating even out the handicap numbers for each
course?

[immts007]

  Wisco-Kid said:

Is this the first time you broke 100? or the first time you shot 98? Either way congratulations! Good job!

Both!

Thanks See pics from my beautiful day in the 2008 Goals thread...

[marpr]

wow.

perhaps you should start playing comps.

if your as good as what you are saying after only 3 years of golf > watch out nationwide tour