Not in the spirit of the game!

[jamesbei]

I played in our second Kent League Match today, ( our local inter-club league) its better ball.

We turned up at the club, our team made up of handicaps 6,8,8,10,10,12, their junior organizer to be honest doesnt have a clue and says that it is full handicap difference, our junior organizer although we have always played it as 3/4 and foursomes is always off 3/4 doesnt know the rules and agrees.

Out come their team, 4 -28 handicapers a 24 and a 22 all aged 10 - 14, not only do i have to babysitt a 10 year old around the course but i have to give him and his partner 19 shots each. When he goes and bogeys the first (S.I 1) with two shots, i par it and lose! i felt like going home, fortunatley the last few holes were of reasonable length and we managed to get a half out of the game.

But surely it is not in the spirit of the game, to put a team of 28 - handicappers out in a league match, when you obviously have better players.

I was mighty P****d off at the end of the 4 and a half hour round,(most spent looking for their balls)

[glebert]

Frankly I've never understood the point of handicaps. I've never broken 90, but if I were to play in a tournament I would not accept any strokes. If someone is better than me and gets a better score, they win. If they play lousy and I have a great day maybe I win.

The only benefit I see of handicaps is for your own personal scorekeeping to equalize for different course difficulties. I guess for some guys there is a bragging rights thing, whatever.

[JimmyDoesGolf]

While I agree that they possibly should not have been playing, remember that you had that handicap once, and someone probably had to take the time to wait for you aswell. Handicaps serve a very valid purpose, to let everyone get some enjoyment out of the game. Without handicaps, the scratch player would almost always win, giving no one else any enjoyment or the excitement of potentially winning a tournament if they have a fantastic round.

[jamesbei]

Well the idea of a handicap, is so that people of all abilities can compete against each other. i was complaining about when the lower handicaped people are at a disadvantage.

[JimmyDoesGolf]

Disadvantage in terms of what? Sure you have to score lower per hole to win, but both you and the higher handicap players have to score equally low in comparison to the standard they are expected to play at (ie their handicap) to win. I hope that makes sense.

[jamesbei]

Disadvantage in terms of what? Sure you have to score lower per hole to win, but both you and the higher handicap players have to score equally low in comparison to the standard they are expected to play at (ie their handicap) to win. I hope that makes sense.

i was saying that to the post before you, but when i had that handicap i wasn't playing for the junior team.

[JaY_B]

I played in our second Kent League Match today, ( our local inter-club league) its better ball.

What club you playing at mate, If your a junior from kent I've probably played you in a match.

[Fourputt]

Frankly I've never understood the point of handicaps. I've never broken 90, but if I were to play in a tournament I would not accept any strokes. If someone is better than me and gets a better score, they win. If they play lousy and I have a great day maybe I win.

If you ever actually played in organized golf of any kind, you wouldn't make such a silly statement. My Men's Club has 250 players of all abilities. If you had to play straight up against the 1st flight, you'd get thoroughly discouraged very quickly. However, it wouldn't happen, because in order to compete in most clubs, you MUST have a handicap, even the best golfer I've ever known in the club had a 1 handicap. It's mandatory for eligibility to play in tournaments, and that is really the only reason for joining a players club. It will change the way you approach the game, makes it far more fun when there is something on the line.

This weekend I played in my home course's biggest annual tournament... my partner and I took 2nd in our flight. We played our best golf when we knew that we had to pick up a couple of strokes on the last few holes to be in contention. That sort of pressure usually brings out the best in my game, while in a casual round my game can can come and go without warning.

[glebert]

If you ever actually played in organized golf of any kind, you wouldn't make such a silly statement. My Men's Club has 250 players of all abilities. If you had to play straight up against the 1st flight, you'd get thoroughly discouraged very quickly. However, it wouldn't happen, because in order to compete in most clubs, you MUST have a handicap, even the best golfer I've ever known in the club had a 1 handicap. It's mandatory for eligibility to play in tournaments, and that is really the only reason for joining a players club. It will change the way you approach the game, makes it far more fun when there is something on the line.

Are there any other sports where the best score doesn't win? I can't think of one. I guess they are all silly too.

I think of it the way that we did when I did track and field. The other guys were in the same race, but really you were competing against yourself. Setting new PBs were considered more important than coming in 1st.

[Shindig]

Are there any other sports where the best score doesn't win? I can't think of one. I guess they are all silly too.

Systems similar to the handicap system are in effect in many other amateur sports. You've never started basketball against friends at anything other than 0-0? Or had baseball players against whom the pitcher had to pitch underhand? Or a football game where the count in order for defense to pass the line before a pass was different for each team, or even each quarterback?

[glebert]

Systems similar to the handicap system are in effect in many other amateur sports. You've never started basketball against friends at anything other than 0-0? Or had baseball players against whom the pitcher had to pitch underhand? Or a football game where the count in order for defense to pass the line before a pass was different for each team, or even each quarterback?

Nope, not that I can think of. It doesn't sound like the sort of thing you would do in a tournament, though.

[jamesbei]

What club you playing at mate, If your a junior from kent I've probably played you in a match.

I play at the Ridge in Maidstone.

[MrKadash]

It can be frustrating. Handicaps and giving strokes can be a pain, but it's none the less necessary. Last week I was giving a guy 7 strokes in league play (who normally shoots 48), and he shoots 42. I shoot 39 and lose -- oh well, that's the way it goes. It needs to be an integral part of competition in golf or else players of lesser ability wouldn't compete. Our rules are different, where a guy can't get more than one stroke a hole, but giving a stroke/hole is tough irregardless of his ability.

[Jack_2251]

Are there any other sports where the best score doesn't win? I can't think of one. I guess they are all silly too.

Incase you haven't noticed, most sports are graded so the better players verse better players and the lesser verse the lesser.

[chingali]

I don't mind giving strokes away, in fact if I did I probably wouldn't play at all because I've usually been the lowest marker or thereabouts at all of the different clubs I have been a member at over the years. At the end of the day you are playing against your handicap not against your opponent when it comes to strokeplay competition and it's still basically the same when it comes to matchplay. Sometimes I'll have a great day out and have a few under par which means I might win the days event, sometimes I have a lousy day out and shoot 80 but over time it all evens out.

To give an example, a few weeks ago I was beaten in a round of our clubs handicap matchplay championship by an 80 year old who can't hit the ball further than about 150 yards downhill downwind with a bit of run. I had to give him a shot on 13 holes and 2 shots on the other 5. I lost the match 2 and 1 after 3 putting the 17th but overall the match was very very close. I was three down a few times and got back to 1 down a few times and it was very competitive because of the handicap system. Without the handicap system I would have won after the 10th or eleventh but at the end of the day despite losing I had a great time playing against a nice old bloke and I reckon he would have had a great time beating me!

I can't complain about losing, after the 17th I was only 2 over par so that's about spot on for my handicap and he was about 23 over which was a couple better than his handicap so in relationship to our usual play he was having the better day so deserved to win.

If you have a problem playing in competition where the handicap system is being there is only one other option available to you, improve your play to a level where you can compete in scratch tournaments. Here in NSW Australia (similar in other states too) if you can get your handicap down to below 4 you can play in or try to qualify for a lot of state level events and compete in vardon average events http://www.nswga.com.au/files/XTRFQW...ure%20List.pdf . I have been fortunate enough to do this in the past and it was a lot of fun travelling around the state and playing events against players who can flog you stupid on any given day but for the vast majority of golfers the ability to compete in this type of event is something they are never able to achieve.

[jamesbei]

i dont mind giving a few strokes away, but i dont like giving both people 19 shots each.

[chingali]

i dont mind giving a few strokes away, but i dont like giving both people 19 shots each.

It's unfortunate but it happens. You basically have two choices, get out there and do your best or forfeit the match and don't play. I know that it might seem unfair and you may even consider that you are being penalised for being able to play better than the people you are giving 19 shots to but it is what it is so get on with it!

If anything your annoyance at having to give away so many shots might be a good thing for you, use it to spur you on towards getting down to scratch and then get out there and compete in open tournaments against others off scratch.

[hawkeye]

Unfortunately - this happens in Junior golf. Most kids haven't reached their full potential - I lost 11 shots in my first season, 8 the next. Sometimes you have to bite the bullet, suck it up - and play in scratch competitions against other Juniors - or even Seniors.

If you're playing off 8 you should be playing against players of same/better standard to improve your own game. In my club - they don't encourage good juniors like yourself. I've seen many of them get left behind, lose interest and give up golf.

My advice is to play more competitive competitions and use these matches against 28 h/c's as practice. Their day will come - if they can bogey and index 1 they will prob be down <20 by the end of the year.