Keeping Handicap

[wrx_junki]

Was wondering if you guys record every round you guys play in order to keep your handicap. I play a lot of practice rounds where I don't keep score and don't finish. Should I be keeping score during the practice rounds? I scored my lowest on a par 67 with a 18 over last week and my handicap became 20.6 then I scored another low at the same course this week with a 11 over and the handicap became 13.6.

[klaymon]

The only time I consider it a practice round is if I play multiple balls from one location to work on something. Basically, if your round was played by USGA rules, you need to record it and submit it on your handicap.

As far as not finishing, 13 holes constitutes a complete round for handicap purposes.

[Shindig]

  wrx_junki said:

Was wondering if you guys record every round you guys play in order to keep your handicap. I play a lot of practice rounds where I don't keep score and don't finish. Should I be keeping score during the practice rounds? I scored my lowest on a par 67 with a 18 over last week and my handicap became 20.6 then I scored another low at the same course this week with a 11 over and the handicap became 13.6.

Every time I play, I keep score and I report it for my handicap. There are ways to report a full or partial score if you don't finish, depending on how many holes you finish. I have to look up the rules for it, since I rarely end up in that situation, but there are people here who can easily walk you through it if you want.

[Dent]

The other day I was playing a par 69 course and shot 73, but I took a bunch of mulligans so it cannot be counted toward your handicap. It was more of a practise round.

I think to post a score you need to finish at least 15 holes.

[klaymon]

  Dent said:

I think to post a score you need to finish at least 15 holes.

Per USGA:

POSTING YOUR SCORE • Post scores from home and away courses. • Post scores in all forms of play; match play, stroke play, even team competitions in which you are requested to pick up. • Post your score when you play at least 13 holes out of 18 holes or at least 7 out of 9 holes. On the holes you didn’t play, record a par plus any handicap strokes you would have received. • Post a score if you play two nines even if it’s the same nine, or nines from different days. Simply combine the nines into an 18-hole score. Add each nine-hole Course Rating™ together and average the Slope Rating. • Post scores played in an area observing an active season even when your home club is in an inactive season. Do Not Post These Scores • If you played fewer than 7 holes. • When you play in a competition limiting the types of clubs used, such as a one-club or irons-only tournament. • When an 18-hole course is less than 3,000 yards. When a majority of the holes aren’t played under the Rules of Golf, as in a “scramble.” • Do not post scores made in an area observing an inactive season.

[cdak]

i wish we had USGA regulations over here...only rounds we count for handicap purposes are those in competions, which basically means you have to pay for the privelege of a chance to lower your handicap in the form of entry fees!

[klaymon]

Yeah, but your method stops sandbagging. Over here, we deal with people that only report high scores or inflate their scores to keep the handicap running high, then they play their A-game in tournaments and clean up.

[cdak]

in theory, but there's still nothing stopping players from not playing many tournaments and then cleaning up at the big ones. Sandbaggers and bandits are a tough crowd to thwart! for many genuine players over here handicaps simply aren't accurate because there's not enough data to go on as most of our rounds don't influence our handicap. there are arguments for both methods of course though...

[mhays26]

  klaymon said:

Per USGA:

OK, can someone clarify this for me, up until now I have only been playing 9 if I did not have time to get in the full 18. As I read this, does this mean that I take par plus, for anything over my handicap. This is tough to explain, going to attempt a scenario. I finish only 17 holes, my course handicap is 12, coincidentally, the 18th hole is the 11 handicap on the course and is a par 4. Would I card a 5, or a 3? I guess it is the part that reads "plus any handicap strokes" that throws me off.

Matt

[RemyM]

  mhays26 said:

OK, can someone clarify this for me, up until now I have only been playing 9 if I did not have time to get in the full 18. As I read this, does this mean that I take par plus, for anything over my handicap. This is tough to explain, going to attempt a scenario. I finish only 17 holes, my course handicap is 12, coincidentally, the 18th hole is the 11 handicap on the course and is a par 4. Would I card a 5, or a 3? I guess it is the part that reads "plus any handicap strokes" that throws me off.

You would record a 5. Par plus the handicap stroke you would receive on that hole. If that hole was the 13 handicap hole or higher you would record par.

[mhays26]

  RemyM said:

You would record a 5. Par plus the handicap stroke you would receive on that hole. If that hole was the 13 handicap hole or higher you would record par.

Thanks man. That seemed to be what I thought, but something about the wording had me thrown.

[KW2]

What are some websites that will track and calculate your handicap. I am new to golf but I want to start tracking my handicap right away.

[TheThein11]

This is a nice one that I use and it free.

http://www.oobgolf.com/

[MrSandman]

  KW2 said:

What are some websites that will track and calculate your handicap. I am new to golf but I want to start tracking my handicap right away.

Just go to a local course or range that offers a GHIN Handicap and pay the $35 for the card. You're going to need the official GHIN card if you want to play tournaments and such anyway, so why bother using one of those computer programs?

The offseason stuff got me this year. I'm not used to playing in the winter, but I played a lot this December/January/Feb at a winter rules course, but offseason. Couldn't really put, ball would only travel about 75% of normal distance. Posted a bunch of 90's from that time and saw my handicap take a nice jump. Had no idea that off season rounds were not supposed to be posted. They are out of the system now, but it was a mistake on my part.