Handicap question

[Voiceontapex]

something I havent quite been taught, is there a certain way to use handicaps while keeping score? or do you just minus it from the end? and on score cards the handicap numbers 1-18 what exactly do they mean and do you use them to with your handicap number?

[Dent]

something I havent quite been taught, is there a certain way to use handicaps while keeping score? or do you just minus it from the end? and on score cards the handicap numbers 1-18 what exactly do they mean and do you use them to with your handicap number?

The handicaps are the ratings of that hole on the course: 1 being the hardest. They are also used to give an advantage to you if you are a higher handicap than the opponent.

For example, if you are playing a scratch player, you would be given strokes to give you a fair chance at winning depending on the handicap of the hole. I'm sure someone can give a better example.

[Voiceontapex]

ok well do you use your handicap to keep score during play? or do you take strokes off at the end, and do the ratings correspond at ALL to strokes given?

[Dent]

Theres more info here:

http://thesandtrap.com/extras/rules/whats_your_handicap this explains a little bit of it: So im not totally sure but I think you assess the strokes during the round.

"Say you've computed your handicap index to be 10.9. You're playing your buddy, who has a handicap index of 21.6. You consult the course at which you'll be playing to find that their slope rating provides you with 11 handicap strokes and your friend with 23: you owe your friend 12 strokes. The score card most likely has a row marked "Hdcp" with numbers ranging from 1 to 18. Your friend is given one stroke apiece on holes with the handicap of 1 through 12. The #1 handicap hole is supposed to be the toughest on the course, and the #18 handicap hole the easiest. Because par fives offer more chances to "screw up" and because par threes offer less, par threes often occupy slots 15 through 18 while par fives often take up 1 through 4."

[Harry Longshanks]

ok well do you use your handicap to keep score during play? or do you take strokes off at the end, and do the ratings correspond at ALL to strokes given?

Yes, you use your course handicap to to determine how many strokes you get on a particular hole.

course handicap = handicap index * slope rating /113 for example, if your handicap is 36.4 and the slope rating for the tees you are playing is 122, then your course handicap would be 39. The scorecard of the course rates the holes from hardest (1) to easiest (18) to let you know where to apply your handicap strokes. Apply your course handicap in order of the holes from hardest to easiest. For example, if your course handicap is 4, then you get one stroke on hole 1, one stroke on hole 2, one stroke on hole 3, one stroke on hole 4, and no other strokes. If your course handicap is greater than 18, then you start over. For example, if your course handicap is 19, then you get 2 strokes on the hardest hole, and 1 stroke on the other 17 holes.

[Voiceontapex]

ooooo ok gotcha tha helps alot, Ive always asked people but they couldnt give me a proper explanation, I plan on playing in a league next season and wanted to understand how it worked before hand lol thanks alot guys it makes complete sense to me now

[Harry Longshanks]

ooooo ok gotcha tha helps alot, Ive always asked people but they couldnt give me a proper explanation, I plan on playing in a league next season and wanted to understand how it worked before hand lol thanks alot guys it makes complete sense to me now

No worries. The reason people couldn't explain it to you is because (in my experience), very few people actually understand how to use it correctly.

Now just make sure you understand Equitable Stroke Control and you'll be good to go.

[sacm3bill]

The #1 handicap hole is supposed to be the toughest on the course, and the #18 handicap hole the easiest.

FYI, not necessarily. See this thread:

http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12465 , in which iacas points out:

That's incorrect, though it's commonly believed.

Also:

Because par fives offer more chances to "screw up" and because par threes offer less, par threes often occupy slots 15 through 18 while par fives often take up 1 through 4.

Hmm, that may be true in general but it's not the case at any of the courses I regularly play. Par 3s can be particularly well-guarded and/or long, increasing their difficulty. Also, while par 5s do give you more chances to screw up, they also give you more chances for saves: With par 3s you only have one chance for a good full stroke, whereas with par 5s you can have 2 crappy shots and make up for it with one good one. In fact I tend to play par 5s better than par 4s (as long as they aren't crazy long), because my approach shots to the green on the par 5s are usually shorter.

- Bill

[iacas]

FYI, not necessarily.

You're aware that I'm the one who wrote "generally the hardest" and "more chances to screw up" and all that, right?

Those are, as you said, generalizations. Yes, generally, the par threes are 15-18 and the par fives are 1-4. Or they're close. But really, truly, deeply, if a course has done a proper, thorough evaluation (which includes submitting something like 200+ scorecards from players of a wide variety of skill levels), then the handicap assignments are quite literally a method of assigning strokes where they're needed most. A lot of courses "cheap out" and assign strokes to the par fives first, then the hard par fours, medium, easy, and the par threes. They're generally pretty close to correct. But yeah, technically, it's done via analyzing scorecards to see where higher handicap players need strokes most.

Par 3s can be particularly well-guarded and/or long, increasing their difficulty. Also, while par 5s do give you more chances to screw up, they also give you more chances for saves: With par 3s you only have one chance for a good full stroke, whereas with par 5s you can have 2 crappy shots and make up for it with one good one.

Another general rule, this one of my own devising:

Handicap = 10: Par fives give you more opportunity to screw up. The lower your handicap, the more you like par fives. If you're an 18, you tend to prefer par threes, because you only really have to make one good swing. On a par five, you've gotta make three good swings, and odds are one of them won't be pretty. Bill, if you're a 23, you're the exception that proves the rule.

[MellowYellow]

wow, i was JUST about to post about this today, I knew that it was supposed to mean 1 = hardest and 18 = easiest, but I was confused since i know when watching the PGA they always do great on par 5s and the shorter holes often are trouble.

The fact that it isnt the EASIEST but easier or hrader based on where higher handicaps need more help makes a lot more sense.

Overall though... a person COULD just subtract their handicap at the end and come up with the same results right? It would just be signifcant if you were playing match play to take them off the correct holes when competing?

[sacm3bill]

You're aware that I'm the one who wrote "generally the hardest" and "more chances to screw up" and all that, right?

Yes, not sure why that's relevant though - just sharing my opinions in response. Note that we're talking about 2 different issues here - what determines a hole's handicap number (we agree it's not necessarily the difficulty of the hole), and relative difficulty of par3s vs par 5s (not sure I agree that the par5s are inherently more difficult, at least not in my experience).

Bill, if you're a 23, you're the exception that proves the rule.

It could just be the courses I play have shorter par 5s than average.