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Posted
Each hole on the card is assigned a handicap. 1 being the hardest, 18 being the easiest. My question is, who assigns these handicaps?

Posted

Methinks it's the Joker from the Dark Knight movie.

The hardest hole on my home course...one that I either double or triple every freaking time is assigned as the number 9 handicap on the side....go figure.

It is an island green with only a narrow footpath connecting it to the rest of known civilization. The white tee routinely plays 150-175yards with wind usually a factor. This hole is rated number 9....menacing @$##%^ that it is. No way this rating is legit.



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Posted
The handicap hole numbers are not necessarily in order of difficulty, but are supposed to the holes that players are more likely to need the extra handicap stroke. Yea, I know it's symantics, but that's how they are assigned. They are assigned by the USGA.

On a lot of courses I look at those assignments and wonder how come up with those because quite often the hole I consider to be the hardest is somewhere in the middle. I think it's because for a scratch or better player a hole may be easier to get par (or better), whereas for the non-scratch player that same hole may have some element that makes it more difficult to post good score. To use Dub's example of the island green, that hole probably plays difficult for everyone, scratch or not, so the difference in average score may not be as great as on a difficult par 4 or 5, where the average golfer will have more 'opportunities' to screw up (as I like to say).

I seldom see #1 handicap holes as Par 3's. Lower handicap holes seem to be Par 4's a lot of the time and higher handicap holes seem to be shorter Par 5's or short Par 4's.
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Posted
Okay...that does make a bit more sense....a hole like that is a monster for any level golfer...the pain is evenly distributed...no strokes given between skill levels.
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Studio Select Newport 2 Mid SlantGrips: PING cords & Golf Pride New Decade Multi-Coumpound Bag: C-130...

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Posted
  PiKapp23 said:
The handicap hole numbers are not necessarily in order of difficulty, but are supposed to the holes that players are more likely to need the extra handicap stroke. Yea, I know it's symantics, but that's how they are assigned. They are assigned by the USGA.

Not necessarily the USGA, but some organization linked to the USGA - a local organization like the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association, etc. They're like the local branch of the USGA, sort of... kinda...

Anyway, technically they should be determined mathematically. A course submits about 250 (IIRC) scorecards ranging in score and the USGA (or the local group) crunches the numbers, then determines where strokes should be assigned. If that's not available, it goes by the course rating people - the holes with the largest differentials in their "toughness." Since par threes are only one full shot, there's less chance of them being "tough" while par fives give the bogey golfer four chances to be "tough" (three to reach the green, one on the green).

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Posted
I keep a spreadsheet showing my personal hole handicap (average strokes over par for each hole) and the actual S.I.

I find the #1 rated hole at my regular course is my hardest too. The majority are closely matched (within four) but some of them are as high as 12 apart!

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Posted
I have seen hole handicaps assigned strictly by yardage at some courses.

The longest hole is assigned the #1 and the shortest #18.

Keep in mind though, that the 1st hardest hole and the 2nd hardest hole USUALLY are NOT on the same nine.

Posted

i know for a fact that at my course they assigned it during a country wide professional 72 hole composition. They took an average of where they scored worst and assigned the hole ratings according to that. So that why hard holes for them seem easier to me and why par 3s are easy for them and hard me me

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Posted
I think hole handicaps are a stoooopid thing to put on a scorecard. They just play psychological games with players. I know personally that if I am playing a hole and see it rated as the hardest, I'll change my normally agressive game plan and get more conservative, which almost always ends badly for me. Likewise, if I see that a hole is rated as easy, I'll get right choked at myself if I don't birdie it. I know I should control my thought patterns a little better, but I still think hole handicaps shouldn't even exist.

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Posted
  kyldo said:
I think hole handicaps are a stoooopid thing to put on a scorecard. They just play psychological games with players. I know personally that if I am playing a hole and see it rated as the hardest, I'll change my normally agressive game plan and get more conservative, which almost always ends badly for me. Likewise, if I see that a hole is rated as easy, I'll get right choked at myself if I don't birdie it. I know I should control my thought patterns a little better, but I still think hole handicaps shouldn't even exist.

What if you are playing a match against someone with a different handicap from you, or playing stableford, and don't have a handicap of 0 or 18?


Posted
  Surefire said:
What if you are playing a match against someone with a different handicap from you, or playing stableford, and don't have a handicap of 0 or 18?

In my "handicap" golf league, we NEED those hole handicaps, because that is how we know who gives and gets strokes on each hole.

What I don't understand is why I have to give a higher handicap person a stroke (and sometimes 2) on the hardest hole on the course!?!?! It's the HARDEST hole, shouldn't I get a stroke TOO!?!??

Posted
I am in the process of redetermining the hole handicaps at my course for our men's club. It's not a simple explanation. There are many factors in it and none of them have to do with what is the "hardest" hole on the course. It has to do with fairness in matches. Here is the first section, the whole thing can be found in section 17 of the USGA handicap manual.

Section 17 ALLOCATION OF HANDICAP STROKES

Definitions

Within each section, all defined terms are in italics and are listed alphabetically in Section 2 - Definitions.

17-1. Discretion of Committee
The following procedure is recommended for allocating handicap strokes. The procedure is not mandatory because it has minimal effect on handicaps. Good judgment is of prime importance because no formula can cover conditions on every golf course. The Handicap Committee should review the course hole by hole, bearing in mind that the basic principle is to equalize the abilities of players at different handicap levels. Men's and women's stroke allocations will usually be different because their need to equalize holes will come on different holes. Common sense will dictate how closely the recommendations may be followed. A handicap stroke should be an equalizer and should be available on a hole where it most likely will be needed by the higher-handicapped player to obtain a half in singles or four-ball match play. Difficulty in making par on a hole is not an effective indicator of the need for a stroke.

In allocating the order of handicap strokes to the 18 holes of a golf course, consideration should be given to the likelihood of the strokes being equalizers rather than winning strokes. To accomplish this objective, the following guidelines are recommended:

a. Basis of Allocation

Allocate strokes based on play of the course from the tee markers used most often by the majority of club members.

Allocate the first stroke to the hole on the first nine on which the higher-handicapped player most needs a stroke as an equalizer and the second stroke to the hole on the second nine on which the higher-handicapped player most needs a stroke as an equalizer. Alternate in this manner for the full 18 holes.

Generally the longer the hole, the greater the need for the higher-handicapped player to receive a stroke.

b. Distribution of Strokes

(i) Odd Strokes/Even Strokes
The USGA recommends that the odd-numbered strokes be assigned to the holes on the first nine and the even-numbered strokes to the holes on the second nine.
This format equalizes, as nearly as possible, the distribution of handicap strokes over the entire 18 holes, and makes matches more equitable. In a case where the second nine is decidedly more difficult than the first nine, consideration should be given to allocating odd-numbered strokes to the second nine.

(ii) Importance of Low Strokes
The first handicap stroke should be allocated so that this stroke is most useful in matches between players of almost equal ability, such as matches involving players with a Course Handicap of 0 and 1, 10 and 11, or 29 and 30. In such matches, the first handicap stroke will be of the greatest importance as an equalizer to the player receiving the stroke.

In allocating the second handicap stroke, matches between players having a slightly greater difference in Course Handicap should be given the most consideration, such as matches involving players with a Course Handicap of 0 and 2, 10 and 12, or 29 and 31. This process should be continued until the first six strokes have been assigned.

Without substantially deviating from the above principles, allocating low-numbered strokes to holes near the end of each nine should be avoided so that players receiving strokes will have the opportunity to use these strokes before either nine or 18-hole matches are decided. Lower-numbered strokes should not be allocated to the first and second holes of a course in the event that a hole-by-hole playoff is necessary.

http://www.usga.org/playing/handicap...al/manual.html

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Posted


If that is the #9 handicap, the #1 handicap hole must be a doozy.

My swing thoughts:

- Negative thinking hurts more than negative swinging.
- I let my swing balance me.
- Full extension back and through to the target. - I swing under not around my body. - My club must not twist in my swing. - Keep a soft left knee


Posted
i always accidentally ignore handicaps until after the fact. but it does seem pretty random to me for the most part... however it does make me feel extra good about myself when i par a hole and look down to see its the #2 handicap.

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