Hacker or Player

[Guinness23]

How about somebody who knows the etiquette of the game and can get around in under 100 strokes regularly, and maybe 4.5 hours or less. If your passionaite about the game and know how to not be a nuisance on the course, that pretty much works for me.

[Aetsh]

I have fun when I go out, and that is all that really matters to me.

However, I am getting close to breaking 100

[Fourputt]

And still the same trend. Single digit handicappers don't want to be associated with us 10+ handicap hackers. I'm willing to give the dedicated 20 capper the nod, but they won't even let me into their elite fraternity, regardless of the fact that I shoot a half dozen or more scores a year in the 70's.

Too bad when your only measure of worth is how low you score on a golf course. No consideration for effort or intent... just how low can you go.

[RocktimusPryme]

I would say its your level of dedication to the game. I consider myself a player, though I only have one round in the 70s. But I eat sleep and breathe the game. Ive been playing less than 2 years, Ill be a single digit soon enough.

[bsnone]

I guess I would consider a player someone who can play all the shots the game requires. High draw, low fade, whatever the shot calls for. A player can pick up and dictate where the ball is going to go and can play top of the line professional equipment.

Now a hacker is someone who slows down the game, can't break 100, and makes excuses day in and day out (re, my boss...) as to why they can't play to their potential.

The rest of us are golf enthusiasts? I would never consider myself a player but I'm really happy shooting in the 80's. I don't slow down play, I hit the range once a week and try to play 27 holes a week. I'll probably never be a scratch golfer but I like to think I am far from a hacker.

[Riverologist]

Anyway, the question is limited and poorly written though I have gotten sucked in.

The purpose of the question was to invoke a discussion, to hear everyone's views and the angle they approach it from. Your inability to coherently articulate your point of view does not make the question poorly written or presented. I invite yourself to post a thread that generates this much interest and discussion and not bash the author.

[mako224]

And still the same trend. Single digit handicappers don't want to be associated with us 10+ handicap hackers. I'm willing to give the dedicated 20 capper the nod, but they won't even let me into their elite fraternity, regardless of the fact that I shoot a half dozen or more scores a year in the 70's.

This is not a measure of your personal worth. I'm sorry if your ego is that fragile. The topic is what is a player and what is a hacker. The term "PLAYER" is stricly a measure of playing ability. All of you can't be "Players", I'm sorry. As mentioned previously a "Player" is someone who is pretty damned good at this game. Single digit handicap would be the best measure of that. A "Player is not the guy who can't break 80, who carries the latest full set of hybrids by Adams, who only advances the ball 150 yards at a time, who takes 3 strokes to escape a bunker. Sorry you are not a "player". I'm sorry I had to break it to you.

________________________________________________________________ Working extra hard to live up to my negative reputation score. .

[Mr Eagle]

Anyone with a handicap of 17.2 or better is a golfer of extreem potential,a champion in the making,a Tiger watch out type of player.

The rest are Hackers

[imtomtomim]

A category is definitely needed inbetween hacker and player. However, a player should be defined by the way he approaches the course and their management abilities. The more advanced athlete has the ability to effectively analyze the field they are competing on and plan around it. It's a completely different attitude towards how the game is played and not blindly trying to force the ball in the hole.

[mako224]

Potential to be a "player" someday......but by no means a "player".

[Henry]

anybody with a handicap under 9 is a player in m opinion. And any with a handicap under 18 is nolonger a hacker

[zeg]

Here's my take on the discussion so far. Basically, the words are used in (at least) two different ways.

To some of us, including club manufacturers, "player" is specifically an experienced player of above average skill and ability. To others, it's a general term for someone who plays hard, almost regardless of their results.

There's also an issue with the word "hacker." To some, particularly those who associate "player" with skill, it is a simple description of someone who's clearly not a player. I think most people don't mean it with any personal disrespect in this context. To others, it's a denigrating term for people who are not just bad golfers, but play with bad attitude and disrespect for other players, the course, and the game.

That's my take on the discussion here, anyway. To people who consider "hacker" an insult in the latter sense, it's obviously insulting to be told (apparently usually by low-index players) that they're hackers. But I don't think the slam is intentional. If you just replace the word "hacker" with "high-index" then it's not an insult, just an obvious true statement.

Anyway, I think it's an interesting discussion, and I think Riverologist did a great job kicking off the discussion. It's a predictably contentious debate, and a contentious set of options helped get the discussion going.

[Fat Slice]

That's a very well-articulated analysis! You hacker.

[flopdarock]

^^ hahaha

if you wanna piss more ppl off... a real player is a scratch golfer and only a scratch golfer...
everyone else is a golf enthusiast except the ones that are clowns...
so a golf enthusiast is anyone with a handicap...
the clowns are the hackers... ones that dont even keep an handicap cuz they always score wayyyy above 100... if they even keep score at all... besides how much beer they can leave on the course

[walk18]

how about this: a "player" is someone who threatens 80 regularly, and a "playa!" is someone who threatens par regularly?

[NM Golf]

And still the same trend. Single digit handicappers don't want to be associated with us 10+ handicap hackers. I'm willing to give the dedicated 20 capper the nod, but they won't even let me into their elite fraternity, regardless of the fact that I shoot a half dozen or more scores a year in the 70's.

Jeez Fourputt, by chance were you always picked last for kickball in grade school? Why all the attitude?

And to answer your question, no , there is no consideration for effort or intent. PGA Q-School hands out tour cards to 25 professionals. All 150 guys in the last stage tried hard and intended to get their cards. But as life goes you have to perform in order achieve. Just because someone is unable to achieve a certain level in golf does not mean they are less of a person. It doesn't mean they are not entitled to play on the same golf courses, and it doesn't even mean they should be looked down upon. As scratch golfer I certainly don't look down on anybody. I play with 10-15 handicaps way more than with low handicappers. I don't feel as though I am better than they are except for the fact I am a better golfer than they are. So what! They are still my friends. I still like playing with them. So really, I am sorry you seem to have this inferiority complex, but you need to get over it. A player is a much better than average golfer, it is a measure of talent and nothing else.

[anthonykim3]

i think there is definitly a need for three or four groups.
the player is some one that is way above average shoots 70 s all the time on courses with high slope
the 10 handicap to 15 handicap are aprocching players but still have some consederiable skill and can most likely spell better then me lol these are considered good players
the nextis 15 handicap to 20 handicap wich are respectable golfers but not a player in any means
the 25 up handicaps are the hackers ie high capers who usally shott one hundred
then you have people who dont keep and index that are asses on the course to everyone one that dont respect the rules that are consider red neck ass holes
i think that is preety much one we can all agre on beside people that think players are scratch golfers

[rangerat]

Jeez Fourputt, by chance were you always picked last for kickball in grade school? Why all the attitude?

I tend to agree, it seems as though some take this too personally (as some sort of a "slam") and other are just using the terms to define a persons level of play. I have never been offended by the term hacker even when I considered myself one.