whats a good handicap?

[brgolf]

Here's a thought but the average golf handicap is something like 16.7 so in my opinion 18 cannot be considered "good" but at best near average/acceptable.

But then again it depends on perspective. To me, shooting 80 is nothing to get excited about. I'd often feel there is some course management that I could have changed to shoot in the 70s. So it's each to their own. Personally I'm not interested in good, I'd like very good and in my view that is a 5 handicap or lower.

[alomar123]

Here's a thought but the average golf handicap is something like 16.7 so in my opinion 18 cannot be considered "good" but at best near average/acceptable.

I have heard the avg is around there to, but I doubt that. Maybe for those who pay for their handicap, but I doubt there avg is even below 25.

[sean_miller]

I have heard the avg is around there to, but I doubt that. Maybe for those who pay for their handicap, but I doubt there avg is even below 25.

I play with 4 guys who have no official index. One would be about an 8, one a 22, and the other two at about 12-15. Skillwise the 12-15s are the best golfers, but they rarely play.

[JML22]

no way the average index is around 16.7
it might be 16.7 if people dont count strokes properly. AKA hitting another off the tee for OBs and stuff.
I'd say the average is easily 25+

[sean_miller]

no way the average index is around 16.7

Sure, if you include women, seniors, children, and those who only golf once or twice a year.

[billysandy]

no way the average index is around 16.7

Believe it. For those who bother to get an actual handicap, the average has historically been around 17 for years and years.

[JML22]

I can believe it for those who register to get an official cap but there are a lot of golfers that dont, a lot of members who just go out after work once or twice a week who are way above 17

[alomar123]

Believe it. For those who bother to get an actual handicap, the average has historically been around 17 for years and years.

Yeah but most people lie on their scorecards, and it is much more likely that a good golfer will pay for their handi to be kept over a higher one.

[JML22]

That's what i'm saying you can easily call yourself an 17 just by blasting one into the bush, dropping one where you think you went in and putting down a bogey or something.
i have friends who prop up shots in the rough and crap its riddiculous.
If people played 100% by the rules and actaully hit another tee shot that average would go up.
This is why some people get ripped apart in tourneys

[brgolf]

I'm a little confused here but I would say that cheating would ensure handicaps would go up due to sandbagging.

Anyway I do feel that people are too comfortable calling bogey golf good although if you were a very bad player and then progressed to playing bogey golf you might attract some praise.

[mrmiller8]

Its all relative in what your goal in the game is. If you are just a guy that is playing a couple times a month to drink some beer and get away from life then anywhere from 12-24 would be fine. If you are a guy who who plays a couple times a week becuase you just simply have a passion for the game or you have the time....you should be at least a 12-5....And if you plan on playing in some ametuer tournaments and being a serious golfer you should be a 5 or less...

[double_j]

I'm a little confused here but I would say that cheating would ensure handicaps would go up due to sandbagging.

Other way around - cheating to post artificially low scores would make you a reverse sandbagger. Your handicap would say that you're a better player than you really are and you'd get too few strokes.

I still think that bogey golf is decent golf from an absolute standpoint. It pretty much means that you're around the green in regulation and are just having some trouble getting up or down. A good day with a putter could easily turn that 90 into an 85. Said another way - bogey golf is good enough not to stand out (negatively) from the other players in any foursome. Yes, you might be screwing up some shots but you're doing OK at getting around the course without slowing anybody down.

[brgolf]

Other way around - cheating to post artificially low scores would make you a reverse sandbagger. Your handicap would say that you're a better player than you really are and you'd get too few strokes.

Oh I understand what a reverse sandbagger is or as someone recently put it, a vanity handicap. What I don't get is why someone would think that is more common than cheating by actual sandbagging.

I don't really think that cheating has a major impact on the average golf handicap but if anything it pushes it up.

[max power]

Very Good/Scratch = under 5.0 index

This is totally spot-on. Nice work.

[double_j]

Oh I understand what a reverse sandbagger is or as someone recently put it, a vanity handicap. What I don't get is why someone would think that is more common than cheating by actual sandbagging.

Ironically, the same people who would intentionally sandbag are probably the same people who would cheat to lower their score! I guess if you find the midpoint between their cheating scores and their inflated handicaps, you'd actually be able figure out if they can play or not.

[TN94z]

I would consider someone a "good golfer" who can go out and play about as bad as they can and still be in the high 40's for 9 holes. I'm an 8.8 index and even when I have what I consider a terrible day, I'm not remotely worried about putting a 50 on the card. Based on handicap:

I agree with this also

[i-Guy]

Very Good/Scratch = under 5.0 index

I would have to say that is not a bad scale to try and differentiate between levels of golfers.

However, let me say that I read a few posts where people talked about keeping proper score etc…and that is a key to knowing where you really stand in the game. Your handicap is related to your abilities which include knowing the rules of the game. Have you ever taken the rules quiz on the USGA website…man it can be a real eye opener and I thought I knew the rules. Anyway back on topic…I would have to say that I think a “good handicap” is relative to each person and what they want to achieve…I know the average handicap is around 15-16 so it would be easy to say anything below that is better then average thereby making them good and then (per the scale above) better at different points along the way all the way to scratch??? But from a relative standpoint an example is that my goal is to play competitive amateur golf. I carry and 8.1 handicap index and last year my average score (considering course slope and rating) was 84. I played one tournament (two day tournament) and shot 84 / 81. After the first day the tournament was flighted by handicap and I placed 5th in my flight. That might sound good to some but I was not pleased to say the least.

[JML22]

Its not really cheating its just not bothering to play by the rules
if someone hits intoa white stack or an unstaked bush or something usually they'll walk up drop one and shoot 3, no one is gonna talk back to the tee hit again.
But those holes are pretty huge in getting from an 18 - 14 or 20 to a 16 or something