whats a good handicap?

[sean_miller]

would you mind posting a vid of your swing? i would love to see it. i need all the good vids to watch that i can get.

Do they have youtube in Albany?

[holeinon3]

My opinions on how good a score is for myself,
74 and Under = Amazing
79-75 = Really good
80-83 = Pretty good
84 and above = Not so hot

As for handicaps, I think if you are single digits you are pretty good.

[DaSportsGuy]

I was watching a Tour event on the Golf Channel and they said the average handicap of golfers in the U.S. is 15.2. Anything better than that I would consider good, anything above that I would consider bad.

[brgolf]

The USGA has its reasons for calculating handicaps like it does, but if we want to know how good we are, throw out the best five and the worst five scores and calculate a "handicap" on the middle ten. The USGA says I'm 10.6, but the Middle Ten method gives me 13.2, a better description of how I play.

Yea but a 10.6 on the USGA scale is equally as good as a 13.2 on your scale. I wouldn't say your scale provides a better description but rather a different one.

[jerrywilkin]

I dont think anyone really knows what their true handicap is until they play in at least one tournament where you are required to play golf according to all the usga rules,play from the correct tees,play the ball down,in competition,on a championship caliber course. What you score when you are out with your buddies on your home course should not be even considered to set your "real" handicap. I wouls be a 5 or 6 in the later; a 12/15 in the real one!

[brgolf]

I dont think anyone really knows what their true handicap is until they play in at least one tournament where you are required to play golf according to all the usga rules,play from the correct tees,play the ball down,in competition,on a championship caliber course. What you score when you are out with your buddies on your home course should not be even considered to set your "real" handicap. I wouls be a 5 or 6 in the later; a 12/15 in the real one!

I don't think so.

[acegolfer]

I dont think anyone really knows what their true handicap is until they play in at least one tournament where you are required to play golf according to all the usga rules,play from the correct tees,play the ball down,in competition,on a championship caliber course. What you score when you are out with your buddies on your home course should not be even considered to set your "real" handicap. I wouls be a 5 or 6 in the later; a 12/15 in the real one!

I agree.

Several years ago, when I used online handicap (unofficial) service, my handicap was 8. I conceded putts myself and sometimes played up. Now after joining a league, which plays by rule with an official handicap, my USGA HI is 11.3. I feel I'm a better golfer now than I was before. I feel I can enter any tournament with my HI and be competitive. I'm not delusional any more.

[brgolf]

I dont think anyone really knows

He's wrong though.

[Plox]

I wouls be a 5 or 6 in the later; a 12/15 in the real one!

Nonsense. I've played many tournaments at different courses, which are often harder than my own (e.g. Southport and Ainsdale, Hillside etc), and shot below my handicap consistently. Ever heard of raising your game? To say your handicap can double or even triple depending on your variables is just ludicrous.

[Zeph]

I dont think anyone really knows what their true handicap is until they play in at least one tournament where you are required to play golf according to all the usga rules,play from the correct tees,play the ball down,in competition,on a championship caliber course. What you score when you are out with your buddies on your home course should not be even considered to set your "real" handicap. I wouls be a 5 or 6 in the later; a 12/15 in the real one!

That's stupid to assume. I play by the rules always, except for practice rounds where I just walk the course to hit shots and practice. I play from the correct tees, I've played in tournaments and performed like I normally do on casual rounds.

Handicap is an indication of potential, not your average or how good you are. You will not shoot consistently to your handicap. Exception maybe being those at a very low handicap, who are fairly consistant. What is a championship caliber course? Do I have to play on Pebble Beach and Torrey Pines to find my handicap?

[sacm3bill]

I dont think anyone really knows what their true handicap is...

As others have stated, that's not true, but I suspect your statements stem from a simple misunderstanding of the definition of a handicap. You seem to think it's what you might shoot in the worst possible conditions (e.g., under tournament pressure, on a championship course, etc...), but it's actually the opposite: It's the best score that you are capable of shooting if you play to your full potential on any given day. Addressing each of your items:

until they play in at least one tournament where you are required to play golf according to all the usga rules...

You don't have to be in a tournament to play by the USGA rules. Anyone who keeps a handicap is already doing that. (If they're not, then of course their HC won't be accurate, but if you play by the rules then you *can* know your true handicap.)

play from the correct tees...

Tees have different slopes and ratings that will theoretically produce the same differential regardless of which ones you play from.

play the ball down...

Obviously. But again, anyone can do that, they don't have to be in a tournament or on a championship course.

in competition...

No, again there's nothing special about being in a tournament or in any competition that makes you more likely to shoot your handicap, by the definition of handicap.

on a championship caliber course...

The championship courses are rated by the same governing body that rates your home course, so your handicap wouldn't be any more accurate on the former.

What you score when you are out with your buddies on your home course should not be even considered to set your "real" handicap.

Again, that's incorrect. As long as you are playing by the USGA rules, it doesn't matter where you play or who you're playing with - the scores you post will be your "real" handicap, by its very definition.

[Chris223]

I don't think I'm very good but I shoot mid/high 90's on the harder courses in my area, lower on the easier ones. Although I would shoot in the 80's probably consistently (on the courses in my area which aren't all that hard compared to a lot of courses out there) if my chipping and putting weren't so bad. I have no problems getting to the green, it's once I'm around it that my game typically falls apart. It's hard to practice that though when no driving range in my area has a practice putting green and a lot of courses in my area have VERY tiny practice greens with hardly any space to practice chipping.

[max power]

The answer is 13. If you're a 13 handicap or better you're "good". Better than crappy, lesser than great. 13.

[ERdiesel]

I was watching a Tour event on the Golf Channel and they said the average handicap of golfers in the U.S. is 15.2. Anything better than that I would consider good, anything above that I would consider bad.

That's hard for me to believe. I thought I've heard/read several times that the majority of amateur golfers don't even break a 100................so to believe that the average handicap is better than bogey golf. hard to believe.

[sean_miller]

A possibile poll?

At what handicap does the average golfer think they're good?

a.) 36 to 30
b.) 29.9 to 20.0
c.) 19.9 to 13.0
d.) 12.9 to 9.1

And for the bonus question - at what handicap does the average golf realize they aren't so good?

a.) 24.0 to 16.0
b.) 15.9 to 10.0
c.) 9.9 to 6.0
d.) 5.9 to 3.0

[sacm3bill]

That's hard for me to believe. I thought I've heard/read several times that the majority of amateur golfers don't even break a 100................so to believe that the average handicap is better than bogey golf. hard to believe.

Yeah, 15.2 is perhaps the average for those who keep an official USGA handicap - I know the median at least is 14:

http://www.usga.org/handicapping/art...dicap-Indexes/ . Once you factor in *all* golfers, I agree that more than 50% can't break 100.

[Cornbread]

...any handicap thats lower than the year before.

[Dave H]

I'm a 22. I struggle a lot but I would say I play with a bunch of what seem to be average players based on my experience. A few of them are definitely better than me, but I pretty consistently play better than most people I play with. I have a hard time breaking 90 because of mistakes and blow up holes. But, in general I usually strike the ball a lot better than the people I play with. I have a hard time believing that the true average handicap is 15. Maybe I just play with the wrong people.

Anyways, for me on a personal level I would consider 15 to be good. If and when I get to 15, I suppose I'll expect 10 to be good. Etc.

From a more global perspective, I would consider anyone 5 and below to be good and better.