HDCP Question

[allin]

Although actually the USGA system is designed to work best in match play. If the players carry honest handicaps (neither vanity nor sandbagging) and if the holes are properly ranked for handicap, then two quite widely separated players can still have a good match by wheeling off the lower cap. I've played against guys who I had to give anywhere from 0 to 20 strokes and still had the matches come right down to the wire, even have to go to extra holes to decide a winner.

With so many handicaps being established at public courses and through retailers etc, is it your opinion that sandbagging is more common? My sense is that without the committee, and the personal knowledge of fellow members, it is easier for dishonest types to inflate their handicaps and cash in once or twice before the system catches up to them.

[TN94z]

With so many handicaps being established at public courses and through retailers etc, is it your opinion that sandbagging is more common? My sense is that without the committee, and the personal knowledge of fellow members, it is easier for dishonest types to inflate their handicaps and cash in once or twice before the system catches up to them.

I'm sure that sandbagging is very common. I mean, golf is a game based on the honor system and we all know that not everyone has those same values. I don't really know of a good way to catch them without knowing those things.

[Fourputt]

With so many handicaps being established at public courses and through retailers etc, is it your opinion that sandbagging is more common? My sense is that without the committee, and the personal knowledge of fellow members, it is easier for dishonest types to inflate their handicaps and cash in once or twice before the system catches up to them.

I don't really worry about it. I play in a Men's Club at a public course, and our membership is carefully watched for any handicap irregularities. Our handicap committee is active and any players showing such tendencies are warned, then if necessary have their handicaps adjusted. We have a zero tolerance for sandbagging.

[steelernation]

ive been wrongly accused once, while on the course playing for 5 a hole, I just laughed it off.
Reason being...
I will pay better than bogey golf for 5 holes in a row then dump a snowman or two in a row. Its great for skins. Personally I am trying to lower my HI

[mattttt25]

Thanks again for the discussion. I better understand what a hdcp is and what it really is trying to accomplish.

[MiniMoe]

think of it this way.... I'm a plus handicap, I'm not going to lie. Say I am having an average day and am -1 with 2 to play. Would it be fair to the rest of the handicap players if I took a 12 on the last two par 4 holes to shoot in the upper 80's? I don't think so. I I could, I might be tempted to play hard for skins for the first 15 holes and finish really bad and be able to keep a 12 hcp. You have to have a cap per hole based on potential to help keep handicaps lower. After all, a handicap is supposed to be based on potential... not average scores. The problem is that many clubs don't go through the cards and account for the 12 some good players get, so handicaps are too high.

I have thought about it and have done some mock trials. I think if you beat your handicap by more than 4, that scores goes in three times, If you beat your handicap by less than 4, it only goes in twice. Also, you can not shoot more than 4 above your handicap (it's a cap). This modified system penalized for blowing your handicap by too much, but at the same time limits your ability to quickly raise your handicap.

[laxbballgolf]

At what point do you start using ESC? I assume that you count every stroke when you are first establishing your handicap, right? Would you start using ESC after a full 20 rounds, or what?

[zeg]

At what point do you start using ESC? I assume that you count every stroke when you are first establishing your handicap, right? Would you start using ESC after a full 20 rounds, or what?

You always use ESC. If you do not yet have a handicap, you use the maximum handicap (36.4 index for men, 40.4 for women) to compute your ESC limit.