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"Potential, not average."

adamgoodman

By adamgoodman,
in Golf Talk

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adamgoodman Dedicated Member

adamgoodman

"A handicap is a measure of a golfer's potential, not his average."

This quote always confused me... Since I don't keep an official handicap anywhere, I jus simply use a statistic application which calculates how many strokes I average above par, and I just slap that as "about" my handicap. Is there any way I can more accurately estimate my handicap? Does my use of average mean my handicap is higher than I lead it to be?

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iacas Hall of Fame Member

iacas

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  adamgoodman said:
Is there any way I can more accurately estimate my handicap?

Why estimate at all? Buy Scorecard. Use the coupon on this forum to save 20%. It'll tell you your index accurately.

  adamgoodman said:
Does my use of average mean my handicap is higher than I lead it to be?

Depends on the course rating. It could be higher.

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2bGood Dedicated Member

2bGood

Your handicap could be much lower and likely is. You cap only uses the best 10 scores of you last 20 and event that is multiplied by .96
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msd3075 Dedicated Member

msd3075

The main reason for the handicap system being based on potential instead of averages is so that it can better allow people of differing abilities to compete on a fair and level playing field. For a match to be fair, the player that is playing "better" for his/her ability should be the one that wins the match. By working the number of strokes you get around what you'd shoot on a good round, you are leveling the playing field with your opponent so that you should both shoot the same net score if you play well. The system also rewards consistency seeing the more consistent golfer's average is going to beat the irratic golfer's average.

You have to remember that the handicap system isn't directly tied into par and that it's only purpose is to level the playing field. So many people think that your handicap is related to how much you are over par but in reality it's how much better/worse you are than a scratch golfer. I can go on and on about handicaps, how they are calculated, how CR/slope works, but you'd really do yourself a favor to read up on the USGA's website in the Handicap section.

$2 Nassau Great Member

$2 Nassau

Wow, you average about 5 strokes over par and don't have an actual handicap? dude...

Either buy Scorecard, get a GHIN handicap, or just use a free service like Yahoo. Do something though.

$2 Nassau Great Member

$2 Nassau

I know a couple guys that don't keep a handicap, they just assume that "last round I shot 85, so I'm a 13 handicap" and then they want to play for money. No thanks.

Doctorfro Great Member

Doctorfro

I was playing in a church tournament once and they asked for handicap. Well, only four or five of us actually had an established handicap. When I heard that they were getting "averages" from the others I realized we were giving up a bunch of strokes and asked that they use our AVG in organizing the event. I just wish everyone who plays regularly would establish a handicap. I mean, how hard is that to do?


 


alomar123 Dedicated Member

alomar123

  Doctorfro said:
I just wish everyone who plays regularly would establish a handicap. I mean, how hard is that to do?

I know, they already most likely keep score while playing just save the card and enter it into your choice of dozens of programs.

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DavidFehertysBike Great Member

DavidFehertysBike

I didn't have an official handicap until about 2 years ago. I had already broken par twice by that point. So i can understand why somebody wouldn't have one. It could just not be important to the player, as it was for me. I began to have a interest in playing tournaments, so thats when i joined a club.
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adamgoodman Dedicated Member

adamgoodman

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I just never really bothered... I'm 16 and for my version of the competitive golf circuit I just play against the best golfer on the other team... Handicap never really was useful for me.

adamgoodman Dedicated Member

adamgoodman

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A'ight, so I slapped in as many rounds as I could find into the Yahoo Handicap Tracker and ended up with a 5.9 handicap... Ha ha ha ha, all of this just for .2!

DavidFehertysBike Great Member

DavidFehertysBike

  adamgoodman said:
Added the rest I found and ended up with a 5.0. This worked out dandy for me!

hahaha...yes it did

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StricklandPropane Member

StricklandPropane

I don't think it's as easy as you guys make it out to be. Sure it's easy to calculate an unofficial one which I do with a spreadsheet, but I don't have one from the USGA. I don't even know how to go about joining a club or forming my own or whatever. The vast majority of people I play with don't either. For us new hackers that didn't grow up with the game, most seem to be clueless.

DavidFehertysBike Great Member

DavidFehertysBike

  StricklandPropane said:
I don't think it's as easy as you guys make it out to be. Sure it's easy to calculate an unofficial one which I do with a spreadsheet, but I don't have one from the USGA. I don't even know how to go about joining a club or forming my own or whatever. The vast majority of people I play with don't either. For us new hackers that didn't grow up with the game, most seem to be clueless.

You can create your own club, if you really wanted to. get 10 or more of your buddies together, appoint a handicap committee from them, and submit your club to the USGA. They will send you the by-laws and as long as the club abides, its all good. I know of a couple clubs like this.

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walk18 Great Member

walk18

  StricklandPropane said:
I don't think it's as easy as you guys make it out to be. Sure it's easy to calculate an unofficial one which I do with a spreadsheet, but I don't have one from the USGA. I don't even know how to go about joining a club or forming my own or whatever. The vast majority of people I play with don't either. For us new hackers that didn't grow up with the game, most seem to be clueless.

If you want an official usga handicap, just head over to the pro shop of the course you play at most and ask for one. I believe it's $30. Then you enter your scores (from any course) at a computer they have set up there or online. Then there are a bunch of free ones online as well, but not all tournaments accept them. Now you know.


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