Unofficial Handicap?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Dormie1360

Oops.........you know a heck of a lot more than I do.

Having followed some course raters around a course I'm envious of your expertise.

I'll be quite.

You should contact your local golf association. I volunteer my time to do it (via West Penn Golf Association), and I find it fun, but it's not difficult. Training is pretty quick. I got a hat, shirt, and sweater (that I won't wear) out of the deal. :)

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by iacas

It's not about "difficulty" it's about where the higher handicapper most needs strokes to make the match fair.

And that was the source of my confusion ... but no longer!

Thanks!

[Dormie1360]

The quite thing didn't last long.

There is a misconception that handicap allocation is a list of holes, hardest to easiest.  Difficulty in making par is not an effective way to assign the need for a stroke.

Handicap allocation is for Match play and is used to equalize a match played by players of different handicap levels.

The first handicap hole should be assigned to a hole that would be useful in a match between two players of almost equal ability. Doesn't matter if it's a 1 playing a 2 or a 19 playing a 20.  On what hole would the player most likely need a stroke to tie the hole.  The second handicap hole should be the first hole on the back nine that equalizes a match between players of whose abilities are slightly farther apart.  This continues for 18 holes.  The 18th handicap hole should be assigned to the hole where say an 19 handicapper playing a 1 would most likely need a stroke to tie the hole.

Quite often, this turns out to be a par 3, but not always.

One thing that should be avoided is putting the lowest handicap holes near the end of each nine.  If a player was only getting two strokes in a match, you wouldn't want that individual to have to wait until the last hole to get his second stroke.   If an 8 was playing a 10 for example, the 10 getting 2 strokes in the match, it would be unfair if he had to wait until 18 to get his second stroke.  The match could well be over by then.

When courses are first built, I think most assign handicap allocation by hole difficulty.  Once play has started, scores should be collected from low handicap players and high handicap players.  At least 400 rounds.  The USGA has a couple of methods for then figuring out handicap allocation with this data.

[meenman]

Originally Posted by Dormie1360

One thing that should be avoided is putting the lowest handicap holes near the end of each nine.  If a player was only getting two strokes in a match, you wouldn't want that individual to have to wait until the last hole to get his second stroke.   If an 8 was playing a 10 for example, the 10 getting 2 strokes in the match, it would be unfair if he had to wait until 18 to get his second stroke.  The match could well be over by then.

Our course actually had the handicap rating for each hole wrong for years to keep the old timers happy and not have to give that extra stroke on #9.

It was re-rated last year and #9 is the #1 handicap with #8 being the #3

[Dormie1360]

Originally Posted by meenman

Our course actually had the handicap rating for each hole wrong for years to keep the old timers happy and not have to give that extra stroke on #9.

It was re-rated last year and #9 is the #1 handicap with #8 being the #3

Hmmm, that would actually be bad for a nine hole match.  If a player only got one stroke he would probably never see it.