What would you shoot at Augusta....

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by xmanhockey7

My friends dad has played it a couple times. Dad is about a 2 handicap and he shot in the 70s. I don't know how the conditions he played were different than the conditions they played on sunday but still shooting in the 70s is playing good golf there I would think.

First, you're asking us to take your word on your friend's dad word.  In my experience, most second-hand stuff I hear on the golf course is embellished by 30 yards and/or 5 strokes.

Second, how often do they set up the course to mirror the conditions on Sunday at The Masters?  And was he playing from the tips?

Brandon

[xmanhockey7]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

First, you're asking us to take your word on your friend's dad word.  In my experience, most second-hand stuff I hear on the golf course is embellished by 30 yards and/or 5 strokes.

Second, how often do they set up the course to mirror the conditions on Sunday at The Masters?  And was he playing from the tips?

Brandon

You don't have to take my word for it. I'm just saying that's what he said he shot. Anyone else have anything they can say about that? This is all speculation.

[xmanhockey7]

When the adjusted gross score is higher than the USGA Course Rating , the Handicap Differential is a positive number. The following is an example for determining a Handicap Differential using an adjusted gross score of 95 made on a course with a USGA Course Rating of 71.5 and a Slope Rating of 125:

Adjusted Gross Score - USGA Course Rating :	95 - 71.5 = 23.5
Difference x Standard Slope Rating :	23.5 x 113 = 2655.5
Result / Slope Rating :	2655.5 / 125 = 21.24
Handicap Differential (rounded):	21.2

b. Minus Handicap Differential

When the adjusted gross score is lower than the USGA Course Rating , the Handicap Differential is a negative number. The following is an example for determining a Handicap Differential using an adjusted gross score of 69 made on a course with a USGA Course Rating of 71.5 and a Slope Rating of 125:

Adjusted Gross Score - USGA Course Rating :	69 - 71.5 = -2.5
Difference x Standard Slope Rating :	-2.5 x 113 = -282.5
Result / Slope Rating :	-282.5 / 125 = -2.26
Handicap Differential (rounded):	-2.3

10-2. Handicap Index Formula

The Handicap Index formula is based on the best Handicap Differential(s) in a player's scoring record . If a player's scoring record contains 20 scores, the best 10 Handicap Differentials of the most recent 20 scores are used to calculate the Handicap Index . As the number of scores in the scoring record decreases, the percentage of scores used in a scoring record decreases from the maximum of the best 50 percent. If the scoring record contains 9 or 10 scores, only the best three scores (30 to 33 percent) in the scoring record will be used. Thus, the accuracy of a player's Handicap Index is directly proportional to the number of acceptable scores posted. A Handicap Index must not be issued to a player who has returned fewer than five acceptable scores. The following procedures illustrate how an authorized golf association, golf club, and computation services calculate a player's Handicap Index .

Based on how it's calculated and what I know about the game of golf a scratch golfer should not necessarily be shoot 71-73 every single round.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by xmanhockey7

You don't have to take my word for it. I'm just saying that's what he said he shot. Anyone else have anything they can say about that? This is all speculation.

I don't mean to imply you're a liar, so sorry about that.  I just would give it more weight if you said that you were a 2 handicap and shot in the 70s.  Know what I mean?

My dad and his friend tell me stories about their golfing feats when they were younger and I'm pretty sure most if it is embellished quite a bit.

Brandon

[Zeph]

No idea. Depends on the tees and how fast the greens are. It's not the longest course, so with a decent portion of course management I could perhaps get around in the 90s, maybe even 80s on a good day.

[x129]

My understanding is that no one plays from the tips at Augusta so all the scores you here reported from guys that played it are on a course that is 1000 yards shorter than the masters in addition to whatever toughening (smaller fairways, firmer greens) they do for the tournament. A 2 handicap shooting in the 70s seems pretty reasonable.

Originally Posted by bplewis24

I don't mean to imply you're a liar, so sorry about that.  I just would give it more weight if you said that you were a 2 handicap and shot in the 70s.  Know what I mean?

My dad and his friend tell me stories about their golfing feats when they were younger and I'm pretty sure most if it is embellished quite a bit.

Brandon

[Zwick]

I can only guess, but I think it would be just around 100.

As reference: I played at Carnoustie in a stiff wind and high rough, my score there was 95 and I actualy played the best golf I'm capable of. I don't think a casual round at Augusta is as hard as Carnoustie, but with the Sunday conditions it's probably a little bit tougher.

[CoryMartin]

So in your book a +5 or so handicap is required to be a scratch golfer since they are the only ones that shoot par or better on CR 79/145 courses on a regular basis?

Quote:

Originally Posted by CoryMartin

I hate handicaps. How a person who can shoot a 74 or 75 on certain courses are still considered "scratch". I personally think if you not shooting par everytime or extremely close like the occasional 73 (or 71) with quite a few rounds in the +1 to +2 range, your not truly a scratch golfer.

1. How many people play a 79/145 golf course regularly? 2. If I have never shot par should I call myself a scratch golfer? Even if its a harder course? I have always figured golf is about beating par. Par is 72 or 71 or something. Not beating the slope and rating index or whatever it is called. I mean of course they will have throw in a quite a few 73, 74, 75, but those will be more or less bad days. When I talk to people who don't know "much golf" and talk about scratch golf they assume they are par golfers or below. Not above par. I feel like a 0 handicap while still shooting 73's and 75's quite a bit is a little false. Thats just my take though.

[dsc123]

Hank Haney

• ✔

@ HankDHaney

108 RT @ DearbornMatthew : what would an 18 handicapper shot at Augusta with Sunday conditions and pin placements?

[k-troop]

Originally Posted by CoryMartin

1. How many people play a 79/145 golf course regularly?

2. If I have never shot par should I call myself a scratch golfer? Even if its a harder course?

I have always figured golf is about beating par. Par is 72 or 71 or something. Not beating the slope and rating index or whatever it is called. I mean of course they will have throw in a quite a few 73, 74, 75, but those will be more or less bad days.

3. When I talk to people who don't know "much golf" and talk about scratch golf they assume they are par golfers or below. Not above par. I feel like a 0 handicap while still shooting 73's and 75's quite a bit is a little false. Thats just my take though.

1. Only a few of those golf courses exist.  However, when I play a 72 rated course, I tend to shoot about three shots lower (on average) than I do when I play a 75 rated course.

2. Well, it is possible to be "scratch" and never shoot at or below par.  It's not likely, but it's possible.  If you play a par 72/75.5 rated course 100 times, and every score is between 73 and 78, with an average score of 75.5, then you are "scratch" by the definition, even though you've never shot even par for 18 holes.  Your game may not travel well (i.e. you're only "scratch" on that course), but you fit the definition.  As I said, it's not likely.  If you're "scratch", then you're probably playing a variety of courses rated between 71 and 76, shooting at or below the course rating about 50% of the time, and shooting at or below par 1/4 to 1/3rd of the time (this obviously assumes most of your rounds are on courses are rated above par--most of mine are, but I don't know what "most" folks are doing).

3.  Why would you expect "people who don't know much golf" to know the difference between "scratch" and "0 handicap", when you obviously don't know the difference?  According to myscorecard.com, I am a 1.4 HCP, but my scoring average is just above 77.  Handicap and overall scoring average are only loosely related.  Handicap reflects a percentage of your adjusted score on the best 10 out of your last 20 rounds.  It's supposed to reflect your "potential", not your "average score".  So, by definition, it's only counting your best rounds, adjusted for course rating, and then factoring in a percentage.  It also doesn't let me count more than a double bogey on any hole, even though I'm likely to make a triple probably once every 6 rounds (and more often if I'm playing a very difficult course).  Scratch golfers are likely to have a positive handicap; someone with a 0 handicap is still shooting over par more than 2/3rds of the time (again, assuming that he's playing courses rated above par, which most courses worth playing seem to be from the tips).

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by dsc123

Hank Haney

✔

@HankDHaney

108 RT @DearbornMatthew: what would an 18 handicapper shot at Augusta with Sunday conditions and pin placements?

I often struggle reading Twitter feeds since I don't participate in the technology.  So is his response "108"?

Honestly I'd be more interested in what he thinks a 7-10 capper would score.

Brandon

[x129]

1) No clue but it doesn't change anything

2) By the USGA definition sure. Look at it the other way would you consider a guy that broke par (shot a 71) a scratch golfer if he was playing on a CR67/120 course?

Your understanding of the handicap system is flawed. You will only shoot better than you handicap about 1/3 of the time. And yes I am aware that most casual fans don't understand that and  they need explaining that shooting a 70 at your local course doesn't mean you would be competive with the pros who struggle to break 70 every week.

Originally Posted by CoryMartin

1. How many people play a 79/145 golf course regularly?

2. If I have never shot par should I call myself a scratch golfer? Even if its a harder course?

I have always figured golf is about beating par. Par is 72 or 71 or something. Not beating the slope and rating index or whatever it is called. I mean of course they will have throw in a quite a few 73, 74, 75, but those will be more or less bad days.

When I talk to people who don't know "much golf" and talk about scratch golf they assume they are par golfers or below. Not above par. I feel like a 0 handicap while still shooting 73's and 75's quite a bit is a little false. Thats just my take though.

[bunkerputt]

Right now I'm striping it off the tee with a baby draw.  I'd hit quite a few fairways.  Irons are a baby draw as well so I suspect they would run somewhat.  I'm also struggling a bit on sidehill lies right now.  Pretty much anything but perfectly flat and I have difficulty aligning correctly and consequently making a good swing.  I have a friend who walked the course on Tuesday and he said there wasn't a flat spot on the course, so I suspect crapitude in the GIR department.  I think I could hit over 80% fairways, but I doubt I could break 10% GIR.  Short-medium game is fine, but a huge weakness right now is delicate, very short chips.  I predict my lunch would be eaten there.  I bet I would shoot 105.  A couple more months of practice and it'd be 85.  Of course it would be the most focused round of my life because when would I ever get that chance again.  Anyone want to sponsor me?

[dsc123]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

I often struggle reading Twitter feeds since I don't participate in the technology.  So is his response "108"?

Haha, I know what you mean.  I found that at the bottom of a golf.com or golfdigest.com article.

But yeah, I think everything after "RT" was the question, and everything before is his response.

[Kieran123]

I'd be happy with anything around the 100 mark.

[B-Con]

GIR+1 on average to get onto half of the greens, GIR+2 for the other half, 2 4-putts and 6 3-putts. That totals 107. I honestly think it'd be somewhere around there. I know the course isn't ridiculously long and the fairways aren't killer, but the length would still really hurt me. And soft fairways minimizes roll-out, so no help there. A 450 yard par 4 likely leaves me approaching with a hybrid, which almost guarantees getting on with a wedge for most holes. I flat out don't have the experience and practice on greens that can be that tricky. I assume I could practice before hand to get a feel for the speed, but on tricky putts the pros have a hard time getting close to the hole, I'd have little chance. And that's with my green approaches always being with a wedge, leaving me reasonably close to begin with (probably not many 60 foot putts).