How honest are you with scoring???

[Stargaze]

I don't really keep score yet because up until now there's just been too many triple bogeys and lost balls etc.  After 4 lessons with a PGA and a couple dozen visits to the driving range this year I'm getting to where I don't lose the ball much at all and a legitimate bogey is very common for me.

When I get to where I'm making par "here and there" then I'll start keeping track.

[Lost-Ball]

Originally Posted by Yukari

From the very beginning, I counted all my penalties and strokes.  You've been playing for 3 years now and still not counting all the strokes and penalties.  And your excuse is "I've been playing for only 3 years"?

Say what you want, but just because others give themselves short lipped out putts does not make your behavior "more legitimate".  Until you count every penalties and strokes, you do not have your "personal best" score, since there is no telling what you would've shot.

like ive stated before IF i take any kind of mulligan or give myself ANY kind of relief i mark it on my score card. i total up  my score with and without penalties

[Lost-Ball]

also i never stated i was trying to score myself for handicap. we dont even have any leagues around here at the public courses and im not gonna play $1,500 + to join some private place. only tournaments ive played in were 4 man scrambles and they dont ask for handicap or anything. i was just talking about the average guy going out and playing a round of golf and how strict he is on the scorecard. no one i play with has a "handicap" or tries to figure out what theirs is so ive never been held to the "high standard " of counting mulligans. i thought a mulligan was a penalty free, add no stroke, get out of jail free card, type of thing. i really need to find some better players to play with. i do wanna be honest with myself and my scores and my abilities.

[BuckeyeNut]

Originally Posted by moparman426

Essentially, you are all playing the same style of golf.  None of those rounds could count towards a legitimate handicap.  Best to state to your playing partners before teeing off at the first hole that "This will be a practice round.  I am only counting the good shots, and you should do the same."  You might as well not count any of the strokes, if you don't include the bad with the good.  All you will end up with is a poorly inaccurate "vanity cap".

Your "14" must be a fairly accurate assessment, hey?

Not to get too far off topic, but what kind of MOPAR are you driving mr moparman426?

I have a little MOPAR in my garage too.....my HEMI isn't a 426, but it willl have to do..LOL

My grocery getter......

[MrSandman]

Originally Posted by moparman426

Just because I am smarter than you,(and probably better looking as well) doesn't make me a nerd.....

Kidding, lol.  But if I am playing a round to reflect a handicap, then I'll play by the rules.  To each their own.

I can't remember the last time I took a putt without pulling the flag.  But I can understand why somebody playing solo might not pull the flag.

In my opinion, it is a disadvantage to just go up and smack the putt without pulling the flag.  Walking up to the hole allows you to see the line of the putt a bit better.

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by moparman426

It does, actually.  If you are already on the green, then you have to pull the flag.

No, you don't.  It is not illegal to putt with the flag in. But if your ball hits the flag, THEN you get penalized.

[MrSandman]

Originally Posted by Lost-Ball

strict he is on the scorecard. no one i play with has a "handicap" or tries to figure out what theirs is so ive never been held to the "high standard " of counting mulligans. i thought a mulligan was a penalty free, add no stroke, get out of jail free card, type of thing. i really need to find some better players to play with. i do wanna be honest with myself and my scores and my abilities.

An American was golfing in Scotland.

He slices his opening drive out of bounds onto the beach, so he tees another one up and smacks it right down the middle.

The golfer turns to his old Scottish caddy and tells him that in America that is called a "Mulligan" and asks him if there is a name for it in Scotland.

The caddy replies, "AYE, we call it cheating."

[Lost-Ball]

ok so instead of dogging me out about this how about helping me understand how to factor my handicap now that im gonna count EVERYTHING. how many rounds do i need to play before i can really figure out what my handicap is?? and just say if out of 5 rounds my average is 95 then that means im a 23 handicap. with bowling we handicapped off a 210 bowling average and i was a 195 average player so thats easy to figure out. with golf some courses are par 72 or 71 right? like i said no one i play with does all this so excuse my excessive ignorance please

[MrSandman]

Originally Posted by Lost-Ball

ok so instead of dogging me out about this how about helping me understand how to factor my handicap now that im gonna count EVERYTHING. how many rounds do i need to play before i can really figure out what my handicap is?? and just say if out of 5 rounds my average is 95 then that means im a 23 handicap. with bowling we handicapped off a 210 bowling average and i was a 195 average player so thats easy to figure out. with golf some courses are par 72 or 71 right? like i said no one i play with does all this so excuse my excessive ignorance please

Step 1.  Got to your course and register for a ghin card

Step 2.  Start posting scores.

Your handicap will be the average differential of your 10 best rounds out of your 20 most recent rounds.

The differential will depend on a course's slope/rating (it is certainly not your average over par).

Most normal courses have a slope/rating in the 68-72/ 118-130 range

Some examples of how a differential works:

-  An 88 on a 71.5/121 rating/slope course would be a 15.4 differential, but

-  An 87 on a 69.5/116 course would be a 17 differential

I think you need 10-15 scores for your handicap to count.

You have to adjust your score for equitable stroke control.  Depending on your handicap, you are only allowed to take a certain number on a hole (example:  10 handicap cannot take a 9 on a hole)

If you were keeping track of your scores with and without penalty strokes, then just use the scores with the penalty strokes.

Also, only your 20 most recent count, so if some of your older ones are a little hazy, just add what you think the penalty strokes were and they will be bounced out of your calculation soon enough anyway.

Something that happens a lot with golfers who don't keep a handicap is they just assume they are "about a 20 hdcp" or "about a 24 hdcp" as they think that is their average score.  Problem is, the handicap only reflects your top half of scores, and the differential usually is lower than how many strokes you are over par.  So that estimation is usually flawed.If your average score is about 2

0 over par, you are probably closer to a 16 hdcp than a 20 hdcp.  If your average score is a 95 on a par 72 course, you are probably in the 18-20 hdcp range (provided that you have some difference between your best and worst rounds in your average.)

[moparman426]

Originally Posted by turtleback

No, you don't.  It is not illegal to putt with the flag in. But if your ball hits the flag, THEN you get penalized.

If you take a stroke from the putting surface and put the ball in the cup, with the flag stick still in place, it's a penalty.  Does not apply to shots taken from outside the putting surface, such as chips, etc...  Why wouldn't a person pull it for that reason alone?  For the poster that said he didn't want to hold up the course as a single, get a life.....  30 seconds to walk there and back for a long put..maybe?  Like the Sandman said, it also gives you a chance to check out your intended line...

[Lost-Ball]

Originally Posted by MrSandman

Step 1.  Got to your course and register for a ghin card

Step 2.  Start posting scores.

Your handicap will be the average differential of your 10 best rounds out of your 20 most recent rounds.

The differential will depend on a course's slope/rating (it is certainly not your average over par).

Most normal courses have a slope/rating in the 68-72/ 118-130 range

Some examples of how a differential works:

-  An 88 on a 71.5/121 rating/slope course would be a 15.4 differential, but

-  An 87 on a 69.5/116 course would be a 17 differential

I think you need 10-15 scores for your handicap to count.

You have to adjust your score for equitable stroke control.  Depending on your handicap, you are only allowed to take a certain number on a hole (example:  10 handicap cannot take a 9 on a hole)

If you were keeping track of your scores with and without penalty strokes, then just use the scores with the penalty strokes.

Also, only your 20 most recent count, so if some of your older ones are a little hazy, just add what you think the penalty strokes were and they will be bounced out of your calculation soon enough anyway.

Something that happens a lot with golfers who don't keep a handicap is they just assume they are "about a 20 hdcp" or "about a 24 hdcp" as they think that is their average score.  Problem is, the handicap only reflects your top half of scores, and the differential usually is lower than how many strokes you are over par.  So that estimation is usually flawed.If your average score is about 2

0 over par, you are probably closer to a 16 hdcp than a 20 hdcp.  If your average score is a 95 on a par 72 course, you are probably in the 18-20 hdcp range (provided that you have some difference between your best and worst rounds in your average.)

wow thats alot more complicated than i thought i would be. i have alot to learn. thanks

[Jimdangles]

I cant stand mulligans. If im just playing with my friends for fun and everybody messes up that tee shot somebody may say "mulligans" and we ALL re hit so that at least thats fair but I havent done that in months and even when I did I added 2 strokes on my handicap for it. My best score on a card was 80 and The lowest score on my handicap is 82.

I have only been playing for exactly a year on monday so thats no excuse. I get no pride out of doing something I didnt actually do or bragging about something I didnt do.

The one place where I give myself some leeway is if im ontop of like a tree root or something along those lines I will play it as a cart path. No closer to the hole and I make sure not to give my self any line but the punchout I was gonna have to play anyways.

[Timothy Voyles]

Originally Posted by moparman426

If you take a stroke from the putting surface and put the ball in the cup, with the flag stick still in place, it's a penalty.  Does not apply to shots taken from outside the putting surface, such as chips, etc...  Why wouldn't a person pull it for that reason alone?  For the poster that said he didn't want to hold up the course as a single, get a life.....  30 seconds to walk there and back for a long put..maybe?  Like the Sandman said, it also gives you a chance to check out your intended line...

Perhaps you go back and read my posts again? I never mentioned anything about not wanting to hold anyone up... It simply doesn't bother me being in the hole nor does it affect me taking the time it takes for me to identify a line I am comfortable putting. If anything it's pure laziness, which has no effect on anyone else.

Get a life from be the forum rule police? lol wow....

[showtime583]

The ONLY liberty I'll take is the "breakfast ball" on the first tee IF I haven't had a chance to hit the range. Realize this isn't by the books (and I'll probably get slammed for it), but I probably end up using it once every 6 or 7 rounds if I really shit the bed or hit it OB on the first tee.....if the ball is halfway reasonable I'll play it...

[Gresh24]

Originally Posted by showtime583

The ONLY liberty I'll take is the "breakfast ball" on the first tee IF I haven't had a chance to hit the range. Realize this isn't by the books (and I'll probably get slammed for it), but I probably end up using it once every 6 or 7 rounds if I really shit the bed or hit it OB on the first tee.....if the ball is halfway reasonable I'll play it...

I play with several people that play "2 off 1"

[Timothy Voyles]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

I should also note....don't forget the primer!!!   The only way to get the grey right is with an undercoating of primer.   Just sayin

It's double the work, but it will turn out better in the end.....

Hah thanks for the heads up man! I actually managed a paint store while in college for a couple of years and have painted with contractors for a while.

Originally Posted by Gresh24

I play with several people that play "2 off 1"

2 on 1 seems about the norm for most guys I get paired with. Nearly all of them jump out of their car and head to #1.

[Teamanglerx]

Well, here's my two cents.

I am a high handicap.  In fact I think my handicap has an exponet on it.  Why am I a high handicap?  Because I count every shot whether it is a practice round or playing in my league.  If I lose a ball I count it.  I have lots of score cards with 6's, 7's, and snowmen armies on them.  But these scores help drive me to get better, which I have.  By playing every shot and not cheating I have been improving my score by learning to play out of difficult situations or playing smart shots and not the "I think I can make it through those branches".  I have learned to focus better when putting and my short game is improving.   And by counting all my strokes I have gained great respect as a playing partner amongst friends and people I get paired with.  Even though they know I am a bad golfer they still want to play golf with me because of my honest approach to the game.  When I make a great shot or putt my friends share the excitement and that makes the game fun and keeps me going.

A couple of weeks ago I got paired with this guy who was worse than me.  He would hit 4 shots to get near the green, chip twice, and putt 2 - 3 times to get it in.  Then he would write a 4 or 6 down as his score.  When I asked him on the third hole how many strokes he had taken he said 4 (when he had a 8). I asked politely if he was counting his shots or was this a practice round.  He said that he only counts the good ones because he knows he is a great golfer.  What made the round worse is he was giving me advice the whole time on how to play golf.  I shot a 54 for 9 holes (which is really good for me) and used the round to practice my "drowning out distractions" drills.

To the OP, it is up to you how you want to play golf and keep score.  However, if you are not scoring honestly, not counting penalty strokes, and claim a handicap or golfing accolade you haven't earned are just as bad as the "I hit 320 yards everytime with a 5 iron" guys.  Worse of all its hard to give honest advice to someone who is not being honest with their game.  If you don't know what your real score is or how bad you might be how can anyone give you good advice on how to get better?

[MrSandman]

Originally Posted by Lost-Ball

wow thats alot more complicated than i thought i would be. i have alot to learn. thanks

It really is not all that complicated.  You post the scores, the computer does the rest.  Find out what your ESC limit is (iyou can find it here) and you don't have to take higher than that when oposting your score (good idea to still count those holes when playing rounds though)

Only your 20 most recent rounds count, and only your 10 best of those count.  The computer figures out the differential for you.

Really you only need to do two things:  1.  buy a ghin card, and 2.  post your scores