"Course Time" quick question...

[rmgr]

What do people mean when they talk about a golf course's "Course Time"?

say I'm going to a golf course and its course time is at 4:35, what does that mean?

[rmgr]

I also had another quick question: I know what handicap means and everything, but why does every hole in a golf course have a different handicap? what does that mean if it's higher/lower etc..

[lamebums]

Course Time - Probably the expected pace of play, or at least the maximum amount of time you're allowed to spend on the golf course. Any more and you're liable to be booted off with no refund, or asked to skip holes to get back on track. It's to keep a lid on slow play.

Handicap - I'm going to try and explain this as simply as possible. Each hole is given a handicap number, generally speaking, relative to how difficult the hole is. Typically, par 5's and long par 4's are low handicap numbers, because there's more chances to screw up on a long hole for a higher handicapper.

It works this way: Let's say you and I play a round, and I play to a 10, and you play to a 15. By this rule, to make it fair, I would have to give you 5 strokes - on handicap holes 1 through 5, you'd get one stroke each. From 6 on up, though, you're on your own. That's why handicaps typically go up to 36 - a total hack would be given two strokes per hole if in a match vs. a scratch golfer.

[rmgr]

Course Time - Probably the expected pace of play, or at least the maximum amount of time you're allowed to spend on the golf course. Any more and you're liable to be booted off with no refund, or asked to skip holes to get back on track. It's to keep a lid on slow play.

ahhh ok, thanks man!

[Warik]

That's why handicaps typically go up to 36 - a total hack would be given two strokes per hole if in a match vs. a scratch golfer.

I guess that makes me 1.5 strokes worse than absolutely terrible. Ouch :(

It works this way: Let's say you and I play a round, and I play to a 10, and you play to a 15. By this rule, to make it fair, I would have to give you 5 strokes - on handicap holes 1 through 5, you'd get one stroke each. From 6 on up, though, you're on your own.

Part of this doesn't make sense to me, maybe you can help make it clear. You play to a 10 and (in my wildest dreams) I play to a 15. Let's say I bogey the #1-5 handicap holes. You owe me 5 strokes on handicap holes 1 through 5, so now I've parred the #1-5 handicap holes and my net score is 5 strokes less than what I actually shot.

Reverse the scenario... now let's say I PAR the #1-5 handicap holes and bogey the #14-18 handicap holes. Ok, you still owe me 5 strokes on handicap holes 1 through 5, so now I've birdied the #1-5 handicap holes and my net score is 5 stroke less than what I actually shot. That's the way I've interpreted how handicap strokes are assigned... so that being the case, why bother specifying the hole handicaps since the result is the same...? Or am I only allowed to take 1 - or in the case of my horrendous handicap, 2 - strokes on a hole provided it does not improve my score to below par?

[rusek]

I guess that makes me 1.5 strokes worse than absolutely terrible. Ouch :(

Matchplay and skins are hole-by-hole, not overall score, so what holes you take them on makes a huge difference.

[Warik]

Matchplay and skins are hole-by-hole, not overall score, so what holes you take them on makes a huge difference.

That makes sense. In stroke play though you just subtract from overall score and an individual hole's handicap doesn't matter then, right?

[rusek]

That makes sense. In stroke play though you just subtract from overall score and an individual hole's handicap doesn't matter then, right?

If you are playing in a "net" stroke play event then yes.

[lamebums]

Reverse the scenario... now let's say I PAR the #1-5 handicap holes and bogey the #14-18 handicap holes. Ok, you still owe me 5 strokes on handicap holes 1 through 5, so now I've birdied the #1-5 handicap holes and my net score is 5 stroke less than what I actually shot.

If you par the 1-5 handicap holes, it's net birdies. In match play, it's basically one stroke less than what you really got on those holes (or two if the net difference is more than 18). Your net score will be the same but you have a much better chance at winning a match versus a lower handicapper if you pull off five net birdie's on those holes.

(If I par it, you par it, it's handicap hole #4, you get a stroke, net birdie, you're up one.) I think I'm running circles here but I hoped that helped.

[Warik]

I think I'm running circles here but I hoped that helped.

Crystal clear. Thanks!