Handicap

[muttbag]

After reading this thread, I'm removing my handicap index that I self-estimated.  I have no clue.  I've never turned scorecards in to my home course, but I'm going to start.   Would be nice to have a real number assigned the proper way.  The more I read about handicap indexes, the more that I feel mine makes me appear to be a much better golfer than I currently am.

[PDXguy]

Originally Posted by McMullenCPA

If I play only 9, and then play another 9 at a different course, from my (minimal) understanding, I would add the course rating's and scores as if they were one round of 18. Would I average the slope as well then? I don't have an official, but I track my handicap using a spreadsheet and compare to GolfShot GPS to make sure my spreadsheet isn't way off base.

That sounds a bit complicated. Why not just double your 9 hole score? If you shot 41 on the front, just enter it as a 82 (for your own records, of course, not the official stuff). That way you don't have to mess about with averaging slopes and ratings and whatnot.

J

[David in FL]

That sounds a bit complicated. Why not just double your 9 hole score? If you shot 41 on the front, just enter it as a 82 (for your own records, of course, not the official stuff). That way you don't have to mess about with averaging slopes and ratings and whatnot.  J

Because that's not the way it's done..... Why would you want "your own records", whatever that means, to be inaccurate? :-\

[PDXguy]

Hi David, I was responding to a McMullen's post about averaging the rating and slope from two 9 hole rounds at different courses. If you read the quote in my reply he says he is not looking for an official hc just to track his progress. I wasn't advocating either as an accurate way to keep a legitimate handicap... J

[David in FL]

Originally Posted by PDXguy

Hi David,

I was responding to a McMullen's post about averaging the rating and slope from two 9 hole rounds at different courses. If you read the quote in my reply he says he is not looking for an official hc just to track his progress. I wasn't advocating either as an accurate way to keep a legitimate handicap...

J

I know.  My point is, "official" or not, the method you advocated is incorrect and inaccurate.  No better than averaging number of strokes over par as an estimate of handicap.....

9 hole rounds may, and should, be entered as such.

[Meltdwhiskey]

Originally Posted by muttbag

After reading this thread, I'm removing my handicap index that I self-estimated.  I have no clue.  I've never turned scorecards in to my home course, but I'm going to start.   Would be nice to have a real number assigned the proper way.  The more I read about handicap indexes, the more that I feel mine makes me appear to be a much better golfer than I currently am.

I of course do not know your game - but more often than not the opposite is true.  Most people thing of the handicap as their average score.  But it is really the average of your better scores.  If you average 15 over (which I got from your currently listed cap), you are probably more like an 11 or so.

[boogielicious]

Originally Posted by David in FL

I know.  My point is, "official" or not, the method you advocated is incorrect and inaccurate.  No better than averaging number of strokes over par as an estimate of handicap.....

9 hole rounds may, and should, be entered as such.

Agreed. GHIN will combine two 9 hole rounds to make one 18 in calculating an official HC.  You can do the same if you want to track your progress.  When I first started, I created an Excel spread sheet to do it (I'm an engineer, go figure!).  The only hard part is getting the course slope and rating for each 9 hole side.  The course may not list it on their site or scorecard.  You can look it up on the GHIN site.

ScoreCard, the program, is also an excellent way to track your progress.  http://cynicalpeak.com/scorecard/index.php  You still need to find the 9 hole rating and slope to get the most accurate HC index.

[David in FL]

Originally Posted by boogielicious

Agreed. GHIN will combine two 9 hole rounds to make one 18 in calculating an official HC.  You can do the same if you want to track your progress.  When I first started, I created an Excel spread sheet to do it (I'm an engineer, go figure!).  The only hard part is getting the course slope and rating for each 9 hole side.  The course may not list it on their site or scorecard.  You can look it up on the GHIN site.

ScoreCard, the program, is also an excellent way to track your progress.  http://cynicalpeak.com/scorecard/index.php  You still need to find the 9 hole rating and slope to get the most accurate HC index.

Exactly right.

Here's a link to look up the course rating and slope, including each 9 holes for any USGA member course.

http://ncrdb.usga.org/NCRDB/

[muttbag]

I of course do not know your game - but more often than not the opposite is true.  Most people thing of the handicap as their average score.  But it is really the average of your better scores.  If you average 15 over (which I got from your currently listed cap), you are probably more like an 11 or so.

Good thing a single game won't drastically alter it. Otherwise, I'd be a 20+ after yesterday.