Hurts to be honest (handicaps and practice rounds)

[TJBam]

I have been making great progress this season as I am settling into my post-college golf life.  Started December at 18, down to 15 and then 12 and then 10.5.  My all time lowest handicap.

Really hurts to record an awful round and have the handicap jump back up.

I started the round with a friend intending to play it as a real round.  Is this the time that I would just declare a practice round or is that unethical?  This has been mentioned but I can't bring myself to do it.

Edit: I tweaked a shoulder on the second hole.  Does this constitute making the round a handicap if I am already +3 through 2 holes and know it will not end pretty?  Assume I will be using this HCP for tournaments etc.

[boogielicious]

Don't worry about it.  A good round negates a bad one for you handicap anyway.  We all have them.

[meenman]

People worry too much about lowering their HC vs it being what it is. The question is - do you want a real handicap or a vanity cap?

[bkuehn1952]

If you go to the course intending to practice, it is a practice round.  Declaring rounds a "practice round" once you start will tend to get you a vanity handicap.  Same with not counting rounds where you are injured.  If you are too injured to play, then abandon the round.  If you play the whole round despite the injury, then record the score, warts and all.

It is no fun having a handicap that is too low compared to your real game.  I once got down to around 5.0 or 5.5 but the truth was that I was pretty loose with my scoring, Rules, etc...  As proud as I was of my 5.0 handicap index, it soon became a source of embarrassment when it was obvious I really wasn't quite that good.

[TJBam]

Originally Posted by meenman

People worry too much about lowering their HC vs it being what it is.

The question is - do you want a real handicap or a vanity cap?

I want a real HCP which is why I posted the "score that will not be mentioned" anyways. :(

Originally Posted by bkuehn1952

If you go to the course intending to practice, it is a practice round.  Declaring rounds a "practice round" once you start will tend to get you a vanity handicap.  Same with not counting rounds where you are injured.  If you are too injured to play, then abandon the round.  If you play the whole round despite the injury, then record the score, warts and all.

It is no fun having a handicap that is too low compared to your real game.  I once got down to around 5.0 or 5.5 but the truth was that I was pretty loose with my scoring, Rules, etc...  As proud as I was of my 5.0 handicap index, it soon became a source of embarrassment when it was obvious I really wasn't quite that good.

I'd like to avoid that.  I'd rather outperform my handicap on a good day or play it to a T on my average days.  The one thing I'd like to avoid is going into a game ($ or not) with a vanity handicap that makes me look like a tool. Lol.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by TJBam

I have been making great progress this season as I am settling into my post-college golf life.  Started December at 18, down to 15 and then 12 and then 10.5.  My all time lowest handicap.

Really hurts to record an awful round and have the handicap jump back up.

I started the round with a friend intending to play it as a real round.  Is this the time that I would just declare a practice round or is that unethical?  This has been mentioned but I can't bring myself to do it.

Edit: I tweaked a shoulder on the second hole.  Does this constitute making the round a handicap if I am already +3 through 2 holes and know it will not end pretty?  Assume I will be using this HCP for tournaments etc.

One bad round should never raise your handicap unless the score it knocks off the bottom end is a low one, and that would happen no matter what score you shot.  Say your personal best is the 20th score on your list, and you shoot 2 or 3 over your handicap (say for you an 85).  That 85 will have the same effect as a score of 100, except that the 85 might be included in the calculation (if it becomes one of your lowest 10 scores) whereas the100 would never be likely to be used unless your game craters for a prolonged period.  If that 85 knocks a 76 off the bottom of the list, then that might move your cap up by a stroke, no more.

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by TJBam

I want a real HCP which is why I posted the "score that will not be mentioned" anyways. :(

I'd like to avoid that.  I'd rather outperform my handicap on a good day or play it to a T on my average days.  The one thing I'd like to avoid is going into a game ($ or not) with a vanity handicap that makes me look like a tool. Lol.

If that actually happens over the long term then there is a problem with your handicap.  You aren't supposed to be able to play to your handicap on your average days.  You are only supposed to play to your handicap on the top 25% of your rounds according the USGA.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by turtleback

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJBam

I want a real HCP which is why I posted the "score that will not be mentioned" anyways. :(

I'd like to avoid that.  I'd rather outperform my handicap on a good day or play it to a T on my average days.  The one thing I'd like to avoid is going into a game ($ or not) with a vanity handicap that makes me look like a tool. Lol.

If that actually happens over the long term then there is a problem with your handicap.  You aren't supposed to be able to play to your handicap on your average days.  You are only supposed to play to your handicap on the top 25% of your rounds according the USGA.

Turtle has it right.  Your handicap represents your scoring potential, not your average, so playing to your handicap will cause it to make a downward trend until you level out.  At that point you will only shoot to your handicap when playing well, because your index is based on your 10 best scores out of the last 20, and even then you don't get 100% of the average of those best 10 differentials, only 96%.  It's like hanging a carrot in front of the donkey to keep it moving, always chasing something that's just out of reach.

[Tat14]

Good comments here.

IMO, your index should be valid and honest. A no-poop index will only help you in matches if you happen to play in a league, etc. A vanity handicap will never help you against a better player in match-play games.

We have two types of offenders at my local club. One, the guy that never posts and enjoys that "assumed 20" for Thursday twilight match play. Not a fan... fortunately we police those guys quickly.

The other one is the young kid who tells us he's "a five or so" and then gets smoked because he only gets 3 or 4 strokes per match. Thanks for the $$$ man.

[Pretzel]

As a general rule I avoid posting rounds that I play with friends (or when I volunteer to help with the junior golfers and play 5-9 holes with them) when I know I'm going to just be messing around most of the time. If it's a round where we're playing seriously I'll post it, but if it's just for fun or we're just blowing off steam I won't bother since I know it will be 1-8 strokes higher than usual depending on my attention level to the golf.

The main reason I don't post those round is we tend to be fairly loose on the rules when playing like that, as opposed to when we gamble or play seriously to practice.