Forum Profile Handicap Indices....

[Lihu]

If you just want to track improvement (or non-improvement ) then it doesn't have to be a handicap. A simple rolling average would be just as useful, no?

Besides, as long as you write down scores, slopes and course rating then you can always calculate it later.

It's not, and I used to think the same thing. Now, I even use GolfLogix to track everything including my tee shot distances. I'll probably upgrade the SW to the paid version to track more stuff.

No.  Unless you only ever play one course, and one set of tees.

For just the reason you mention.  Different courses and different tees have different levels of difficulty.  Your handicap is NOT simply an estimate of your average score, but more an indication of potential.

The real reason to maintain a handicap is to allow for golfers of different abilities to compete against each other on a relatively even basis.  Competing, even informally with your buddies, adds a tremendous amount of enjoyment to the game.

Exactly, I played the exact same game on three separate days on the same course (different 18 hole sets)  and scored 81, 89 and 85. The difference was simply the tees and which set of 18 holes I played. The differentials were all within 1 stroke of each other.

I would use a computerized tracking system like GolfLogix, so you don't need to write a spreadsheet like I did. Now it's tracking my HC, which reminds me that I need to update mine eventually.

Better yet, get a GHIN. I've been promising @David in FL ow. It's probably time to join one of the clubs in my area.

[Crim]

No.  Unless you only ever play one course, and one set of tees.

For just the reason you mention.  Different courses and different tees have different levels of difficulty.  Your handicap is NOT simply an estimate of your average score, but more an indication of potential.

Fair point for sure.

The real reason to maintain a handicap is to allow for golfers of different abilities to compete against each other on a relatively even basis.  Competing, even informally with your buddies, adds a tremendous amount of enjoyment to the game.

This may be a little off-topic, but I can't stand handicaps in any form of competing. It irks me. If you're better than me, than you're better than me. To me it's always be lowest score wins, I'd rather lose to someone for years than "win" because I shot better than my handicap. I don't know, I like match play better anyway.

[David in FL]

This may be a little off-topic, but I can't stand handicaps in any form of competing. It irks me. If you're better than me, than you're better than me.            To me it's always be lowest score wins, I'd rather lose to someone for years than "win" because I shot better than my handicap. I don't know, I like          match play better anyway.

Match play can/should be handicapped too.

While you might rather play a much better player straight up, he's gonna be bored to tears by the complete lack of challenge.

Of course, if you're playing for enough money, the winnings might offset a little of the boredom.

[Crim]

Match play can/should be handicapped too.

While you might rather play a much better player straight up, he's gonna be bored to tears by the complete lack of challenge.

Of course, if you're playing for enough money, the winnings might offset a little of the boredom.

hahaha i dunno, I love beating the snot out of my friend every time we play now. Granted that might be because we were even matched at the beginning of the summer. (he holds the same views on competitive handicaps as I do)

I also don't mind getting the snot beat out of me by my 64 year old father in law. Though I have gotten the best of him a few times recently.

Maybe once I become a solid player it will indeed get boring. Time will tell.

[No Mulligans]

Do any of you use one of the golf scoring apps on your smartphone?

Enter: Your handicap if you have one, the name of the course, what tees you play from, enter your score for each hole as you play just like a scorecard, including penalty strokes taken... the app will maintain a handicap calculation for you.  You don't even have to know how to calculate a handicap.   (Are penalty strokes used in the calculation of a handicap?)

In addition, you end up with a record of all your rounds, and stats.  It also shows you scorecards, course layouts, pictures of the hole and distance from your position to the middle of the green.

The app I use is SwingbySwing, I'm sure there's a bunch of other apps available also.

[Lihu]

Do any of you use one of the golf scoring apps on your smartphone?

Enter: Your handicap if you have one, the name of the course, what tees you play from, enter your score for each hole, including penalty strokes taken... the app will maintain a handicap for you.  You don't even have to know how to calculate a handicap.   (Are penalty strokes used in the calculation of a handicap.

In addition, you end up with a record of all your rounds, and stats.  It also shows you scorecards, course layouts, pictures of the hole and distance from your position to the middle of the green.

The app I use is SwingbySwing, I'm sure there's a bunch of other apps available also.

GolfLogix works pretty well too.

[Lihu]

I was just looking at the Golflogix site on line, and all my entered rounds are there. It's amazing. I can just cut and paste everything from there from now on. Keeps my handicap up to date, and all my other stats as well.

The only potential issue is a lack of privacy, but who really cares if someone knows you've been golfing. . .

[No Mulligans]

I was just looking at the Golflogix site on line, and all my entered rounds are there. It's amazing. I can just cut and paste everything from there from now on. Keeps my handicap up to date, and all my other stats as well.

The only potential issue is a lack of privacy, but who really cares if someone knows you've been golfing. . .

Yeah.  It's awesome to use the technology.  I think it's easier to score the hole on my iphone than it is on a score card, for sure it's a lot neater.  On my app you just tap your score, your number of puts, penalty strokes, in the sand, etc.  Just a quick tap tap tap.  And then all those stats are in your database and you get charts and graphs etc. (more than I'm interested in, but what the heck, it doesn't take me any incremental effort to keep score that way.

[BuckeyeNut]

I went up .1.................from 3.5 to 3.6.   Quite shocking to me because I have been doing a lot of experimenting with setup and ball flight with no success.   All this BS is over now and I intend to drop by the November 1st revision.    This is when we stop posting scores............

I'll keep playing though...weather permitting!!!

[Lihu]

Yeah.  It's awesome to use the technology.  I think it's easier to score the hole on my iphone than it is on a score card, for sure it's a lot neater.  On my app you just tap your score, your number of puts, penalty strokes, in the sand, etc.  Just a quick tap tap tap.  And then all those stats are in your database and you get charts and graphs etc. (more than I'm interested in, but what the heck, it doesn't take me any incremental effort to keep score that way.

It's great. Just a little more automation would be nice.

[whatwoodtigerdo]

How do you know when you are supposed to stop posting scores. We are usually pretty mild here and I will usually only miss a couple of weeks because of weather. Is there something that makes me stop posting or is it cool to just post all year?

[Roblar]

Not up to 20 scores posted yet, but it's looking like when I get to the 20th, I'll be somewhere around a 10 or 11...  (Currently 8.2)

[David in FL]

How do you know when you are supposed to stop posting scores. We are usually pretty mild here and I will usually only miss a couple of weeks because of weather. Is there something that makes me stop posting or is it cool to just post all year?

Many northern states have an inactive season, during which you don't post scores, even if you're able to play. NC does not have an inactive season. You post scores all year.

[CarlSpackler]

Still 15.6. Haven't touched my clubs in almost 4 weeks.

[Dave2512]

Not playing enough to move, just twice in Oct and one is a 9 hole diff hanging out there. I sold my house and moved and it is a time killer. Getting ready to go through boxes before work.

[phan52]

Started the season at 8.4, hit a high of 11.9 in June and a low of 8.3 in early September. Just hit 8.8 today.

Didn't reach my goal of getting my course handicap to single digits this year (8.3 translated to a 10 and I needed to get to 7.7 to be a 9) and I am running out of time. Just didn't play enough this year. I'll be lucky to post 3 scores between now and the end of the month when our season ends.

[BrrrrMan78]

Just got notified I'm down to 2.5, haven't played in a month because of a back injury,,and I have a two day event this weekend with friends. I'm officially DEAD MONEY!

[flopster]

I'm trending back down but still have a long ways to go to reach my goal this year, problem is I wanted to get somewhere in the 3's I think but right now I'm at 6.0, I started at 5.0 and ballooned to 6.8 but I'm still fighting off a hook most of the time, I think I could still reach the high 4's this year but I need to play some good golf these remaining months.