Forum Profile Handicap Indices....

[rkim291968]

Based on the last 5 rounds, I'm somewhere around a 25 on your average to difficult 18 hole course. Distance still being the most annoying factor. After months of hard work on just straightening out my driver...my drives are still a humongous "playable" slice that fall around 210 yards. Nonetheless I can't believe that the average male handicap is somewhere around 15. On this site I can definitely believe it, but not the general public. Everywhere I go I see the majority hacking it up somehow worse than me, and then every once and awhile I'll see a couple diamonds in the rough.

My club average HI is about 10 in my estimate.  I have one of the highest HI at 19.   Random, casual golfers whom I end up playing in the same group are probably playing well over 20 HI on average.   I know that b/c most of them play worse than I do like you have observed.   Forum members and others who keep GHIN are typically serious golfers whose HI is far better than average weekend warrior.

[Crim]

My club average HI is about 10 in my estimate.  I have one of the highest HI at 19.   Random, casual golfers whom I end up playing in the same group are probably playing well over 20 HI on average.   I know that b/c most of them play worse than I do like you have observed.   Forum members and others who keep GHIN are typically serious golfers whose HI is far better than average weekend warrior.

Exactly, When Golf Digest printed that the average is around 15, I wonder if they only took that from people that actually pay attention to and record their handicap all the time. I'd believe that, but I figured they'd have taken a look at the entire male golfing population which I would assume be closer to 20-22.

All these average golfers breaking 90 quite often definitely don't golf when and where I do.

[Golfingdad]

5.5 after a solid round yesterday.  3 rounds away from losing my best ever differential so I need to step it up in the next few weeks to make up for it.

[Lihu]

My club average HI is about 10 in my estimate.  I have one of the highest HI at 19.   Random, casual golfers whom I end up playing in the same group are probably playing well over 20 HI on average.   I know that b/c most of them play worse than I do like you have observed.   Forum members and others who keep GHIN are typically serious golfers whose HI is far better than average weekend warrior.

Same here, the young ones are probably better than 3 HI. I was told there are a couple + golfers. Of course, the ones that tell you they've been playing for 40 years and still "suck at this game" are usually scratch. . .

Exactly, When Golf Digest printed that the average is around 15, I wonder if they only took that from people that actually pay attention to and record their handicap all the time. I'd believe that, but I figured they'd have taken a look at the entire male golfing population which I would assume be closer to 20-22.

All these average golfers breaking 90 quite often definitely don't golf when and where I do.

Agree somewhat. Guessing the average score of people who play once a week is in the 105 range if playing by the rules on moderately difficult tees.

The average HC is 15 and average driving distance is 205 for people who bother to keep handicaps .

Based upon your average raw score of +25 on moderate to difficult courses (72.5/130 rating at around 6600 yards?) I would guess you have a 19 to 20 HC. Which explains why you play pretty well compared to the average weekend golfer. . .

[Crim]

The average HC is 15 and average driving distance is 205 for people who bother to keep handicaps.

Based upon your average raw score of +25 on moderate to difficult courses (72.5/130 rating at around 6600 yards?) I would guess you have a 19 to 20 HC. Which explains why you play pretty well compared to the average weekend golfer. . .

My HC is around 25 based on the last 5 courses I plugged in, all of which were new to me and relatively tough for a first go. So yeah I suppose I could actually be around a 20. I'm certainly in the average driving distance. 205 surprises me for "people who bother to keep handicaps." I would have figured more toward the 225 yards area.

[Lihu]

My HC is around 25 based on the last 5 courses I plugged in, all of which were new to me and relatively tough for a first go. So yeah I suppose I could actually be around a 20. I'm certainly in the average driving distance. 205 surprises me for "people who bother to keep handicaps." I would have figured more toward the 225 yards area.

Average distance for people with handicaps is 208 according to R&A.; (My mistake for writing 205 earlier.)

http://www.randa.org/en/RandA/News/News/2013/May/Drive-Distance.aspx

[Crim]

Average distance for people with handicaps is 208 according to R&A.; (My mistake for writing 205 earlier.)

http://www.randa.org/en/RandA/News/News/2013/May/Drive-Distance.aspx

Wow, not only is golf hard, driving distance is VERY hard. I'm almost happy to see that I'm in vast company.

[Lihu]

Wow, not only is golf hard, driving distance is VERY hard. I'm almost happy to see that I'm in vast company.

I'm sure with good application of 5SK (mechanics) you can hit farther, too.

Most people would be surprised what are their actual average driving distance. For instance, 175 yard tree shots really take down the average quite a bit, and 250 yards is a pretty long distance. Most courses are setup in such a way that an actual 250 yard drive would put you 20-30 yards from the front edge of the green on a "300 yard" hole. It's natural that someone would think that he made a 270 to 280 yard drive even though they are 15 yards short of the center of the green and the actual hole is only 285-295 yards linear distance.

I don't think it's on purpose for "ego" in many cases, but just inaccurate measuring methods and estimations.

[Nosevi]

Going all the way back to the OP's original post, I've put my official handicap up because I've been asked to. Looking at my last 20 social rounds (which we can't enter) and taking away the worst 10 (which we can't do) puts me somewhere just below scratch on the US system. With our system in the UK our handicap is firstly higher than if we were playing under the US system and secondly significantly lags behind our current ability if we are improving rapidly - to be honest it's not a great system, in fact it's rubbish. I average 1 over the course rating and shot 4 under in less than a year from my initial handicap. What does posting 5.1 tell you about my current ability? I'd argue, not a great deal.

[Lihu]

Going all the way back to the OP's original post, I've put my official handicap up because I've been asked to. Looking at my last 20 social rounds (which we can't enter) and taking away the worst 10 (which we can't do) puts me somewhere just below scratch on the US system. With our system in the UK our handicap is firstly higher than if we were playing under the US system and secondly significantly lags behind our current ability if we are improving rapidly - to be honest it's not a great system, in fact it's rubbish. I average 1 over the course rating and shot 4 under in less than a year from my initial handicap. What does posting 5.1 tell you about my current ability? I'd argue, not a great deal.

It's not mathematically that much different as some people seem to be implying. . .Unless, you shoot something like 97 and 77 all the time. . .

[Nosevi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nosevi

Going all the way back to the OP's original post, I've put my official handicap up because I've been asked to. Looking at my last 20 social rounds (which we can't enter) and taking away the worst 10 (which we can't do) puts me somewhere just below scratch on the US system. With our system in the UK our handicap is firstly higher than if we were playing under the US system and secondly significantly lags behind our current ability if we are improving rapidly - to be honest it's not a great system, in fact it's rubbish. I average 1 over the course rating and shot 4 under in less than a year from my initial handicap. What does posting 5.1 tell you about my current ability? I'd argue, not a great deal.

It's not mathematically that much different as some people seem to be implying. . .Unless, you shoot something like 97 and 77 all the time. . .

On average as you get to between a 5 handicap and scratch (what we term a category 1 golfer) under the US system your handicap is about 4 lower than your scoring average. Under our system it's about 2 lower than your scoring average. If you had a 20 shot differential between a normal good and a normal bad round it would be a hell of a lot more than that. Look at your GHIN, look at the scoring average of your last 20 rounds now compare that to the scoring average of the best 10 of those 20 rounds. Now consider that at category 1 level we can only count competition rounds towards our handicap and trust me, the difference is there.

Put it this way - for every one of the rounds you disregard from your GHIN our handicap goes up by 0.1 so that's a shot before you start. Now look at the average Joe's performance in competition compared to in a social round and it accounts for at least a shot. That is, in effect, the 2 shot difference between the systems if your performance is static, If you are improving that difference gets larger.

Don't get me wrong, your system is far better IMO. But there is a significant difference in the systems.

[iacas]

On average as you get to between a 5 handicap and scratch (what we term a category 1 golfer) under the US system your handicap is about 4 lower than your scoring average.

Really?

Assume 72.0 and a 2 handicapper. The ten best of his last twenty have to be about 74.1 on average. You believe this golfer averages 78.1?

74.1 x 10 for his handicap. To average 78.1 his other scores would have to average… 82.1.

I don't know about that.

[Lihu]

On average as you get to between a 5 handicap and scratch (what we term a category 1 golfer) under the US system your handicap is about 4 lower than your scoring average. Under our system it's about 2 lower than your scoring average. If you had a 20 shot differential between a normal good and a normal bad round it would be a hell of a lot more than that. Look at your GHIN, look at the scoring average of your last 20 rounds now compare that to the scoring average of the best 10 of those 20 rounds. Now consider that at category 1 level we can only count competition rounds towards our handicap and trust me, the difference is there.

Put it this way - for every one of the rounds you disregard from your GHIN our handicap goes up by 0.1 so that's a shot before you start. Now look at the average Joe's performance in competition compared to in a social round and it accounts for at least a shot. That is, in effect, the 2 shot difference between the systems if your performance is static, If you are improving that difference gets larger.

Don't get me wrong, your system is far better IMO. But there is a significant difference in the systems.

Yeah, but you seem to be stating that you are a 5HC under the UK system and +1 or +2 by GHIN. The only way that type of thing could happen is if you shoot under par 1/4 of the time and 10 over something like half the time.

EDIT: Erik already addressed this. . .

[Dave2512]

Or his tournament scores are simply a little higher than his average social round. His dispersion of scores is probably pretty tight.

[Nosevi]

Um, no. I'm saying a 5HC under our system is about a 3HC under yours (2 shot differential). My situation is different as I'm improving rapidly but not been able to post rounds to my handicap as we can only post competition rounds, match play (which I play for my club team) don't count and no rounds can be submitted over the winter.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nosevi

On average as you get to between a 5 handicap and scratch (what we term a category 1 golfer) under the US system your handicap is about 4 lower than your scoring average.

Really?

Assume 72.0 and a 2 handicapper. The ten best of his last twenty have to be about 74.1 on average. You believe this golfer averages 78.1?

74.1 x 10 for his handicap. To average 78.1 his other scores would have to average… 82.1.

I don't know about that.

No that's not what I'm saying. If we're talking 72.0 and a 2 handicapper, the ten best rounds of his last twenty have to average about 74 or so to make him a 2 handicapper. I'm saying that on average this golfer under your system would average 76 (ie 4 over the course rating) meaning his worst 10 rounds ie the ones he disregards from his GHIN would average 78. Under our system a 2 handicapper averages about 74 over all his rounds shot in competition which are the only rounds he can count. That's the number used by the EGU to check whether a category 1 golfer is performing as they would expect for his handicap.

Don't get me wrong, your system is clearly better, but there is a difference in the numbers.

[Lihu]

Um, no. I'm saying a 5HC under our system is about a 3HC under yours (2 shot differential). My situation is different as I'm improving rapidly but not been able to post rounds to my handicap as we can only post competition rounds, match play (which I play for my club team) don't count and no rounds can be submitted over the winter.

That seems very strange that a tournament would allow you to compete as a 5 HC while you are capable of shooting to a +2, I would think many of the other scratch golfers would highly object to giving you 5 strokes!

[Nosevi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

Average distance for people with handicaps is 208 according to R&A.; (My mistake for writing 205 earlier.)

http://www.randa.org/en/RandA/News/News/2013/May/Drive-Distance.aspx

Wow, not only is golf hard, driving distance is VERY hard. I'm almost happy to see that I'm in vast company.

Crim, if you're anywhere near Lincoln give me a shout and I'll get you in the my swing studio with launch monitor - driving distance is all about technique.

[Golfingdad]

That seems very strange that a tournament would allow you to compete as a 5 HC while you are capable of shooting to a +2, I would think many of the other scratch golfers would highly object to giving you 5 strokes!

You do realize that "many of the other scratch golfers" would have received their handicap under the same system, right?

It's also just the nature of them only posting their tournament rounds, especially for guys who are getting better yet not playing a ton of tournaments.