Forum Profile Handicap Indices....

[David in FL]

@david in FL

I like to compete against others and do from time to time so I do have a HC but I don't really pay attention to it or watch it closely. I just play to play. I track my progress and consistency through tracking FIR, GIR, ect. The HC is more there just for the really competitive people I play, for me I just like the challenge of trying to beat those better then me scratch, if I beat them because of my HC it's just not as good of a win to me

So, what is your current hcp?   Put it in your profile and keep it up to date.  I agree......it is what it is.

[rkim291968]

I am trying to convince my wife to post scores so that we can both play in club tournaments.   But after a few holes, she gives up out of frustration and goes back to her own counting system.   She only counts pars & bogeys (with occasional  mulligans and gimmies mixed in) and she's a happy camper ... er, golfer.

[Lowkie]

I've updated it in my profile, it's a little higher then I expected but not the worst I've seen.  But like I said, I don't really keep it updated I like beating people scratch or getting as close as I can to be able to.

[Desert Driver]

I keep my profile handicap updated to the nearest whole number using my regular State Golf Association handicap.

I also belong to a golf association that keeps a separate handicap using only association tournament scores. It supposedly prevents or limits sandbagging.

None of you would sandbag, of course.

[Lowkie]

Nobody ever sandbags in golf or any other sport.  What would ever make you think that? lol.

[rkim291968]

None of you would sandbag, of course.

Not yet.  I have not entered a tournament, or league match yet.   What's a sandbag? ....

[mdl]

This post just reminded me to check mine and update.

That might give you an indication of my answer.  I keep a handicap and play religiously by the rules.  Well, with the exception that I walk on busy courses so on surprise lost balls I just drop in a so-so location and consider myself sitting 3, so treating it like I re-teed and hit a so-so shot, rather than treating it like I lost it in a hazard so I'm sitting 2.  Though a few threads here have convinced me to take pretty liberal provisionals, so this happens less often than it used to.

But my handicap is unofficial.  I keep score on my GolfShot app on my phone and the app tracks my properly calculated handicap.  I keep track cause I want to track my progress.  And there's been progress recently!  Finally really figuring out how to hit a draw, which has helped me feel much more in control of the club face.  Down to 8.4 right now, and feels like it'll keep slowly dropping at least another point, after bouncing around a 10 for at least a year or two!

[BuckeyeNut]

Most serious golfers will disagree with it.  Some of us like to compete against each other......and yep, we think that it's fun.  The Hcp system allows us to do that.

I couldn't agree more!!   I can't imagine not having a valid HC.   Even if I don't enter 'so called' events that require a HC, I still want to know the state of my game and track my progress whether it's good or bad.  I take it one step further and record hole-by-hole stats.   Not knowing my stats at any given time during the year, for me, would be insane.

I can't imagine not having hole-by-hole stats at my disposal......LOL

[BuckeyeNut]

I keep my profile handicap updated to the nearest whole number using my regular State Golf Association handicap.

I also belong to a golf association that keeps a separate handicap using only association tournament scores. It supposedly prevents or limits sandbagging.

None of you would sandbag, of course.

Please keep in mind that index and course HC are two completely different numbers.   Saying you are an 11HC is one thing..........(course HC is inferred)   An 11.4 index may be a 15HC depending on the course.

[RFKFREAK]

Quote:

Originally Posted by David in FL

Most serious golfers will disagree with it.  Some of us like to compete against each other......and yep, we think that it's fun.  The Hcp system allows us to do that.

I couldn't agree more!!   I can't imagine not having a valid HC.   Even if I don't enter 'so called' events that require a HC, I still want to know the state of my game and track my progress whether it's good or bad.  I take it one step further and record hole-by-hole stats.   Not knowing my stats at any given time during the year, for me, would be insane.

I can't imagine not having hole-by-hole stats at my disposal......LOL

+1.

I have all sorts of insane stats that I keep.

I calculate my own handicap; Excel is a beautiful thing.

I read that it was calculated by:

1) Calculating the differential first ((Score-Course Rating)*113)/Slope Rating.

2) Once I have twenty scores, I take the 10 smallest differentials, add them up, and divide them by 10.

3) I then take that number, multiply it by 0.96 and drop the number after the decimal.

[jsgolfer]

+1.

I have all sorts of insane stats that I keep.

I calculate my own handicap; Excel is a beautiful thing.

I read that it was calculated by:

1) Calculating the differential first ((Score-Course Rating)*113)/Slope Rating.

2) Once I have twenty scores, I take the 10 smallest differentials, add them up, and divide them by 10.

3) I then take that number, multiply it by 0.96 and drop the number after the decimal.

But you can't use your calculated handicap in an official tournament.  Good for checking how you are playing at a given point, but not usable to see how you stack up in a tournament against other golfers.

[David in FL]

+1.

I have all sorts of insane stats that I keep.

I calculate my own handicap; Excel is a beautiful thing.

I read that it was calculated by:

1) Calculating the differential first ((Score-Course Rating)*113)/Slope Rating.

2) Once I have twenty scores, I take the 10 smallest differentials, add them up, and divide them by 10.

3) I then take that number, multiply it by 0.96 and drop the number after the decimal.

Close, but not quite.

Your differentials are calculated and rounded to the nearest 10th.  Your handicap index is calculated by taking 96% of the average of your low 10 of your last 20 differentials, but is not rounded to the nearest 10th, but rather truncated. Meaning that all numbers after the 10th are dropped, without rounding.

[RFKFREAK]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RFKFREAK

+1.

I have all sorts of insane stats that I keep.

I calculate my own handicap; Excel is a beautiful thing.

I read that it was calculated by:

1) Calculating the differential first ((Score-Course Rating)*113)/Slope Rating.

2) Once I have twenty scores, I take the 10 smallest differentials, add them up, and divide them by 10.

3) I then take that number, multiply it by 0.96 and drop the number after the decimal.

But you can't use your calculated handicap in an official tournament.  Good for checking how you are playing at a given point, but not usable to see how you stack up in a tournament against other golfers.

Well, I don't expect to be playing in any tournaments anytime soon.

I'm just a working man that usually shoots b/w 105-115 right now.

I'm thinking of keeping an official one next year as my game (hopefully) improves.

[RFKFREAK]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RFKFREAK

+1.

I have all sorts of insane stats that I keep.

I calculate my own handicap; Excel is a beautiful thing.

I read that it was calculated by:

1) Calculating the differential first ((Score-Course Rating)*113)/Slope Rating.

2) Once I have twenty scores, I take the 10 smallest differentials, add them up, and divide them by 10.

3) I then take that number, multiply it by 0.96 and drop the number after the decimal.

Close, but not quite.

Your differentials are calculated and rounded to the nearest 10th.  Your handicap index is calculated by taking 96% of the average of your low 10 of your last 20 differentials, but is not rounded to the nearest 10th, but rather truncated.  Meaning that all numbers after the 10th are dropped, without rounding.

I'm confused.

Are you saying that once you get your 10 smallest differentials, add them up and divide them by 10, you're saying you round it then?

Because what I have been doing is taking that figure, I don't round it, multiply it by .96 and drop the number after the decimal.

[David in FL]

I'm confused.

Are you saying that once you get your 10 smallest differentials, add them up and divide them by 10, you're saying you round it then?

Because what I have been doing is taking that figure, I don't round it, multiply it by .96 and drop the number after the decimal.

No.  In calculating each of your differentials, you round to the nearest 10th.

In calculating your index, you add your 10 lowest differentials, divide by 10, multiply it by .96, and keep the first number after the decimal, dropping all numbers after that.

[Golfingdad]

I'm confused.

Are you saying that once you get your 10 smallest differentials, add them up and divide them by 10, you're saying you round it then?

Because what I have been doing is taking that figure, I don't round it, multiply it by .96 and drop the number after the decimal.

Technically, you keep the first number after the decimal, but not the second.  What David is saying is you round each differential.  So 8.82 becomes 8.8, and 8.77 becomes 8.8 as well.  After you add up all of your 10 best differentials and divide by 10, then multiply by 0.96, and you come up with a number like 8.49, you truncate it to 8.4, rather than round it to 8.5.

Handicap indeces all have one decimal place.  But since you're keeping your own, then you can't play in any sanctioned tournaments with it anyway, so it doesn't really matter that you round it to the nearest whole number.  It's just yours for a progress check, so you could multiply everything by 8 billion and as long as you're always doing it the same way, you'll be able to track your progress just fine. :)

[Golfingdad]

No.  In calculating each of your differentials, you round to the nearest 10th.

In calculating your index, you add your 10 lowest differentials, divide by 10, multiply it by .96, and keep the first number after the decimal, dropping all numbers after that.

What are you doing in here anyways???  Shouldn't you be out practicing?  Either golf, or drinking beer, so you don't pass out tomorrow?? ;)

[RFKFREAK]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RFKFREAK

I'm confused.

Are you saying that once you get your 10 smallest differentials, add them up and divide them by 10, you're saying you round it then?

Because what I have been doing is taking that figure, I don't round it, multiply it by .96 and drop the number after the decimal.

No.  In calculating each of your differentials, you round to the nearest 10th.

In calculating your index, you add your 10 lowest differentials, divide by 10, multiply it by .96, and keep the first number after the decimal, dropping all numbers after that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RFKFREAK

I'm confused.

Are you saying that once you get your 10 smallest differentials, add them up and divide them by 10, you're saying you round it then?

Because what I have been doing is taking that figure, I don't round it, multiply it by .96 and drop the number after the decimal.

Technically, you keep the first number after the decimal, but not the second.  What David is saying is you round each differential.  So 8.82 becomes 8.8, and 8.77 becomes 8.8 as well.  After you add up all of your 10 best differentials and divide by 10, then multiply by 0.96, and you come up with a number like 8.49, you truncate it to 8.4, rather than round it to 8.5.

Handicap indeces all have one decimal place.  But since you're keeping your own, then you can't play in any sanctioned tournaments with it anyway, so it doesn't really matter that you round it to the nearest whole number.  It's just yours for a progress check, so you could multiply everything by 8 billion and as long as you're always doing it the same way, you'll be able to track your progress just fine. :)

I might be reading this wrong but I did a quick search and found this here: http://thesandtrap.com/b/rules/whats_your_handicap

It doesn't say anything about rounding the number after calculating the differential for a round.

The reason I keep an informal one is so I can tell someone I might play with what my informal handicap is so they get an idea of how I play and also as I measuring stick when playing with my friends who have an official handicap.