Ok, someone please explain this to me

[atxpkrgolf]

Handicaps are redone every 15 days in Texas by my 'home course'.  I have been playing a lot better recently and I'd consider myself a 5-7 handicap as I shoot between 74-82  95% of the time and the other 5% a 72-73  or 83-85 if I play awful.  I am by no means a 'scratch golfer' or even a 0.8 which is what my index now says. What the heck???

From Ghin.com Index for player    0.8

I	10/15/13	83	75.0/134	6.7	Falconhead Golf Club
AI	10/13/13	78	72.9/130	4.4	Falconhead Golf Club
I	10/10/13	76	75.4/126	0.5	Winstar Golf Course South/East
AI	10/9/13	80	75.4/126	4.1	Winstar Golf Course South/East
CI	10/8/13	75	76.2/128	-1.1	Winstar Golf Course South/West
AI	10/8/13	73	70.4/123	2.4	Winstar Golf Course South/West
AI	10/7/13	82	76.5/153	4.1	Oak Tree National
I	10/7/13	79	74.5/137	3.7	Tour 18 Dallas
I	10/3/13	78	73.0/123	4.6	Winstar Golf Course South/West
I	10/3/13	81	72.1/117	8.6	Winstar Golf Course East/West
I	10/1/13	74	74.8/124	-0.7	Winstar Golf Course East/West
I	9/27/13	83	72.7/124	9.4	Winstar Golf Course South/East
I	9/25/13	76	72.1/117	3.8	Winstar Golf Course East/West
CI	9/22/13	76	68.4/112	7.7	Winstar Golf Course West/East
I	9/17/13	75	75.4/126	-0.4	Winstar Golf Course South/East
I	9/13/13	75	74.8/124	0.2	Winstar Golf Course East/West
I	9/12/13	76	72.7/124	3.0	Winstar Golf Course South/East
I	9/11/13	84	75.6/126	7.5	Winstar Golf Course South/West
I	9/10/13	74	72.7/124	1.2	Winstar Golf Course South/East
	9/9/13	79	75.4/126	3.2	Winstar Golf Course South/East

I did shoot a 72 and a few 73's the 2 week period before this but this just can't be right.  I am super excited over how much better I've gotten and my goal is to be a scratch golfer soon but I know some scratch golfers and I am not one of em. What gives?

[RickK]

Your handicap index is based upon your best 10 of your last 20 differentials...NOT scores.  If you look at your differentials, you shot a 75 that calculated out to be a -1.1 differential and another 75 that calculated out to -0.4 differential. I used the handicap calculation in the USGA manual and yes, you are a 0.8 handicap index player.  Appears you are mixing up the tee boxes you play.  You might want to move back and play from the tougher tee boxes more often.  Congratulations on a very good handicap.

[atxpkrgolf]

I always play the back unless Im in a group where their are bets and everyone is playing up one.  Im not gonna give up $ to play 40 yds back  but I understand that. thx 4 reply, I knew it only took best 10 but to be a scratch I thought you'd have to shoot 10 scores of par out of last 20 but I clearly dont know anything about how handicap works

[ejimsmith]

I always play the back unless Im in a group where their are bets and everyone is playing up one.  Im not gonna give up $ to play 40 yds back  but I understand that. thx 4 reply, I knew it only took best 10 but to be a scratch I thought you'd have to shoot 10 scores of par out of last 20 but I clearly dont know anything about how handicap works

you consider yourself a 5-7 handicap, yet you put 1.6 has your index in your profile?   i think you're simply posting to brag.  well, it worked...  jealous i am.

[bkuehn1952]

^^^^^

What he said.  Let your game speak for itself and avoid tooting your own horn too much.

[atxpkrgolf]

you consider yourself a 5-7 handicap, yet you put 1.6 has your index in your profile?   i think you're simply posting to brag.  well, it worked...  jealous i am.

I posted myself as what Ghin.com said I was when I joined

^^^^^

What he said.  Let your game speak for itself and avoid tooting your own horn too much.

I expect this from a interent forum but not even close to what Im saying if u cared to read. I DON'T THINK I'M  a 2  by any stretch which is why I was curious how this is done or if it's even right  Sigh

[iacas]

I posted myself as what Ghin.com said I was when I joined

I expect this from a interent forum but not even close to what Im saying if u cared to read. I DON'T THINK I'M  a 2  by any stretch which is why I was curious how this is done or if it's even right  Sigh

Please read up on course ratings and how handicaps are calculated.

You can be a scratch golfer without every shooting par or better if you play highly rated (course rating) courses.

[Dave2512]

Look at your scores compared to the course rating not par. However those courses have funky ratings. I've never seen a course here with that high of a CR and that low of a SR.

[tefunk]

When looking at your handicap, you need to consider the difficulty of the course (I.e. Course rating & slope rating). You play courses/tees that are rated more difficult than what is considered average. Look at your score on 9/10 versus 10/1. They are both 74, but the tee you played from on 10/1 is rated more difficult than the tee you played from on 9/1. So, your differential is going to be better. So compared to what is considered a perfectly average course, you are essentially a scratch golfer (or at least 0.8 from being so)

[atxpkrgolf]

LOL, never knew that HC was figd as it was from course rating and yes I do play courses that are generally tougher than average.  Okay, that makes a lot more sense. I was wondering what the heck. So if it is a 75.6  course rating and I shoot 77 that's +1.4 and then u take top 10 of 20.  Sorry boys, I was dropped on my head as a baby apparently

[Fourputt]

Look at your scores compared to the course rating not par. However those courses have funky ratings. I've never seen a course here with that high of a CR and that low of a SR.

It's not that difficult, since course rating is mostly determined by length, while slope is determined by difficulty.  A very long course without a lot of unusual difficulty could achieve that quite easily.

[billchao]

LOL, never knew that HC was figd as it was from course rating and yes I do play courses that are generally tougher than average.  Okay, that makes a lot more sense. I was wondering what the heck. So if it is a 75.6  course rating and I shoot 77 that's +1.4 and then u take top 10 of 20.  Sorry boys, I was dropped on my head as a baby apparently

Yup, it's the only reason I'm a 17. I haven't had a sub 90 round in three years.

[RickK]

One of my favorite courses got re-rated a few years back when they added an additional set of tee markers (not tees, just markers) on most of the holes.  They did add a couple of tees boxes that made the course longer.  Not that it really matters but the tee designation was black (very back), then blue, white, gold and red (up front).  They had the spacing from tee to tee done as it should be when the rating was done.  Well, then the members started complaining about the length of the white tees so next thing you know they have moved the whites back to about where they originally were on most holes and then the blues got moved forward too.  Also, when the course was rated, the greens were reduced in size by simply not mowing them as wide and deep and letting the rough grow up around the greens.  The course got a more difficult rating.  Later, they increased the size of the greens back to around the size they originally were.  From the whites, the slope rating used to be 123.  Now it is 131.  The blues used to be 130, now they are 135.

Let me tell you, shooting a few good rounds there is a killer for your handicap.  It sure makes you look better than you really are and it makes for a handicap index that does not travel well.

[Dave2512]

It's not that difficult, since course rating is mostly determined by length, while slope is determined by difficulty.  A very long course without a lot of unusual difficulty could achieve that quite easily.

I understand how courses are rated and I don't think it's impossible it just seems odd. He's playing a facility with 3 9's so he's getting combined ratings. But when was the last time you saw a 7000 yard course with a sub 130 SR? Obviously his course are an exception but I can't think of any. Especially in the conservation era. Haven't seen a course that was just long since the 80's. Up here even with consideration for altitude the only course I play with a CR over 75 has a SR of 144 and it's 7700 yds.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

It's not that difficult, since course rating is mostly determined by length, while slope is determined by difficulty.  A very long course without a lot of unusual difficulty could achieve that quite easily.

I understand how courses are rated and I don't think it's impossible it just seems odd. He's playing a facility with 3 9's so he's getting combined ratings. But when was the last time you saw a 7000 yard course with a sub 130 SR? Obviously his course are an exception but I can't think of any. Especially in the conservation era. Haven't seen a course that was just long since the 80's. Up here even with consideration for altitude the only course I play with a CR over 75 has a SR of 144 and it's 7700 yds.

The Nicklaus designed Old Works course in Montana is over 7700 yards from the tips and is a 75.8 rating with 135 slope.  It purely depends on the length vs. the overall difficulty.

[BuckeyeNut]

I agree...that slope rating is insanely low considering the CR.  When I read the initial post, my first thought was this course must be built in a wide open field.............. I went to the course website and this was a featured pic:

Talk about spray and play!  I'm sure the whole course isn't like this, but if the course chose this pic to be a feature pic on he website.............that says something!   The course looks pretty damn wide open...... It looks like a nice quality golf course, in spite of the wide open spaces.  I'm sure it will be toughened up over the years to come...

[atxpkrgolf]

I agree...that slope rating is insanely low considering the CR.  When I read the initial post, my first thought was this course must be built in a wide open field.............. I went to the course website and this was a featured pic:

Talk about spray and play!  I'm sure the whole course isn't like this, but if the course chose this pic to be a feature pic on he website.............that says something!   The course looks pretty damn wide open...... It looks like a nice quality golf course, in spite of the wide open spaces.  I'm sure it will be toughened up over the years to come...

Dude, it's wide open. I mean if u spray it u are dead but there is only 3 holes where u can't play to safety. In all honesty I could hit a 3 wood off of most tees and be fine.  The part that makes it tough is the wind and the greens as the wind in the prairie is blowing > 20 mph every dang day & it seems to never help

[1484]

that picture is amazing.  my home course is short but damn does it punish you if you are out of its narrow fairways.  Even a gentle slice or hook usually requires some kind of sideways (or even backwards) second shot unless you roll the dice and try to hit through the trees/bushes/etc.  Also lots of leaning and overhanging trees that force you to play one side of the fairway to have an angle to the green.  I think I could pass myself off as a decent golfer at ATXPKR's track.  Love it.