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Average Handicap


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Does anyone know what the average handicap is (scoring average is ok too) just curious.

Nobody knows.

Not figures that can be verified, anyway.

This is an interesting read.

It is Australian and bear in mind that you can only have a handicap in Australia through competition rounds played strictly under te rules of golf. No gimmes, no forward tees and no improving of lies.

by: Damon Rasheed

After my handicap reached a 7 year low the other day (12.4), I was promoted to see where I ranked in Australia. The Golflink database was the place to find my answers. Golflink categories players as A, B or C grade depending on your handicap measured in 0.1 shot intervals. Handicaps between 0 and 12 are in the A-grade category. At the time of writing this article, there were 61635 players with a registered handicap who are in this category. If your handicap is right on the border of A and B grade, like mine, a 0.1 shot decrease in your handicap will move you up about 1000 places in the Australian order of merit. In this ability range, coming in a full shot will move you up about 10,000 places. There are 6 golfers that share the lowest handicap of +4.9, Jamies Nitties being the player of most note in that group.

B graders are in the 13 to 20 range, while C graders are 21 to 27 handicappers. There are approximately equal numbers of golfers in B and C grade (about 98,000 each). About 76 per cent of registered handicaps are in the category of B and C grade with the top 24% in A grade. As there are more golfers in B and C grade, a 0.1 decrease in your handicap will increase your order of merit ranking quicker. I estimate that bringing your handicap down by a shot might move you 15,000 to 20,000 places up the order of merit.

Of course the Golflink database only counts those with an official handicap. There are 1000s of other golfers who don’t have an official handicap and one would have to assume that, on average, these players are worse than those with an official handicap.

So although I am in the top 25% of Golflink golfers, more than likely I am in the top 15% of all golfers which makes me feel a lot better. If you take into consideration those that cheat.....I might even be higher!

If you are one of the 60485 golfers that are above me, look out I am gunning for you!

In the race of life, always back self-interest. At least you know it's trying.

 

 

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It is Australian and bear in mind that you can only have a handicap in Australia through competition rounds played strictly under te rules of golf. No gimmes, no forward tees and no improving of lies.

None of which differ from USGA requirements?  Well, we can play from whatever tees we want.....but the differential reflects that.

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

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None of which differ from USGA requirements?  Well, we can play from whatever tees we want.....but the differential reflects that.


True, but I would guess that the majority of players who maintain a USGA handicap have posted at least one, if not several scores that have included "gimmes."

For golfers like me, it really doesn't matter much, because if there is a chance I would miss a putt, I like to think that I always putt it out. But even so, I'm guessing that there are a few missed putts in my day that have been swatted back to me by a playing partner.

And I know for a fact that there are several golfers who take far more liberal gimmes than I do that post those scores as if their make % was 100.

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True, but I would guess that the majority of players who maintain a USGA handicap have posted at least one, if not several scores that have included "gimmes." For golfers like me, it really doesn't matter much, because if there is a chance I would miss a putt, I like to think that I always putt it out. But even so, I'm guessing that there are a few missed putts in my day that have been swatted back to me by a playing partner. And I know for a fact that there are several golfers who take far more liberal gimmes than I do that post those scores as if their make % was 100.

Whether people follow the rules or not (under either system) doesn't mean that the requirements under each system aren't extremely similar to each other.... ...no matter how some individuals would like to convince others otherwise.

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

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A gimme here and there likely wouldn't affect much anyway, ESC does more for us. Just like a short missed putt probably isn't a regular occurrence neither is a rash of triples for the 80's golfer but there are days it probably happens. Beyond that the folks shooting 100 plus likely don't care enough to keep a handicap. Personally I score it like it is. A bad hole or two rarely blows up an entire round. I think my double or worse % was about the same as my birdie % last year, neither happen often.

But determining an average handicap for all golfers would be tough. From what I've read most don't keep an official handicap.

Dave :-)

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Whether people follow the rules or not (under either system) doesn't mean that the requirements under each system aren't extremely similar to each other....

...no matter how some individuals would like to convince others otherwise.

All things being equal I wouild agree with you.

The issue is with the "9" markers" really being 27 markers or the "5" markers really being 15 markers.

How many times have you read posts here from people saying they've been playing for 9 months and have a handicap of 12? or people off "4" who are excited about playing in their first "tourney" and ask what to expect and then have 93.

In our system yoiu can't have people just DIYing their handicap, so if you play with a 12 marker, expect him to break 90 most of the time. A 3 marker will rarely not be in the 70s. They will also not drop a ball near an OB fence and add one stroke.

Not a perfect system, but, at the risk of resurrecting one of my many dead horses, I have played with quite a few visiting Canadian and American DIY handicap golfers. Rule of thumb? Add ten to their hcp.

Members here are probably more informed and more reliable, I'm guessing, but a guy who plays once a month, has never had a lesson, but used to play baseball may well hit it 280 yards. He does not, however, play off 12.

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In the race of life, always back self-interest. At least you know it's trying.

 

 

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A few articles over the years mentioned the "average" "golfer" would be closer to a 20 than a 10. Taking into account those that don't carry official numbers and such. But for an "average" official hdcp" number? It's probably even higher... Remember it isn't just men. You can carry up to a 36 or something, right? At any one time, I would bet there are new folks getting hdcp numbers that would inflate the average for official numbers.
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A few articles over the years mentioned the "average" "golfer" would be closer to a 20 than a 10. Taking into account those that don't carry official numbers and such. But for an "average" official hdcp" number? It's probably even higher... Remember it isn't just men. You can carry up to a 36 or something, right? At any one time, I would bet there are new folks getting hdcp numbers that would inflate the average for official numbers.

I don't think so, probably even worse. I'm "average" handicap at 18-ish, and get partnered with a lot of people. Half of the people I play with would need to score better than 90 (my average) on a ~70/122 rated course. Most are lucky to break 100.

:ping:  :tmade:  :callaway:   :gamegolf:  :titleist:

TM White Smoke Big Fontana; Pro-V1
TM Rac 60 TT WS, MD2 56
Ping i20 irons U-4, CFS300
Callaway XR16 9 degree Fujikura Speeder 565 S
Callaway XR16 3W 15 degree Fujikura Speeder 565 S, X2Hot Pro 20 degrees S

"I'm hitting the woods just great, but I'm having a terrible time getting out of them." ~Harry Toscano

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I don't think so, probably even worse. I'm "average" handicap at 18-ish, and get partnered with a lot of people. Half of the people I play with would need to score better than 90 (my average) on a ~70/122 rated course. Most are lucky to break 100.

That was my point when I said that "official" hdcp numbers are probably higher than the average "hdcp" of ALL golfers. By "Golfers" I DON'T mean the guy that plays once or twice a year as a joke. more like people like me who play weekly or bi-weekly and generally care how they play but aren't interested (anymore) in hanging a number in my game. I play to beat the pants off my buddies and get free beer. On a good day, I can post up a 76 or so, on a bad day it might be an 85. Usually closer to 85 though. And that's on all kinds of courses- munis, upscale publics, etc... I've played my share of games with people who carry the limit, and who aren't likely to EVER improve that number and have no interest in doing so. But I've played more with folks like myself who can get around in a decent number without having an official number. And they have no interest in making it official, either. I will generally have the least fun with an over zealous average player who is grinding like it's the US Open and certainly isn't enjoying himself trying to better his number. He is trying SO HARD, it's almost painful to watch. Getting out to play without the intention having any fun with it seems like it's counterproductive. IF they'd relax and enjoy it, they might actually play better- but because they're thinking about "a number", it's killing their game.

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All things being equal I wouild agree with you. The issue is with the "9" markers" really being 27 markers or the "5" markers really being 15 markers. How many times have you read posts here from people saying they've been playing for 9 months and have a handicap of 12? or people off "4" who are excited about playing in their first "tourney" and ask what to expect and then have 93. In our system yoiu can't have people just DIYing their handicap, so if you play with a 12 marker, expect him to break 90 most of the time. A 3 marker will rarely not be in the 70s. They will also not drop a ball near an OB fence and add one stroke. Not a perfect system, but, at the risk of resurrecting one of my many dead horses, I have played with quite a few visiting Canadian and American DIY handicap golfers. Rule of thumb? Add ten to their hcp.  Members here are probably more informed and more reliable, I'm guessing, but a guy who plays once a month, has never had a lesson, but used to play baseball may well hit it 280 yards. He does not, however, play off 12.

In Oz, do they use best 10 of last 20? I'm a 7 but I'll have a couple or 3 scores of 88-92 in my last 20, typically. No 90s in there right now but only 2 in the 70s (my 19th and 20th rounds so I'm about to jump the hcap if I don't figure it out soon). Anyway, just pointing out that it wouldn't be unusual for someone to shoot 10 over their hcap in a given round, doesn't mean they play to that.

In my Bag: Driver: Titelist 913 D3 9.5 deg. 3W: TaylorMade RBZ 14.5 3H: TaylorMade RBZ 18.5 4I - SW: TaylorMade R7 TP LW: Titelist Vokey 60 Putter: Odyssey 2-Ball

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That was my point when I said that "official" hdcp numbers are probably higher than the average "hdcp" of ALL golfers. By "Golfers" I DON'T mean the guy that plays once or twice a year as a joke. more like people like me who play weekly or bi-weekly and generally care how they play but aren't interested (anymore) in hanging a number in my game. I play to beat the pants off my buddies and get free beer. On a good day, I can post up a 76 or so, on a bad day it might be an 85. Usually closer to 85 though. And that's on all kinds of courses- munis, upscale publics, etc... I've played my share of games with people who carry the limit, and who aren't likely to EVER improve that number and have no interest in doing so. But I've played more with folks like myself who can get around in a decent number without having an official number. And they have no interest in making it official, either. I will generally have the least fun with an over zealous average player who is grinding like it's the US Open and certainly isn't enjoying himself trying to better his number. He is trying SO HARD, it's almost painful to watch. Getting out to play without the intention having any fun with it seems like it's counterproductive. IF they'd relax and enjoy it, they might actually play better- but because they're thinking about "a number", it's killing their game.

Sounds very familiar. B-) There's probably some gene that makes us want to improve no matter what. For those with an excess of that gene, there is a need for good instruction to get them on the right track so they have a chance of enjoying themselves. BTW, IDK if you mean official is higher or lower? Are you stating that an official one is more accurate and therefore higher, or if you just meant that the people with official handicaps typically score better than those without one? I am assuming you mean that the general public scores a lot worse than even a proper or official high handicap player.

:ping:  :tmade:  :callaway:   :gamegolf:  :titleist:

TM White Smoke Big Fontana; Pro-V1
TM Rac 60 TT WS, MD2 56
Ping i20 irons U-4, CFS300
Callaway XR16 9 degree Fujikura Speeder 565 S
Callaway XR16 3W 15 degree Fujikura Speeder 565 S, X2Hot Pro 20 degrees S

"I'm hitting the woods just great, but I'm having a terrible time getting out of them." ~Harry Toscano

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Avg. Score of golfer who golfs at least once a month... I would simply guess around 95-98 ...   That's simply a guess from experience and not based on any facts....

I would assume maybe 1 in 50 golfers will ever post a legit score in the 70's.

I would say 1-9 will shoot in the 80's at some point.

I would say 75% of average weekend players will score between 92-105.

I think it's fair to assume a respectable weekend average golfer shoots in the 90's and maybe low 100's....  He isn't going to shoot 80's.... he has some triple bogeys and maybe mixes in a couple pars... Plays inconsistent and his approaches leave him missing a lot of greens in regulation.  He will have a couple penalty strokes a round and a couple three putts.

Edit: I would guess 1 in 1000 will ever shoot par or better in their life...

JP

In the bag:  R1 Diver, Rocketballz 3 tour spoon (13*), Adams A12 pro 18* hybrid, 4-P Callaway Razr x black (dg s400 shafts), 50* & 58* Ping Tour S, and TM Ghost Manta Putter cut down to 32". and my Tour V2 Rangefinder (with extra batteries of course)!  Ball - Srixon Z Star XV

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Sounds very familiar. B-) There's probably some gene that makes us want to improve no matter what. For those with an excess of that gene, there is a need for good instruction to get them on the right track so they have a chance of enjoying themselves. BTW, IDK if you mean official is higher or lower? Are you stating that an official one is more accurate and therefore higher, or if you just meant that the people with official handicaps typically score better than those without one? I am assuming you mean that the general public scores a lot worse than even a proper or official high handicap player.

I had said that "Official" numbers would be higher

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Avg. Score of golfer who golfs at least once a month... I would simply guess around 95-98...   That's simply a guess from experience and not based on any facts....

I would assume maybe 1 in 50 golfers will ever post a legit score in the 70's.

I would say 1-9 will shoot in the 80's at some point.

I would say 75% of average weekend players will score between 92-105.

I think it's fair to assume a respectable weekend average golfer shoots in the 90's and maybe low 100's....  He isn't going to shoot 80's.... he has some triple bogeys and maybe mixes in a couple pars... Plays inconsistent and his approaches leave him missing a lot of greens in regulation.  He will have a couple penalty strokes a round and a couple three putts.

Edit: I would guess 1 in 1000 will ever shoot par or better in their life...

You lumped 20 to 36 handicappers into the same category :-P

10% in the 80s and 2% in the 70s also seems a little too high.

I am assuming you mean on a 72/113 rated course?

I had said that "Official" numbers would be higher

That makes sense.

:ping:  :tmade:  :callaway:   :gamegolf:  :titleist:

TM White Smoke Big Fontana; Pro-V1
TM Rac 60 TT WS, MD2 56
Ping i20 irons U-4, CFS300
Callaway XR16 9 degree Fujikura Speeder 565 S
Callaway XR16 3W 15 degree Fujikura Speeder 565 S, X2Hot Pro 20 degrees S

"I'm hitting the woods just great, but I'm having a terrible time getting out of them." ~Harry Toscano

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I don't see many "weekend" golfers shooting legit 90's golf. Most of the guys I play with are 5-6 over before the 4th tee and continue that trend the rest of the day.

Dave :-)

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You lumped 20 to 36 handicappers into the same category         He he..That's why it's 75%

10% in the 80s and 2% in the 70s also seems a little too high.        Do you mean less than 10% like only 5% will shoot in 80's as in not as many players?

I am assuming you mean on a 72/113 rated course?                       This is true!

That makes sense.

JP

In the bag:  R1 Diver, Rocketballz 3 tour spoon (13*), Adams A12 pro 18* hybrid, 4-P Callaway Razr x black (dg s400 shafts), 50* & 58* Ping Tour S, and TM Ghost Manta Putter cut down to 32". and my Tour V2 Rangefinder (with extra batteries of course)!  Ball - Srixon Z Star XV

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I don't see many "weekend" golfers shooting legit 90's golf. Most of the guys I play with are 5-6 over before the 4th tee and continue that trend the rest of the day.

That's also what I have seen.

I guess it depends upon the types of course you play. At a country club, I would imagine that the scores would be much lower, but they probably play a minimum of 8 rounds a month.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

You lumped 20 to 36 handicappers into the same category         He he..That's why it's 75%

10% in the 80s and 2% in the 70s also seems a little too high.        Do you mean less than 10% like only 5% will shoot in 80's as in not as many players?

I am assuming you mean on a 72/113 rated course?                       This is true!

That makes sense.

Yes, I also think the number of people playing legitimately in the 70s is a lot lower than 2% more like <0.5%.

:ping:  :tmade:  :callaway:   :gamegolf:  :titleist:

TM White Smoke Big Fontana; Pro-V1
TM Rac 60 TT WS, MD2 56
Ping i20 irons U-4, CFS300
Callaway XR16 9 degree Fujikura Speeder 565 S
Callaway XR16 3W 15 degree Fujikura Speeder 565 S, X2Hot Pro 20 degrees S

"I'm hitting the woods just great, but I'm having a terrible time getting out of them." ~Harry Toscano

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Note: This thread is 3618 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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