What Percentile are You (Handicap Index)?

[iacas]

http://www.usga.org/handicapping/articles_resources/Men-s--Handicap-Indexes/

If I kept a handicap, I would be at about the 98th (of golfers with handicaps) with less than 1% of other golfers.

[David in FL]

Just goes to show how hard this game is, and how bad most golfers are! :~(

[sjduffers]

Fluctuating between 11 and 12.5. With the lessons I am taking now, I plan on getting in the single digits and staying there in 2015.

[sjduffers]

Just goes to show how hard this game is, and how bad most golfers are!

How true, and those indices are from people who are good enough and motivated enough to actually keep an index, which I think I read somewhere is not even a quarter of all golfers!

[billchao]

I'm on the wrong side of the bell.

[bkuehn1952]

Handicap distribution is somewhat like the tip of the iceberg.  Such a large percentage of people do not maintain a handicap that the actual portion measured is in the minority of golfers.  Then there is a large percentage of people who maintain a handicap but play a bit fast & loose with the Rules.

There are a lot of players out there that can kick my 9.2 index in the butt but I am pretty confident that if one picked a random golfer off the course, he/she would have a hard time beating me straight up.

[iacas]

How true, and those indices are from people who are good enough and motivated enough to actually keep an index, which I think I read somewhere is not even a quarter of all golfers!

20% of golfers have handicaps.

But, bear in mind, I'm in the 80%. All pros are, basically.

And some guys don't join a club so they don't have an official handicap, but they can shoot 84 or 76 or whatever.

[sjduffers]

20% of golfers have handicaps.

But, bear in mind, I'm in the 80%. All pros are, basically.

And some guys don't join a club so they don't have an official handicap, but they can shoot 84 or 76 or whatever.

True.  But how many pros in a population of 20 millions of golfers (in the US)?  Is that 37,000 PGA professionals? Plus more outside of the PGA. Call it 50K, or 0.25% of all players?  Sure, some maybe even a lot of, players can play and don't care to carry a handicap, but overall, the vast majority of golfers not carrying a handicap are terrible golfers: I used to be one!

With the rise of online sites that offer handicapping services (but unfortunately don't provide or enforce the means to verify them), it's really easy for golfers to sign up online, pay $25 or so and have a legit handicap recognized by the USGA (and presumably in those 20% stats), if for nothing else just so they know where they stand...

Golf is hard!  And that's great for teachers like you: it provides a way for you to make a living, teaching.  If golf was as easy as riding a bicycle, all it would take is a dad taking their kids out a couple of times, and we could all be golfers!

[golfbarefoot]

[URL=http://www.usga.org/handicapping/articles_resources/Men-s--Handicap-Indexes/]http://www.usga.org/handicapping/articles_resources/Men-s--Handicap-Indexes/[/URL] [URL=http://thesandtrap.com/content/type/61/id/112183/] [/URL] If I kept a handicap, I would be at about the 98th (of golfers with handicaps) with less than 1% of other golfers.

So if you pass the playability test you no longer need to keep a handicap? When did you get PGA certified?

[iacas]

True.  But how many pros in a population of 20 millions of golfers (in the US)?  Is that 37,000 PGA professionals? Plus more outside of the PGA. Call it 50K, or 0.25% of all players?  Sure, some maybe even a lot of, players can play and don't care to carry a handicap, but overall, the vast majority of golfers not carrying a handicap are terrible golfers: I used to be one!

True. Just saying, it's enough to shift the percentages a little. Of those with handicaps, or 5M, 50,000 is 1%. Most of those will be in the lower handicap levels.

There are more than 50,000 too. Mini-tour players, etc. College players often don't really have handicaps either. But okay, call it 2%, and mostly on the low end.

With the rise of online sites that offer handicapping services (but unfortunately don't provide or enforce the means to verify them), it's really easy for golfers to sign up online, pay $25 or so and have a legit handicap recognized by the USGA (and presumably in those 20% stats), if for nothing else just so they know where they stand...

If you don't care about it, it's $25 down the drain, though…

So if you pass the playability test you no longer need to keep a handicap? When did you get PGA certified?

Huh?

Whether you pass the PAT or not, nobody "needs" to keep a handicap.

I'm a PGA apprentice. And as I've said, the PGA does NOTHING for me as a golf instructor. I'm in the PGA for two reasons:

• It lets me play in section events (which I haven't done much of, but maybe I will some day?)
• If it opens one door for me, ever, it may have been worth the time/expense. I'd hate to miss out on something because the guy who "hires" me or whatever requires a PGA membership. This also includes section awards, etc.

I train instructors that award 16 education credits to PGA instructors. The PGA isn't doing anything to further my understanding of the game or ability to teach it.

[golfbarefoot]

Iacas, I'm curious when did you pass the PAT and get PGA certified?

[iacas]

Iacas, I'm curious when did you pass the PAT and get PGA certified?

It's not on topic here, and finding the answer took me two seconds: . Let's stick to the topic now, eh? If you have more questions, send a PM or something.

[Golfingdad]

I'm on the wrong side of the bell.

With your swing, you shouldn't be.

[billchao]

With your swing, you shouldn't be.

Bill

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” - Confucius

My Swing Thread

[Patch]

I guess I am in the " Third Quartile" if I am reading it right. (?) I had to look up the words "Third Quartile" which confused me so much, that  the fine art of "Pole Washing" at a strip club seemed like a very tough job.

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AwrT6VxREbtUMnUAMRwPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTEzcGRqY2I1BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMgRjb2xvA2dxMQR2dGlkA1lIUzAwM18x?qid=20080528235520AAwsjzX "p https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AwrT6VxREbtUMnUAMRwPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTEzcGRqY2I1BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMgRjb2xvA2dxMQR2dGlkA1lIUzAwM18x?qid=20080528235520AAwsjzX

Maybe I meant "Pole Watching" ?

[boogielicious]

I'm at the Summit!  But I've been on the left side of the slope and want to get back there this year.  I think it would be more visually appropriate to invert the curve because going down in handicap to single digits is an uphill battle.

[dkolo]

I'm fascinated by this. I don't keep an official USGA handicap because I'm definitely not going to play in a tournament in the foreseeable future, so I keep an unofficial one through Golf Digest; so I'm technically not on this graph at all. That said, I would have thought that shooting low 90s stacked up better against the golf world based on the level of play I see out on the courses. I guess the folks at my local municipal courses here in NY aren't as representative of the golf populace as I'd have thought, haha. Lots of work to do to get to the good side of the curve! My goal for 2015 was to get down to a 15, but that's not even average.

[saevel25]

Looks like i am in the 83rd percentile range. Not bad, hoping to get better. 90th percentile here I come.