Question about Handicap

[Buck Nutz]

I am prepping for a golf trip in two weeks and the group is having a hard time pulling their stuff together as far as handicapping rounds. We just have a foursome but we are rather scattered in skill. Our top player is an 8, followed by a 12, 14 and a 24. We try to keep things simple, even and fun. Before we go out the card gets marked up to show how many strokes player A gives to B,C,D. The way it has worked in the past is player D is 16 shots diff from player A so he gets a stroke on the hardest 16. Player C get strokes on the top 6 holes and player B gets a stroke on the top 4. This seems simple enough and we have done it like this for years but now player A says he is getting jobbed for strokes. Full disclosure, the handicaps will move a bit on our trips as people are playing good or bad. We play some low dollar games the first day (36) and set finals hancicaps for the last two days were we do a match play with some other side games. Player A has never won the match play and I see his point about having the deck stacked against him giving up a stroke on 16 holes. Player D is the kinda guy that will run off a string of pars and have an absolute blowup to sink the scorecard. I guess what I am asking, is ther a more equitable solution or,does it sound like we are doing it right? Thanks

[fr0sty]

What format are you playing?

In match play the strokes would be figured like this:

A vs B (A gives 4)

A vs C (A gives 6)

A vs D (A gives 16)

B vs C (B gives 2)

B vs D (B gives 12)

C vs D (C gives 10)

1. If the handicaps are correctly calculated (and based on honest scores) that should product equitable results.

2. Don't forget ESC when figuring your handicaps, it is possible you are overstating D's handicap.

3. If A is the sort of player who will shoot 10 pars and 8 bogeys and D is a player who will shoot 12 pars and 6 quads A will lose to D nearly every time (and A giving D only 6-8 strokes would not change the picture much).

4. How are you calculating the handicaps to begin with?  (and how are you adjusting them?) That could introduce some bias to the numbers too.

[fr0sty]

One other question, how are you doing the match play within the group?

Something like this? (assuming 36 a day):

A vs B, C vs D (Morning day 2)

A vs C, B vs D (Afternoon day 2)

A vs D, B vs C (Morning day 3)

#1 vs #2, #3 vs #4 (Afternoon day 3)

[David in FL]

You're doing it right, to wheel off the low man and to give strokes on the lowest handicap numbered holes. It's worth mentioning, that holes receive their handicap rating relative to each other not based on overall difficulty , but rather the difference in the average number of strokes that it takes a scratch golfer to play the hole versus that of a bogey golfer. @fr0sty is right when he says that the higher hcp players are likely to have a slight advantage in match play due to the greater variance in their scores from individual hole to individual hole. To counter that, an easy/popular solution is to play everyone to 80% of their handicap for match play only.

[Buck Nutz]

" 4. How are you calculating the handicaps to begin with?  (and how are you adjusting them?) That could introduce some bias to the numbers too. [/quote] One of the guys tracks the round and plugs them into a program he has (not sure which one). It seems accurate as it matches what my official handicap is and I only keep my own. We turn in true scores due to playing with each other pretty regularly and we won't let things slide with .25, .50 cents on the line. To answer the match play format, we "roll the tee" on the morning of day 2 to get the matchup. We play a different game in the afternoon (usually wolf or East vs West). On the morning of day 3 the two winners from the previous day play and the two losers play. The terms of the bet are worked out between the two players. Afternoon round day 3 (final round) it's a stroke play with money in the hat and winner take all. It's a great time but a lot to keep up with.