Changes to Handicap System for 2016 Released

[Golfingdad]

8 minutes ago, natureboy said:

That is an excellent point. Easier to grab a window of slow work and good weather flying solo.

Exactly.  It's hard to plan an "oh look, the boss is out for the afternoon and I have nothing due today and my clubs are in the car" with friends. 

(Of course, those rounds are never going to be solo here in Socal.  You'll just be joining another group.)  The only way around here to play solo (on public courses) is to play at times when its likely you aren't finishing 18 holes.  Either dawn patrol back nine, or 3pm or something like that.

[cipher]

15 hours ago, Fourputt said:

Qualification for what?  The US Open?  US Amateur?  Seems to me that the best way to practice playing with other golfers is to actually play with other golfers.  It's also the best way to post representative scores.  If you play alone because you play better that way, then you don't actually have a representative handicap and you'll never go beyond qualifying, because you don't actually play to what is essentially a vanity handicap.  

Qualification for what does not really matter.  I agree with what you say about practice and playing with other golfers.  I said why I play alone earlier, but it is because I generally have to.  I do admittedly also enjoy it more.  Basically I run a business which takes up a ton of my time so I give my weekends to my 2 kids as much as I can. I will still probably play my early morning Monday through Friday rounds alone, I just won't be posting them unless I can find someone to join me.  I am trying to step back from the ledge on all of this and see what I could possibly do.  Maybe I can spend one weekend a month to play with some other people and I can play in our club men's league every other week or something.  I am not sure but I am willing to consider some options at this point.  Even with that I would be lucky to get 10 post worthy rounds per year, but I would be okay with that number.

[Fourputt]

1 hour ago, cipher said:

Qualification for what does not really matter.  I agree with what you say about practice and playing with other golfers.  I said why I play alone earlier, but it is because I generally have to.  I do admittedly also enjoy it more.  Basically I run a business which takes up a ton of my time so I give my weekends to my 2 kids as much as I can. I will still probably play my early morning Monday through Friday rounds alone, I just won't be posting them unless I can find someone to join me.  I am trying to step back from the ledge on all of this and see what I could possibly do.  Maybe I can spend one weekend a month to play with some other people and I can play in our club men's league every other week or something.  I am not sure but I am willing to consider some options at this point.  Even with that I would be lucky to get 10 post worthy rounds per year, but I would be okay with that number.

No chance that your kids might develop some interest in the game to the point that you could mesh the two at times?  I know that doesn't always work, but I've known parents who had a great time with their kids on the course.

[Golfingdad]

7 minutes ago, Fourputt said:

No chance that your kids might develop some interest in the game to the point that you could mesh the two at times?  I know that doesn't always work, but I've known parents who had a great time with their kids on the course.

This is my current plan!  Ideally in 6 or 7 years I'll have my own weekly foursome!!! :) (( if the wife ups her interest)

[cipher]

22 minutes ago, Fourputt said:

No chance that your kids might develop some interest in the game to the point that you could mesh the two at times?  I know that doesn't always work, but I've known parents who had a great time with their kids on the course.

My son is 7, and has come out to play with me a few times.  He has not shown a ton of interest, so I don't really try to drag him out there with me.  If he asks me I will in the future.  Right now his passion is fishing, so that is mainly what he wants to do on the weekends.  My daughter is only 4 so not really much for interest there yet.  I sure hope one of them becomes passionate about the game though!    That would be some great fun.

[iacas]

I'm glad you've chilled a little bit @cipher. Here's the way I see it, with some direct, honest talk here. I think if you're fair you'll agree at least mostly…

You want to be a good player, like a sub-3 or even a sub-1 or so, so that you can play in some higher level tournaments. The mid-am, state amateur events, etc.

You won't get there playing solo nine-hole rounds by yourself in the morning. It's going to take a bigger commitment than that. You're not going to be able to spend every Saturday and Sunday with your family. You'll be playing in tournaments some of those weekends.

Those tournament scores are what's going to show you what level you're at, but also create your handicap. If you show up to a tournament with an 8 index because you haven't been able to post a score, and you post a 74 on a 73.1/138 course, your handicap is not going to stay an 8. It'll drop, and fast.

Which makes sense. If you need to be a 1.4 or better to enter a tournament, what point is there in being a 1.2 based on solo 9-hole rounds but then shooting 83? That means you weren't actually ready to play in that type of event, and so maybe you shouldn't have to begin with?

You see what I'm saying? To know that you're ready, you're going to have to play enough events under two conditions that your handicap won't be a concern at all: you'll have to play with tournament pressure, and you'll have to play with people. Those two things will take care of themselves if you're truly prepping to play some higher-level amateur events.

And… if you want to keep your "solo rounds" handicap, again, it's easy, or your GAME GOLF will do it for you.

[cipher]

Good post @iacas. For much of what you are saying I do agree.  This is a year to re-evaluate those plans or ambitions anyway.  I am not even sure how I feel about them now. Maybe under the old system I was a complete vanity cap as @Fourputt was talking about and the new system will be a more accurate picture for many of us.  I have to admit that is a possibility.  I just think the dishonest people will still find a way.   Maybe some of us who play a lot of solo rounds will be able to make the adjustments to find some ways to play with other people as I will now try, and the others may just post them anyway. 

[No Mulligans]

I'm thinking I may stop posting to and not keep a USGA handicap.  The Game Golf handicap should be good enough.

[Fourputt]

44 minutes ago, No Mulligans said:

I'm thinking I may stop posting to and not keep a USGA handicap.  The Game Golf handicap should be good enough.

As long as you aren't competing in a situation which requires an official handicap, that should work just fine.

[DrvFrShow]

@No Mulligans You might also want to think about US Handicap. It seems to be a lot cheaper than paying for GHIN at a golf course and it's recognized by the USGA. That is if the cost/benefits thing makes a difference to you.

[Rulesman]

As an outsider I've never been sure if GHIN requires or permits hole by hole scores to be entered or does it work simply on total gross/net for the round?

[DrvFrShow]

9 minutes ago, Rulesman said:

As an outsider I've never been sure if GHIN requires or permits hole by hole scores to be entered or does it work simply on total gross/net for the round?

Actually you can do either. I can enter my total gross if I play one set of tees.

I could decide I wanted to play a combo set of tees on the course for the day to make a course play 5600 yds instead of 5200 yds. Hole by hole would allow me to play white tees on some holes and enter those scores and get the par ratings for those holes in combination with the forward tee scores. GHIN does the internal calculation for rating and slope for the "course" I played.

[Fourputt]

11 minutes ago, Rulesman said:

As an outsider I've never been sure if GHIN requires or permits hole by hole scores to be entered or does it work simply on total gross/net for the round?

That depends on the software being used.  Some allow hole by hole, others only the ESC adjusted total.

[Rulesman]

Is one used more often than the other?

[Fourputt]

3 minutes ago, Rulesman said:

Is one used more often than the other?

I have no idea.  The computer at my home course only has total score with ESC adjustment, and that's the only place aside from the internet that I've ever posted a score.

[Rulesman]

When the internet is used is that hole by hole or total or either?

[Fourputt]

2 minutes ago, Rulesman said:

When the internet is used is that hole by hole or total or either?

I've always just done it by ESC total again.  I Know that there is a stat section on the GHIN site, but I don't use it and I don't know if it reports the hole by hole from there or not.  I've never needed to do anything other than enter my adjusted score, so I've never really investigated it.

[Rulesman]

Many thanks.

I was discussing the proposed world wide system with someone from CONGU and they insisted that all USGA scores were entered hole by hole. I said I thought she was wrong but hadn't got access to my PC to confirm.

If anyone has any further info on proportion of scores etc I will open another thread as I don't want the threadjack this.