Handicapping Master Thread

[TheNatural]

I post scores on an online HC website...it says I have a 22.7 HC based upon scores I plug into the system,,,slope, grade etc...

Here is my issue...

I have scored 98 99 several times, but typically 100 is my most common score or 101, 102 ...worst recently is 106....but havent scored higher in quite a long time..

ratings on my courses are usually 72-74
slope 128-139 i play from blues or whites dep on group im in.


98-72 is 26 so my best score is 26 over par.....how do they give me a 22.7 HC?

Is this due to me playing harder courses? WHich they are. Also, even when playing a 74 rated 139 course i score 102-104 ...the course I played last week was 72.3 134 and shot a 102. first time i played it in winter conditions too.

why is HC 22.7 but im shooting 27 over par?

[Slim 11]

Your handicap reflects your potential. It is not an average. It is based on the best of your most recent rounds.
The difficulty of the course will make a difference. The "average" difficult (slope) used in the calculation is 113. You can figure out what you should shoot on a particular course by taking your handicap, multiplying it by the course slope and dividing by 113. That will give you how many strokes you should get above par if you were to shoot to your handicap (which by the way should only happen once every four or five rounds, most the time you shoot above your handicap).
My "average" scores are high 80's to low 90's but my handicap is 14 (that would be 86 if you simply added it to par).
Hope this helps.

[DJYoshi]

yeah..and also not to knock...but I wouldn't play the blues until you're consistently shooting in the 80's.... you'd be surprised how much the 15 - 40 yards difference in tees makes... playing from the tip normally brings in trouble you normally wouldn't worry about with other tees.

i ddin't start playing from the blues until I was comfortable with my distance and being able to score in the 70's & 80's. you can drop that handicap quickly by playing the tees that suits your game.

[David in FL]

I post scores on an online HC website...it says I have a 22.7 HC based upon scores I plug into the system,,,slope, grade etc...

22.7 is not your handicap , it's your handicap index ......and it's calculated by taking 96% of your best 10 of your last 20 handicap differentials . Your handicap differential for a given round is determined by taking your adjusted gross score (score adjusted for equitable stroke control) minus the course rating, times 113, divided by the course slope. As an example.....let's say you shot a 98 on a course with a rating of 71.2 and a slope of 127. Your differential would be: (98-71.2) X 113 / 127 = 23.8. Again, to get your actual handicap, you'll take the average of the best 10 of your last 20 differentials and multiply by 96%. That'll give you your handicap index. Play around with the numbers a little and you'll see how playing easier or harder courses (or teeboxes) can really impact your handicap. When most people try to estimate their handicap, they tend to do exactly what you did and estimate high. They'll try to guesstimate their average score and then use the difference between that and either 72 or the average course rating as their handicap. That doesn't take into consideration slope, the fact only the better scores are used, and the 96% weighting. Hope that helps.

[tjy355]

Basically, a handicap is calculated from the LOWEST 10 of your last 20 scores.

If you have LESS that 20 scores, then less than 10 scores are used in the calculation.

Read all about it:
http://www.usga.org/playing/handicap...al/manual.html

[TheNatural]

The distance has never been a problem, but the blues are where i am asked to play by anyone thats played with me,,,, or whites,,,, I go with the flow....from the blues and whites i essentially score the same...I get about 14 par/bogey holes and 4 triple or quad bogeys... Also,,, Im plugging this into a machine thats giving me a HC index and a PGA HC estimate....im not computing it by myself..

fyi around here our blues are not the tips...blacks are the tips...i have been to a few places where blue was championship tee. dunno why...

[DJYoshi]

fyi around here our blues are not the tips...blacks are the tips...i have been to a few places where blue was championship tee. dunno why...

yeah..i think courses should have the same colors so people can identify them with ease.... you'd be surprised that some courses i've played mark with colors that would blow your mind.

that's cool though that you're scoring the same b/t forward and middle tees then. essentially it should be easier to score from the forward tees b/c there's usually less trouble that you can get into... like how a fairway bunker in the middle at isn't a problem when you're playing from the forward and it's only a 220 carry to cover those...but from the back it turns into a 250 - 270 yard carry.... if distance off the tee isn't a problem? have you been recording what has been your weak points? what i do is keep note of what i did f'way. GIR. type of shots i had to play score. putts then I know what i can work on away from the course.... just a thought. and HC's are funny since they measure potential not your avg. it's really your anti-handicap that people should be paying attention to. I think that's calculated by taking your 10 worst differentials instead of your 10 best. like i'm a 9 HC...but my anti-handicap is about a 16!!!! OUCH!

[TheNatural]

yeah..i think courses should have the same colors so people can identify them with ease.... you'd be surprised that some courses i've played mark with colors that would blow your mind.

its par 3's that I tend to struggle with...just not enough practice with irons off the tee. 4 par 3's a round and I will be lucky to finish with a 20. ADD 8 STROKES PLEASE. Then ater that, I will blow up at least 2 holes. I just have not been able to put together that great round...get a 42 on 9 holes then pull a 58 on the back nine. I will drive 250+ 12 out of 14 holes but still chunk a shot or get in hazard trouble,...the two short drives i tend to play better since I know I have to concentrate to get home in 3. Hell Saturday I drove pin high par 4 (off the hole behind trees and near the next teebox) but I scramble a bootiful *60 10 ft from cup. PAR .....then 2 holes later its 2 trip boges in a row due to hazards or chili dipping into a bunker... Signs of brilliance then signs of Madness. The DR Jekyl of Golf....

[TheNatural]

A month ago I scored a 98 or so and I looked at my score card...in 3 holes I added 13 strokes over par! if i were to just bogey all 3 holes WHICH I HAVE PAR'd Before.....I would have had an 88....

[Bigbuckley]

Somewhat off topic, what are some good free online handicap services?

[Slim 11]

if distance off the tee isn't a problem? have you been recording what has been your weak points?

I do the same thing, track all my GIRs, FWYs hit and missed and distance, 1st putt distance from hole, number of putts. It only takes a second or two more to enter the notes on your scorecard or a pocket notebook and many handicap trackers (golf channel's, for instance) will let you enter this info to track all parts of your game. Really helps on what to work on at the range, etc. I, for example, have found that I have a good fairway hit % with decent length but my GIRs need work. At the range I spend a lot more time on my irons, rarely hitting my driver. I also tend, for now, to club up one club on my approaches because i saw that i was leaving alot of them short.

BTW, the anti-handicap thing is a good idea. I never thought of it, but I calculated it after reading the post. I'm a 14 but the anti is 21. Now i have a best to shoot for and a worst to avoid!

[Zeph]

Somewhat off topic, what are some good free online handicap services?

I have found Oobgolf very satisfying.

http://www.oobgolf.com/

[juanrjackson]

I use Oobgolf. It works great. I played once with a friend with an iPhone & he loaded the scores online while we played which was cool.

[SteelDriver]

yeah..and also not to knock...

In logic that makes sense, but you would be surprised how many golfers shave strokes off by switching from whites to blue. The problem a lot of them have is shorter shots maybe 110 and in. Pushing them back to the blues can leave them with a more comfortable approach shot of 150 or so. I play better from blue because of my ranges. i dread 60 yds, 80 yds and 90.

[Teyber]

Your handicap reflects your potential. It is not an average. It is based on the best of your most recent rounds.

mind if i ask what website your using? im looking for a new handicap calculator yet don't belong to a club.

it takes your best 10 out of your last 20 scores which is why your index seems low. but hell- why complain :) unless you play in handicap tournaments :(

[juanrjackson]

A month ago I scored a 98 or so and I looked at my score card...in 3 holes I added 13 strokes over par! if i were to just bogey all 3 holes WHICH I HAVE PAR'd Before.....I would have had an 88....

Your comment is something I learned a long time a go if I want to keep my score low. At my level...it's more about limiting my "blow-up" holes....than shooting for birdies lol

[TheNatural]

Your comment is something I learned a long time a go if I want to keep my score low. At my level...it's more about limiting my "blow-up" holes....than shooting for birdies lol

Juan yesterday my front nine was exactly that ...i hook topped my drive for 80 yards! but still posted a 6 (par 4) avoided a blow up! then went bogey, double bogey, double boge, par ,birdie, bogey, double, then bogey...NO TRIPLE BOGIES! even went into a hazard on 3 off drive and still posted a double ...booya...

The Back nine was torture due to 15 minute tee waits....i shot badly,,,had a 4 over and a triple....no pars. Next weekday im sure I will do better....

[juanrjackson]

TheNatural: I see you are in DE. A buddy & I are coming over to Ocean City in a few weeks. We are playing Bayside in DE. It is the Jack Nickolas course just up from OC. You ever played it?

We are also playing Lighthouse Sound & Rum Pointe in OC.