How important is your handicap to you?

[DaveP043]

I don't live or die based on what my handicap is doing.  Within the group of  the guys I play with regularly, all of our games are based off our handicap, and we're all consistent about playing by the rules and posting every score.  At the end of the day, its just a number to use in setting the bets fairly.  The same applies to club and interclub tournaments, its just a number.  Of course, I'm happy when it goes down, but I already know when I'm having a stretch of good golf.  Similarly, I know that I'm in a bad stretch, so I expect the number to go up.  But I care a whole lot more about how I'm playing than I do about the number itself.

[TourSpoon]

I tend to care about my handicap level over time to measure my overall progress as a golfer. In my blog, I used it to gauge large chunks. For instance, after a 10 year layoff I came back and was immediately playing to an 8. Since I had the time to dedicate to my game, I set a goal of becoming a solid 5 in a year's time. I was able to do it, but it was a result of a total game plan and a handicap that dropped 3.5 points showed that along with the stats I like to keep. Now, if I am at a 5 or less, I am pretty much content. I want to be able to go out and break 80 on any given day. 

Now, I do not think about handicap during a round just like I don't add up my score in my head.  It's hard enough to hit that tee shot on 18 knowing you are 2 over and I do pretty good to ignore it as a point of pressure, but to be so consumed to be calculating your index is just taking that to a knew level. Now after the round I do analyze my stats and trends but it's not a focal point during play. 

As a golfer, I have to keep the stats out of my head during play, but the other day I missed the green and putted from the fringe and made birdie and said out loud, "Well that zero putt will definitely help my putting stats!" Joking aside, I play my best when I focus on the shot in front of me and nothing else. 

 

[Patch]

Although I keep a handicap, it's not a big deal to me. I seldom have the chance to actually use it anymore. Any tournaments I play in are usually for a charity, and no handicap is required. I don't play for money with anyone, so I don't need it for that. 

When I golf, especially on an unfamiliar course, I have a scoring goal of shooting some where between 78, and 84.  My scores take care of my handicap. 

[ghalfaire]

I suppose with age comes some perspective I didn't have when a lot younger.  My handicap is just a number and I would like to play as well as I'm able, but I don't obsess about it.  I enjoy my golf all the time but of course enjoy my "good" rounds better than my "Not so good" rounds.

[RussUK]

not important to me at all really. I suppose it all depends on what sort of golfer you are. If you are the sort that wants to play in comps or the measure of how your game is improving is how much your handicap has dropped then its a good thing to keep you focused.

If you are like me and a weekend rec golfer then sometimes the idea if a handicap can become more of a hinderance to enjoying them game. For me, how a round makes me feel is far more important than the score or getting the handicap cut.

There is no wrong answer to the OP question in my mind.

[NJpatbee]

I enjoy keeping an official HI using it as a gauge of my potential and of course to play the occasional $$ game.  I am a relatively high handicap golfer and do not obsess over it, but I am pleased if I can knock a stroke off during the course of a season.  I started playing golf seriously at age 40 with a weekly $$ game for about 10 years so I learned early that I needed the handicap to be accurate in order to be in the game.   

[phillyk]

I used to post every round to see that I went from single figures to scratch, but when I brought it to tournaments, I sucked.  So, I started only posting tournament round scores for handicap purposes, because it gave me a true representation of where my game is at.  I don't live or die by it, because it's really just a number to me.  When I play, I'm always trying to play the shots I want to play and get the lowest score I can.  I play to shoot low gross scores, and if I win net money, great!  But, it would mean more to be in the money gross wise.

[Club Rat]

The importance of a USGA Handicap for me is knowing I can participate in any sanctioned golf event, mostly at club level.
Although I sometimes compete in local events, without the USGA handicapping system, I'm not sure there would be opportunities
for golfers like me to compete on a level playing field. It also helps maintain the integrity of the game and provide monetary support for USGA.

My index reflects current scores throughout the golf season and I can use the score history to analyze many aspects of my game.
An old wise golfer once told me "You Win when your Index drops and Lose when it's on the rise"

 

[DaveP043]

39 minutes ago, phillyk said:

I used to post every round to see that I went from single figures to scratch, but when I brought it to tournaments, I sucked.  So, I started only posting tournament round scores for handicap purposes, because it gave me a true representation of where my game is at.  I don't live or die by it, because it's really just a number to me.  When I play, I'm always trying to play the shots I want to play and get the lowest score I can.  I play to shoot low gross scores, and if I win net money, great!  But, it would mean more to be in the money gross wise.

I hope you're not saying you choose not to post all of your scores, which obviously makes your handicap invalid,  but that you accept net prizes you've won using that invalid handicap.

[Golfingdad]

6 hours ago, Groucho Valentine said:

As long its below 2.5 thats all i really care about.

Sort of along these same lines for me.  I'm not at 2.5 but in the past year I've passed under 5.4 and 4.4, both of which are threshholds for qualifying tournaments I've always wanted to play.  As long as I can stay under those threshholds, and ideally keep going down (there is another qualifier available to me at 3.4, as well as at 2.4 and 1.4) then I'll be happy and keep entering those qualifiers.  But if I don't, then well, it's not a huge deal either.

[phillyk]

43 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I hope you're not saying you choose not to post all of your scores, which obviously makes your handicap invalid,  but that you accept net prizes you've won using that invalid handicap.

The tournaments I enter do not use my USGA handicap, it uses a handicap from the associations own summary of scores (I don't enter any scores, they do everything on their own).  My USGA handicap I use for only my own reflection.  I guess I never made that clear.

[sirsteveo55]

Going back to the original question about how important your handicap is to you. I think that everyone plays the game of golf for different reasons. Some people play to better their handicap, some people play because they love the game. I play because to me its such a stress reliever. My work is very stressful and anytime I can go to the golf course and play relieves my stress. There is nothing that is more stress relieving than playing a round of golf by myself on a beautiful peaceful course. I am usually drinking when playing to. I enjoy getting better at the game, but my handicap means nothing to me, its all about enjoying the game and really relieving all the stress from life. 

[Groucho Valentine]

18 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

Sort of along these same lines for me.  I'm not at 2.5 but in the past year I've passed under 5.4 and 4.4, both of which are threshholds for qualifying tournaments I've always wanted to play.  As long as I can stay under those threshholds, and ideally keep going down (there is another qualifier available to me at 3.4, as well as at 2.4 and 1.4) then I'll be happy and keep entering those qualifiers.  But if I don't, then well, it's not a huge deal either.

Yeah. I think all the USGA ones i try out for are below 2.5. I don't try qualify for the US AM anymore but i think the mid-am is still like 2.4. Trying the four ball next year with a friend, too. State and regional ones are usually in the 5 range. The funny thing is you (even for US open qauli) you still see tons of guys out there shoot 90+ 

[Hacker James]

My HC is of importance only to me. I do not compete in any organized events, I do not belong to a men's club. I am in no ways anti-social, its just that golf not a life priority. I do post a lot on the forum, but mostly as a way of passing time and of course to learn.  As mentioned many times in the past, I do maintain a home made spread sheet that uses all the USGA handicap calculations. This is to track my personal improvement, but also permits adjustment to courses other than the ones I normally play. Its not official by any means and I doubt that should I join some men's club, or competition event, that the HC committee would consider my spread sheet as sufficient.  I do enjoy playing golf, and probably get just as much out of practice, I also enjoy other things, Casino Gaming, Travel, trying to figure out my S.O. (to no avail, I might add). I like beer and Jack.

Edited October 21, 2016 by Hacker James

[Golfingdad]

56 minutes ago, sirsteveo55 said:

Some people play to better their handicap, some people play because they love the game. I play because to me its such a stress reliever.

I can say yes to all three of those. 

[Hacker James]

1 hour ago, phillyk said:

The tournaments I enter do not use my USGA handicap, it uses a handicap from the associations own summary of scores (I don't enter any scores, they do everything on their own).  My USGA handicap I use for only my own reflection.  I guess I never made that clear.

That sounds like "cherry picking" to me, but perhaps I do not fully understand your intent. If only for your own reflection, then its not really different than what I do, but I do record every score.

[Club Rat]

4 minutes ago, Hacker James said:

I like beer and Jack.

Add a little "Rock & Roll" and it's the perfect mix for a great day of golf ... 

[phillyk]

17 minutes ago, Hacker James said:

That sounds like "cherry picking" to me, but perhaps I do not fully understand your intent. If only for your own reflection, then its not really different than what I do, but I do record every score.

My posted USGA handicap has never been used for a tournament.  More so, most of the time I play outside of tournaments, I wouldn't be able to post anyway, because I'm either by myself, messing around with buddies, or playing to practice and taking many mulligans or practice balls.  I very rarely play to keep a "real" score outside of tournaments.  But like I said before, whatever handicap I have doesn't really mean a lot to me in the end.