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How important is your handicap to you?


woodzie264
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20 hours ago, woodzie264 said:

So lately I feel like I'm obsessing over my Hcp, which is due to my recent improvements (which I'm excited about). But I've noticed that the times I play my best is when I approach my rounds with the nonchalant attitude of "I'm not concerned about my score today, but just hoping that today's round will make me a better golfer in the long run." So I think my obsessing over it may actually have the inverse effect of what I want. I realize that the handicap falling is only a reflection of my game improving and so focus should be on my game...not the handicap, but yet I get focused the scores I need to lower my handicap. I suppose as things plateau for me this excitement will fade.

Can anyone relate?

If I recall correctly you and I had similar goals of being under a 10 cap this year. It has been an often annoying struggle and hard work to get there. I don't know how many times I was coming up to a revision trying to shoot in the 70's only to put too much tension in my swing and bomb it. Now I just try to make the shots and see where it goes. It was a tough year of frequent disappoint leading to stress and backwards movement score wise.

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27 minutes ago, phillyk said:

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.

Okay, we are more or less on the same page in that regard then.

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2 hours 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.

I'd still suggest that if you keep an official USGA handicap, you should post all of your scores in accordance with the official USGA handicap rules. That way, if you ever DO decide to enter an event where the USGA handicap is used, you can do that with a clear conscience.  If you want to keep an unofficial handicap for your own use, do anything you want.  

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19 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I'd still suggest that if you keep an official USGA handicap, you should post all of your scores in accordance with the official USGA handicap rules. That way, if you ever DO decide to enter an event where the USGA handicap is used, you can do that with a clear conscience.  If you want to keep an unofficial handicap for your own use, do anything you want.  

I thought @phillyk had turned pro? If so, he doesn't have to do that.

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It's the B all and end all of golf. It's how my improvement and level of golf can be measured. I think people who don't hand their cards in so they can keep a high handicap, and thus win comps are kidding themselves. 

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It's a gauge or a standard used to measure where me game is with a large sampling of rounds. It's not the only method I use and it's not legit because I play so few rounds with others.

The one advantage of it is that I don't get worked up about a bad round. So it helps in some small way to keep the game and efforts to improve enjoyable.

Jon

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5 hours ago, paininthenuts said:

It's the B all and end all of golf. It's how my improvement and level of golf can be measured. I think people who don't hand their cards in so they can keep a high handicap, and thus win comps are kidding themselves. 

Unfortunately, in this situation, they're not kidding themselves, but conning others. We call that sandbagging here.

Generally, the ones who are kidding themselves are the ones who only post good scores to reduce their handicaps. . .

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I guess it's fairly important to me. I think I can break 80 just about every time I tee it up so in that sense it's important.

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On 10/20/2016 at 7:59 PM, woodzie264 said:

So lately I feel like I'm obsessing over my Hcp, which is due to my recent improvements (which I'm excited about). But I've noticed that the times I play my best is when I approach my rounds with the nonchalant attitude of "I'm not concerned about my score today, but just hoping that today's round will make me a better golfer in the long run." So I think my obsessing over it may actually have the inverse effect of what I want. I realize that the handicap falling is only a reflection of my game improving and so focus should be on my game...not the handicap, but yet I get focused the scores I need to lower my handicap. I suppose as things plateau for me this excitement will fade.

Can anyone relate?

Absolutely!!! This has been making me nuts!!! But Ive had an epiphany that should correct it. ( For me at least ) My golf skills improved ten fold in every facet of the game....my handicap went up. ( which frustrated the snot out of me) When it got back up to 21, I obliterated my personal best of 88 with an 83 on a much tougher course. Then went 109, 100, 100, before breaking 100 again with a 98. All of these scores are from the last month. I just dont care what anyone says, the handicap may help level the playing field when playing competitively, but its a flawed system as a measure of ones golf game. Some days I have the game of a ten handicap, and others a 30! 

Since coming to this realization, Im approaching the game in a whole new way. Based on number of good holes vs bad. Bogies or better all count as good holes. If I have more good than bad holes...thats a good day and Ill just leave it at that. If less than three pars, or more bad holes than good, well I didnt play so well. It should take some pressure off my game and make it a little more fun. 

And if someone asks me if Im a good golfer; Ill invite them to come and see for themselves. If that proves insufficient, my next answer will be yes, SOMETIMES Im a good golfer, but not usually. 

* Lee Trevino once said bogey is a good score for amateurs, and par is a good score for the pros. Hes Lee Trevino, and it makes sense to me. Thats why I count BOGEY or better. :-P

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Seems like some people are focusing on the wrong thing. To me HC is an indication on whether I'm improving, being consistent or getting worse. 

Sure I would like to see my HC lowered, but I don't think about it. It is what it is. 

I play golf. I don't play to lower my HC. 

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1 hour ago, Yukari said:

Seems like some people are focusing on the wrong thing. To me HC is an indication on whether I'm improving, being consistent or getting worse. 

Sure I would like to see my HC lowered, but I don't think about it. It is what it is. 

I play golf. I don't play to lower my HC. 

I get what you're saying here. At the beginning of the year, it was my New Year's Resolution to become a single digit, so with that I have dedicated a lot of time to improving my game and things have moved along well...with my focus on my HCP, but only because it was my stated goal.

For next year, while I will continue to work on my game, I honestly don't care if my HCP drops any further as long as I can maintain eligibility for the NC....which will be my focus over the next few years (fingers crossed)!

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To me its all about ball striking. I don't gamble in golf or have to score low rounds. As long as I am playing tee to green to my potential I'm fine. But even if I am not, I will just work on it at the range. No big deal. 

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I feel like this is off-topic  :offtopic:, so I'll hide it here

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On 10/21/2016 at 6:54 PM, iacas said:

I thought @phillyk had turned pro? If so, he doesn't have to do that.

If @phillyk is playing as a professional, I understand that he'll play at scratch in any organized competitions.  But even so, when he references a USGA handicap, its my opinion that he should follow the same rules as anyone else in maintaining it.  We give @Groucho Valentine enough grief about posting in accordance with the rules, I think the same should apply to anyone who maintains a USGA handicap, whether it comes into play for their competitions or not.  If @phillyk wants to keep a handicap based only on tournament scores, that's easily done, but it's not a proper USGA handicap

 

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Dave

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1 hour ago, DaveP043 said:

If @phillyk is playing as a professional, I understand that he'll play at scratch in any organized competitions.  But even so, when he references a USGA handicap, its my opinion that he should follow the same rules as anyone else in maintaining it.  We give @Groucho Valentine enough grief about posting in accordance with the rules, I think the same should apply to anyone who maintains a USGA handicap, whether it comes into play for their competitions or not.  If @phillyk wants to keep a handicap based only on tournament scores, that's easily done, but it's not a proper USGA handicap

A few points.

First, he said the tournaments he enters are the ones choosing to ignore his handicap.

Second, we don't know what he meant by "USGA handicap." Most pros don't maintain a handicap at all. I could keep one privately (it's not like there's a secret formula) and include whatever scores I want. I might call that my "USGA handicap" (because I'm using the formula, even if I'm not posting to GHIN or wherever) because it's different than maybe my "league handicap" or my "GAME GOLF handicap."

I agree… that if @phillyk uses his USGA handicap for anything then he too should follow the rules for posting, yes. It's easy enough to maintain a handicap of whatever scores you want for your own use.

But at the same time, it's a bit less of a sin for a pro to do things differently @phillyk can enter U.S. Open qualifying with "pro" status while an amateur has to be a 1.4 to enter. @phillyk could be a 3.2 index and he's not violating any rules by entering the U.S. Open - they don't even check his handicap index - while an amateur that qualifies because he posts his solo rounds and says he's a +0.2 but who is really a 1.6 is violating those rules.

Pros are held to a different standard with this stuff. I've never heard of a handicap committee at a club getting on their head pro about posting his scores. I doubt you have at yours (though maybe you have, or maybe he just does it correctly anyway).

Response to @DaveP043 above. If it goes further, Dave, maybe just PM me or something. As you surmised, it is off topic.


To answer the question… My handicap index is irrelevant to me. I know if I'm playing well and if I'm playing poorly.

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Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
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On October 22, 2016 at 3:47 AM, paininthenuts said:

It's the B all and end all of golf. It's how my improvement and level of golf can be measured. I think people who don't hand their cards in so they can keep a high handicap, and thus win comps are kidding themselves. 

No it's not, at least not to everyone. For me the "B all end all" of golf is to have great time playing with others or myself. Sure, a lower handicap and lower scores can make things more enjoyable, but if that is all you're focused on, you're missing the point IMHO. 

Yours in earnest, Jason.
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23 hours ago, The Recreational Golfer said:

Not important at all. Whenever I play it's just to be out there with my friends and we just want to have a good time. I kept a handicap for a while, to see if i could get to single digits. I did, and now I don't need one.

Bingo my thoughts  too.... realized long ago I'm never going to be a Pro Golfer and on the tour so why go out every round trying so hard to lower it..and placing to much added pressure on myself

I also realize that for more then even want to admit it, it's bragging rights. The water cooler discussion for the day amongst buddies and all.. "hey man I'm a __ handicap now what about you?" 

  I don't take golf to serious or myself for that matter to really care,  it's not the be all end all of who I am... it's a hobbie and a pleasure of mine that I enjoy...

I do applaud all who make it their goal though... shows your dedicated to a goal and that's awesome.... just not for me.... if I can continue to shoot 85-90 every time I tee it up then I'm good with that and I have fun....

When I'm dead and gone I really don't what my tombstone to say..."here lays a ___ handicapper, wow was he good" lol

Edited by Undr Par
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It's been good, because It helps me find playing partners of a similar skill level.

I notice somewhere around 15 handicap, people start having confidence and want to play with better competition. I can tell they don't want to play with me, and that is truly 100% okay - I understand. Somewhere around 20 handicap and above, everyone says "I'm not very good", to which I reply "I just started playing last year", and voila, we have a nice time together. 

Next year my goal is to do some Net Score competitions, and HC is req'd for those.

 

Edited by Kalnoky
Grammar
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Note: This thread is 2691 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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