Low Handicappers in NET Tournaments

[NM Golf]

On 10/7/2017 at 6:47 AM, johnclayton1982 said:

My background is in tennis and chess tournaments when I was younger and they were 1v1 sports with no handicap.  If you were worse, you lost.  If your better, then beat me. I don't totally understand this handicap idea, but I've never really used mine I don't think.

I tried to explain handicaps to my wife once and she didn't get it either. She was an athlete and was like, "How does someone with a worse score beat you?" She's hardcore and is a firm believer in competition, hard work, and having winners and losers. She thinks we are all stupid.

[WUTiger]

On 9/25/2017 at 11:57 AM, p1n9183 said:

This weekend i play a 36 holes net tournament. After the first day on the category under 12 handicap y was on 7th place after a horrible +8. Leader was at -4. On the second round i shoot a regular +3 and i almost won the tournament. Finish 3rd 3 strokes back. Leader shoot +12. I won the scratch category by 15 strokes, on the first day i was tied for the lead.
If the tournament will continue for 2 more rounds i know i will win it by 5 strokes or more in the net competition. Just because of been more consistent than a 10 handicapper. (note: p1 is scratch golfer)

I played in a 36-hole Amateur circuit championship this weekend. End results show more consistent play by lower HDCPers (single digit) in Open division than higher HDCPers (group ranged 12-25) in the Net division. 

I computed an average score difference between the two rounds for both groups. It was only 2.2 for the Open players, and 5.6 for the Net players. The results support p1's observation: lower HDCP players are more consistent.

The spoiler contains an earlier response I made about an earlier 36-hole tournament, in which most winners had a so-so round and a hot round.

Spoiler

I played in a 36-hole (district-level) Senior tournament similar to what p1 talks about. The tournament featured the Open division (gross, all ages), and age bracket divisions. The bracket divisions had a low gross and a low net prize.

In the bracket divisions, the top couple of players in each division had one round a stroke or two above their HDCP, and one hot round when they played 3 to 7 strokes better than HDCP. In only one age division did the low net winner have two really good rounds.

 

[Pretzel]

6 hours ago, NJpatbee said:

As a high handicapper I will not play net score with a low handicapper - as I've said I usually will lose

The math says this statement is wrong, and it's not really something to be debated because numbers don't lie. You will win more often in net competitions than you will lose, when compared to a low handicap golfer.

Edited October 9, 2017 by Pretzel

[DaveP043]

11 hours ago, Pretzel said:

The math says this statement is wrong, and it's not really something to be debated because numbers don't lie. You will win more often in net competitions than you will lose, when compared to a low handicap golfer.

Let's be clear, any one individual still faces long odds to win, regardless of his handicap.  But in a field of varying handicaps, the low net is more likely to come from a higher handicap player than from a low-handicapper.  And in a one-on-one net match, the low handicapper has the edge.

[NJpatbee]

16 hours ago, Pretzel said:

The math says this statement is wrong, and it's not really something to be debated because numbers don't lie. You will win more often in net competitions than you will lose, when compared to a low handicap golfer.

Sorry, but I slipped back to one on one matches where the lower handicapper is more likely to win.

[Pretzel]

6 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

Let's be clear, any one individual still faces long odds to win, regardless of his handicap.  But in a field of varying handicaps, the low net is more likely to come from a higher handicap player than from a low-handicapper.  And in a one-on-one net match, the low handicapper has the edge.

 

1 hour ago, NJpatbee said:

Sorry, but I slipped back to one on one matches where the lower handicapper is more likely to win.

Sorry about that, my mistake. I agree that in a match play scenario the low handicapper is more likely to win.

[iacas]

20 hours ago, WUTiger said:

I played in a 36-hole Amateur circuit championship this weekend. End results show more consistent play by lower HDCPers (single digit) in Open division than higher HDCPers (group ranged 12-25) in the Net division. 

I computed an average score difference between the two rounds for both groups. It was only 2.2 for the Open players, and 5.6 for the Net players. The results support p1's observation: lower HDCP players are more consistent.

I don't think anyone has said otherwise.

[Pretzel]

6 hours ago, iacas said:

I don't think anyone has said otherwise.

In fact, that difference in consistency between the players is the very basis of my argument. High handicappers have more variety in their scores, both high AND low compared to their average, meaning a net competition is more likely to be won by someone with a high handicap.

[iacas]

28 minutes ago, Pretzel said:

In fact, that difference in consistency between the players is the very basis of my argument. High handicappers have more variety in their scores, both high AND low compared to their average, meaning a net competition is more likely to be won by someone with a high handicap.

Right.