This has gone from how people understand the handicap system as it is today to complaining about member-guest tournaments and net events. Every course has someone that lies when they turn in scores to boost their handicap up - thus no one wants to play them with those strokes. We have a member who does that - he never plays anyone at our club but when the net events come around he always wins. What joy can someone get from cheating? Let him cheat he has to live with it. Handicaps are dependent on people being honest when turning in their scores and using Equity Stroke Control.
My average score is 80 (current par is 73 - we are undergoing renovations of 9 holes out of our 27). My index is 3.5. Using some golfers thinking (using avg score) my "handicap" would be 7. That is flawed thinking and I would be getting 3.5 extra shots that I would not need.
Our member guest groups 6, 2 man teams that play 5 nine hole matches at 80% of our handicaps. The groups are based on what the combined handicaps are at 80%. Just put them in order and cut them off every 6.
We always talk about how the higher handicap is more likely to better his handicap but he is also more likely to shoot much much higher too. A lower handicap player will have a lower variance of scores. Example: a 3 handicap probably shoots anywhere from 77-85 with the odd score a little higher or lower whereas a 20 will have scores between 95-120 with some lower.
Remember that the handicap is calculated based on the last 20 scores, taking the lowest 10 of those. So if the high handicap is playing better this month, next month his handicap will drop.