# Returning to golf (Handicap Question)



## Mungoscorner (May 10, 2011)

First post,so must say hello to everyone.
I stopped playing golf about three and a half years ago,at the time my handicap was 5 (4.9).In recent weeks,after watching the Masters on TV and chatting about the game with work colleagues,i'm keen to dust my sticks off and start playing again.
I understand that i will have to join a club and submit 3 cards in order to attain a new handicap,as my last Handicap Certificate has a November 2007 date on,and my club membership expired in March of 2008.Now obviously my game will have deteriorated,having not picked up a club in all that time,and its very very unlikely i'll be able to play at anywhere near the standard i used to.Although i agree that any previous Handicap should be taken into consideration by the Handicap Committee when allocating a new Handicap,some people have suggested that even though i may struggle to break 90,my new Handicap is unlikely to be much more than 7 or 8 !!!!!
Are they preparing me for the inevitable,or are they winding me up ?
Thanks in advance.


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## G_Mulligan (May 10, 2011)

welcome to the forum I can't help with the question but wanted to say hello  

hopefully someone more knowledegable will be along soon to answer properly.


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## G1BB0 (May 10, 2011)

surely it should be based on the new 3 cards handed in after a 3 1/2 year lay off?

someone who knows the score r.e handicap stuff will enlighten you properly I am sure


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## Imurg (May 10, 2011)

But they will take into account the fact you were once a very good player. Much of that skill will return fairly quickly once you start playing again regularly.
Have you been on the course yet?
If you were off 5 3 1/2 years ago I bet you'll be able to break 85 with ease. That'll put you on about 12-14. But with your History don't be surprised by a handicap of 8.
And don't worry - you'll play to it before long.
I had a 5 year break with just the odd round here and there. Was on 9. When I came back they gave me 13 - now I'm off 8 and that's in 4 years.


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## RGDave (May 10, 2011)

Welcome.

I'm going to say a few things and make no judgement.

1) I didn't have a handicap for over 8 years and they took it into consideration. Anything less wouldn't really be playing fair.
2) You will have to play for 3 cards and then they will make a decision based on what they would give you normally and your potential to return to what was a good standard.
3) You will get back to a decent standard fairly quickly, maybe not close to 5 but undoubtedly a good level.
4) (please ignore if you want) the way you play for the 3 cards WILL affect the outcome. I learned this the hard way.
My best card was 15 over SSS and they gave me 11.5. I was surprised, but they did point out one of my cards had a 9 holes of only 3 over par....   
If you don't want to be back on 5 or 6, just don't go mad and if you are staring at a 5 foot birdie putt on the S.I. 1 hole, just miss the bloomin thing. My mate (who was off for 5 years) had been on 9, played his best card to 14 and they gave him 9 again as he'd eagled one of the par 5s!!


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## Mungoscorner (May 10, 2011)

Thanks for the welcome,and the answers.I hold my hands up and admit that i look upon "bandits" as cheats,some may say thats harsh,but it's basically falsifying something in order to gain an advantage over your competitors.What does concern me from my own point of view,is that i may be given a Handicap that will in effect (excuse the pun) Handicap me,in as much as i'll have no hope of playing to it and will be just making up the numbers in any competitions.
As RGDave has pointed out,his mate was given a 9 Handicap when his best card of three equated to 14.A friend of mine had a similar thing happen after having the round of his life,having played off 12ish for many years,he managed to shoot a gross 3 over par round in a medal,and was subsequently cut to 6 !!! The committee's reasoning was that he had shown what he was capable of playing to,and they had to protect the rest of the field in future competitions.It was nearly 2 years before he got his Handicap back to a realistic figure that he could play to.


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## Region3 (May 10, 2011)

Welcome again 

I'd say they would take account of it as it's such a short time ago.
Is there any reason other than rustiness that makes you think you won't get near your old ability, like an injury or medical condition?
If not, you don't get bad in that time and I wouldn't worry.

Not the same standard as you, but I had a 20 year layoff. Was on 10 when I stopped. The best of my 3 cards would have given me 12, and I got given 11.


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## Smiffy (May 11, 2011)

When I joined Highwoods (admittedly after a much longer break than you have had) they ignored my previous handicap and I had to hand 3 cards in to gain my new "official" handicap.
Luckily, one of these was plenty good enough to see me granted the 12 I was playing off before.
With the new CONGU "active/inactive" handicap system, I understand that if you have an inactive handicap due to leaving a club, handing cards in again just re-activates it from it's old value. So three duff qualifying cards would just see you go out 0.3 (if that makes sense).
I don't know when the new CONGU rulings came into place, but if it was prior to you leaving your old club, that's what would happen.


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## bobmac (May 11, 2011)

Plus, as you were Cat I, the county may be consulted as to what handicap you should be given.


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## jammydodger (May 11, 2011)

Welacome to the forum

Yours is the exact situation I had a couple of years ago. I was off 3-4 and gave the game up for four years but started playing again in the winter of 2008. I got given a 12 h/c but it dropped very quickly as soon as I started to get the swing and touch back. Down to 8 before the end of that first winter and then down to 5 that next summer.

Trust me you wont be handicapped as it will all coming flooding back very quickly.

Good luck


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## viscount17 (May 11, 2011)

I believe it averages 60 qualifiers to move a wrong handicap up by 3, but only 20 to move it down by the same amount.

welcome back and enjoy your golf


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## RGDave (May 11, 2011)

I believe it averages 60 qualifiers to move a wrong handicap up by 3, but only 20 to move it down by the same amount.

welcome back and enjoy your golf
		
Click to expand...

An interesting stat. One that i.m.o. should encourage h'cap secretaries to actually lean on the side of generosity than not. It annoys me that some players get put on "x" rather than x + 2 or something. I think a "returning" player should be placed between the old h'cap and the best card. probably favouring the best card. Think about it. A player off 10 previously, joins up and hands in 3 cards the best being 15 over SSS. Give them nearer 15 than 10 (like 13 or 13.5) so they don't need to play SIXTY times just to get from say 12 back to 14. If they start on 13 or 13.5 and fluke an instant 10 over, they're unlikely to cause disgruntlement amongst the ranks.


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## viscount17 (May 11, 2011)

to be it makes sense that initial and returning handicaps should be reviewed anyway, say over the next three or next six cards, or over the next three months, and re-adjusted accordingly.


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## Fyldewhite (May 11, 2011)

Tricky one. The short answer is probably "no".... they are not winding you up. If you got down to 4.9 then you will have been a decent player only a few years ago. I would estimate that you will be breaking 80 again regularly quite soon after starting to play regularly. I'd be very surprised if you got more than 8 whatever you put in.

We had a similar case at our club a couple of years ago. Player was off 4, has a couple of years off and put 3 cards in which ordinarily would have been a 12 handicap. We gave him 8, he was down to 6 by end of season.


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