2 Handicaps

[bobmac]

I just read a post about someone who was playing in a society match against another club and therefor played off his society handicap which was 8 compared to his "real" handicap of 12.
Surely is someone is good enough to play off 8 in a society, cards should be handed in so should be chopped at their home club.

I've heard that sometimes you just get chopped regardless of score if you win a day out.

So my questions are....
"Should you get chopped if say you shoot 33 pts and it's the lowest score of the day and should people be allowed to have 2 handicaps?"
(P.s. I know you're only allowed to have one official handicap.)

 

[Sneds]

I think it's complicated as it is. There is one club handicap and that's how it should stay. I understand the logic of a society handicap, but this should not be deemed to be 100% accurate.

 

[Redwood]

Our weekly rollup on a Saturday normally have guys off a differnet (normally lower) handicap than their offical club handicap.

Played with a guy in the rollup couple of weeks ago who's club handicap was 10, but was playing off 8 in the Stags.

I guess it might be to get a better indication of how someone plays without a card in their hand!!?

 

[madandra]

When I last played in a society we usually played off yellows which meant a shorter course thus a shorter handicap.

 

[bobmac]

When I last played in a society we usually played off yellows which meant a shorter course thus a shorter handicap.

I would have thought you would keep the same h/cap but use the SSS off the yellows?

 

[madandra]

Some societies like to see themselves as their own wee club so have their own caps. My mate plays off 12 but his society handicap is 8. He only plays to 8 once or twice a year in medals.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Hey Bobmac, that was me. Our society handicaps are always a bone of contention, with me anyway.

I won't go into detail of how they are worked out as I'm sure you don't care but we do calculate a CSS for stableford points but we take off a number of the lowest scores otherwise the CSS was always really low. Before the last event, my society handicap was 10(2 less than club) and they guy played last night was off 13 (3 less than club) so I would have given him 3 shots. After the event I was off 8 and he was off 15 so I had to give him 7

Most of the society members have club handicaps and play more often than I do so I say your society handicap should be the same as my club handicap but I'm in the minority. I won our society summer medal last year off 11 but playing to 12 on the day (my club handicap at the time) and still some complained the handicap system favours better golfers. I got cut to 8 and still came second the next event playing to 10 on the day.

So I'm not doing anything special in the society, I'm playing better in my club comps and my handicap is coming down. I could hand in my society cards to my club but we always play shorter easier courses off yellow tees which as usual for a society are very forward and if you take my score against SSS I'm playing pretty much to my handicap (sometimes under sometimes over) so it's unlikely they will do anything about it.

My argument in the society has always been if I play to my club handicap and you can't beat me on a course which is generally shorter and easier than your club course then don't look at the handicap system, look at your own game. The problem is, too many people want to be rewarded for average golf.

So in answer to your questions...

Should you get chopped for being the lowest on the day despite playing under your handicap? No

Should you have 2 handicaps? No

But what are you gonna do? Societies are about having fun and giving everyone a chance of winning, the problem is for some reason, scores in our society seem to be really low so players playing to their handicap are winning. With our new system it won't be long before handicaps are sufficiently false for people to start shooting in the forties again so I'm making hay while I can and taking home the wine while I have the chance. When I don't have the chance, I'll have to settle for nearest the pin prizes (We scrapped longest drive because the same few of us kept winning)

 

[Imurg]

When I last played in a society we usually played off yellows which meant a shorter course thus a shorter handicap.

So its shorter for everyone so it shouldn't make a difference.


I argued this a while back. I could win a Society day with 30 points not having played anywhere near my handicap but still get cut a shot for winning. Why? Just because I played less crap than anyone else? I know thay like their "club-like" rules and its mainly for fun but if my offical handicap is 10 then I'd expect to play off it until I performed well enough to warrant a cut. If I won with 42 points then that card should go into my home club and a cut should be forthcoming.

 

[USER1999]

I used to be off 12, and 1. I can't play to 1, but because we had winning scores like 20 points, I still kept winning. We have now revised our society handicaps. This can also be difficult, as you often can't book societies if their handicaps are over 28, but the alternative is to cut the winners, til they are off stupid low h/caps or the same people always win. Some of our guys play twice a year, and they will never score well off 28.

Who would want to be handicap secretary of a society, you can't please every one.

 

[HRC99]

I think it's entirely up to the society in question. If it works for them, then what's the problem?

People will vote with their feet if they are that unhappy about it and the society's numbers will dwindle. If you're the one, who votes with their feet and goes whilst everyone stays, then it would seem that you're taking it all far more seriously than the others.

It seems a good way of ensuring that prizes are quite equitably won.

Society days (to me) tend to be about the company and the course, so it seems fine to me.

 

[RGDave]

Surely is someone is good enough to play off 8 in a society, cards should be handed in so should be chopped at their home club.

I agree. Except how many society cards are played off white, holing every last putt?

I have played to 8 in my society (co-incidence?) but wouldn't be keen to have my h'cap cut on the basis of any of these cards. Playing with mates, giving putts, stableford vs. medal, yellow tees, easy courses, etc. etc.

If I shot a 10 off white in a society medal (or even 38 points) I make sure the card was handed in.

 

[bobmac]

HRC, normally I'd agree it's all a bit of fun between mates.
But in the OP it says it was a match against another club, who presumably have "correct" handicaps.....or another society who may h/cap themselves in a different way.

 

[HRC99]

Do people's handicap secretaries take such cards and act upon them?

I doubt ours would in anything other than a proper open competition.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

HRC, normally I'd agree it's all a bit of fun between mates.
But in the OP it says it was a match against another club, who presumably have "correct" handicaps.....or another society who may h/cap themselves in a different way.

I missed that, perhaps I should clarify. In my original post, which I think prompted bobmac's question, the match was against another member of our society but played at his home course so we were both playing off handicaps allocated by the society.

There is no way I'd play against another society off 8

 

[19th]

I have to agree with HRC as it is a way of equalising the winners over a period and possibly therefore keeping a 'healthy' society golfing number.

Your handicap is therefore a reflection of the less able and should allow the lower handicapper a bit of bragging rights at the presentation when his handicap is AGAIN reduced.

This handicap has nothing to do with yellow/white/red or any other colour of tee - it is the scores returned on the day and ....... how to share out the prizes amongst the members. This second part does not exist in a golf club as fun/retention of members come a poor second to the 'by-the-book' winner - quite correctly!
Bob, I don't know what they are doing playing competitions against other clubs off their Micky Mouse handicaps!

(A quick aside to Bob, 27 putts on Saturday! Great!!)

 

[bobmac]

(A quick aside to Bob, 27 putts on Saturday! Great!!)

Great stuff

 

[RGDave]

Do people's handicap secretaries take such cards and act upon them?

I doubt ours would in anything other than a proper open competition.

You are right, I'm sure of it.

It would have to be a pretty special card to get the interest of the h'cap sec.....

BESIDES, it must be said that I feel it would be correct to ignore a "low" card played at another course if there was evidence that the player in question never played to his h'cap in the club comps.

 

[viscount17]

our handicap sec definitely wouldn't take a society card, for a start you may play off yellows but where were they in relation to the yellow marker - if the yellows are measured on that course.

our society runs it's own handicaps. winner and those above 'CSS' get cut; winner by 'win bonus+shots'. the 'CSS' is always taken as the fourth highest score.

 

[bigbiffa]

yeah any golf days (society) ive played in you tend to get 3/4 handicap,as you are playiog off the yellows.

 

[Parmo]

Hence why the expression bandits comes from.