53 points!

[virtuocity]

Obviously the handicap system is open to abuse and as such IMPROVING golfers are often a little unpopular for picking up a lot of prizes until their handicap matches their actual ability.

I totally agree with a lot of points that FD makes.

I can only talk personally, but I'm looking at getting cut to around 15.5 (awaiting confirmation). That means, to hit buffer round my course (taking the usual CSS of 69), I have to shoot 88.

On current form, with the improvements I've made, I could do this with my eyes closed. I'm at very little risk of 0.1 increases and may even win a few comps between now and then.

I'm trying to consider what I should be playing off. I thought that with a HCP of 13, I'd need to score 85 for buffer. I think I could manage this often, but also shoot more than that. I guess this is around where my level is.

The issue is though that there seems to be very little (apart from ESR) in place to adjust handicaps severely enough for improving golfers. Or if there are clear and easy rules then it's obvious that Handicap secs are struggling to implement them!

As I've said before, I can only imagine that a Cat 1 player shooting gross scratch getting beat by a 25 handicapper shooting +15 and picking up big prizes.

 

[Hacker Khan]

What really disappoints me is the large number of tales posted of high handicappers shooting similar scores. So not calling anyone a bandit, just questioning how the system can get handicaps so badly wrong?

I suspect in moist cases it does not. In my case I do not have an official handicap, but playing off 22 I rarely get over 20 points. So I am confident my handicap is there or there abouts and representative of my play.

But there will always be the one off occasions where someone who has the potential, for whatever reason, manages to make it all click. They may have had some lessons that made a simple but dramatic change. Some people (me included) are just very inconsistent due to many reasons (don't play that often, mind set, technique etc etc). Recently I have shot 102 and 84 on consecutive rounds the same course within 6 days of each other. The 102 was a relative bad day, the 84 was a day when most things clicked.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

I'm also disappointed with expressions of concern about how this poor soul will play to his new handicap. He's already played 12 shots better than it!! If anything the new handicap is still too high! What handicap would he have been given if this was one of his initial three cards submitted "for handicap"....?

The point being that it looks like a bolt from the blue, Will be great if he can carry on in the same vein and get further cuts, but I strongly suspect that next week, he will be back up to his "normal" game albeit with a much lower handicap , which could impact on his ability to compete for a considerable time and therefore impact on his enjoyment of this fine game.

So what happens if you have a flush round in a comp, and you get cut to scratch. but you cant repeat the performance and it takes you 3 years of .1's to get back to a competitive handicap. whats that going to do to your head?

The Golfing Gods Giveth, and the Golfing Gods Taketh Away

 

[woody69]

I suspect in moist cases it does not. In my case I do not have an official handicap, but playing off 22 I rarely get over 20 points. So I am confident my handicap is there or there abouts and representative of my play.

But there will always be the one off occasions where someone who has the potential, for whatever reason, manages to make it all click. They may have had some lessons that made a simple but dramatic change. Some people (me included) are just very inconsistent due to many reasons (don't play that often, mind set, technique etc etc). Recently I have shot 102 and 84 on consecutive rounds the same course within 6 days of each other. The 102 was a relative bad day, the 84 was a day when most things clicked.

Even with an unofficial h/cap, I hope you gave yourself a massive slash shooting 84? What's that, 12-14 over SSS possibly? 10 shots down from 22 I guess you should be playing off something like 18 / 19 now

 

[wuuki456]

I've seen this happen with my own eyes, a mate playing off 21. After 13 holes he was 2 under. He ended up taking a double on a short par 3 then ended the round 2 over par gross. His driving was perfect all round. After that round he won the next two comps and went down to 10, he's now off 12.

 

[SaintHacker]

The point being that it looks like a bolt from the blue, Will be great if he can carry on in the same vein and get further cuts, but I strongly suspect that next week, he will be back up to his "normal" game albeit with a much lower handicap , which could impact on his ability to compete for a considerable time and therefore impact on his enjoyment of this fine game.

So what happens if you have a flush round in a comp, and you get cut to scratch. but you cant repeat the performance and it takes you 3 years of .1's to get back to a competitive handicap. whats that going to do to your head?

The Golfing Gods Giveth, and the Golfing Gods Taketh Away

Totally agree. People have worldys occasionally, it happens. The poor sod probably won't get another sniff of a win for the next two seasons now so let him enjoy his moment of glory!

 

[patricks148]

53 points great... last stableford at our place was won with 33 points last sunday

 

[Birchy]

Im not having that somebody can go from shooting in the 100s to a low 70s round without any previous indication at all. Im sorry but im just not having that at all.

If that makes my reply disappointing then so be it, rather that than deluded.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Even with an unofficial h/cap, I hope you gave yourself a massive slash shooting 84? What's that, 12-14 over SSS possibly? 10 shots down from 22 I guess you should be playing off something like 18 / 19 now

Probably true. As I said with me it's the inconsistency. But my last 2 rounds have been 85 and 84 (although the 84 was on a very easy course including 3 lost balls, so I treat that with a pinch of salt, but then again I did manage 102 on it.)

I may be at the point where after years of not really improving it is finally happening and I am making what looks like a relatively quick and dramatic improvement.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Im not having that somebody can go from shooting in the 100s to a low 70s round without any previous indication at all. Im sorry but im just not having that at all.

If that makes my reply disappointing then so be it, rather that than deluded.

Thats your problem, guy is known to others on here who can vouch for him and his history, so I think we have to accept that it happened and is just one of those quirky events that sometimes gets thrown up.

Be interesting to see how he plays over the next few weeks though

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Totally agree. People have worldys occasionally, it happens. The poor sod probably won't get another sniff of a win for the next two seasons now so let him enjoy his moment of glory!

I'll say it again. Shooting +4 gross can't be put down entirely to "one of those days". You simply don't get that lucky. +4 gross is the best score I have ever shot on any course anywhere in the world and I can tell you know I have to play very well to do it.

Fair play to the guy but I'm not having all these sob stories about him having to play off of 16 when he can play to +4.

 

[sawtooth]

Thats your problem, guy is known to others on here who can vouch for him and his history, so I think we have to accept that it happened and is just one of those quirky events that sometimes gets thrown up.

Be interesting to see how he plays over the next few weeks though

Exactly right. His record since Feb is posted on here and I can go back a few years if you want, no previous indication other than the odd good round but nothing out of the ordinary. Rarely misses a comp too.

Some will say a cut of 5 is not enough, but we shouldn't confuse personal best scores with handicaps. We have all on our day shot well below handicap but you wouldn't then expect to be playing off what you just shot. Trust me he will find it extremely difficult to play to 16 , perhaps I will stop by in two or three months with an update.

He recently started to line up chips by pre-setting the club at address so the butt of club points to the target. Says it has helped no end with alignment. I might have to give that a go

 

[Birchy]

Exactly right. His record since Feb is posted on here and I can go back a few years if you want, no previous indication other than the odd good round but nothing out of the ordinary. Rarely misses a comp too.

Some will say a cut of 5 is not enough, but we shouldn't confuse personal best scores with handicaps. We have all on our day shot well below handicap but you wouldn't then expect to be playing off what you just shot. Trust me he will find it extremely difficult to play to 16 , perhaps I will stop by in two or three months with an update.

He recently started to line up chips by pre-setting the club at address so the butt of club points to the target. Says it has helped no end with alignment. I might have to give that a go

Im still astounded by this

Ask him what he has been drinking and eating the past week. I will try anything after Saturdays debacle :rofl:

 

[garyinderry]

yesterday was a pretty good day for scoring. the sun was blazing, wind strong by the afternoon but the course was playing a lot shorter in the bone dry conditions.


this guy must have been driving the ball well, chipped and putted like a hero and didn't put a foot wrong. a few birdies must also have smartened up his card. any idea how many he had.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Im not having that somebody can go from shooting in the 100s to a low 70s round without any previous indication at all. Im sorry but im just not having that at all.

If that makes my reply disappointing then so be it, rather that than deluded.

Apologies if I've got this wrong as I don't have an official handicap, but if he's playing off 21 then does that not mean he's shooting somewhere in the low/mid 90s, and not in the 100s? Which makes it a bit more plausible.

I suppose the other way to look at this is if a 20 handicapper shoots a round of over 110 is there such a kerfuffel? As I suppose all they have done there is shoot way off their official handicap, but just the the way. Is the issue the fact that they have not shot to their official handicap, or the fact that people feel that there may be some kind of subterfuge at work here

 

[garyinderry]

I don't think anyone could complain if you got a serious handicap cut for shooting 53 points. id be bloomin ripping to get beat by that score.

 

[sawtooth]

yesterday was a pretty good day for scoring. the sun was blazing, wind strong by the afternoon but the course was playing a lot shorter in the bone dry conditions.


this guy must have been driving the ball well, chipped and putted like a hero and didn't put a foot wrong. a few birdies must also have smartened up his card. any idea how many he had.

12 pars, 1 birdie, 5 bogies - thank heaven no blobs

 

[sawtooth]

Apologies if I've got this wrong as I don't have an official handicap, but if he's playing off 21 then does that not mean he's shooting somewhere in the low/mid 90s, and not in the 100s? Which makes it a bit more plausible.

I suppose the other way to look at this is if a 20 handicapper shoots a round of over 110 is there such a kerfuffel? As I suppose all they have done there is shoot way off their official handicap, but just the the way. Is the issue the fact that they have not shot to their official handicap, or the fact that people feel that there may be some kind of subterfuge at work here

You are right but his record showed shooting 100+ in a recent comp that's all.

 

[garyinderry]

that's a solid round of golf. I watched my mate shoot 27 or28 points front 9 at my old club. 2 birdies in the first 5 holes. it can be done. he couldn't hold it together back 9 which is by far the easier 9.


I can also see haweyes point. before yesterday +4 was my best ever round. I shot it a few times now. been level and under par for front and back 9s but never seemed to put them together. its take some good golf to get this done.

yesterday was +2. new PB. shameless boast !

 

[patricks148]

tthe endof the day, he's shot a very good score and will be cut a fair few shots, after all he could have just joined a club in ireland and entered a national matchplay comp then shot 53 points in the final to win