95% - why?

balaclava

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We have a WHC and we have a playing HC for each course. Why when I play in a comp (yellow tee / white tee / Stableford / Medal) do I play off 95% of my HC? Why? There has to be a reason? What is the point in having a HC why not call that 95% of number my HC?
 

pendodave

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We have a WHC and we have a playing HC for each course. Why when I play in a comp (yellow tee / white tee / Stableford / Medal) do I play off 95% of my HC? Why? There has to be a reason? What is the point in having a HC why not call that 95% of number my HC?
I found out the same when I booked into a comp last week. I suspect I should have been better read, but it was news to me. It docked me a shot.
So now I have a hcap index, a playing handicap from each of our tee boxes and a special comp playing handicap...
Simples...
 

wjemather

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You have Course Handicaps for each set of tees that is calculated from your Handicap Index. In competitions and matches, you will also have a Playing Handicap in order to maintain fairness in that match/competition.

Course handicaps are equitable for individual match play and small field competitions. After in depth analysis, 95% was found to be equitable for larger field competition, but CONGU decided to adopt it for all competitions regardless of field size.
 

rulefan

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I found out the same when I booked into a comp last week. I suspect I should have been better read, but it was news to me. It docked me a shot.
So now I have a hcap index, a playing handicap from each of our tee boxes and a special comp playing handicap...
Simples...
Not quite. You have a Handicap Index which is the same for whatever course/tees you play. BUT you don't use it when playing.
Then depending on the course/tees you are given a Course Handicap which depends on the difficulty factors of the course/tees.
Then depending on the format of the game there is an allowance (which happens to be 95% for individual stroke play) which is the the handicap you play off for that competition - Playing Handicap
 

wjemather

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What was the reasoning on why 100% was unfair and 95% was fair? Why is 100% fair for matchplay but unfair for other comps? . . . . . madness!!
It was as a result of the aforementioned in-depth analysis of thousands of scores by players of various abilities. CONGU were happy to very marginally favour lower handicap players in smaller fields.
 

fundy

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Tee up ball , hit ball , put ball in the hole - put your score down on scorecard - repeat for 18 holes

The new HC system is a huge complicated mess - let’s the authorities sort that out whilst we just play golf


thats everything thats wrong with it though surely? part of the game is knowing whats going on and how youre scoring compared to your handicap for the majority of club golfers
 
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thats everything thats wrong with it though surely? part of the game is knowing whats going on and how youre scoring compared to your handicap for the majority of club golfers

And you still will surely you put your playing handicap on the card and use that ?‍♂️
 

fundy

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And you still will surely you put your playing handicap on the card and use that ?‍♂️


having talked to my dad the other day, it seems most havent got a clue whats going on

just find it shocking that a system thats supposed to have simplified everything is complicated to the point most dont understand it and cant explain what theyre playing off on any given day
 
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having talked to my dad the other day, it seems most havent got a clue whats going on

just find it shocking that a system thats supposed to have simplified everything is complicated to the point most dont understand it and cant explain what theyre playing off on any given day

Cant disagree that it’s a complete mess - but the powers to be and the rules clones love it ?‍♂️

Thankfully our label printer for the card will tell us what HC is and everything else is using our own system for swindles
 

BiMGuy

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And you still will surely you put your playing handicap on the card and use that ?‍♂️
I really can't see why some find it complicated.

Maybe its just the fact some people don't like change. ?

Personally the only score I really care about is my gross score. As that is what I judge my ability and performance on.
 

D-S

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I find this very useful and share it when asked this question;-
From 2nd November 2020, England and all the other nations under CONGU® transitioned to the World Handicapping System taking us from an incremental system to one which averaged the best 8 of our last 20 scores to calculate handicaps. Amongst other things, we’re having to get used to new terminology. We no longer have a handicap but a Handicap Index which will change depending on the course being played, giving a Course Handicap and a further adjustment may be necessary depending on the format of the event we’re playing in giving us a Playing Handicap and this is where many players are perplexed. They can understand the concept of adjusting a handicap because of the difficulty of the course for a bogey golfer relative to a scratch golfer but why adjust further because of the type of competition, especially when playing in a single strokeplay competition? Answer: to achieve Equity in a competition for the allocation of prizes.
Take a scratch player and look at their typical scoring pattern. A scratch golfer is likely to have a very tight range of scores usually playing close to their handicap. This is why they’re scratch
golfers - they’re consistently returning low scores. Yes, they may have the odd round where they return an outrageously bad score (for them) but these won’t count in the best 8 of 20 calculation and they don’t happen very often.
Selecting a real scratch player at random and scrutinising their record, finds that the best score differential was -1.8 from the Handicap Index.
A bogey player’s scoring patten is much wider than that of a scratch player. They simply don’t have the consistency required to score low regularly and often have ‘blow up’ holes. They can also play ‘out of their skin’ and return scores that they usually only dream of but these are few and far between. It is this irregular scoring patten that keeps them as bogey golfers.
Selecting a real bogey player at random and scrutinising their record, finds that the best score differential was -4.7 from the Handicap Index, nearly three times the scratch golfers best.
Now run a club competition open to all players. Generally, only 2% of the field will be scratch or very low handicapped
golfers and this tips the balance heavily in the favour of a bogey golfer winning the competition if Course Handicap was used. As the field increases, the odds increase that one or more bogey golfer will shoot their best round and the scratch golfer has little or no chance of winning.
Analysis of thousands of actual scores indicates that 95% of Course Handicap for single strokeplay events provides the most balanced chances of winning for all golfers.
The justification for 100% for single matchplay is because the low handicapped golfer is competing against just one high handicapper. The lower handicapped player would typically win slightly more than 50% of the time with the higher handicapped golfer being unbeatable when having one of their dream days. Again, thousands of actuals scores support the analysis.
One parting note. The 95% adjustment was applied when calculating CONGU® handicaps we just didn’t know it.
 

fundy

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I really can't see why some find it complicated.

Maybe its just the fact some people don't like change. ?

Personally the only score I really care about is my gross score. As that is what I judge my ability and performance on.


maybe other people think differently to you and want a friendly game with their mates of differing abilities, you know, the reason there is a handicap system in the first place...... if all youre doing is playing scratch golf of course you dont care about the handicap system lol
 
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