Are Handicaps fair across all courses?

[0]

Reason I ask is a friend places an inland course about 5900yds long (only on medals, its 5700 of yellows) and he got down to a handicap of 2 so he can play, however, he has played Turnberry and Carnoustie a lot over the years and he hasnt broken 80 EVER! so if they were his home club he would be playing to a respectable 8 or 9 handicap.

 

[Fyldewhite]

I play off 6 currently and the SSS for my course is 70. I played Royal Lytham last week and the SSS is 74 and the CSS is often 75/76/77 in their comps. Therefore I wouldn't have to break 80 very often to maintain a 6 handicap round there whereas I have to shoot mid 70's round our track.

It's not an exact science (and probably never can be) but the SSS/CSS does even things up a bit.

 

[timgolfy]

Don't forget the physical state of the courses too. Just been speaking some pros about my course and they reckon the state of the fairways means chipping and pitching is very tough compared to other courses where you'd always expect a decent lie. Same for putting - some greens really are awful.

 

[19thagain]

I find SSS/CSS easy to understand but difficult to accept!
Par 71, SSS 69. Why? Some par fours are shortish, is the answer.
Well they may be to Tim here, but to the average golfer who hits the ball 250 yards off the tee, it is still a 50 yard shot into the flag and, if lucky, a two putt! But that is a par! Yep!
But if you go down the SSS rules it is one over because
a)you should have driven the green
b)be good enough to pitch to three feet from 50 yards out
c)because it is a short hole sink that 15 foot putt you left.

a) b) and c) to an average golfer MAY happen on a good day BUT the SSS is there EVERY blooming day!!

So SSS favours the low handicap players, in my opinion.

Handicaps, however, can never be 'fair' because as Tim said - golf courses are all different re condition and the weather changes some courses dramatically... Carnoustie for example .. by many strokes. Can anyone remember Tiger at Muirfield in the wind .. enough said!!

 

[oakey22]

I goto a small 9 hole course and i am always in the 80's around there, however if i goto my course i am in the 100 or mid 90's region.

That is around 10 shots different.

 

[Twire]

I find SSS/CSS easy to understand but difficult to accept!
Par 71, SSS 69. Why? Some par fours are shortish, is the answer.
Well they may be to Tim here, but to the average golfer who hits the ball 250 yards off the tee, it is still a 50 yard shot into the flag and, if lucky, a two putt! But that is a par! Yep!
But if you go down the SSS rules it is one over because
a)you should have driven the green
b)be good enough to pitch to three feet from 50 yards out
c)because it is a short hole sink that 15 foot putt you left.

a) b) and c) to an average golfer MAY happen on a good day BUT the SSS is there EVERY blooming day!!

So SSS favours the low handicap players, in my opinion.

Handicaps, however, can never be 'fair' because as Tim said - golf courses are all different re condition and the weather changes some courses dramatically... Carnoustie for example .. by many strokes. Can anyone remember Tiger at Muirfield in the wind .. enough said!!

But the SSS is not based on what the average golfer could go around in, it's based on what a scratch golfer should go around in. It's all in the name standard SCRATCH score.

 

[19thagain]

But the SSS is not based on what the average golfer could go around in, it's based on what a scratch golfer should go around in. It's all in the name standard SCRATCH score.

Now I understand .. PAR .. Pretty Average Result

SSS ... Standard SCRATCH Score

One for them and one for me!

Happy now! Thanks.

 

[john0]

I goto a small 9 hole course and i am always in the 80's around there, however if i goto my course i am in the 100 or mid 90's region.

That is around 10 shots different.

Isnt the difference due to the fact that the first course only has 9 holes though?

 

[oakey22]

yeh, but it has an SI on each hole and doing it twice gives me the 18 holes

 

[Oddsocks]

I goto a small 9 hole course and i am always in the 80's around there, however if i goto my course i am in the 100 or mid 90's region.

That is around 10 shots different.

Isnt the difference due to the fact that the first course only has 9 holes though?

Was thinkinking exactly them same, if 9 holes were all par 4's, thats still par 36, 54 over is nothing to be proud of

* note was being sarcastic have already read that you play it twice *

 

[JezzE]

I goto a small 9 hole course and i am always in the 80's around there, however if i goto my course i am in the 100 or mid 90's region.

That is around 10 shots different.

Just out of interest, what are the par and Standard Scratch Scores of the two courses you refer to?

 

[upsidedown]

Having played in UK and here have to say think the slope system is better

http://www.pgaprofessional.com/handicap.html