Are you embarrassed by your handicap?

[JustOne]

@ Billysboots

I think you took what I said a little out of context. My point being that someone who dodges competitions to keep thier h/cap high is at fault, so he should play as many as he can. That was all. As you were.......

 

[rosecott]

In our Saturday roll up we have a fella who shoots 40+ points virtually every week, regardless of weather conditions, course set up etc. The only person who doesn't find this level of performance embarrassing is the player concerned, who thinks nothing of taking his share of the cash week in, week out. We have had regular players move on because of it.

Surely the player to move on is the guy you're talking about. Get rid of him until he plays in qualifiers and reaches the correct handicap level and invite back those who have moved on.

 

[Billysboots]

No, it leaves and breathes as Clause 23 to be used by the handicap committee.

Then I must confess to being confused! Surely Clause 23 allows a committee to make handicap reductions outside of the annual review if there are "exceptional circumstances" which suggest a player's handicap does not reflect his playing ability. It's as good as the old Clause 19 general play allowance in everything but name. And I would argue someone regularly shooting up to 10 shots under their handicap outside of qualifiers would constitute exceptional.

To others who offer solutions to our gathering's issue with one player, the main stumbling point is that not everyone in our group sees this as a problem. Perhaps not surprisingly, those who do not feel this player should submit cards would themselves be reluctant to hand cards in if they played exceptionally well on more than just one or two occasions.

I know our handicap secretary in the past has said that he will not look at general play cards unless the score returned is a nett 65 or better (against a par of 72 and a SSS off the daily tees of 70), but perhaps he does not make that public knowledge as much as he should. I for one would submit a card for that sort of score, but would only expect him to look at cutting me if I did it more than once, and those additional cards were considered alongside my performances in qualifiers.

But I really do think that players should take far more responsibility for their handicaps than merely trotting out the misconception that general play revisions went out with the old Clause 19, because my understanding is that is simply not right. There has been a tightening of the rules surrounding general play, but the facility is still there to make such reductions.

 

[IanLeeds]

I am very embarrassed about my handicap.. Some say I strike the ball fantastic and called bandit many times... Hoping in summer to be cut a lot of shots.. handicap 28

 

[Evesdad]

Surely this bloke has to hand in the minimum of cards to keep his handicap active? Or does he play badly for three rounds keeping his hcp where it was or higher for another year?

 

[rosecott]

Then I must confess to being confused! Surely Clause 23 allows a committee to make handicap reductions outside of the annual review if there are "exceptional circumstances" which suggest a player's handicap does not reflect his playing ability.

A direct quote from the handicapping section of the EGU website:

The EGU have also announced that scores returned in Mixed Foursomes, Society and Corporate events and social golf must not be used in the adjustment of a CONGU handicap.

 

[Hobbit]

I play about 80% of club qualifiers, about 2 a month, so I guess my handicap is a true reflection of my ability. Wish it was lower but that isn't going to happen unless I play/practice every week - playing 2 or 3 times a month won't do it.

 

[DelB]

I play about 80% of club qualifiers, about 2 a month, so I guess my handicap is a true reflection of my ability.

I played 15 or 16 Medal rounds last season and so I guess that my handicap must also be a true reflection of where I am too, but I just know I can do so much better and when people see me hit a ball, they shake their heads when I announce that I'm off 21!!

As an example, I played a round last year with Grumps at Pitreavie and started with an 8 after hitting my first drive OB. Despite that 8, my front nine total was still only 40 strokes and I scored 44 on the back nine for 84, nett 62, at the time!!!

Gotta find that sort of consistency consistently!!!!

 

[JustOne]

I'm not embarrassed about my h/cap - ashamed is more appropriate. My h/cap is a reflection on my own performance and I feel it should be better. I can justify my h/cap by the lack of practice/play so I'm not embarrassed by it. If I happen to play well it's not something that will repeat itself too often.

Still.... sink a couple more putts per round and I'm low enough to turn pro

 

[Bratty]

I used to be made to feel embarrassed about my handicap when I was off 17, but now I'm 13, apparently, it's not so much of an issue.

I'm learning to play medals better, so my handicap is reducing, but when I was doing badly in medals and stablefords, I'd be doing well at forum meets and men's matches, hence the guilt trip!

Although depending who's company I'm in, I can still get embarrassed by birdie, birdie, par, par starts!

 

[Billysboots]

A direct quote from the handicapping section of the EGU website:

The EGU have also announced that scores returned in Mixed Foursomes, Society and Corporate events and social golf must not be used in the adjustment of a CONGU handicap.

I can't get on to the EGU site to see how recent that advice is, or the context in which it was given.

In fairness, I did say in the post you have cut and pasted from that I would not expect to see a general play revision based on a card from general play alone - I would hope that any such submissions are considered alongside performances in qualifiers. Indeed, that has always been my understanding of Clause 23.

I am quite sure our club is not alone in having a SSS/CSS which is in desperate need of a re-think by County. It was allocated when the course first opened some 20 years ago, since which time there have been any number of changes. In the event that a member is rapidly improving it is very, very difficult to get cut to an appropriate level based on qualifiers alone. If that member also plays regular social golf then, providing putts are not being given, I see absolutely no reason why those cards cannot be submitted for consideration alongside wider evidence of playing ability.

If clubs are applying the above advice in its strictest sense and showing absolutely no flexibility or common sense, then it surely comes as no surprise when alleged banditry is still rife.

 

[Trappylad]

Well said sir

 

[Airlie_Andy]

My score can vary by upto 15 shots from week to week so anyone who called me a bandit after seeing me play once would be getting told to STFU. Nobody should be embaressed by their handicap (well apart from those "cheating" the system) because it's designed to produce a level playing field. Not everyone has the same amount of time or inclination to practice and some people will just be more talented. As long as you follow the rules and spirit of the system just accept your handicap and enjoy your golf.

 

[Billysboots]

As long as you follow the rules and spirit of the system just accept your handicap

It's too often the spirit that's missing, Andy, as intransigent committees, with too little appreciation of the impact of their decisions, stick rigidly to rule books.

Many clubs, like ours, do not have regular qualifiers - during the summer it's possibly two a month. We have limited tee times for those events, so quite often players miss out. If those players happen to be improving rapidly then their handicap simply will not keep pace, no matter how many cards they put in.

If I was such a player, then I would be submitting cards and positively pleading that I was cut to an handicap which reflected my ability. If I was met with the "rules are rules" approach which seems to prevail in so many clubs then I would be suggesting, respectfully of course, that the committee exhibit some common sense.

If a player submits general play cards then quite clearly he wants to be cut. If he can't handle that cut then he has to live with it. And if a committee is frightened that they are going to be hauled over the coals for bending CONGU rules perhaps they do not have the backbone to be committee members to begin with.

 

[rosecott]

If I was such a player, then I would be submitting cards and positively pleading that I was cut to an handicap which reflected my ability.

There is a very simple solution.

Decide, in advance, that you wish to submit a Supplementary Score round.
Enter your intention to submit a Supplementary Score round, before play commences, in the book (or other means) which your club is obliged to make available.
Play the round, submit the card, and, hey presto, you have played a qualifier.
Play as many Supplementary Scores rounds as you wish.

Simples.

 

[TriggerTech]

YES!

 

[Mr_T]

I don't have a handicap so obviously can't comment on being embarrassed about that but I get really embarrass playing infront of people, I was at a demo day in November and the pro invited me up to be the first to hit on the flight scope or whatever it is, there were only about 10-15 people watching/waiting their turn but I was still nervous and hate as only on a range! Don't know why, but just feel self conscious and when I duffer my second shot I went bright red!

 

[rosecott]

Don't know why, but just feel self conscious and when I duffer my second shot I went bright red!

Ask around the forum - we've all been there and turned bright red. Be happy that it's happened at age 15, it gets worse the older you are when it first happens. You've got plenty of time to recover.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I don't have a handicap so obviously can't comment on being embarrassed about that but I get really embarrass playing infront of people, I was at a demo day in November and the pro invited me up to be the first to hit on the flight scope or whatever it is, there were only about 10-15 people watching/waiting their turn but I was still nervous and hate as only on a range! Don't know why, but just feel self conscious and when I duffer my second shot I went bright red!

Ask around the forum - we've all been there and turned bright red. Be happy that it's happened at age 15, it gets worse the older you are when it first happens. You've got plenty of time to recover.

Nothing worse than teeing off in a forum meet with a load of the forummers watching. Makes the first shot in the club champs or members watching a doddle. No quarter given and a bad shot tends to get noticed. Even worse if you go to GM run event and you've the likes of Tom snapping away doing the pics, and the likes of Mike and Jezz watching plus the other GM readers or forum members still to go off. That as Fergie would say is squeaky bum time

 

[DelB]

Not embarrassed after this mornings round - 91, nett 70, albeit with three lost balls, so my handicap is what it is and will no doubt come down as the season progresses.