Neilds
Assistant Pro
Thought is was about 35 - 40 handicap. Those are the ones most people think are winning everything so they must be good 
At what Handicap would you consider someone to be good
- Thread starter Arthur Wedge
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SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
5-10 as that’s where I sit and have done so for most of the last 40yrs - and over that period when I’m asked my handicap and then told by me the response has been ‘that’s good’. QED
Neilds
Assistant Pro
In our winter society, I lost a par 3 with a par because the other player still got a shot on the SI 18 and I had been cut to 17 shots due to coming 2nd one round. I felt like a proper golfer when I said " I would need a birdie just to get a half"You’re getting good when you no longer need a shot on stroke index 18 imo.
It’s a tough game and one man’s good is another’s average so
12 to 17
clubchamp98
Journeyman Pro
Yes imo it’s when someone realises on the tee they don’t get a shot for the first time on a hole.In our winter society, I lost a par 3 with a par because the other player still got a shot on the SI 18 and I had been cut to 17 shots due to coming 2nd one round. I felt like a proper golfer when I said " I would need a birdie just to get a half"
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
I've been single figures for nearly 30 years and , honestly, I don't feel good at this game.....I'm OK, decent, respectable.....but I don't feel good unless I'm shooting 75 or less..
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
Exactly how I feel.
My point was simply that many others over the years have thought I'm good - that seems to be the wider perception of those who either don't really play or have a (not necessarily significantly) higher handicap of in the teens or above. So as most of us know - good is relative.
I watched our head pro go out on a playing lesson yesterday with a mid-teens yrs lass off +2 (her tee shot on the first went way past where most members reach). Now I'd say +2 is good.
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Now, I'd say that was very good, maybe even excellent
louise_a
Money List Winner
Even when I go down to my lowest 7.8, I never really considered my elf good, I still hit too many poor shots and my putting was never great, so I go for 0-5
Lucifer MorningStar
Well-known member
Others always see us better than we see ourselves.. Recently had to interview for a new role to move into and the interviewing officer asked if I played golf and then asked what my handicap is, after answering his questions I got the response of "bloody hell your good". My response I'm definitely not you haven't seen how bad my driving is!
I would say +2 isn't good it's exceptional, if you're giving shots back to the course you've achieved a level better than good. But like I've said before it's subjective I don't see myself as particularly good, but I do think anyone in the 10-15 bracket has achieved a good standard of golf as they're usually consistent and have achieved a level where they play holes without shots. The next level down will always be good as it improves where we are.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
Yup - all relative. Wonder what she'd think of herself relative to Lottie who's last HI was +7.3
Lucifer MorningStar
Well-known member
At that level she should be seeing herself as elite. Whether she outwardly tells others that is personal preference but inwardly she should absolutely be seeing herself as elite and better than everyone to hit that next level.Yup - all relative. Wonder what she'd think of herself relative to Lottie who's last HI was +7.3
I'm reading Bob Rotellas "15th Club" and chapter one talks exactly about this mindset of Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam how their mindset was elite and in themselves they thought they were better than everyone which is what helped them be so good underpressure.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
In the video that England Golf have released about Lottie’s development in golf from age 7…they highlight the crucial moment being the level par round Lottie shot round Blackmoor (which many on here know well) when 13 - think her handicap at the time was 9. She’ll tell you that it was at that point she realised to herself that she could actually be good at golf and that it was worth pursuing rather than football. And yes…as it was then, and is for Lottie from that point, to be elite it’s pretty much all in the mind - that’s the differentiator that seems to separate the great from the good.
Anyway…let’s see if she can be great on Thursday in California as her LPGA Tour Thursday record to date has been her weak point - usually good…but not good enough.
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LincolnShep
Head Pro
As a 14-handicapper, I'm shocked that (currently) 20% of respondents would consider me a good golfer! None of those people have played with me. 
JonnyGutteridge
Newbie
I genuinely play with some 10-12 handicaps who are very good at golf, no obvious weakness, consistent, perhaps slightly older or physically limited, but their games are solid all round.
I also play with some low single figure golfers who I don’t consider to be that good, their talented/athletic but they don’t manage their games and they’re wasteful with scoring.
The old congu +1’s or better are the genuine classy golfers
I also play with some low single figure golfers who I don’t consider to be that good, their talented/athletic but they don’t manage their games and they’re wasteful with scoring.
The old congu +1’s or better are the genuine classy golfers
timd77
Assistant Pro
I’ve gone for 5-10 but my opinion is single figures. To me that means you generally hit the ball where you want it to go, more often than not.
As others have mentioned though, there are other factors. For instance, being able to par a hole shows you’re decent, but then if you can par most holes the that’s a step above.
My aim is single figures as an index, even if I just scrape below 10! 5 to go…
As others have mentioned though, there are other factors. For instance, being able to par a hole shows you’re decent, but then if you can par most holes the that’s a step above.
My aim is single figures as an index, even if I just scrape below 10! 5 to go…
Lucifer MorningStar
Well-known member
Come play a round with me and my driving can disprove this theory for you
Short game is where it’s at for the lower handicap as that’s where scores are saved and made on bad days and that’s the main difference across the mid to low handicap areas. Then when you add in a good driving day the real low scores come and keep the handicap low.
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Swinglowandslow
Well-known member
All is relative . Surely, you have to be good at driving. If you are frequently in trouble off the tee, then no amount of short game skill will save the day.Come play a round with me and my driving can disprove this theory for you
Short game is where it’s at for the lower handicap as that’s where scores are saved and made on bad days and that’s the behest difference across the mid to low handicap areas. Then when you add in a good driving day the real low scores come and keep the handicap low.
Of course it will , if some drives don’t go as well as planned, and the next shot can be half decent, but those drives deep into bushes etc… they’re the killers.
And they are no strangers to us high handicappers
Some years ago, I played with a chap in his 70s who was off 7 then. He had been better.
He remarked one day that he wasn’t good at chipping . I said I was surprised considering his handicap.
He replied, “ well, I never did it much- didn’t have to”
If you’re in single figures….you’re good
Doon frae Troon
Ryder Cup Winner
I have always considered a single figure golfer as a good player., but I started playing [1960's] when very few golfers played to scratch [perhaps less than 3-400 in the UK]
This probably relates to 3 handicap now.
This probably relates to 3 handicap now.
Lucifer MorningStar
Well-known member
I can genuinely disprove this theory with my game. One of the things I've been working on for months and even had the fitting last week to get the right club to work with to make the required improvements. Weirdly when I was younger i was incredibly accurate, now I couldn't even tell you which direction a driver was going. Seve was terrible off the tee yet was a phenomenal player and won so much, Luke Donald was both short and not accurate but got to world number one with a great iron and wedge game.All is relative . Surely, you have to be good at driving. If you are frequently in trouble off the tee, then no amount of short game skill will save the day.
Of course it will , if some drives don’t go as well as planned, and the next shot can be half decent, but those drives deep into bushes etc… they’re the killers.
And they are no strangers to us high handicappers
Some years ago, I played with a chap in his 70s who was off 7 then. He had been better.
He remarked one day that he wasn’t good at chipping . I said I was surprised considering his handicap.
He replied, “ well, I never did it much- didn’t have to”
If you’re in single figures….you’re good
My accuracy last year was probably barely scraping in the low 30% region but strong iron game and wedge game always had me scoring mid to low 70s, I even had a 68 last year and managed to hit 1 fairway that round and have a few chip out sideways. It got so bad at one point I resorted to 4-6 irons only from the tee for a number of rounds, don't get me wrong its bloody hard work and hopefully this year with few swing changes and actual fitted driver I might find a fairway or 2 and shoot even better scores.
Flip side of that my Dad was an incredibly accurate driver of the ball all his life, but would crumble and struggle with short pitches and chips to the point he'd started playing to make sure he always had over 120yards left to play as he would just Yip, shank or chunk it. He played to a 9 Handicap toward the end but if he had a short game with his long game he'd easily have been below a 5 handicap.
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
In my near 30 years of single figures I can say I've been a decent driver of the ball for less than 7 of them...
When I first got there I was erratic to say the least
1997 arrived...as did the Great Big Bertha and I became a driving God for 4 years until an enforced break.
The next time I consider myself to be a decent driver is the last 2 or 3 years when I finally worked it out.
I was so poor with the driver that I didn't even have one for 5 years...won plenty of comps with a Cleveland Launcher 4 wood as my longest club..
When I first got there I was erratic to say the least
1997 arrived...as did the Great Big Bertha and I became a driving God for 4 years until an enforced break.
The next time I consider myself to be a decent driver is the last 2 or 3 years when I finally worked it out.
I was so poor with the driver that I didn't even have one for 5 years...won plenty of comps with a Cleveland Launcher 4 wood as my longest club..
