Average handicap on the forum

[Bomber69]

I must be absolute pony then

Like it:thup:

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Well said that man:thup:

I had a good laugh reading some of the posts on here saying that 15-18 handicaps are good golfers:rofl::rofl:

I think you're being a little harsh, although this is a 21 handicapper talking to a 5, so what do I know?

I'd say that someone that plays off 15 ish, is a competent golfer and plays to a decent standard - they can play golf. There is clearly a huge huge difference between a 15 handicapper and someone that isn't a golfer but plays the odd round - there is less of a difference between that person and me though!

I'd say if you play off 10 you're a very good golfer, if you play off 15 you're a good/decent/competent golfer, and if like me you play off 21, you're barely a golfer! Category 1 and you're excellent.

From where I look however, bogey golf week in week out looks like a solid standard!

 

[G1BB0]

I agree with you that I am a Chomper to some and accept that when I play with most of the guys who I peg it up with, but for anyone to say that anywhere in double figures is classed as a good golfer just has to be wrong

Weekend Warrior comes to mind:rofl:

bit of an elitist POV if you ask me. I reckon 10 and under is a good golfer. I am a complete hacker so know my place in the golfing hierarchy

 

[cookelad]

It's a bit like old age isn't it! when you were 15, 30 was old, when you were 30, 50 was old and so on!

I remember playing off about 24 thinking I'd made it, the guys in the low teen handicaps were good golfers and the guys in single figures well they were just about ready for the tour (I was about 13/14 at the time!)

 

[mab]

I was playing off 7.x around three years ago and considered myself a good golfer.
I'm now playing off 12.x and consider myself bobbins.
I was well into cat 1 in my late teens and considered myself a very good golfer then.

However, that's how I see myself. When I play with people who are 10-12 handicap and playing to it, I consider them good golfers regardless of my handicap.

In my opinion:

Cat 1 - excellent
Cat 2 - good
Cat 3 - average
Cat 4 - err... below average

Obviously the lines blur as you approach the extremities of the categories, but I think they work rather well.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

I was playing off 7.x around three years ago and considered myself a good golfer.
I'm now playing off 12.x and consider myself bobbins.
I was well into cat 1 in my late teens and considered myself a very good golfer then.

However, that's how I see myself. When I play with people who are 10-12 handicap and playing to it, I consider them good golfers regardless of my handicap.

In my opinion:

Cat 1 - excellent
Cat 2 - good
Cat 3 - average
Cat 4 - err... below average

Obviously the lines blur as you approach the extremities of the categories, but I think they work rather well.

What population of people is included in determining what "average" is? Limited to those that are golfers? I.e. members of clubs and those that are frequent (20 + rounds per year) players? The whole world? Etc etc.

I doubt that the average handicap of all those that play golf (including casual players) is as low as cat 3. It's a pyramid I would say, the further you go down the bigger the population. However in the context of a population consisting of those people that are sufficenly keen on the sport to frequent the forum of a golf publication, I would say your categorisation could well be fair.

 

[Robobum]

Some may think Bomber is harsh, but he's pretty accurate for me.

Scratch golfers are the mark of a good golfer to me. Everyone else files into line either side of that.

If I play with my pro, I can see a huge difference despite our scores being fairly close to each other.

That doesn't mean that you aren't a very competent 16 hcap player or 10 or 20. Just that good golf has to be the norm and not a passing (short) phase.......IMO

 

[brendy]

Yup scratch for me too, if you need a shot at a hole, then there is still room for improvement.

 

[User 105]

I think that applies to club golfers. i.e. Ones with a proper handicap.

Did I read somewhere that only 10% of ALL golfers can break 100 oo:

 

[mab]

What population of people is included in determining what "average" is? Limited to those that are golfers? I.e. members of clubs and those that are frequent (20 + rounds per year) players? The whole world? Etc etc.

I doubt that the average handicap of all those that play golf (including casual players) is as low as cat 3. It's a pyramid I would say, the further you go down the bigger the population. However in the context of a population consisting of those people that are sufficenly keen on the sport to frequent the forum of a golf publication, I would say your categorisation could well be fair.

I'm not counting those poeple who don't own their own clubs and play an occasional round of pitch & putt.

My thoughts were based on club members or frequent players, i.e. those who can justifiably call golf a hobby they actively play.

You raise a fair point with the pyramid, though... it would be interesting to do a count of male members for a club across the four handicap categories. Probably best to discount women from the analysis as I gather that would bring in the fifth handicap category of 29-36 which would skew the numbers as there would be no blokes in that category.

I would expect to see similar numbers of people in the 13-20 and the 21-28 ranges, but that is pure speculation on my part.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

I'm not counting those poeple who don't own their own clubs and play an occasional round of pitch & putt.

My thoughts were based on club members or frequent players, i.e. those who can justifiably call golf a hobby they actively play.

You raise a fair point with the pyramid, though... it would be interesting to do a count of male members for a club across the four handicap categories. Probably best to discount women from the analysis as I gather that would bring in the fifth handicap category of 29-36 which would skew the numbers as there would be no blokes in that category.

I would expect to see similar numbers of people in the 13-20 and the 21-28 ranges, but that is pure speculation on my part.

I think there are a huge number of people that dabble at playing golf that own their own clubs but do not belong to a club and play once a month or less.

I expect the average handicap is 16, but the average score of all those that play golf on an 18 hole course is more like 100.

 

[arnieboy]

Getting to a single figure handicap is one thing, keeping it is another issue altogether!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I am off 10, not scaring it at the moment but that another topic. I consider myself capable. I look at some of our single figure guys including one with a real agricultural, and consider them decent players. We have an Zimbabwe tour pro off 2 and yet he is different class to 99.9% of the members.

If I get to single figures, which should be anytime soon once the short game kicks in then my estimation of my ability may change. I still won't see myself as much more than capable until I get around the 7 mark

 

[Twin Lakes]

To be honest it's all relative. I know i'm pretty crap. I do however think I can get to 9. Still not great IMO. If Bomber can play off 5 there is hope for all of us.
I'd say the average handicap would be around 16.

Any more than a shot a hole is not a handicap it's a help.:thup:

 

[kev_off_the_tee]

I agree with you that I am a Chomper to some and accept that when I play with most of the guys who I peg it up with, but for anyone to say that anywhere in double figures is classed as a good golfer just has to be wrong

Weekend Warrior comes to mind:rofl:

Weekend warrior I may be, but my opinion of what is a good golfer is as valid as the next guys. To me, a good golfer is someone who is better than me, by lets say 9 shots (1/2 round) or more.

If I ever get my handicap down (I am a weekend warrior after all) then I can re-asses what I class as a good golfer. It may be that people see a good golfer as someone with a handicap of 2/3 of their own or less.

But I strongly disagree with someone being called a bad golfer, we are players who either can't give the time to improve to your standards or who haven't been playing as long as you. I'm a very good pool player, just because I kick your backside every game doesn't mean your a bad pool player, it just means I'm better than you.

 

[SocketRocket]

I believe the national average is around 20. Handicaps are a progressive thing but sometimes it's about reaching a plateau. Breaking 100 then 90 then 80 and so on is a journey, some can get to single figures but if thats not possible for you then you have to make the best of what you have.

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

At what handicap would you class as a good player??

Anything less than I play off.

 

[pokerjoke]

Some may think Bomber is harsh, but he's pretty accurate for me.

Scratch golfers are the mark of a good golfer to me. Everyone else files into line either side of that.

If I play with my pro, I can see a huge difference despite our scores being fairly close to each other.

That doesn't mean that you aren't a very competent 16 hcap player or 10 or 20. Just that good golf has to be the norm and not a passing (short) phase.......IMO

What do you think he does a lot better than you?
I am interested.
Im only guessing,but does his short game do it?

 

[Val]

Interesting thread.

I'm of the opinion a decent golfer is cat 2, a good golfer is cat 1 between 2 and 5, anything below I would term excellent. Anyone playing consistantly over a 12 HC is average at best.

 

[dufferman]

If the national average is around 20 - then surely that is the mark of a good golfer? Certainly the 'cat 4 is below average' is rubbish - if the 20 is the average, then everything under that is above average!?

It's all relative. I might be a weekend warrior - but if I can't spend 4 days a week at the golf club then I'm never going to reach a single figure handicap! And if a single figure handicap is good I may as well throw in the towel now!