Bring back the old 3/4 difference in handicaps!

[chimpo1]

Played our winter league match this morning and had to give 11 shots away to my opponent who played well and gave my partner and I a bit of a thumping. I am finding that this year is incredibly difficult due to the shots being awarded and is affecting the competitiveness of the match. Next week I am giving 14 shots to each opponent! That's a 3 shot difference from the usual 3/4. Anyone feeling the same way?

 

[ruff-driver]

Seems your beaten before you've started, best get yourself back to cat 2 to be competitive

 

[chimpo1]

Fudge that! I know it's all bout the scratch comps for me in the summer but it would be nice to be competitive during the winter.

 

[Break90]

Played our winter league match this morning and had to give 11 shots away to my opponent who played well and gave my partner and I a bit of a thumping. I am finding that this year is incredibly difficult due to the shots being awarded and is affecting my ability to win every match i play in. Next week I am giving 14 shots to each opponent! That's a 3 shot difference from the usual 3/4. Anyone feeling the same way?

Fixed that for you.

 

[Crow]

We still use 3/4 for Winter League 4BBB matchplay, the theory being that the course is usually playing a lot shorter with tees up and often temp greens further shortening the course, thus eliminating one of the potential advantages of the lower handicap players in their generally greater distance.

 

[rosecott]

We still use 3/4 for Winter League 4BBB matchplay, the theory being that the course is usually playing a lot shorter with tees up and often temp greens further shortening the course, thus eliminating one of the potential advantages of the lower handicap players in their generally greater distance.

Surely CONGU says that 90% must be used.

 

[Crow]

Surely CONGU says that 90% must be used.

As I said, the winter course is much shorter than the measured course.

I can immediately think of at least nine holes where the winter tees are normally a minimum of 10 yards ahead of the yellow tees and the whole course definitely plays well over 100 yards shorter than the measured yellow tee yardage.

This is Winter League, no handicap changes, no serious golf, it's a bit of fun and something to keep the interest going through the dark months, and the lower guys still usually win.

 

[chimpo1]

Fixed that for you.

Good game, well played. 👍🏻

 

[Face breaker]

Seems to be an issue that's on the rise, lots of deep rumblings at our course concerning the (so called) higher handicappers running amock in the comps and running off with all the loot at the end, the h/c gaps have got so wide at ours that the higher h/c's don't even need to try for a win and still manage to walk away with the winnings.

Apparently there used to be a 'grouping system' in operation? I can only presume it worked as a 'group a, b, c, d system' instead of the latter day h/c system, sounds like a plan to me !:thup:

 

[Bigfoot]

Having played on shorter course last week and found the ball easier to stop and off relatively forward tees, I am sure that 3/4 diff is better in winter. I have not played 4BBB this winter so have not experienced either side of the argument but it just seems more sensible.

 

[User62651]

Difficult to know if winter conditions are handled better in general than lower or higher handicap players, the difference in length might suggest an advantage to the higher capper but unless its a significant loss of length shouldn't really be an issue imo. Full difference still lets the lower player win 55% of the time.
Instead question might be, rather than 3/4 or full diff on winter course layout, are there perhaps bandits lurking about taking advantage?

 

[fenwayrich]

Our 4BBB Bird and Bottle competitions on Thursday and yesterday were both won with 51 points (winners handicaps 13 and 27 / 15 and 20). Tough to beat for single figure lads. Still, only a bit of fun to while away the winter hours.

 

[rosecott]

As I said, the winter course is much shorter than the measured course.

I can immediately think of at least nine holes where the winter tees are normally a minimum of 10 yards ahead of the yellow tees and the whole course definitely plays well over 100 yards shorter than the measured yellow tee yardage.

This is Winter League, no handicap changes, no serious golf, it's a bit of fun and something to keep the interest going through the dark months, and the lower guys still usually win.

Irrespective of the course changes, as an affiliated club you are bound by CONGU rules. If, as a club, you arrange 4BBB competitions then the 90% difference must be used. There are no handicap changes resulting from 4BBB scores at any time, so the time of the year and the state of the course are irrelevant.

 

[Old Skier]

Irrespective of the course changes, as an affiliated club you are bound by CONGU rules. If, as a club, you arrange 4BBB competitions then the 90% difference must be used. There are no handicap changes resulting from 4BBB scores at any time, so the time of the year and the state of the course are irrelevant.

Now now, let's not expect clubs to follow the rules. There full of bounders and bandits that need sorting.

 

[UlyssesSky]

and the lower guys still usually win.

Which shows you're doing it wrong...

Handicaps are supposed to give everyone the same chances of winning, if the lower guys win most of the time, the higher handicappers don't get enough shots...

 

[Hobbit]

Played 8 winter league matches. Won 4, lost 4. Been over handicap once. To be honest, I don't mind. I feel I've been very competitive in each match, and the other guys have played superbly. Even gave a shot a hole in one match, and with both playing well it went down to the last putt on the last hole.

Equally, the conditions, especially on the shorter course have been very good for scoring. Can't see owt wrong with the new system.

 

[patricks148]

its not clubs comps obviously but the guys i play with on a Saturday don't give shots on the short winter course. course is almost 1000 yards shorter that the summer course we have our handicaps off.

 

[guest100718]

nope youre just whining becasue you got beat

 

[stevek1969]

I played today against Drumoig in the North East Fife Winter League 4BBB and its 3/4 handicap , we played the full course of the back tees and it was 6956 yards playing more like 7500 .

 

[UlyssesSky]

its not clubs comps obviously but the guys i play with on a Saturday don't give shots on the short winter course. course is almost 1000 yards shorter that the summer course we have our handicaps off.

I love how almost everyone seems to be thinking a shortened course is mostly beneficial for higher handicappers.

I'm not saying this can't be the case on some courses, but it can just as well be just the other way around...


Just think about bunkers, for example. Bunkers that aren't reachable for shorter hitters in summer now suddenly come into play, while long hitters who in summer have to either lay up or take risks to avoid them can now easily carry them.

Plus, if you examined which of the differences between high handicappers and low handicappers matter the most, length won't be the most important factor.