Can someone explain my handicap change please?

[janmolby]

I entered my first competition yesterday & played well, well for me anyway. Could someone explain why my handicap only went from 24.3 to 24.4, I thought it might have gone up by more as I'm a 24 handicap & got 28 points, par at the course is 72 & the CSS yesterday was 72.

Sorry if this kind of question has been asked a million times before.

 

[Andy]

Handicap only increments up by .1 m8.

Andy

 

[jammydodger]

Doesnt matter how many shots you miss the buffer by you can only go up a max of 0.1 per round.

As you are a cat 4 golfer though your h/c would come down 0.4 per stroke under css if you had a good round

 

[janmolby]

Ah, I knew there was something about category 4 handicappers & their handicaps changing by .4 but didn't know that only applied to it going down, not up. One more thing, what do you mean by the buffer?

 

[jammydodger]

A buffer zone exists above the CSS where your handicap doesnt go up.

For example as a cat 4 golfer and the css was 72 you have a 4 shot buffer zone. This enables you to be 4 shots higher than the CSS before you get your 0.1 back , ie css 72 buffer zone 72 up to 76 nett (anything 77 nett and over will get 0.1 back)

cat 3 has 3 shot buffer , cat 2 has 2 shot buffer etc etc

 

[level5s]

interesting, i had always thought the buffer zone was plus 2 across the board.
you learn something new on most visits to this forum

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I thought it was a universal buffer across the field too

 

[birdieman]

jammyd is correct, I only get a 1 shot buffer as a cat 1 player, it's hardly a buffer at all is it!

Needed a 5 shot buffer today!

 

[John_Findlay]

Yeah. Buffer zones are different for the different categories of golfers.

This from the CONGU website;-

Buffer Zone

A score is within a player’s Buffer Zone when a Nett Differential is within the following bands for his Handicap Category:

Category 1 0 to +1
Category 2 0 to +2
Category 3 0 to +3
Category 4 0 to +4
[Category 5 0 to +5]

When a player’s score is within his Buffer Zone his Exact Handicap remains unchanged.


ANYTHING to do with handicaps can usually be gleaned from the CONGU rules listed at http://www.congu.com/home.asp

 

[viscount17]

I think this is right but stand to be corrected,

buffer zones are applied to the CSS not the SSS?

 

[jammydodger]

I think this is right but stand to be corrected,

buffer zones are applied to the CSS not the SSS?

Yes CSS

 

[CliveW]

All your answers are here.
http://www.mygolfexperience.com/golf/uk/golf-handicap.asp