Can you really call yourself a low handicapper.....

[Capella]

But there's an ENORMOUS difference between a 12 handicapper, a 6 handicapper, a 2 handicapper and a plus handicapper!

Of course. The lower you get, the more important every single shot becomes. The difference between a 2 handicapper and a 6 handicapper is way higher than that between a 12 handiapper and a 16 handicapper. I would not argue with that. It is more that. let's say single handicappers and below are such a rare breed here, that you don't get to compare them very much.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I think that for most golfers anyone single figures is a low handicapper. How single figure handicappers then choose to delineate, differentiate and describe themselves is I think up to them. To limit the description 'low' to cat 1 players or better is IO simply a bit of ego stroking by such players. Hells teeth - if you are a Cat 1 player everyone knows you are pretty damned good, so no need to 'own' the 'low'.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I got cut 0.6 this year in the dream combo - an open comp on my own course! Good score for me, and CSS +3 thanks to all the visitors.

As noted elsewhere - I got cut 1.0 over the two rounds of our Club Champs last weekend, that's good enough for me to justify my handicap. BTW - Most members of my golf club would consider my handicap (8) as low. I'm not for very low handicappers (Cat 1) claiming 'low' as theirs, thereby 'excluding' single figure players from their 'club'.

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

If you never leave your home club to play opens/scratch events etc?

no agenda here, just intrigued as to people's views on the matter

I would class any Cat 1 golfer as a low h/c, however my definition of a really good golfer is someone who does not require any help from a h/c ie 0 or better.

 

[Hobbit]

I love watching a good low handicapper. Sometimes you don't even realise they are playing well as its done without any fuss. Fairway, green and 2 putts. Occasionally a birdie and occasionally a bogey. Equally, you see the odd Cat 1 player that thrashes and bashes and has a swing that looks like an octopus putting on a sweater in a phone box.

 

[Curls]

Everyone on this forum is fabulously wealthy.


"No I'm not"


Go to a shanty town and have a look about. Nothing gets the heckles up like a subjective post, if it has annoyed you just don't read any more. I can't stress this enough - it REALLY doesn't matter.

 

[jamielaing]

I love watching a good low handicapper. Sometimes you don't even realise they are playing well as its done without any fuss. Fairway, green and 2 putts. Occasionally a birdie and occasionally a bogey. Equally, you see the odd Cat 1 player that thrashes and bashes and has a swing that looks like an octopus putting on a sweater in a phone box.

I play to get myself cut a little further to become the latter of your examples!

 

[Jates12]

Everyone on this forum is fabulously wealthy.


"No I'm not"


Go to a shanty town and have a look about. Nothing gets the heckles up like a subjective post, if it has annoyed you just don't read any more. I can't stress this enough - it REALLY doesn't matter.

Im unsure of the relevance of this post to the thread...The OP asked for opinions, they have been given. I cant see arguing or annoyance really on this thread just opinions.

IMO Id say that below 7 is low. My regular 3 ball is me, 9HC and 5HC, the difference between me and 9 is negligible really, but to the guy at 5 its massive, he is just so steady. I cant remember seeing him get down in more than 3 from the fringe like us choppers do.

 

[garyinderry]

I love watching a good low handicapper. Sometimes you don't even realise they are playing well as its done without any fuss. Fairway, green and 2 putts. Occasionally a birdie and occasionally a bogey. Equally, you see the odd Cat 1 player that thrashes and bashes and has a swing that looks like an octopus putting on a sweater in a phone box.

They do play boring golf. As you say it looks almost pedestrian. Decent long drive. Good iron to green. Putt putt.

Last day I played with a low man off 2 he landed last minute onto the tee. Missed the first green and failed to get up and down from a not to difficult spot. After that it was plain sailing with 3 birds and one more missed green and fail to get up and down for a total of 1 under.

I honestly didn't realise he was going so well till late on.

 

[MendieGK]

For what it's worth, I think anyone with a low teens handicap can be classed as a good golfer. Golf isn't easy

 

[Bunkermagnet]

For what it's worth, I think anyone with a low teens handicap can be classed as a good golfer. Golf isn't easy

Good is a different level. A good golfer for me is someone who gets less than 1 shot every hole

 

[Liverbirdie]

Low is the narrow bridge inbetween Fairway dodger's 2.8 and NWJocko's handicaps.

Word.

 

[Garush34]

I love watching a good low handicapper. Sometimes you don't even realise they are playing well as its done without any fuss. Fairway, green and 2 putts. Occasionally a birdie and occasionally a bogey. Equally, you see the odd Cat 1 player that thrashes and bashes and has a swing that looks like an octopus putting on a sweater in a phone box.

Agree with this. I play regularly with the best player handicap wise at my club, he's off 4. It is a joy to watch him get around the course, and even when it doesn't seem like hes playing well, he's close to par. If i could get his short game for a few rounds I know I'd get my handicap down.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Don't think where you play is relevant. An examination of our club's handicap list shows that 60 players are lower than me and around 500 higher. I think a lot of other players would regard me as a "low handicapper". It's all relevent, isn't it?

 

[hovis]

Don't think where you play is relevant. An examination of our club's handicap list shows that 60 players are lower than me and around 500 higher. I think a lot of other players would regard me as a "low handicapper". It's all relevent, isn't it?

i think where you playing is very important. i play my friend's course and shoot level par quite alot. if i hook a drive then I usually end up on another fairway and still have a shot into the green. on my course (the pga) you hook a drive and your dead. none of the hoels are close enough to each other to collect an errant shot. yet this course only has a sss of +1.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

If you never leave your home club to play opens/scratch events etc?

no agenda here, just intrigued as to people's views on the matter

Don't really understand the distinction you are trying to make. Your club handicap is either low or not.

Some golf layouts will suit some peoples style of golf for scoring purposes for sure, for instance I struggle to shoot my handicap(but still can) on courses that are really tight or have loads of 'draw' shaped doglegs, as I like to hit driver and cant hit a draw to order with my driver. Or whether your handicap 'travels' well is another matter. Not that I consider mine as low, as I am still a hacker in my eyes.

 

[MendieGK]

Don't really understand the distinction you are trying to make. Your club handicap is either low or not.

Some golf layouts will suit some peoples style of golf for scoring purposes for sure, for instance I struggle to shoot my handicap(but still can) on courses that are really tight or have loads of 'draw' shaped doglegs, as I like to hit driver and cant hit a draw to order with my driver. Or whether your handicap 'travels' well is another matter. Not that I consider mine as low, as I am still a hacker in my eyes.

I suppose I'm asking the question around handicaps travelling, and the ability to perform close to it at other courses.

 

[Yant]

How your handicap holds up on other courses away from your 'home' course is an entirely different question to being able to call yourself a low handicapper if you don't play in scratch events.

I think you just haven't asked a clear question, that's all.

The former is a valid discussion, the latter could be considered an antagonistic one.

 

[Face breaker]

Anyone lower than a 21 is a low handicapper in my opinion I play to that handicap for the most as well, sometimes lower although more often than not quite a bit higher, the last thing I need is someone invalidating my handicap as I do a good enough job of it on my own thanks... :thup:

 

[jim8flog]

As to OP.

I played to around 6 for about 20 years with lots of level par rounds of golf and a low of -3. The real test was when I played away, which I used to do a lot, there were some courses where I played to or slightly better than my handicap and there were also quite a few where I got no where near it.

There were quite a few that if I played their more often I certainly would have been better because a lot of the 'dropped ' shots were on the greens, either not adjusting to the difference in pace or not quite reading them accurately.

As the question of what is low, it is a matter of perspective viewed from your own handicap. So to me it is a player around scratch but I have played with quite a few players around the same handicap as myself who have played great games.