Changes to Highest Male Handicap

[louise_a]

Ladies have had 36 max for years, ( I know it used to be 45 for a while), At my club most of the competitions are won by players under 24, more often than not under 18. I cant see what all the fuss is about with raising the handicap limit, you still have to play to it.

 

[rksquire]

Picture the scene.

3 four balls of 40 handicapers playing in the monthly medal.

But we do already - they're called 28 handicappers or you know, just 'high' handicappers.

 

[walliams8]

Male golfers should not receive more than one shot per hole !!! :thup:

Completley disagree . That is of course unless you want 50% of golfers dropping out because they can't compete .

 

[Hobbit]

I'm all for it, especially for us seniors that struggle to reach most fairways.

 

[palindromicbob]

Raise away and use comp entry limits and category prizes to keep interest up across the groups. Is there anything to stop a club playing a combined stableford and stroke comp?

Why can't someone join a club and start with a handicap of 36 if that's as well as they can play? They can still enjoy the game and work to improve with the goal being to lower it to increase their chances to win a better prize.

One of the biggest thing I've noticed (and was guilty of when I started) with higher handicappers is reluctance to enter comps until they improve. So they get a high initial handicap, play bounce games, work on their game and enter when they feel they've improved. Result. The 28 handicap beginner had spent months improving their game while avoiding qualifying rounds. They now have a much better game and then face the stigma of being branded a bandit because all the work they've done to improve is rewarded with a competition round significantly below handicap but the handicap system then takes time to catch up to them.

It'll take me at least 6 years before I can take advantage of any increase anyway

 

[garyinderry]

If only there was a course where people could learn to play, with less hazards, shorter rough, shorter length and at a reduced rate.

There would be no need for anything as ridiculous as a 40 handicap if people could learn to play the game before being thrust into the murky world of competitive amateur golf.

 

[chellie]

If only there was a course where people could learn to play, with less hazards, shorter rough, shorter length and at a reduced rate.

There would be no need for anything as ridiculous as a 40 handicap if people could learn to play the game before being thrust into the murky world of competitive amateur golf.

It's inconsistency that's stopping me getting lower. Have parred all of the holes at ours just not in the same round and don't get more than a couple usually with a card in my hand. I just can't stop having two horror holes that wreck a card. Would imagine it's the same for all with a high handicap. How many years would you suggest I not play a proper course

 

[steadyeddy]

There are a number of changes being considered as follows:[h=4]CONGU are considering a number of changes to the Unified Handicapping System for implementation in 2016 as follows:[/h]

• 4BBB allowance to change to 90% instead of the current three quarters (75%)
• Along with the existing Exceptional Scoring Reduction, an Exceptional Scoring Increase is to be introduced
• Annual Review dates to change to Oct/Nov/Dec so any adjustments are in place by January
• To accept Supplementary Scores from a player’s away club, currently only scores at a player’s home club are accepted
• 9-Hole Supplementary Scores accepted
  • Remember you have to apply to CONGU to rate 9 holes of your course – forms are available from your National Golf Union
• Maximum handicaps to increase with Men rising to from 28 to 40 and Ladies from 36 to 54
• Rules and Dates for preferred lies to change to allow for variable conditions around the country

These are proposals only and are yet to be approved by CONGU. More details will be released if the proposals are accepted.
By GCMA

 

[garyinderry]

I would suggest anyone who cannot score 36 points off the current maximum handicap be that 28 for men, 36 for women would benefit from playing easier shorter courses like municipals.

It is so much easier to learn and improve at golf playing this type of golf. Par 3 courses are great for tightening short games.

Playing courses that are too long and or hard when you are not ready just put too much strain on weak parts of your game.

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

I can understand the viewpoint, especially in comps where I would be frustrated as a mid-low h'capper by a someone off 28 coming in with the round of their season to win. However, having a blanket max handicap of 18 would put off a lot of people from taking up the game in the first place. The problems of high h'cappers in competitions as far as I can tell is somewhat solved by having restrictions on who can play. These could be modified should the max limit increase.

Without trying to read between the lines, I get the gist that because male players hit it further than ladies, they should only have one shot per hole. That doesn't allow for mistakes made by less experienced players on shorter shots or around the green. Isn't the whole point of having a handicap to level the playing field across the board for players of different abilities/experience, not just on full shots/off the tee? Not to mention that I'm sure there are plenty of lady golfers around (definitely on this forum) that could outdrive me any day of the week.

It's easy enough to say max one shot per hole when you have years of experience of the game, but the thought of that to someone like me who has only just started seems like something I'd need a good 6-12 months more of solid playing experience to achieve. I remember Curls posting a while back saying an 18 h'capper is not much more than a consistent 28 h'capper, and a max limit of 18 wouldn't allow for that transition period to occur without either giving up or going mental.

Clearly you are young enough to not remember when the mens max h/c was 18, bladed clubs and small balls.

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

I'm all for it, especially for us seniors that struggle to reach most fairways.

Yeeeesss Brian, I feel for you, you old boys should get a bit of extra help.

Steve

 

[drdel]

Golf clubs are, in general, finding revenue hard to come by. So, they need new members and to hang onto the ones they have.

In general people are living longer and one of the best sources of income is the older retirees. These older golfers are likely to find their handicaps rising as their distances decline (and courses get longer).

Why not let handicaps rise? who does it hurt except the handicap snobs, the average golfer is not a bandit and, in reality, they are relatively rare but its a good reliable subject for a moan by the low handicappers who occasional get beaten. In any case if and when any of these 40 handicappers start to win their handicap will drop accordingly.

Storm in a tea cup by those members of committees who sit around looking for something to justify their existence - hence the increasing tortuous and lengthy rules that just continue to grow.

And, we wonder why young people find other sports with a lower monetary and psychological barriers to entry more attractive.

 

[rosecott]

There are a number of changes being considered as follows:CONGU are considering a number of changes to the Unified Handicapping System for implementation in 2016 as follows:

• 4BBB allowance to change to 90% instead of the current three quarters (75%)
• Along with the existing Exceptional Scoring Reduction, an Exceptional Scoring Increase is to be introduced
• Annual Review dates to change to Oct/Nov/Dec so any adjustments are in place by January
• To accept Supplementary Scores from a player’s away club, currently only scores at a player’s home club are accepted
• 9-Hole Supplementary Scores accepted
  • Remember you have to apply to CONGU to rate 9 holes of your course – forms are available from your National Golf Union
• Maximum handicaps to increase with Men rising to from 28 to 40 and Ladies from 36 to 54
• Rules and Dates for preferred lies to change to allow for variable conditions around the country

These are proposals only and are yet to be approved by CONGU. More details will be released if the proposals are accepted.
By GCMA

Having attended one of the later EnglandGolf workshops in April, we were quite clearly advised that the proposals had been agreed with only the finer details of some of the proposals to be tweaked.

Kneejerk reactions to the handicap limits are quite understandable but there needs to be a sense of proportion. Players with 28 handicaps will not become 40 handicaps overnight. Handicap committees will still be following the rules for handicap allocation and will not be awarding handicaps of 40 if they are not justified - and they will still have the responsibility to monitor newly allocated handicaps to ensure they were appropriate.

As said in other postings, I know many current 28 handicappers who would still be only barely competitive with a 40 handicap.

 

[Foliage Finder]

These are proposals only and are yet to be approved by CONGU. More details will be released if the proposals are accepted.
By GCMA

Thanks for that link, been searching everywhere for the info! Will give it a proper read over in the morning

 

[Liverbirdie]

Dear God, here we go.

Picture the scene.

3 four balls of 40 handicapers playing in the monthly medal.

If only there was a course where people could learn to play, with less hazards, shorter rough, shorter length and at a reduced rate.

There would be no need for anything as ridiculous as a 40 handicap if people could learn to play the game before being thrust into the murky world of competitive amateur golf.

I would suggest anyone who cannot score 36 points off the current maximum handicap be that 28 for men, 36 for women would benefit from playing easier shorter courses like municipals.

It is so much easier to learn and improve at golf playing this type of golf. Par 3 courses are great for tightening short games.

Playing courses that are too long and or hard when you are not ready just put too much strain on weak parts of your game.

Hereeeeeeeeee's Gary,

Have you noticed, each post is starting to get longer.........

 

[garyinderry]

There is something quite poetic in that :rofl:

 

[palindromicbob]

Golf clubs are, in general, finding revenue hard to come by. So, they need new members and to hang onto the ones they have.

In general people are living longer and one of the best sources of income is the older retirees. These older golfers are likely to find their handicaps rising as their distances decline (and courses get longer).

Why not let handicaps rise? who does it hurt except the handicap snobs, the average golfer is not a bandit and, in reality, they are relatively rare but its a good reliable subject for a moan by the low handicappers who occasional get beaten. In any case if and when any of these 40 handicappers start to win their handicap will drop accordingly.

Storm in a tea cup by those members of committees who sit around looking for something to justify their existence - hence the increasing tortuous and lengthy rules that just continue to grow.

And, we wonder why young people find other sports with a lower monetary and psychological barriers to entry more attractive.

Agree fully with this.

Clubs need to broaden their horizons. Also need to broaden the prize table.

Always annoys me to hear about the competitions being won by handicap golfers shooting the best nett scores, while the lower handicapper coming in with best gross score walks away with nothing.

I like how my club awards prizes for most comps. Usually award 1st - 4th, Gross, sections 0-9, 10-18, 20+ and a seniors and juniors prize.

 

[MadAdey]

This is ridiculous, IMO any man who is not capable of shooting 100 round a course needs to find somewhere easier to play, or should not be playing in monthly medals. People say there is a problem with slow play, can you imagine a 3-ball in the middle of the field where none of them is barely capable of shooting below 120.

Another thing, I would not even bother playing a match play comp against someone who I would be giving 37 shots. It's tough enough when you have to give a shot a hole, let alone 2.

I'm all for encouraging newcomers to the game and far from being a handicap snob. But as it stands 28 is a good starting level to me. It means that you have to able to get the ball round the course in a reasonable manner, with some kind of golfing ability. 40 means that you do not need any real skill and it wouldn't encourage people to improve as you do not need to break the magical 100 mark as a beginner to play to a men's handicap.

 

[rosecott]

Another thing, I would not even bother playing a match play comp against someone who I would be giving 37 shots. It's tough enough when you have to give a shot a hole, let alone 2.

In the vast majority of cases, I would bet on a genuine 3-handicap seeing off a genuine 40-handicap in matchplay.

 

[Fyldewhite]

I think it's actually a good idea with one proviso........new players should be allocated a handicap of no more than 28 as at present but should be able to rise to a higher handicap based on results, perhaps with an accelerated process (0.2 per round?). That way, the integrity of the current system would be protected, those who need 36 shots would quite quickly be catered for (providing they get enjoyment and don't give up!) and all clubs may get a few more much needed members.