Do you want a higher or lower handicap?

[jim8flog]

I want a handicap that reflects my current ability. It is one of the things I like about the WHS - it quickly gets you to that.

 

[jim8flog]

I asked this as I personally want as low as possible, but obvs that’s dependent on talent + time and money to invest in my game and equipment

I had thought ‘everyone’ would want this also. But I was just a bit surprised when I came across a few who don’t think the same..

I am a declining golfer (age and injury) so my aims will obviously be different yours.

 

[2blue]

Lots at my club.

I want to get as low as possible, but it is annoying knowing that you are far less likely to win with that.

Same at our place... also with lots of new players getting starting H/caps the chance of winning anything is rather a dream.... however I have never judged my golf by how much I can win!!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Lots at my club.

I want to get as low as possible, but it is annoying knowing that you are far less likely to win with that.

That is really sad to hear. Perhaps because I am at the higher end, as are most of my pp, the aim is always to become more respectable. The low handicappers I do speak to are all driven to get lower as well, whether to low single figures or to get to scratch. They like winning but the pride of getting lower drives them on.

 

[Junior]

In my head in dont care about my handicap. I just love everything about golf and enjoy playing competitively and socially.

In my heart im mildly obsessed by my handicap and the drive to get it as low as possible.

 

[Orikoru]

I want to get as low as I can. I can't see the point in protecting a higher handicap, it's not like I'm playing for high stakes here. When someone asks what you play off, I feel more pride in telling them a lower number, basically.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

In my experience the vast majority of golfers want to get their handicap down.

I'd like to get to a HI of 5.8 as that would see me with a CH round my own track of 6.4 - my lowest ever handicap being 6 maybe 30 yrs ago.

Having drifted up to 13 in the intervening years that would nicely close that circle. I was hoping to do that this year - but for obvious reasons that did not come to pass. Next year then.

 

[azazel]

As low as possible. All you can influence in the majority of your rounds of golf is how you fare against yourself and the course, and the handicap is the way that's measured. If I never won a comp again but kept reducing my handicap until the day I retire that would do me fine.

 

[Doodle]

I have plateaued in the last few years.
My H/C is 10, I occasionally creep up to 11 & then get another cut back to 10.
The lowest I have been is 9.5.

We have all sorts at our club, the vast majority want to improve & get their H/C down.
The Senior section is by far the worst in terms of bandits.
I have seen all sorts of shenanigans from that lot to maintain a artificially high H/C
It's absolutely pointless me playing in a Senior comp, as due to their H/C's I have to virtually par or birdie everything to get anywhere near them.
Every Senior comp the CSS is lowered because of their scoring to a degree where I have to shoot under my H/C not to go up 0.1.
It's crazy.

 

[The Fader]

My gut feeling is that the split is something like this

60-70% trying to get as low as possible
5-10% manipulating their handicap to enhance their chances of winning. Usually team game and Open "specialists"
20-30% not bothered \ not able to improve even if they wanted to

It's the minority that are a problem and if you can honestly say your Club doesn't have any of that
ilk then you are blessed.

The WHS does seem as if it might manage things better. Fingers crossed!!

 

[Deleted member 25172]

Go as low as I possibly can. It's one of the things with golf really that I "don't care" if I win. Of course I care, but it's out of my hands, so if I play well and win, that's just a bonus. If I play well and don't win, I'm still happy. I'm afraid that once I feel that I've reached my full potential, I will lose interest in golf. I really hope there's some way to go before I get to that point as I love pretty much everything that has to do with golf, but at the end of the day I feel that I'm going in the wrong direction or even just stagnating, I'm not sure it'll stay that way.

 

[Sats]

Go as low as I can.

 

[Garush34]

I'd like to get a low as I can. Single figures is the current goal which will then move lower when I get there.

To me winning is nice but I'm not really bothered by it, winning comes as a result of good play. So if that means as I get lower I also need to ay better then so be it. The new WHS will help with this is think, as you will be looking each time to replace your high score to get lower.

 

[Shooter McPowick]

I want to be lower. Due to WHS I've gone down to 10.1. If this is accurate I should get to single figures (<9.5) next year. The data shows on the IG app that I would have been 9.4 after a couple of 80's this year. If I could just shoot a few rounds a year in the 70's and average low 80's Id be well happy.

Don't care about winning comps, as long as I'm "up there" and playing consistently.

 

[patricks148]

TBH i've no clue what i even have to shoot now to play to my handicap now theere is no CSS/SSS or buffer, as long as i shot 79 gross or less on the old system, i suspect now i have to shoot 76 gross so with that throught higher

 

[Sam_R]

I want to get my handicap as low as I can, I'm not bothered about winning comps - I see it as a personal challenge to be the best I can be and winning a comp is dependent on others having or not having a good day. My target at the moment is to get to 12 next year and eventually to single figures. This is my first year playing regularly so I don't know if that will be the case in 2/5/10 years. I enjoy playing regardless and would be happy to play a round with mates without marking a card.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think every club has those that manipulate their handicap and pick their competitions (often a non-qualifying pairs event with a PP doing the same thing handicap wise - often seen at opens). At the end of the day you can only influence your own score and shoot as low as you can. The older I get, the more I have to accept I may not get back to single figures but it won't stop me trying as hard as I can

 

[HampshireHog]

I love winning comps, it makes the cuts so much more bearable ?. I always hoped I could sneak into single figures, which I finally managed last round, this is probably as far as I can take it, I know I have 8 chances left of getting down to 8 before my good round drops off but realistically if I can get though 2021 with a HI of 9.x I will have had a pretty good year. If I can play competitively off that I will be thrilled.

 

[louise_a]

I always try to play my best, so as low as I am capable of please

 

[Deleted member 23344]

I want a correct handicap.

^^^^^^^^
This! I would like it to be as low as possible, while being an accurate reflection of my standard.