False handicap

[Darlophil]

Last week I handed my 3 cards in to regain my official handicap.

The three cards I handed in were as follows: 85, 87 and 88 (par 70, SSS 68)

And the handicap I've been given? 15.2

I'm happy that i've improved so much over the years while not playing much (last official handicap was 24 about 4-5 years ago), but 15 over is the best score i've had this year. I basically haven't got a cat in hells chance in comps unless I play 4 shots better than my handicap which with 15.2 ain't going to happen for quite some time.

What appears to have been done to calculate my handicap is that my best score has been taken and then the 87 and 88 have added two 0.1's on top.

Is this right and has it happened to anyone else?

Darlophil

 

[louise_a]

15 seems right to me.

 

[Imurg]

Were there any triple bogeys in your scores..?
If so they will have been adjusted to doubles..

85 minus 68 leaves you off 17 - handicap worked off best card.
If you had 2 triples they would have been made doubles and there's your 15.

Should be a full number for a first handicap though I thought....

It's a good incentive to play well!!

 

[Spark.]

Handicap is best of your ability, not an average.

 

[rosecott]

Last week I handed my 3 cards in to regain my official handicap.

The three cards I handed in were as follows: 85, 87 and 88 (par 70, SSS 68)

And the handicap I've been given? 15.2

I'm happy that i've improved so much over the years while not playing much (last official handicap was 24 about 4-5 years ago), but 15 over is the best score i've had this year. I basically haven't got a cat in hells chance in comps unless I play 4 shots better than my handicap which with 15.2 ain't going to happen for quite some time.

What appears to have been done to calculate my handicap is that my best score has been taken and then the 87 and 88 have added two 0.1's on top.

Is this right and has it happened to anyone else?

Darlophil

The first thing to say is that you cannot have an initial handicap allocation of 15.2 - it has to be a whole number.

The possibilities for awarding a handicap lower than your best card minus SSS are:

There may have been a downward adjustment of a score(s) higher than double bogey. or
The handicap committee may have other relevant information to suggest a lower handicap.

You did say that you have played a round to 15.

 

[Imurg]

Handicap is best of your ability, not an average.

I'd probably argue that a touch..

If handicap shows your best then I should be off +4
To my mind, a handicap shows what you should score on a good day, not necessarily your best day.

 

[GreiginFife]

Initial handicap should be a round figure as far as I know and would be based on the best of the 3 cards. So 15 would be right, the 0.2 addition seems odd IMO.
Whether you will be able to compete in comps is not really the point as you have shown ability to play to 15 already. Very few people play to HC consistently and have that same chance when entering comps but the point is to play in the comps to let your HC adjust, d you will go up and you will come down. It can take a while for your HC to balance itself up after getting the initial one.

 

[palindromicbob]

Seems right enough to me. I didn't break 100 with my first 3 cards on a course with SSS of 70. First handicap was 21. Just get entering as many comps as you can and let the handicap adjust to your game.

 

[FairwayDodger]

You should be keen to get your handicap as low as possible so be happy and get stuck into beating it.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I'd probably argue that a touch..

If handicap shows your best then I should be off +4
To my mind, a handicap shows what you should score on a good day, not necessarily your best day.

Agree Imurg - and on 36pts. Quick look at our website and yesterday's comp (btw we use Cobra as our on-line live comp scoreboard so don't need HDID). 78 entries, 71 returns - lovely day with a bit of wind. 26 scored in range 30-34, as you'd expect (32 being middle of range of what you score on an OK average day). 15 in 35-37 range. Winning score was 42 pts. OPs predicted winning score of 4 under handicap would have got him 40pts and in yesterdays comp at our place that was tied for 3rd place (two on 42pts). So handicap sounds pretty much bang on. To win a comp with a large field you have to play your best game plus a little, and have a bit of luck.

 

[Foxholer]

To my mind, a handicap shows what you should score on a good day, not necessarily your best day.

I'd agree with that.

Does seem as if there has been something a little unusual going on. 2 Triples reduced to doubles would explain the 15 rather than 17. And 2 * +0.1 does seem a possibility - but never seen that before. Only real way is to check with the Handicap Secretary.

As for the 'no chance' in comps, if you look at competition results, I'm pretty sure that the ratio of those beating their handicap is about 1:15 or less. And existing members don't exactly appreciate guys with recently allocated handicaps coming straight in and winning comps!

@SilH. You need to consider SSS vs Par. In Your club's case, the 37 points for the SSS being 1 less than Par. In the OP's case it would be 39 points for the 3 shot difference. And that's off the Whites, so maybe more for Yellow tees.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I'd agree with that.

Does seem as if there has been something a little unusual going on. 2 Triples reduced to doubles would explain the 15 rather than 17. And 2 * +0.1 does seem a possibility - but never seen that before. Only real way is to check with the Handicap Secretary.

As for the 'no chance' in comps, if you look at competition results, I'm pretty sure that the ratio of those beating their handicap is about 1:15 or less. And existing members don't exactly appreciate guys with recently allocated handicaps coming straight in and winning comps!

Well yesterday we had 12 out of 78 beating their handicap which is better than your estimate - but conditions yesterday were perfect and the course is playing beautifully - perfect greens always a good thing for holing those tricky 3-4ftrs.

Understanding your handicap relative to your day-to-day score is a bit tricky as foxholder and others will tell you. So OP - if you take 32 pts as your 'I played average OK today with some good and some bad luck' then you will score about 32pts. This is about 4 over your handicap. And for a handicap of 15 I bet the OP would comfortable if asked to knock it round in 19 over par.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

@SilH. You need to consider SSS vs Par. In Your club's case, the 37 points for the SSS being 1 less than Par. In the OP's case it would be 39 points for the 3 shot difference. And that's off the Whites, so maybe more for Yellow tees.

I agree - though our SSS is 72 against par 72 - and CSS for yesterday was 72.

 

[Foxholer]

I agree - though our SSS is 72 against par 72 - and CSS for yesterday was 72.

Different from the info I saw - Surrey Golf Guide rather than the Website (lesson learned). That's seems a slightly unusual spread to me. Is it similar in other comps? And earlier in the year? Maybe 1:10 might have been a more correct ratio too, though that's normally only 1 player more.

 

[rosecott]

. And 2 * +0.1 does seem a possibility - but never seen that before.

As said in my earlier post, initial allocation must be a whole number.

 

[TheClaw]

As said in my earlier post, initial allocation must be a whole number.

Mine wasn't

 

[rosecott]

Mine wasn't

Then your handicap committee/Convener got it wrong.

http://www.scottishgolf.org/files/CONGU_UHS_2012-20153.pdf

See page 28

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Mine wasn't

Then someone did something wrong working it out.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Different from the info I saw - Surrey Golf Guide rather than the Website (lesson learned). That's seems a slightly unusual spread to me. Is it similar in other comps? And earlier in the year? Maybe 1:10 might have been a more correct ratio too, though that's normally only 1 player more.

SSS went up to 72 only a couple of years back after we lengthened a couple of holes and toughened up bunkering across the course.

I don't have the historic data but I get feeling scoring could have been relatively good yesterday as rough has thinned out (a lot) and been well cut back in some areas. Also the weather was perfect and greens immaculate. I note that I played with our Captain and he had his best knock for years (40pts) - he was 4th and I was 5th (something to be said for you playing your better golf if those yiou are wuith are likewise). My knock was my second best for a good few years as well. Third FC had 34pts. So all-in-all a tidy three ball.

 

[big_eck]

i got a handicap of 26 i put in 3 cards, 119 105 100 i think i need a 28 played 1 comp and 1 medal and have had 2 + .1 added on went out yesterday after a lesson and lots of range balls and played well the front 9 and had no energy and couldnt hit a thing on the back 9 was very disspointed!