First h/cap..

[JustOne]

Have been helping my next door neighbour learn golf recently and he's just got his 1st h/cap thru today... 21.

Yesterday he shot an 87 (16 over) so he's already a bandit!!

Anyway, what was your first h/cap? (just wondering if we have many that started off at 28 h/cap?)

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Started off with 24 :thup:

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Started on 24 as a junior

 

[upsidedown]

16 at age of 40

 

[louise_a]

34 for me.

 

[Hobbit]

18.... for one week, then 14

 

[DaveM]

16 for me.

 

[Ian_S]

25. Now down to 16

 

[Odvan]

Got my first ever h/c just 3 months ago. 11.

Its the only time eleven definitely doesn't have legs!

 

[Siren]

28 for me

 

[GreiginFife]

18 when I was 15 years old. Back then our seccy was a miserable old git that refused to give anyone above that regardless of whether it was right... "no man deserves two shots a hole" was his mantra.

 

[Tashyboy]

Started off on 27 last year and down to 23.8 this morning but now ave kind of sorted out me drive hopefully down to 23 tomorrow due to shooting 20 points in a nine holer earlier on today.

 

[ColchesterFC]

Started off 18 and that was 24 years ago. Now 24 years later I'm off 18 and have never been lower than 17 or higher than 19. Guess my natural level at golf is one shot per hole.

 

[Sir Scoop-A-Lot]

My first official handicap started on 28 a year ago. Didn't play any comps until this summer and as yet no cut.

 

[Snelly]

My first handicap was in about 1983 and was 22 I think. Came down quickly to 18 after a medal win and first place in two junior comps then hovered there for a while before dropping rapidly to about 10 when I was about 14. A few more leaps took it to 6 relatively quickly and then to cat 1 when I was 15 or 16.

As an aside, I played with someone today who had been a guest at Wentworth last week where the handicap limit for any adult male visitor is 18. I was surprised at this to be honest. It is 20 at Sunningdale and I think this is fairer.

Overall, and without wishing to derail the thread, I think 24 is ample for juniors and seniors when starting out or in the twilight of their career respectively and if it came to it, I would probably be in favour of a maximum handicap for full male members of 20. A shot a hole and one extra on either 9 seems about ideal.

For girls, a maximum of 36 seems pretty reasonable.

 

[garyinderry]

Started on 18. I wasn't very good and played with the worlds biggest slice. I made it work and managed to shoot 9 over the day after I got a 0.1 to go up to 19.


I really don't see the need for anymore than 18. Every par 3 can be hit in two, par 4 in three strokes and par 5 in four strokes. It isn't that difficult. Its learning how to use the shots. You give people a pile of extra shots and they get out the 3 wood for approaches dreaming of 5 pointers that inevitably end in tears.

 

[Snelly]

I really don't see the need for anymore than 18. Every par 3 can be hit in two, par 4 in three strokes and par 5 in four strokes. It isn't that difficult. Its learning how to use the shots. You give people a pile of extra shots and they get out the 3 wood for approaches dreaming of 5 pointers that inevitably end in tears.

Great post. I have not properly considered it from this perspective before. Agree with you. 18 it is!

 

[Foxholer]

12 for me - aged 47, 13+ years ago.

 

[garyinderry]

Great post. I have not properly considered it from this perspective before. Agree with you. 18 it is!

Pretty sure starting at 18 helped me to improve my course management a lot quicker than I would have had I been given 20 odd. Happy my double shot hole lasted all of one round!

I am not entirely against people having higher than 18 handicaps. Just start there and go up if necessary.

I generally play a cautious game even to this day. I don't take on silly, round bursting shots all that often if it can be avoided. This could be down to not having shots to throw around.

 

[CMAC]

Started at 18, got a couple of top 10 places then practiced. Practiced everyday using trial and error to manufacture shots.

I Had no idea about swing plane, point p2 (or whatever its called), shaft lean blah blah but after 2 mths I could duck hook a 9 iron to order or flop shot a 4 iron.

Got to 5 in the first season culminating in a 3 under scratch 67 to win a big-ish club comp. Reached last 6 in scratch club champ who play 36 holes- nerves killed me and came 6th by miles from the regular low cat 1's.

Discovered pubs, girls and lots more,so golf disappeared for over 12 years, came back at 6, got down to 3 then sidetracked with business and more girls.

hovered around 5 since then with occasional golf


"I could've been a contender, I could've been somebody" name the movie?