GM Article - Handicap System Ruining Comps for Low Handicaps

[Arthur Wedge]

'The Handicap System In Golf Has Ruined Club Competitions. It’s The Only Sport That Rewards Mediocrity'

Many scratch golfers and low-handicappers are becoming increasingly incensed with golf’s handicap system. But what is their gripe and is there a solution?

www.golfmonthly.com

Seems a very valid point and it’s a theory and discussion that’s prob been happening in many clubs up and down the land

 

[Orikoru]

I thought this was why they made the changes to WHS that they made in April, hence high handicappers are all getting a shot or two less in comps now?

Edit: I agree with the comment that maximum handicap is too high, but that's nothing to do with WHS, it was brought in before. As we all know.

Edit2 (sorry I should really draft all this before posting really): I do think there should be more gross prizes for board comps at golf clubs rather than just one or two a year that there seems to be. But by the same token, if you have any more than that, in a lot of smaller clubs you'd just have the same one or two people winning them all.

 

[rulefan]

So why is Sam so passionate in arguing this isn’t actually the reality and what was the consensus response to the tweet?
"No one should ever have more than one shot a hole.”

Sam is simply repeating the complaint from low cappers that with Slope, WHS has evened up the balance between low and high handicappers.
Haven't over 50% of golfers got caps over 18. Why would they bother entering comps?

 

[Springveldt]

I thought this was why they made the changes to WHS that they made in April, hence high handicappers are all getting a shot or two less in comps now?

Edit: I agree with the comment that maximum handicap is too high, but that's nothing to do with WHS, it was brought in before. As we all know.

Edit2 (sorry I should really draft all this before posting really): I do think there should be more gross prizes for board comps at golf clubs rather than just one or two a year that there seems to be. But by the same token, if you have any more than that, in a lot of smaller clubs you'd just have the same one or two people winning them all.

Are they?

The changes were just CR - par so totally depends on that. My current course you get 0.4 added, my old course you would get 1.1 added.

 

[nickjdavis]

Quote..."If someone did a detailed analysis of scoring and the average handicap of a winner since the implementation of the WHS, I’d be surprised if it hadn't gone up. I would also expect the average points score to win a competition to have gone up.”

Well I did such an analysis after 2 years of the WHS at my club and can state that yes the average handicap of winners of our comps has gone up....but...scoring has not....

WHS doesn't work

Yup I gotta agree with you, something does not add up at your place I just checked another course here I played last weekend again with HI of 15.6 at a course rated 70.1/127 and had to play off 16 course handicap off tees measuring 6,300 yards and tough enough to be used as a European tour...

forums.golfmonthly.com

I might just update this for 2023 when I find some time. (for some reason, whilst the link takes you to my post from October 2022, the box of text above is nothing to do with my post!!)

 

[D-S]

I thought this was why they made the changes to WHS that they made in April, hence high handicappers are all getting a shot or two less in comps now?

Edit: I agree with the comment that maximum handicap is too high, but that's nothing to do with WHS, it was brought in before. As we all know.

Edit2 (sorry I should really draft all this before posting really): I do think there should be more gross prizes for board comps at golf clubs rather than just one or two a year that there seems to be. But by the same token, if you have any more than that, in a lot of smaller clubs you'd just have the same one or two people winning them all.

The change affects all equally - at some courses everyone gets a shot or two more, at others everyone loses a shot. There is no change in the differential between low and high handicappers.

 

[PaulMdj]

Don’t think (Old) Cat 1 Golfers or Scratch Golfers under WHS have ever stood a chance in the majority of “normal” Club Comps.
And sadly if a Club runs scratch Comps outside of Club Champs very few enter.

Firmly believe every stroke play Comp in summer should have a best Gross prize.

 

[RichA]

Is the article any different to the one they published last year? That one was written by a bitter low handicap golfer who should perhaps have been asking himself why he's entering the same local comps as high handicappers. I'm guessing it's more of the same.

 

[Orikoru]

Are they?

The changes were just CR - par so totally depends on that. My current course you get 0.4 added, my old course you would get 1.1 added.

Well I don't know, everyone's getting a shot or two less at my club, and I receive less shots than before at every other recent club that I've played as well.

 

[PJ87]

Well I don't know, everyone's getting a shot or two less at my club, and I receive less shots than before at every other recent club that I've played as well.

I'm getting more shots

Even with 85% yesterday I managed to get only 2 shots less than my old handicap would have been off the blacks

Where as my new handicap I lost 4 shots

Happy days

 

[Whereditgo]

Well I don't know, everyone's getting a shot or two less at my club, and I receive less shots than before at every other recent club that I've played as well.

Are the CR's at these courses all higher than par?

 

[YandaB]

'The Handicap System In Golf Has Ruined Club Competitions. It’s The Only Sport That Rewards Mediocrity'

Many scratch golfers and low-handicappers are becoming increasingly incensed with golf’s handicap system. But what is their gripe and is there a solution?

www.golfmonthly.com

Seems a very valid point and it’s a theory and discussion that’s prob been happening in many clubs up and down the land

I'm sure that as a low handicapper you might well feel that it's a valid point.

I'm also quite certain that the discussion is happening up and down the land. Fully backed up, and egged on with, anecdotal evidence.

What I'm also certain of, is that no evidence has been provided to back up the theory. However, I have seen evidence to the contrary. I fully accept that there are probably 20% of competitions that low handicappers never have a chance of winning. That simply means that low cappers are even more likely to win the other 80%.

 

[Orikoru]

Are the CR's at these courses all higher than par?

No, the opposite I think. Course rating lower than par - certainly at my home club it is.

 

[GG26]

The last three Saturdays have seen our first qualifiers of the year. All with fields of around 120 players.

Week one, only three scored 36 pts or better (all Div 1). The first two were HIs of around 2 and 4, 38 & 37pts.

Week two, eight scores of 36 or better. Three Div1, two Div2, three Div 3. Top score was 39, which was achieved by the top score in each division (ie three individuals)

Week three, only two scores of 36. One Div1 off of 4 and one Div3 off 22.

So far, with the course playing difficult it is favouring the better players and the scores are not showing any bias towards high handicappers.

 

[rulefan]

The change refers to CH = HI x (Slope/113) + (CR - Par)
If Par is greater than CR the figure in brackets will be a negative value. Which means that CH will be lower than previously.

 

[Springveldt]

Well I don't know, everyone's getting a shot or two less at my club, and I receive less shots than before at every other recent club that I've played as well.

Stop playing courses that have course rating lower than par then. It’s the same for everyone, not only high handicappers.

 

[Neilds]

Our winter society OOM winner also won the end of season competition and was one of the lowest handicap players. Every round was stableford.

 

[Skytot]

Our CR is 71-5 & Par 70 . I get extra 1.5 shots now of the comp whites .

 

[rulefan]

Our CR is 71-5 & Par 70 . I get extra 1.5 shots now of the comp whites .

 

[IanMcC]

Sam sounds like a spoiled brat, who is annoyed that he doesn't win every Scramble that he enters now.