Handicap calculations

[ricardodaintino]

Can anyone help me with the best way of formulating an accurate handicap number.

I currently use the simple method of writing down how many over par I was for each round I play, adding it up and dividing it by the number of rounds?

Does this sound like a fair system or is there a better, more accurate way of doing it?

 

[theeaglehunter]

For a start you should use the SSS instead of par to work out a handicap, but tbh you are best off getting a piece of software that will do it for you such as Scoresaver 2. I am pretty sure scoresaver also follows CONGU rulings and as such should be pretty accurate and fair.

I presume you are not a member of a club as yet?

 

[ricardodaintino]

Yes thats right. My wife and I had a debate about two years ago as to whether we should have a child or get me golf membership somewhere...

... I now have a 2 year old!

Although at the risk of sounding sentimental, he's the best thing ever to happen to me. Doesn't mean I can't be bitter though!

 

[Twire]

As theeagle has said they are based on the standard scratch for that course for that day. If your after a rough handicap your better off getting 3 cards together. You will need your gross score x3 minus the par x3 then divide by 3 this should give you your average. This would be ok for a rough guide. If your looking for a accurate official handicap you will have to do this with a member marking your cards, then these will need to be given to your clubs handicap secratary and he/she will do the rest.

Thats the simple way to get started, when you start playing club competitions, the handicap system is a little more complicated than that. When playing a medal, if you score more than a double bogey, for h'cap purposes it will only count as a double, so in theory you could shoot 5,6,7 etc over h'cap but your might stay the same. Then there's the buffer zone, this is where your h'cap won't change. This is based on what catogory your in...ie cat 4 = 4 shot buffer zone, cat 2 = 2 shot buffer etc........The catogory also defines how many shots you bring your h'cap down after a good round. ie if you shoot 6 under h'cap and your cat 3 you come down 6x0.3 so you come down 1.8 shots ....

Hope this helps a little

 

[billyg]

Nicked from The Times:


http://golfclub.timesonline.co.uk/pages.php/my_handicap.html

take your scorecard and go through it hole by hole. Anything that is more than a double bogey (+2) above par for that hole = reduce to 2 over par. The same for ladies but 3 over.

Examples:

Man - scores 7 on a par 4 - reduce to 6

Woman -scores 7 on a par 4- leave alone

Man - scores - 6 on a par 4 - leave alone

Woman - scores 6 on a par 4 - leave alone


Leave any score that is equal or lower than double bogey as it stands.

examples:-

man -scores 3 on par 4 - leave

woman - scores 3 on a par 4 -leave

Having gone through the whole card making these adjustments, tot it up and perform the following calculation:-



adjusted score - sss for given tee = HC

do this with three 3 cards and hand them in. Lowest card will be your handicap.

I believe this is how it's worked out at club level

bill

 

[Twire]

do this with three 3 cards and hand them in. Lowest card will be your handicap.

I believe this is how it's worked out at club level

bill

The idea of the 3 cards to start with, is to get the average of the 3 for your first handicap. Once you have a handicap then its based on card by card (qualifiers only)

 

[Twire]

Great link btw

 

[Twire]

do this with three 3 cards and hand them in. Lowest card will be your handicap.

I believe this is how it's worked out at club level

bill

The idea of the 3 cards to start with, is to get the average of the 3 for your first handicap. Once you have a handicap then its based on card by card (qualifiers only)

I stand corrected, it is the lowest as you said........just read that in your link. And I thought I knew it all

 

[Fyldewhite]

Lot of talk on this thread about averages which is not relevant. On average a player is expected to play above his handicap by a number of shots depending on their category.
Most club golfers will only play to their handicap a handful of times each year but the way the system works is that this is sufficient normally to keep your handicap constant because you only go up 0.1 for each bad round.
Lots of info on the CONGU site about how the system works but if you usually go round in 18 over then a handicap of 15 would be about right.

 

[Twire]

Lot of talk on this thread about averages which is not relevant.

Thanks for that, but the only avarage talked about was when I mistakenly thought you avaraged out 3 cards to obtain your FIRST handicap. I then realised this was not the case and stood corrected (See post directly above yours)