Handicap Comp

[CarpeDiem]

In the past weeks there have been a few posts and threads in relation to halving your playing handicap this year. I started on 15.9 and I am now on 14.4. I feel that this is a strong start to the year, anyone else made a start on reducing their handicaps for this year?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Haven't been able to get out into any qualifying competitions so stuck on 13.7

 

[Twire]

I've managed to go up 0.1 already this year

The three comps I've played in should all have been qualifiers, but only the one was due to the weather.

So I'm heading in the wrong direction already, but i'm confident i'll get it right by the time the season starts.

 

[Macster]

Qualifiers ????

I'm pretty sure our Club dont amend amend any Handicaps until the spring /summer start.....

Forward tees, Winter greens etc - not to mention Holes the size of Buckets, even I could shoot well under this time of year perhaps.

 

[Ken_A]

White blocks are on hols, not back until end March start of April.

No qualifiers until they are out - then most club comps count.

 

[Twire]

Qualifiers ????

I'm pretty sure our Club dont amend amend any Handicaps until the spring /summer start.....

Forward tees, Winter greens etc - not to mention Holes the size of Buckets, even I could shoot well under this time of year perhaps.

We have Qualifiers 12 months a year (weather permiting).

It does seem stange for me, as my previous club only had them for abou 8 months of the year.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

In previous year we have had qualifiers all year. It is only this year in particular and I think December/January last year when it was waterlogged that we didn't hold either a medal or a stableford.

 

[nmartyn]

i use an online handicap tracking tool... i manually adjusted my handicap recently, it was down to 13.7 at the end of the summer which i felt was too low considering my scores.
i assumed the handicap was calculated as an average of my rounds and couldn't understand why it was so low.... so i manually adjusted it +4. since then i've realised how it works and the fact that holes where you score over 7 aren't counted on the handicap tracker (which explains a lot!). so i'm going to be really interested in seeing what mine adjusts to over the next few months and to see how i compare to the more experienced forum members.

Currently at 17.5

Last years scores:
June onwards - 97, 91, 85, 84, 93, 93, 97, 93, 88, 88, 87, 82, 87, 91, 81, 83, 86, 98, 92, 93, 89, 79, 90, 91, 96, 90, 96, 87, 93, 89
= 2689
avg round = 89.6
- 72 (avg par)
= 17.6

 

[Macster]

nmartyn: You adjust your own ? You're not a memberof a Club I take it ?
While I applaud you for at least attempting to H/Cap yourself, it isnt that easy, and none of us with 'official' Hcaps can adjust ourselves up/down !

Its strictly Medal Tees, Medal play or Stablefords sometimes, meaning you HAVE to shoot under to come down anything at all.

If I'd adjusted mine on the basis of some of my social play last year, I'd be singles by a long way

 

[nmartyn]

yeah i'm not a member and only started playing last year. the handicap tracker i use calculates it all for you but i didn't feel i was nearly consistent enough to have a 13 handicap so moved it up. the last 4 rounds since i changed it have resulted in a minus 0.1 reduction so i'm looking more like the right level now - and i'm going to make sure i only enter the rounds where i count EVERY shot going forward and not the 'loose' practice rounds i used to have when i first started.

 

[Canfordhacker]

Qualifiers ????

I'm pretty sure our Club dont amend amend any Handicaps until the spring /summer start.....

Forward tees, Winter greens etc - not to mention Holes the size of Buckets, even I could shoot well under this time of year perhaps.

My club has set of tees that are used in winter that are fixed. There is a different, measured card with its own SSS, so if a comp is on main greens we can get a CSS and hence it is a qualifier for handicap purposes.

 

[007chappie]

When I joined up last year I was given 18.0, at the time I was struggling to play to this. However, after plenty of rounds and practice, I am playing to around 14.
I have mentioned it to the H&C, and I have been told that everybody is going to be assessed this month anyway, as there have been one or two grumblings about handicaps for certain players being too high.
I have played a couple of 4bbb's this year, but niether were "Qualifying" competitions, finishing with 39 & 46 pts (46 being only good enough for 3rd!!!)

Hope to get down to about 12 by year end, then aim for single figures

 

[Tommo21]

In the past weeks there have been a few posts and threads in relation to halving your playing handicap this year. I started on 15.9 and I am now on 14.4. I feel that this is a strong start to the year, anyone else made a start on reducing their handicaps for this year?

Yes, 6.7 down to 5.9 this year already. I'm going for a playing HC of 5 and I'm under no illusion it will not be easy. Getting from 7 to 5 will be more than possible, staying there will be the hard part.

 

[IM01]

Non qualifiers in the winter which is just aswell or I'd be going up fast as the course is much harder.
3 out of the 4 par 5s become long par 4s and the last is reduced form a driveable par 4 to a 200yard par 3...bring on the summer course

Fortunately for all those playing 20/21 Feb we'll be playing the summer course.

 

[krokodil]

3 stroke cut without hitting a ball.

 

[SammmeBee]

i use an online handicap tracking tool... i manually adjusted my handicap recently, it was down to 13.7 at the end of the summer which i felt was too low considering my scores.
i assumed the handicap was calculated as an average of my rounds and couldn't understand why it was so low.... so i manually adjusted it +4. since then i've realised how it works and the fact that holes where you score over 7 aren't counted on the handicap tracker (which explains a lot!). so i'm going to be really interested in seeing what mine adjusts to over the next few months and to see how i compare to the more experienced forum members.

Currently at 17.5

Last years scores:
June onwards - 97, 91, 85, 84, 93, 93, 97, 93, 88, 88, 87, 82, 87, 91, 81, 83, 86, 98, 92, 93, 89, 79, 90, 91, 96, 90, 96, 87, 93, 89
= 2689
avg round = 89.6
- 72 (avg par)
= 17.6

What you are doing is pretty much pointless if you're just going to adjust it manually as you don't like what you get....

Handicaps should strictly only be adjusted by scores made in proper competitions - I assume not many of these would be...

You should also remember that your handicap should be what the best score you can make as opposed to it being an 'average' - you should only really play to your handicap 1 or 2 timees out of 10.....

 

[nmartyn]

thats the point - not playing in competitions and i didn't understand why it was calculated so low. but now i do i'll let it adjust itself back to where it should be over time.

 

[ricardodaintino]

Like NMartyn, I don't have club membership so am restricted to working out a 'rough' handicap based on casual play.

Its frustrating because I would love to have an official handicap which is monitored by a committee and assessed in competitive play only but until I clear some debt or get a payrise I can't afford to join a club and get the certificate!

Unless anyone knows of any loop holes!!!

 

[nmartyn]

yeah thats my point. clearly my handicap isn't 100% and when i first started playing (first couple of months) my scores weren't 100% accurate as i allowed myself the odd gimme and mulligan - especially when playing on my own and often playing with 2 balls to practice.
but as soon as i became more competent and consistent i raised the calculated handicap to a more realistic level and now only enter 'accurate' scores.
which in effect is exactly the same as entering a score from a competition.

 

[SammmeBee]

Like NMartyn, I don't have club membership so am restricted to working out a 'rough' handicap based on casual play.

Its frustrating because I would love to have an official handicap which is monitored by a committee and assessed in competitive play only but until I clear some debt or get a payrise I can't afford to join a club and get the certificate!

Unless anyone knows of any loop holes!!!

Many 'public' golf courses run a handicap only membership which is usually well less than £100 - you can then play in opens and also their club competitions but just pay the green fee on the day....