Handicap help

[grant28]

Hi all,
I need some advice please, a quick Google search showed me this forum so I thought I'd sign up.
It's in relation to my handicap. I'm not a member anywhere so I don't have an official handicap. I put myself off 28. The main reason being consistency. On my day I'm a lot better than that but on other days I can be a lot worse. In 2017 I played 42 rounds with a stableford high of 48 points (very much a one off!) and a stableford low of 15 points. And everything else in between. My average stableford score in 2017 was 29.95 so basically 30.
A lot of the people I play with feel I should play off 24-26 and I'm thinking of dropping myself too.
So the question is, shall I? Or is 28 fine? I hear that you should only play to your handicap 2-3 times a year but I hit 36+ points 6 times in 2017.
Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

 

[User101]

If you don't have an official handicap, you can play off whatever you wish, as you aren't playing in competitions.

 

[Deleted member 23344]

Is there any reason why you can’t join a club and get an official handicap?

 

[PIng]

Why not enter your scores into a handicap tracking site, such as Golfshake - that will give you an indication of what your handicap should be. Obviously, it can't take playing conditions into account, but it will give you a rough idea.

 

[MartynB]

If you don't have an official handicap, you can play off whatever you wish, as you aren't playing in competitions.

Dont really agree with this, I get the dilemma the op has. Just because a golfer isn’t playing competitions doesn’t mean their handicap for social 4 balls can be plucked from thin air.

Lots of social groups have their own rules to keep things fair and to try and ensure the same person doesn’t win every week.

 

[User101]

Dont really agree with this, I get the dilemma the op has. Just because a golfer isn’t playing competitions doesn’t mean their handicap for social 4 balls can be plucked from thin air.

Lots of social groups have their own rules to keep things fair and to try and ensure the same person doesn’t win every week.

May be you're taking my reply to litterly, but I'm a bit confused, if you don't have a proper handicap, then....you just don't.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The Golfshake handicap tracker is a decent starting point to manage your progress. Obviously not an official handicap which would be needed to play ope events, and some clubs still ask to see proof of, but it'll be a realistic picture over the year and the bad ones will accumulate the 0.1 we all carry and the good rounds will show the downward trend and forward progress.

 

[chrisd]

May be you're taking my reply to litterly, but I'm a bit confused, if you don't have a proper handicap, then....you just don't.

Martyn is quite right imo, I played in a meet up that had12 players on Sunday, as far as i was aware 3 of us had official CONGU handicaps. The rest were capable of playing 5 h/c to one who'd struggle off 36, most of the non handicapped guys tend to play say 12 rounds a year and would normally best guess their handicap. No one would have been happy to pay out to someone scoring 47 points off a dodgy handicap

 

[Birdie2]

There's no obligation to drop your handicap. Ask yourself what your goals are however. If you want a challenge, what's the harm in testing yourself off of 22-24? You might find that you enjoy the challenge and start playing better or managing the course in different ways knowing you need to make different decisions to score well.

Happy golfing in 2018

 

[User101]

Martyn is quite right imo, I played in a meet up that had12 players on Sunday, as far as i was aware 3 of us had official CONGU handicaps. The rest were capable of playing 5 h/c to one who'd struggle off 36, most of the non handicapped guys tend to play say 12 rounds a year and would normally best guess their handicap. No one would have been happy to pay out to someone scoring 47 points off a dodgy handicap

Like I say, I'm a bit confused, if you don't have an offical handicap, then you just don't, so the fella should either get one, which I think and probably he thinks is the best way forward, cause I can't se how you can play competitive golf without one ?/ Or may be you can, well acyually you can, you can play off scratch.

 

[HankMarvin]

Like I say, I'm a bit confused, if you don't have an offical handicap, then you just don't, so the fella should either get one, which I think and probably he thinks is the best way forward, cause I can't se how you can play competitive golf without one ?/ Or may be you can, well acyually you can, you can play off scratch.

But you said he could play of what ever he wanted, nothing confusing about that part only confusing thing is why you would say that when it's not right. Given the fact that handicaps are used in some sort of competition, either an official one or a society/corporate or even a bounce game and you cant just pluck one out of thin air and play off it........

 

[User101]

But you said he could play of what ever he wanted, nothing confusing about that part only confusing thing is why you would say that when it's not right. Given the fact that handicaps are used in some sort of competition, either an official one or a society/corporate or even a bounce game and you cant just pluck one out of thin air and play off it........

My point was, he didn't have one, so it didn't matter as he'd not be playing in a competition without one, unless of course he played off of scratch, apologies for the confusion.

 

[grant28]

Is there any reason why you can’t join a club and get an official handicap?

I’m thinking of joining one this year and it would certainly solve this problem

 

[grant28]

Why not enter your scores into a handicap tracking site, such as Golfshake - that will give you an indication of what your handicap should be. Obviously, it can't take playing conditions into account, but it will give you a rough idea.

Just had a quick look, looks good. Thank you!

 

[grant28]

The Golfshake handicap tracker is a decent starting point to manage your progress. Obviously not an official handicap which would be needed to play ope events, and some clubs still ask to see proof of, but it'll be a realistic picture over the year and the bad ones will accumulate the 0.1 we all carry and the good rounds will show the downward trend and forward progress.

Just checked this out - thank you!

 

[User101]

I’m thinking of joining one this year and it would certainly solve this problem

That's the best idea, it will allow you to progress your game, without one, it's just a knock around bounce game, which I personally hate but plenty are ok with.

Where do you play ??

 

[grant28]

There's no obligation to drop your handicap. Ask yourself what your goals are however. If you want a challenge, what's the harm in testing yourself off of 22-24? You might find that you enjoy the challenge and start playing better or managing the course in different ways knowing you need to make different decisions to score well.

Happy golfing in 2018

This is what I was thinking. Knowing I haven’t got as many shots to play with might help me concentrate more. Thanks for your advise and happy golfing to you too

 

[duncan mackie]

Welcome Grant.
As I understand your question, you are asking for advice on how to evaluate your scores to establish an appropriate handicap to play off in your games?
A good way to do this is to use an app or similar, such as Golf shake as already indicated.
You should certainly be careful with the sort of rule of thumb you have outlined as it's far far.more complex than that- and such simplification is either misleading or even wrong! For example the incidence of playing to handicap will change dramatically with the handicap level; and then there's the need to define playing to handicap! This isnt as simple as 36 points or better at all.
Personally i think you should focus on enjoying your playing, and as there's no right answer to your question you should select the handicap that you feel comfortable with - not that you are comfortable you will win with but that should you win you are happy you haven't done so based on the number you selected!

 

[Birdie2]

This is what I was thinking. Knowing I haven’t got as many shots to play with might help me concentrate more. Thanks for your advise and happy golfing to you too

You're welcome Grant.

Keep us posted on how it goes!

 

[grant28]

Welcome Grant.
As I understand your question, you are asking for advice on how to evaluate your scores to establish an appropriate handicap to play off in your games?
A good way to do this is to use an app or similar, such as Golf shake as already indicated.
You should certainly be careful with the sort of rule of thumb you have outlined as it's far far.more complex than that- and such simplification is either misleading or even wrong! For example the incidence of playing to handicap will change dramatically with the handicap level; and then there's the need to define playing to handicap! This isnt as simple as 36 points or better at all.
Personally i think you should focus on enjoying your playing, and as there's no right answer to your question you should select the handicap that you feel comfortable with - not that you are comfortable you will win with but that should you win you are happy you haven't done so based on the number you selected!

Thank you for your reply Duncan, appreciate it. Agree with what you’re saying. Hopefully joining a club this year which would solve the handicap issue.