Handicap help

[User101]

You can actually work out your own handicap by playing 3 rounds stroke play on one course and then calculating it from there, I was able to do so myself to the exact figure and was correct when mine was allocated, it's quite hard to understand though.

it's a bit of a mouthful but it's how it's done...

To obtain a handicap a player must submit a required number of nine and/or 18-hole cardsplayed over a Measured Course (rated course) at his Home Club. Any permutation of nineand 18-hole cards may be submitted but must total a minimum of 54 holes. Cardssubmitted over nine holes must be returned from a Designated Nine-Hole Course. Eachcard must be marked and signed by a responsible person acceptable to the HandicapCommittee. The requisite cards should normally be submitted within a period of six months.16.3 The Handicap Committee has the following responsibilities and discretions in regard to theallotment of handicaps.(a) If a handicap has been previously held, refer to Clause 26 (Regaining a Handicap).Otherwise the initial handicap shall be allotted as in (b) below.(b) The Handicap Committee shall1. Adjust any score of more than 2 over par for men and 3 over Par for women atany hole to 2 [3] over par respectively.2. Add the nine-hole scores (if applicable) to make up 18-hole equivalents inchronological order. If a club has more than one Designated Nine-HoleCourses each pair of nine-hole scores must be returned over courses havingthe same Designated Nine-Hole SSSs for the gender of player concerned.3. Calculate the Adjusted Gross Differential (‘AGD‘) scores from the three 18 hole(or 18-hole equivalent) scores; these scores being calculated by comparingthe returns relative to the SSS’s of the courses/tees used: AGD = Adjusted Gross Score – SSS for the course/tees usedDetermine the Lowest Adjusted Gross Differential (‘LAGD‘) from the threeAdjusted Gross Differentials4. Reduce the resulting LAGD according to the formula;Initial Handicap = (LAGD + (LAGD*0.13))/ 1.237 truncated to provide a wholenumber.For example, a player with a Lowest Adjusted Gross Differential of 31 isallotted an initial handicap of 28 (which is recorded as an Exact Handicap of28.0) as shown below:Initial Handicap = (31 + (31*0.13)/1.237 = (31 + 4.03)/1.237 = (35.03/1.237)= 28.31 truncated to 28 and recorded as an Exact Handicap of 28.0.After these adjustments have been made the whole number Exact Handicap shall,subject to the provisions of Clauses 16.3(c) and 16.3(e), be allotted.

Essentially it says, bin your two highest cards and work it out on your lowest, but first of all you must score down any score over a double to a double.

 

[chrisd]

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.

I suspect that there are as many golfers who play and don't have a CONGU handicap as who do. Competitive golf can be a Stableford with your mates or the Club Championship and I reckon it's nonsense to say that anyone without an official handicap should play off scratch.

 

[User101]

I suspect that there are as many golfers who play and don't have a CONGU handicap as who do. Competitive golf can be a Stableford with your mates or the Club Championship and I reckon it's nonsense to say that anyone without an official handicap should play off scratch.

Again, I'm thinking competition golf without making that clear.

 

[dufferman]

Grant,

I am no handicap expert, but from what I understand this is how clubs give a member a handicap. You could do this yourself, to give you a rough idea of your handicap. One big difference between an "official" handicap and a Golf Shake handicap is that Golf Shake will take every round you play into consideration, where an official handicap only take competitions into account, of which you might play one or two a month.

To get an official handicap, you have to play 3 round of golf at your club. The handicap secretary will then slightly amend your scores - anything more than a double bogey (e.g. a 6 on a par 3) becomes a double bogey (it would become a 5 on a par 3). Once you have done this to all 3 of your scores, you take the lowest score you shot out of the 3, and there is your handicap.

So, if you fancied getting a slightly more accurate handicap you might want to do it that way.

 

[User101]

Grant,

I am no handicap expert, but from what I understand this is how clubs give a member a handicap. You could do this yourself, to give you a rough idea of your handicap. One big difference between an "official" handicap and a Golf Shake handicap is that Golf Shake will take every round you play into consideration, where an official handicap only take competitions into account, of which you might play one or two a month.

To get an official handicap, you have to play 3 round of golf at your club. The handicap secretary will then slightly amend your scores - anything more than a double bogey (e.g. a 6 on a par 3) becomes a double bogey (it would become a 5 on a par 3). Once you have done this to all 3 of your scores, you take the lowest score you shot out of the 3, and there is your handicap.

So, if you fancied getting a slightly more accurate handicap you might want to do it that way.

Or see post #21

 

[guest100718]

plenty of online trackers you can use. won't be 100% but if you put all your scores in it will be a good guide.

 

[jim8flog]

Grant,


To get an official handicap, you have to play 3 round of golf at your club. The handicap secretary will then slightly amend your scores - anything more than a double bogey (e.g. a 6 on a par 3) becomes a double bogey (it would become a 5 on a par 3). Once you have done this to all 3 of your scores, you take the lowest score you shot out of the 3, and there is your handicap.

.

Initial handicaps no longer use the double bogey calculation. It is now twice the par. So a 6 on a par 3 will remain as 6

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Hi Grant, welcome to the forum.

I suspect if you had tracked all your scores, your handicap would be comfortably below 28.

If we assume that the standard scratch score (which is the important one for handicap purposes, not par, you'll see it labelled on the scorecard as SSS) was 2 below par when you got the 48 points, that would mean you were 10 points better than handicap, giving you a 4 shot reduction to 24 (10 x 0.4). Given you can only go up 0.1 for every bad round (a bad round being more than 4 shots worse than SSS on a net basis), you would have to have played 35 bad rounds to get you back to 28. Any other rounds where you beat the SSS would result in a further drop of 0.4 for every shot better than SSS.

So my guesstimate, depending on how many other decent rounds you had, and just how good they were, would be around 23 / 24, allowing for a few 0.1 increases and a few cuts. This is of course overly simplistic as it doesn't take into account things like gimmees etc which aren't allowed in club golf comps. It also only takes into account social rounds, which also aren't relevant to club golf handicaps.

Overall though, it doesn't really matter what your handicap is in absolute terms as you are only using it to play against your mates. What matters is how the relative handicaps are calculated. If you're all using an unofficial basis, then so long as it's the same unofficial basis, it doesn't really matter. If you find that you're winning more often than you should be, then knock a couple of shots off, if you then are always losing, add a shot on. Most societies have their own handicaps which are adjusted based on who has been winning (i.e. whoever wins that week, knock two shots off and and a shot or two on to whoever came last). If the people you're playing with are using their club handicap, you have a couple of different options; 1) try and calculate what yours might be if you were to have one, or 2) adjust the club players handicaps for the purposes of games you're playing with them to put it onto an even basis.

 

[JollyRedDevil]

You could also just join a municipal course where membership would be around £50-£100 mark (you would then have to pay for your green fees). Play 3 rounds with a member and get an official handicap.
Membership in municipals here in Brum are around £60.00.

 

[dufferman]

Or see post #21

 

[Orikoru]

Didn't want to start another new topic so thought I'd just ask in here as it's related to handicap.

Our club has an annual handicap review in the diary for this Saturday. As I've just done my first year of club membership, this is the first handicap review I've seen. What normally makes people eligible for a cut at the annual review? I buffered the last four comps with 35, 34, 33 & 32 points. Reckon there's any chance or is it not enough? Haven't had a +0.1 since August. Possible I haven't played enough comps though (about one a month).

 

[duncan mackie]

Didn't want to start another new topic so thought I'd just ask in here as it's related to handicap.

Our club has an annual handicap review in the diary for this Saturday. As I've just done my first year of club membership, this is the first handicap review I've seen. What normally makes people eligible for a cut at the annual review? I buffered the last four comps with 35, 34, 33 & 32 points. Reckon there's any chance or is it not enough? Haven't had a +0.1 since August. Possible I haven't played enough comps though (about one a month).

One of those "it's complicated" issues really and the simple answer is to wait and see what happens, don't try and prejudice it!

In principle, one of the criteria the system will pick up on is the proportion of scores at buffer for any given handicap level. Exact data to trigger a system recommendation is complicated but a 25 handicapper (for example) who plays 10 comps and is in his buffer every time would almost certainly trigger a recommendation for a reduction. A scr golfer with the same stats probably wouldn't!

 

[Orikoru]

One of those "it's complicated" issues really and the simple answer is to wait and see what happens, don't try and prejudice it!

In principle, one of the criteria the system will pick up on is the proportion of scores at buffer for any given handicap level. Exact data to trigger a system recommendation is complicated but a 25 handicapper (for example) who plays 10 comps and is in his buffer every time would almost certainly trigger a recommendation for a reduction. A scr golfer with the same stats probably wouldn't!

Ok, thanks. Not really trying to predict it, just interesting to see if it's possible. I guess there's a chance, I'll wait and see.

 

[Digger]

Initial handicaps no longer use the double bogey calculation. It is now twice the par. So a 6 on a par 3 will remain as 6

Really? Since when?

 

[User101]

Really? Since when?

yep, news to me as well and I couldn't find anything on the Congu site.

This is the only change I can see...

http://www.congu.co.uk/congu-changes-2018/

 

[jim8flog]

Really? Since when?

Since the first of January this year. It is part of the revised handicap system that has come in to force.

The info can be found in the FAQs on England Golf Website relating to the changes.

Remember it was always triple bogey for ladies so would have gone up to triple bogey for men if they had kept the existing calculation method

 

[jim8flog]

Note this is only for initial handicaps.

The net double bogey rule will still apply to players with a handicap.

 

[jim8flog]

Just did a quick check to insert a link and found the revised (2018) UHS manual is available for download. You will find it in there and section J Congu club Handicaps has been deleted.

 

[rosecott]

Initial handicaps no longer use the double bogey calculation. It is now twice the par. So a 6 on a par 3 will remain as 6

Really? Since when?

yep, news to me as well and I couldn't find anything on the Congu site.

This is the only change I can see...

http://www.congu.co.uk/congu-changes-2018/

The 2018 CONGU manual is available online for download from the England Golf website.

https://www.englandgolf.org/page.aspx?sitesectionid=563&sitesectiontitle=Handicapping

 

[Digger]

Well blow me down. There's going to be some bandits knocking around now