Handicap question?

[Golfmmad]

Ok, so I'm no longer a club member and played my last comp as a member in October 2015.
My handicap was then 24.4 exact.
I still don't have an official handicap - last year at the Cooden meet I shot 44 points and won the individual Stableford. As I've just put in the "I played today" thread about winning a guest competition playing off 24 handicap, I'm wondering if I should play off a lower h'cap.

As my Brother said, "You should ask in the "Experts" section.

So, what do you guys think?

Thanks in advance. :thup:

 

[Dasit]

If you don't have an active handicap you should not be allowed to win at club events

Very unfair on the people who keep real handicaps when someone who is not submitting cards comes in and plays and scores far better than what their handicap suggests.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Ok, so I'm no longer a club member and played my last comp as a member in October 2015.
My handicap was then 24.4 exact.
I still don't have an official handicap - last year at the Cooden meet I shot 44 points and won the individual Stableford. As I've just put in the "I played today" thread about winning a guest competition playing off 24 handicap, I'm wondering if I should play off a lower h'cap.

As my Brother said, "You should ask in the "Experts" section.

So, what do you guys think?

Thanks in advance. :thup:

As you don't have an official HC I would look at your recent scores and then play off what you believe is a fair reflection of your ability at the moment .

 

[Golfmmad]

If you don't have an active handicap you should not be allowed to win at club events

Very unfair on the people who keep real handicaps when someone who is not submitting cards comes in and plays and scores far better than what their handicap suggests.

I fully understand what you're saying, however, as a guest of my Brother his club did not ask for handicap certificates. Obviously I wouldn't have played otherwise. It was a guest invitation day.

And just to clarify, I am not one of these people as you suggest, not submitting cards etc.

As a high handicapper I'm just as likely to shoot 24 points being the inconsistent golfer that I am.

 

[Golfmmad]

As you don't have an official HC I would look at your recent scores and then play off what you believe is a fair reflection of your ability at the moment .

That's just it Phil, I don't know. As I don't play very often as I used to. But I want to be fair when I play at the Cooden meet, hence my question to the experts.

My brother RLBurnside reckons 21, what do you think?

 

[patricks148]

why not just calculate your last few scores from the SSS of the courses, or download one of those handicap apps if that's too difficult.

 

[Rlburnside]

The course Chis mentioned has a sss of 71 , he shoot a gross 86 playing off 24, his last 2 scores would have been around 100.

So working a h/c of the three cards as per normal it would be off the score of 86, as I understand it this category is .4 so 9 .4s gives a reduction of 3.6, his last official h/c was 24.4 so his h/c would come out at 21.

Is this correct ?

 

[Duckster]

I fully understand what you're saying, however, as a guest of my Brother his club did not ask for handicap certificates. Obviously I wouldn't have played otherwise. It was a guest invitation day.

And just to clarify, I am not one of these people as you suggest, not submitting cards etc.

As a high handicapper I'm just as likely to shoot 24 points being the inconsistent golfer that I am.

If that was at my place, you could have happily played, however without a valid and active handicap, you couldn't have actually won anything.

 

[Golfmmad]

The course Chis mentioned has a sss of 71 , he shoot a gross 86 playing off 24, his last 2 scores would have been around 100.

So working a h/c of the three cards as per normal it would be off the score of 86, as I understand it this category is .4 so 9 .4s gives a reduction of 3.6, his last official h/c was 24.4 so his h/c would come out at 21.

Is this correct ?

Thanks for that Roy, I'd happily play off 21.

:thup:

 

[Imurg]

Be a Man and play off 18👍😜😀

 

[Golfmmad]

If that was at my place, you could have happily played, however without a valid and active handicap, you couldn't have actually won anything.

Again, I fully understand the above and it would not have mattered a jot to not win a prize.
To have played well with 43 points is the most important to me.

Just as an aside, what happens at a forum meet in the same circumstances?

Would the winner of a stableford comp not get any money or prizes?

 

[chrisd]

Chris is one of the true nice guys on the forum and I have absolutely no doubt that he would always decide the most appropriate handicap for any game. I'd be very happy that he has a really good day at the office as I'm certain he would play as fair as possible

 

[Golfmmad]

Chris, many thanks for your sentiments mate. As they say, "From one Gent to another".

:thup:

 

[Golfmmad]

Be a Man and play off 18👍😜😀

You looking for bovver mate? :angry:

:ears:

 

[heronsghyll]

Again, I fully understand the above and it would not have mattered a jot to not win a prize.
To have played well with 43 points is the most important to me.

Just as an aside, what happens at a forum meet in the same circumstances?

Would the winner of a stableford comp not get any money or prizes?

If you don't care about winning a prize, and are happy to shoot 43 points - then don't take the prize.

Golf is a game in which the best players don't always win hence the handicapping system. BUT that only works if it's fair. To play in a competition against players who play regularly to get and keep a valid handicap when you don't have one -is not fair (in my view).

Come and play the day, enjoy your golf, shoot what you shoot and no one would care, they would be pleased to have you join them. To win the money from a non-existent handicap is in my opinion - not good form or the spirit of golf

 

[Rlburnside]

Heronsghyll

As long as your honest (and I assure you Chris is) I think it's easy to adjust yourself if you follow your scores, and to play off a unofficial h/c, I'm sure if someone done this in a forum meet this would be acceptable.

But I can see your point of how this could be abused if a player wasn't known.

 

[Golfmmad]

If you don't care about winning a prize, and are happy to shoot 43 points - then don't take the prize.

Golf is a game in which the best players don't always win hence the handicapping system. BUT that only works if it's fair. To play in a competition against players who play regularly to get and keep a valid handicap when you don't have one -is not fair (in my view).

Come and play the day, enjoy your golf, shoot what you shoot and no one would care, they would be pleased to have you join them. To win the money from a non-existent handicap is in my opinion - not good form or the spirit of golf

This tone of post is not what I expected.

Perhaps I should clarify a few points.

Firstly, I had a valid handicap up until the end of October 2016, my understanding is that a handicap is valid for up to a year after membership ceases. So playing at Cooden my handicap was valid. I donated my winnings that day to the Air Ambulance that attended RickG at The Centurion Golf Club.

I was a guest at my brothers club that didn't require an official handicap. The first prize for the guest was a golf shirt. First for a member was a flat screen tv - only fair that a member should get a better prize.

I'd better check with Rob re the Cooden meet to see if he requires official handicaps, if he does then I will not play, after all, I want to adhere to the good spirit of golf.

 

[Three]

The course Chis mentioned has a sss of 71 , he shoot a gross 86 playing off 24, his last 2 scores would have been around 100.

So working a h/c of the three cards as per normal it would be off the score of 86, as I understand it this category is .4 so 9 .4s gives a reduction of 3.6, his last official h/c was 24.4 so his h/c would come out at 21.

Is this correct ?

The idea of a handicap is to give people a chance of competing on a good day.

Now I can see that the OP is a thoroughly decent chap, so if he is able to shoot 15 over on his best day, maybe around 18-20 is about right?

 

[Rlburnside]

Three

If you scored a gross 86 off a h/c of 24 in a official competition I don't think you would come down to 18-20, coming down 6-4 shots is a big reduction

 

[Three]

Three

If you scored a gross 86 off a h/c of 24 in a official competition I don't think you would come down to 18-20, coming down 6-4 shots is a big reduction

If you are able to shoot 86 in a competition you shouldn't be off 24.
Your brother is asking what is a fair handicap.
By "fair" I'm looking at "fair" for everyone.
24 is not a fair handicap for someone who can shoot 15 over par, albeit on his best day.
Around 18-20, max, is fair.