Handicap System: The Biggest Loser...

Liverpoolphil said:
As I said thankfully I guess you will be very much in a very very small minority
Click to expand...

I'm in the minority too...I've always hated HC's

HawkeyeMS said:
Which is why I say people want to be rewarded for average golf. In every other sport I've ever played, if I wanted to win anything and wasn't good enough, I had to improve. Golf is the only sport I know where you can have no intention of improving, in fact, you could be getting worse, and you can still win.
Click to expand...

Agree with this
 
HawkeyeMS said:
Which is why I say people want to be rewarded for average golf. In every other sport I've ever played, if I wanted to win anything and wasn't good enough, I had to improve. Golf is the only sport I know where you can have no intention of improving, in fact, you could be getting worse, and you can still win.

I get why it works and what would happen to club golf if it wasn't this way but why should you win something for not being the best player on the day?

It would be better if we kept the divisions and h'caps but played off of scratch within those divisions. That way you are playing against people of similar ability and the best player on the day in your division would win something. It would give those who want to improve something to strive for, and those who are happy doing what they were doing without the will to improve the opportunity to win something AND know they were actually the best in their division on that day. There would be no more scenarios where the scratch guy shoots 4 under gross and gets beat by a Nett 61 from a high h'capper.
Click to expand...

Totally agree with this. Imagine football using the handicap system and Manchester Utd playing a sunday league team but they have to score 28 goals to win. And then this sunday team celebrating down the pub because they only lost 27-0. Before i knew about the handicap system i saw a guy win some really nice golf trophies and thinking wow he must be an amazing golfer. Truth is he probably hacked his way round in 95 shots - his best ever.

Yes the handicap system works. But it doesn't reward good golf
 
el marko said:
Totally agree with this. Imagine football using the handicap system and Manchester Utd playing a sunday league team but they have to score 28 goals to win. And then this sunday team celebrating down the pub because they only lost 27-0. Before i knew about the handicap system i saw a guy win some really nice golf trophies and thinking wow he must be an amazing golfer. Truth is he probably hacked his way round in 95 shots - his best ever.

Yes the handicap system works. But it doesn't reward good golf
Click to expand...

I'm sorry you can't compare professional football to amateur golf

That's something I think you fail to see - it's handicapped because it's "Amateur" golf which is more about participation than actually winning.

Did you ask the guy who won all the trophies what his handicap was ?

I have been rewarded plenty of times when I have played good golf.

Some people are missing the point of "Amateur" golf.

If people want to play without handicaps then just become a pro - then play of scratch in every comp.
 
Sorry didn't mean to leave the thread with just the OP but work took over yesterday

Agree that pro football is not comparable and even if its was, it is still has a handicap with the league structure meaning that (barring 1 or 2 comps) Man U will never even get to play Gasworks Rovers

I think the replies do generally support golf retaining a handicap format (even though it throws up occasions we don't agree with) perhaps then a more defined guideline of how & when things like 3/4 etc can be applied as its seems that any committee can use it as & when the feel like

the R&A themselves say that a handicap system is essential to the popularity and prosperity of the game yet also state matters relating to handicapping do not form part of The R&A's jurisdiction.

You gotta think that this is part of the problem in how handicapping is perceived and accepted
 
Liverpoolphil said:
I'm sorry you can't compare professional football to amateur golf

That's something I think you fail to see - it's handicapped because it's "Amateur" golf which is more about participation than actually winning.

Did you ask the guy who won all the trophies what his handicap was ?

I have been rewarded plenty of times when I have played good golf.

Some people are missing the point of "Amateur" golf.

If people want to play without handicaps then just become a pro - then play of scratch in every comp.
Click to expand...

I know I said I would leave it but it's a good debate :D

It's not just pro football that has leagues, it's all the way down to grass roots.

I still fail to see why because it's amateur it has to be handicapped the way it is unless it is about winning. If it wasn't about winning, it wouldn't matter if we all played off scratch, people would still play. We keep hearing however how people wouldn't play club comps and just play socially in their own groups where they would no doubt sort out their own systems to allow everyone to win. Even now swindles and greedies often cut the guy who wins to stop to allow others to win, why would that happen if it wasn't about winning?

On a slightly separate note, how does someone such as me who wants to play scratch comps get to play scratch comps? Many clubs don't hold them except for the club champs and I can't enter scratch opens as my handicap is too high, even if I got to 5 it would be (oh the irony ;))

As far as I can see this wonderful handicap system suits everyone except those of us who don't care about winning and would like to play scratch more often but can't.
 
HawkeyeMS said:
............

On a slightly separate note, how does someone such as me who wants to play scratch comps get to play scratch comps? Many clubs don't hold them except for the club champs and I can't enter scratch opens as my handicap is too high, even if I got to 5 it would be goh the irony ;))

.........
Click to expand...

You just need to look!!!!! :)

http://www.midamgolf.co.uk/events-entry-forms-2014
 
el marko said:
Yes the handicap system works. But it doesn't reward good golf
Click to expand...

Not always, no. But what is does reward is "better than someone would reasonably be expected to play on a good day - for them."

If there were no handicap system, people would still play golf. A big reason a lot of people become members at golf clubs is to get a handicap and play in competitions.

If you do away with handicaps there's one reason gone, and the other would follow when they got fed up of donating £3 each week to people they haven't got a prayer of beating.
Then they would work out that they don't play enough golf at [membership fees] / [times played] to justify being a member, so don't bother and probably only play a fraction of their golf at any one particular club, preferring to play other courses as well.

I suppose there are people that genuinely believe they'd rather everyone played off level, but I also think a fair amount of golfers who wouldn't have an earthly in a scratch comp say it because it sounds 'cool'.
 
For most its not really about winning though its just about competing, which is different to all being off scratch and simply taking part

I'd go as far as saying I think that winning means more to the single figure guys than it does to the high handicappers

I didn't play in competitions until last couple of years, previously just social rounds with the competition against PB & the course. I'm more than happy to play off scratch against the course

But don't ask for my competition entry fee, green fee, and club membership fees week after week after week to take part in the 18 hole scratch Slaughterhouse Memorial and expect me to pay up like its a good idea. The size and volume of comps and participants would shrink to naff-all in no time

I'll still play golf just as much but club membership would not be a requirement for many players (as no handicap required) so no annual subs to pay, with the money instead going towards varied courses (at home & abroad) who'd offer excellent pay to play rates and countless members clubs folding

So if my handicap goes & I don't win a sleeve of balls/baseball hat a couple of time a year, big deal. I think the game & more importantly the members clubs, need the benefits of the handicap system more than the individual players do
 
Last edited:
Even in the vast majority of "scratch" events, there are handicap prizes to play for.

A scratch event I played a month or so ago still had a h'cap spread of 9 - it balloted at 5.

You still have to encourage participation
 
Robobum said:
True, there are none in Ascot.
Click to expand...

Thing is I played in 2 opens last year one with a limit of 12 and one with a limit of 18 and for someone like me they aren't scratch comps. There is a scratch trophy but also a handicap trophy and most of the field aren't playing for the scratch trophy, they are playing because it's good value and a bit of a social and they might win something in the h'cap comp which is fine and I enjoy them but they aren't really scratch comps. You're drawn in a group with people of similar h'caps and it is essentially a normal club comp at a different course. The guys playing for the scratch trophy are all drawn together in 2 or 3 groups so you don't get to play with them. It is in essence a small field scratch comp with the rest of us there to make up the numbers and make money for the hosting club. I can understand why the low guys are drawn together but it would be nice to actually compete with them in the same group
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

N
What Would You Change About the WHS?
8 9 10
Replies
183
Views
8K
Deleted member 36483
D
HomerJSimpson
Busted. A Cheat Caught
26 27 28
Replies
543
Views
29K
SteveJay
S
Genu9
Handicap Lookup Post 1st April 2024
4 5 6
Replies
118
Views
12K
Genu9
Genu9
M
  • Poll Poll
Not sure I can face the all consuming nature of golf again.
2 3
Replies
40
Views
6K
Ye Olde Boomer
Ye Olde Boomer
T
Deep in the stat cave
Replies
3
Views
2K
HomerJSimpson
HomerJSimpson
Top