Handicap

[golf_bug]

How often should you play to your handicap?

I ask this because someone told me recently that statistically, you only play to your handicap or better a few times a season.

I had 37 points yesterday and 36 today, and feel like I left loads of shots out on the course. It has recently become clear to me that I am obsessed by getting my handicap as low as possible. But why? The game gets harder the less shots you have to play with, and as a result, more furstrating!

Am I setting my sights too high? Should I just accept my handicap, enjoy my golf, and be satisfied when a good score comes along, rather than dissapointed when it doesn't?

 

[drawboy]

If you look at it most golfers their handicaps come down after a really good "one of those days" performances, then they struggle to play to the new handicap for a few weeks/months slowly getting 0.1's back until they have another out of the skin performance. Very few play to handicap week in and week out.

 

[RGDave]

Very few play to handicap week in and week out.

True. A lot depends on how much you've been playing or practising. Most players aren't consistent enough to score at or close every time. If you are able to do it most times, chances are it's a bit too high anyway.

This q? has come up before. I expect to play to it (and better) every time off yellows and certainly 1/2 or 1/3 times on new courses.

 

[Owen_Thomas_14]

I think everyone should set their sights high so theyve got something to aim for everytime they go out. I think you should go out and enjoy your golf and on a good day you will hit a good score and if you dont then at least your not at work. I barely play to my handicap week in week out but nothing beats the feeling when i come in with a good score thats why i play?

 

[JustOne]

Kinda depends on your current form and the practice you are doing. As far as I'm concerned you should shoot your handicap or better on a good day when you are playing well....about 1 in 6 or 1 in 7 rounds perhaps, maybe as low as 1 in 10.

People who score 36+pts everytime they go out are in bandit territory in my book, or in a very rich vein of form that seems to last forever (you decide)

 

[RGDave]

Kinda depends on your current form and the practice you are doing. As far as I'm concerned you should shoot your handicap or better on a good day when you are playing well....about 1 in 6 or 1 in 7 rounds perhaps, maybe as low as 1 in 10.

People who score 36+pts everytime they go out are in bandit territory in my book, or in a very rich vein of form that seems to last forever (you decide)

I scored 36 points in a comp the other day and felt like a total bandit. I didn't know where I was going on a course I'd never played. Thankfully (for my sanity) I came 4th to 3 players that had played there every time for the last few years. Next year, I'll bag the prize.....

 

[jon4olderview]

Handicaps-away comps

Two or three of us play in 10/12 seniors open each year, many of the events are off the white tee’s and designated “qualifiers”, as we will only play that course once in the year, the likelihood of breaking 36 points is remote, at least for me off 16. However, my scores are sent back to my club (who use “howdidido” soft ware), and with the result I go up point one each time I am outside the buffer zone. Now, if I did score very well and beat my H’cap I would be very happy for that score to result in a cut to my H’cap. But with 120 plus players in most of these competitions the average scores are well outside the buffer zone. I am led to believe that not all clubs take action to increase H’caps, and only adjust them if a cut is the correct action.

I then have to struggle in monthly medals to go down again to 15 which I believe is a more fair indication of my playing ability, as most of ones social golf is played off yellow tee’s I face the claim of “bandit”. My comment is; is it fair to increase h’caps in the situation I have explained?

 

[RGDave]

Re: Handicaps-away comps

I think it is right to only CUT following events like this.
I also think that should a player make 37 points or more, then a CSS should be established.

 

[AliB]

I scored 36 points in a comp the other day and felt like a total bandit. I didn't know where I was going on a course I'd never played. Thankfully (for my sanity) I came 4th to 3 players that had played there every time for the last few years. Next year, I'll bag the prize.....

I bet you did well because your expectations were low - and you had the distraction of orientation to keep you from overthinking your shots.
BTW my handicap is now 'officially' 27. So yesterday I went out with mr b on the other course (shorter but quite tricky) and shot 87 - would have had 47 points. LOL Tomorrow I am doing a medal on same course - watch this space - will probably flunk it again as I have done every time the word 'card' is mentioned!
AliB

 

[RGDave]

My expectations were high, until I'd played 3 holes, then they were non-existent...so maybe.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think if you are playing to your handicap every time it is wrong. If you are playing regularly, practicing or having regular lessons I'd have thought like others maybe playing to or under one in every 5 or 6 rounds.

I actually think this is one area where the lower guys are more likely to do it as they play with a level of consistancy way beyond anything I'm capable of at the minute and so for the main part will avoid the train wreck scores. I know a lot of our single figure golfers regularly shoot 34 or 35 points (nett 71 or 72) and so while not playing exactly to the handicap are always comfortably in the buffer zone.

Its the guys that have career days (remember the guy who shot nett 56 at my club recently and has gone from 23 to 17) and who get cut quickly and then struggle for weeks afterwards that have the biggest problem. At the end of the day though we are all trying to be as low as possible so look on any cut as a sign of a reward for a good round and any effort put in on the practice ground.

 

[golf_bug]

Don't get me wrong, I don't play to my handicap every time I play....far from it! Its just yesterday and today I did. And on both occasions I left shots out there (2 blobs on the card today).

My handicap is about right I think. I started the year on 17, go down to 15, albeit briefly, now on 16. I know I am capable of better, but also a lot worse!

 

[jammydodger]

It's pretty rare if I miss a buffer zone and i'm cat 1 golfer. I am extremely consistent with my scoring but also not spectacular atm. Take Saturdays stableford for example , only had 8 pts after 6 holes with 2 blobs but still ended up with 36 pts. This is pretty much how my golf has gone all year apart from a couple of really good scores. Always around either one over h/c or at best 2 under. Maybe next year i'll move to the next level and knock another stroke off the h/c

 

[USER1999]

I get pretty annoyed if I don't play to my handicap. It is what it is for. Buffer zone is ok. Anything worse is junk, and will put me in a strop.

 

[feary]

Some one told me you should only play under your handicap 3 times a year. But that isn't the case for pretty much everyone ive played with. With some exceptions.

 

[Region3]

I thought I read somewhere recently that your handicap should be around the average of your best 10 out of the last 20 rounds, but no idea if it's true. If it were then you should be beating your handicap maybe 1 in 4 rounds?

Just a thought... If the css is based on the % of players within their buffer zone of the sss, then shouldn't that % be how often each individual player should be within their buffer zone over a period?

Anyone know what the % is?

 

[viscount17]

Region, I think that's how the USGA do it once you have a handicap, I believe you need something like 20 rounds to actually get one.

that said, I'm sure I read somewhere or other (probably here) that it's about 1 in 4 here as well, though actually getting a handicap adjusted to your proper level can take an age (three times longer to go up than down).