Handicaps - how many scores entered per year per player?

rulie

Head Pro
Joined
Sep 2, 2015
Messages
1,836
Visit site
The previous topic on handicaps tweaked my interest regarding the number of scores a player enters each year for his handicap. I've heard some suggestions that the average number of scores entered by a player each year in the UK/Europe is around 4, whereas in NA it's around 40.
Looking at my handicapping record, I've entered over 70 scores this year (I'm in NA). What about those in the UK?
 

Hosel Fade

Tour Rookie
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
1,259
Location
Surrey/Berks
Visit site
We only enter competition scores which then also need to be qualifying & an allowance of additional scores (most people never put these in, likely because of fees being charged that discourage it or poor member education re them) . I play more of them than most so reckon i am about 20-25 cards per year. An average figure is probably just over 10 at a guess.

A lot of clubs simply don't run enough competitions to provide the opportunities to be honest.
 
Last edited:

upsidedown

Tour Winner
Joined
Apr 15, 2008
Messages
5,576
Location
Shropshire
Visit site
I've played 159 times so far this year and 23 of those were for handicap . In NZ 140 of those would probably have gone towards my handicap, USGA system :thup:
 

Junior

Tour Winner
Joined
Apr 1, 2007
Messages
5,024
Visit site
The previous topic on handicaps tweaked my interest regarding the number of scores a player enters each year for his handicap. I've heard some suggestions that the average number of scores entered by a player each year in the UK/Europe is around 4, whereas in NA it's around 40.
Looking at my handicapping record, I've entered over 70 scores this year (I'm in NA). What about those in the UK?

I play as many as I can and usually get between 12/16 in per year. My club only runs handicap competitions through the Summer. I know some people who, through their club running more competitions, and also through playing open competitions will play around 30/40. Im not 100% sure of the supplementary card process here but we can't return cards from every social game for handicap which I believe you can in the USA.

I've never seen any stats, but I'd have thought the average would be a lot higher than 4 in the U.K.
 

backwoodsman

Tour Winner
Joined
Mar 3, 2008
Messages
6,768
Location
sarf Lunnon
Visit site
But don't you have a different system in the USA - where you enter all your scores regardless? Whereas we in UK only have a score used for handicap if the competition is a designated Qualifying Competition (or if we deliberately submit a supplementary score)? Ie as individuals, we don't choose if a competition is a qualifier, we merely choose whether we enter a particular competition or not.

Personally I've played about 100 rounds this season - about 20 (not quite 1 per week) will have been qualifiers. Which is about as many as I can fit in at present.
 

rulie

Head Pro
Joined
Sep 2, 2015
Messages
1,836
Visit site
But don't you have a different system in the USA - where you enter all your scores regardless? Whereas we in UK only have a score used for handicap if the competition is a designated Qualifying Competition (or if we deliberately submit a supplementary score)? Ie as individuals, we don't choose if a competition is a qualifier, we merely choose whether we enter a particular competition or not.

Personally I've played about 100 rounds this season - about 20 (not quite 1 per week) will have been qualifiers. Which is about as many as I can fit in at present.
My question isn't about the system in place, just the number of rounds entered for handicap purposes.
 

bladeplayer

Money List Winner
Joined
Mar 6, 2011
Messages
9,142
Location
Emerald Isle
Visit site
For handicapping or qualifying this year only 34 . would normaly play at least 10/15 more but new job has me bit quieter this summer ..

Im in Ireland by the way
 

El Diablo

Assistant Pro
Joined
Sep 18, 2016
Messages
232
Visit site
Now played 52 handicap qualifying competitions (UK) in the past 12 months and if playing all available could have racked up 70ish.
 

connor

Tour Rookie
Joined
Nov 13, 2011
Messages
1,490
Location
st austell, cornwall
Visit site
We have a qualifier most Saturday's and in the summer we have them Thursday and Saturday.
Even or winter league stableford are still qualifiers the joys of playing on a well draining course which doesn't use temp greens very often
 

patricks148

Global Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Jun 9, 2009
Messages
24,491
Location
Highlands
Visit site
We don't enter cards for handicap purposes. We play in handicap qualifying competitions.

This.

over there my understanding is you enter your score every time you play, over here as Lump says pretty much all handicap scores are entered in competitions, with some who are not able to put in the min amount of cards per year (3) for handicap.

if we had your system for me it would be in excess of 200, but under our system it was only 20 odd this year, usually around 30 as i play a few opens as well .
 

Bigfoot

Tour Rookie
Joined
May 11, 2009
Messages
1,727
Location
Stourbridge , West Midlands
Visit site
I have played 26 rounds for handicap in comps out of approx 150 rounds in the last 12 months.

The limit to supplementary cards is ten per year - I think this is only for Cat 2/3/4 . Cat 1 can only enter supplementary cards between Sept and Dec to maintain their handicap i.e. 3 cards but the union can use discretion to allow Cat 1 players from 2.5 to 5.4 to submit them.
 

rulefan

Tour Winner
Joined
Feb 21, 2013
Messages
14,484
Visit site
CONGU has no official stats but informally it has been suggested to me that about 6 is the average no of qualifiers played.
It is thought that there a large number of players playing few qualifiers. Witness the high number of non 'c' handicaps. May be 30%+. And a much smaller number putting a very high no of qualifiers.
But I think it would be difficult for the keenest with winter 'shut downs' to return more than 40.
 
Top