Handicaps....what changes would you make?

[Bunkermagnet]

Hard to tell - I haven't felt that particular 'fear' for decades!

It clearly exists though. Personally I believe it's much more to do with creating personal expectations, and the inevitable issues that brings, than fear ie people clearly enter some comps with the intention of getting a handicap cut (to reflect there perception of their current capabilities normally) and end up trying too hard...and we all know the impact that has on a golf round.

But if we were used to putting every card in we would lose any apprehension or false expectation levels which would I imagine atcually lead us to a lower handicap in general.

 

[r0wly86]

You could always do supplementary cards and perhaps encourage your club to run 9 hole qualifiers.

Supplementary cards would be fine and I would welcome those changes. As I said before if to keep an official handicap you had to submit 10 cards with at least 3 being comps then great. But 10 comps for me at this point in my life, though doable is a major hassel as i assume ut would vbe for lots of players up and down the country

 

[Lord Tyrion]

You could always do supplementary cards and perhaps encourage your club to run 9 hole qualifiers.

I am going to a meeting tonight, thankfully in a pub, where we are going to cover next years competitions and see if we can encourage more members to take part in them. We are currently strokeplay heavy and numbers taking part are declining. The key is to keep the hardcore happy but acknowledge there are golfers out there with different priorities. I am certainly going to be pushing for 9 hole qualifiers to be included in the list for next year, on weekends not midweek. I may be proved wrong but I think they would prove popular and be a good selling point for the club for existing and potential new members.

If I get knocked back on this expect to see a post in the Random Irritation thread this evening #needtomovewiththetimes

 

[garyinderry]

What difference does it make if its 3 or 10 rounds per year? you can only go up by one shot now. My brother has already passed his quota for the year in 0.1s.

 

[lex!]

I wouldn't change a thing. Works perfectly fine as it is. I like going out for a social round or a practice round and working on aspects of the game, and I also like going out in a comp under a bit of scorecard pressure.
Who's going to police everyone to make sure they carry a card when they are out on the course every time? Also spare a thought for the poor HC sec or whoever's got to key them all in. I can have enough of a faf trying to track down ONE card and deal with all the surrounding emails. 'I put it in the box' 'I can't find it' 'who's got it then?' etc etc !!

 

[nickjdavis]

I for one wouldnt want my scores to be counted from ALL rounds....dont know what sort of handicap I'd have ended up with this year but I'd have struggled to score well in "proper" comps off the white tees.

13 qualifying scores off the whites so for this year and my average score to CSS (69) is +3.77....best placed finish in a comp was 4th (January medal of all comps!!)

17 casual rounds off the yellows and my average score to SSS (67) is -2.86....so i'm 6.63 shots "better" off the yellows where the SSS is only 2 lower than the whites.

My nine casual rounds at other courses off yellow tees have yielded a score compared to SSS of +0.9.

Dont know why I find the yellows soo much eaiser than the 2 shot difference in SSS would suggest but I can think of a number of reasons...

1) Expectation.....I know I can play well....my scores off the yellows are evidence of this.....so my expectations get raised when I actually play in comps.

2) Preception....some of our white tees significantly alter your perception of a hole....different hazards become relevant, the view chnages so that some holes actually appear narrower, some of the white tees are tighter and more hemmed in by trees...even though youve only got to hit the ball 30 yards before such trees become irrelevant their proximity still adds a feeling of being more restricted off the tee.

3) Time of play....my evenign rounds off the yellows are often played after work....they are my "relaxation", my wind down, they are the bonus walk in the countryside after the trials of work....also I've been about and active all day....my muscles are often warmer, more stretched and I feel looser.....even though I get straight out of my car and hit the first tee with no more than a couple fo swings with a pair of wedges....unlike a Sunday comp where i arrive an hour early at around 8.30am, hit a couple of dozen balls on the range to loosen up and have 5 minutes on the putting green.

4) I play pretty much on my own in the evenings....the course is usually quiet with no distractions....I can play at a pace I feel comfortable with (usually brisk but I can play slowly if the course does happen to be busy) and can control myself....unlike in a comp where the pace and tempo of play is often dictated by groups ahead and those you are playing with.

So...get me off the yellows and i'm a bandit off nine (usually through steady play 11 pars, 5 bogies and a couple of birdies could be typical)....but off the whites in competitino....mmm....its like theres a different golfer inside of me!!!!

However...i do think that three cards is not enough....but 10 as suggested by soem is too much....6 would be my "bid" in an effort to improve things and be fair to the majority (for the records i've played 22 qualifiers in the last 12 months)

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Erm - hasn't this horse left the stable!

The new handicap system is coming in in 2020 I believe with all cards counting and your handicap being calculated as the average of the best 8 or 10 depending on who you believe.

This is supposed to achieve a unified WW system.

Talking to friends in the US and Australia thet find it works fine.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Erm - hasn't this horse left the stable!

The new handicap system is coming in in 2020 I believe with all cards counting and your handicap being calculated as the average of the best 8 or 10 depending on who you believe.

This is supposed to achieve a unified WW system.

Talking to friends in the US and Australia thet find it works fine.

Believe its far from a done deal as such - there have been countrywide responses and a fair amount of negativity towards using the US system - adopting what the US use isnt coming together to create a "worldwide system"- and a lot of counties do not want to go down the "every card submitted" due to the level of administration clubs require and also the worries of killing off the social game which is just as popular in the uk as playing comps. A number of clubs have also stated that bringing in a US style system would just see them leave Congu and use their own HC system

I will be amazed if anything changes dramatically in 2020

 

[chrisd]

I would increase the number of cards to at least 6 for a competitive handicap

I'd scrap CSS and cut anyone carding better than the SSS by the same method currently used

I would NOT want cards for social games included as it's likely people haven't holed out etc

 

[Face breaker]

I've only recently aquired my handicap (21) and played my first official comp this evening (mid week medal, first time off the big boys tee's, trust me to pick a big one to start with) and came in with 105 net 84 (don't ask) and to be quite honest with you I'd be quite happy to have the opportunity to hand in more 'supplementary' cards as I'll struggle to get 3 comps a year in due to work and family commitments...

I work 12 day shifts throughout the summer months (green keeper) and I have 5 kids and one grandson to contend with so basically I'm left with the winter months to play as many comps as required which I don't find a particularly appealing prospect what with working outdoors in all weathers as it is...

 

[Region3]

I've only recently aquired my handicap (21) and played my first official comp this evening (mid week medal, first time off the big boys tee's, trust me to pick a big one to start with) and came in with 105 net 84 (don't ask) and to be quite honest with you I'd be quite happy to have the opportunity to hand in more 'supplementary' cards as I'll struggle to get 3 comps a year in due to work and family commitments...

I work 12 day shifts throughout the summer months (green keeper) and I have 5 kids and one grandson to contend with so basically I'm left with the winter months to play as many comps as required which I don't find a particularly appealing prospect what with working outdoors in all weathers as it is...

You can, it's part of the handicapping system now. You just have to say you're doing one before you play, and have it marked by another member as if it were a qualifier.

 

[Face breaker]

You can, it's part of the handicapping system now. You just have to say you're doing one before you play, and have it marked by another member as if it were a qualifier.

Nobody told me that when I asked about it, arses, do 'supplementary cards' officially count towards a handicap reduction as in can I get my handicap down without having to play in any comps ?...

Not that I mind playing in comps that is, I actually really enjoyed myself this evening but most of our comps are held during the week days when I'm working or weekends when I really don't feel like going out to work 'yet again' as I spend enough time there as it is...

ps, I get up at 5:30am as I start work at 6:30am so walking/playing 18 holes in the mid-week comps after a day's work can be a daunting prospect...

 

[MendieGK]

I would increase the number of cards to at least 6 for a competitive handicap

I'd scrap CSS and cut anyone carding better than the SSS by the same method currently used

I would NOT want cards for social games included as it's likely people haven't holed out etc

why would you scrap CSS? That's a silly idea. something has to reflect the conditions of the round otherwise I would enter a comp if weather wasn't good!

 

[Val]

More cards to remain active, I agree 10 is about right.
ESR to be automatic for someone shooting 5 better than HC
10 0.1 increases without cut or buffer to have handicap re-assessed
More supplementary cards allowed
All sweep/swindles to be qualifiers (they are over measured course after all)

 

[Old Skier]

What difference does it make if its 3 or 10 rounds per year? you can only go up by one shot now. My brother has already passed his quota for the year in 0.1s.

Whats his "quota" there are systems in place to deal with those who continue to go up .1 in qualifiers.

 

[Old Skier]

I am going to a meeting tonight, thankfully in a pub, where we are going to cover next years competitions and see if we can encourage more members to take part in them. We are currently strokeplay heavy and numbers taking part are declining. The key is to keep the hardcore happy but acknowledge there are golfers out there with different priorities. I am certainly going to be pushing for 9 hole qualifiers to be included in the list for next year, on weekends not midweek. I may be proved wrong but I think they would prove popular and be a good selling point for the club for existing and potential new members.

If I get knocked back on this expect to see a post in the Random Irritation thread this evening #needtomovewiththetimes

9 hole qualifiers have gone down well at our club especially during the winter.

 

[mcbroon]

No way should all social rounds be included. Totally different approach in bounce games.

I'd bomb CSS, or at least stop CSS going down. And increase the number of rounds to 6. But making it 10 would mean a lot of people can't play enough qualifiers to keep a competitive h/c.

There's not much wrong with it as it is, IMO.

 

[Val]

No way should all social rounds be included. Totally different approach in bounce games.

I'd bomb CSS, or at least stop CSS going down. And increase the number of rounds to 6. But making it 10 would mean a lot of people can't play enough qualifiers to keep a competitive h/c.

There's not much wrong with it as it is, IMO.

CSS never less than SSS is a good one IMO

 

[Old Skier]

Nobody told me that when I asked about it, arses, do 'supplementary cards' officially count towards a handicap reduction as in can I get my handicap down without having to play in any comps ?...

Supplementary cards act the same way as qualifiers.

 

[chrisd]

why would you scrap CSS? That's a silly idea. something has to reflect the conditions of the round otherwise I would enter a comp if weather wasn't good!

Just an opinion.

Today I posted a score better than SSS but I doubt I'll get any cut which I think my play deserved as the CSS will scupper that