Handicaps

[cshaw33]

A question...

Is a true handicap, one that you get from playing the same course each week/month?

or....

Is a true handicap one that you get from playing a different course each week/month?

Obviously if you are playing the same course all of the time you'll get to know the right way to play each hole, which clubs to take where, etc so is that really a true reflection of your handicap, because you can then go and play a completely new course (with your existing handicap) and go shoot 10 over your handicap...

Just throwing it out there for discussion...

 

[slugger]

maybe we should!

 

[bobmac]

Good question.
Your handicap will be based on your scores on your home course.
However, if you play any competitions on other courses, those scores will be taken into account.
As you said, you will get to know your own course well but if you know your yardages, you should be able to play other courses quite well allowing for the change in SSS

 

[USER1999]

This is what the US slope system is for. We don't have it over here.

 

[Doh]

Obviously if you are playing the same course all of the time you'll get to know the right way to play each hole, which clubs to take where, etc so is that really a true reflection of your handicap,

Just throwing it out there for discussion...

[/QUOTE]






I think this is a very simplistic way of looking at it.
you have to take in to account a whole set of different things at any one time even if you are playing the same course over and over again.
Your handicap only reflects your potencial and people tend to only play to it a few times a year anyway.

 

[RGDave]

Good q?

I'm 99% sure my handicap would be different on a different course(s). In which direction, I'm not sure (better or worse), but I don't personally subscribe to the theory that "knowing" your home course inside out makes much difference.

I regularly play 4 courses. My home, the "other" one in the city and two "proper courses" which hold real pro events/qualifiers etc. I know them all well enough to not make elementary bad decisions over distance and also know where NOT to go. I seem to have a good average for each course and it doesn't seem relevant to the SSS if you ask me.

My course plays 2-3 shots harder than the "other" course, yet the "other" course has a higher SSS because it's longer.

What have I learned? Don't know other than I'm not very good!!!

 

[freddielong]

I think knowing a course can be both an advantage and disadvantage, sometimes you can step up on a tee and all you see are the places you don't want to hit the ball.

 

[Fyldewhite]

I agree with some of the other points in that course knowledge is only a small part. When playing unfamiliar courses I tend to think better and probably play more cautiously which is how I should probably play all the time but of course I don't. Scoring well mostly just comes down to playing fairly well (obviously) and perhaps getting away with a couple of bad shots here and there which can happen anywhere, home or away.

 

[USER1999]

But if my handicap was held at a course that was 7400 yards par 72, it will be a lot higher then if it is held at a 6200 yard par 72. If I am hitting 5w lay ups on all the par 4s, I'm going to be lucky to break 18 handicap. Whilst on the shorter course, I am hitting driver 5 iron (or less).

 

[freddielong]

But obviously the SSS and CSS should take this into acount, the longer course may have a SSS of 73 where the shorter could be 68.

 

[IM01]

But if my handicap was held at a course that was 7400 yards par 72, it will be a lot higher then if it is held at a 6200 yard par 72. If I am hitting 5w lay ups on all the par 4s, I'm going to be lucky to break 18 handicap. Whilst on the shorter course, I am hitting driver 5 iron (or less).

CSS will be different for each course...possibly 73 on the longer course and 71 the shorter.

 

[Mike_j_golf]

Hi,
I think on a new course it is very hard to play to your handicap there will be holes where you throw away shots, some courses only adjust handicaps on medal rounds some on both stableford and medal if you only play stableford is this a true reflection of you ability to play to your handicap.
Mike

 

[viscount17]

at my end of the handicap spectrum, how I play a new course is very much conditioned by whether it's an 'on' or 'off' day, the amount and quality of available information, then by its rep, why I'm playing it (comp or not), and only then by the weather and course conditions.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I play 80% of my golf at my home course. When I play away I don't normally play a course very well first time out (too cautious) but will get better 2nd and 3rd time out. Not sure what effect that would have on my handicap over a period of time. I don't think playing one course is necessarily going to make a huge difference to real/potential handicaps as you have to shoot the numbers irrespective of where you peg it up. In fact having too much information about a course can be as damaging as not knowing enough.

Is our current system the best way of going? I'm happy that we don't have to put a card in everytime as per the US slope system as to me that takes away a certain element of the fun round on a Saturday morning where its the bragging rights and more often than not the side bets that make it interesting. With the US system I think it may become just another card and pencil event and the emphasis switches to protecting or beating (depending on your mindset) your handicap

 

[Screwback]

I think if you have a handicap it should be applicable for any course.

I reckon i will play just as many competitions on away courses in a year as i do on my own course.

I also find playing a course for the 1st time is when i play it best as i am relaxed and not trying to place the ball in the "right" part of the course.

 

[RGDave]

I wouldn't want to see a change in the system. Only thing that springs to mind to me though is SSS, the "middle" S being scratch.
At mine, the "scratch" player will almost certainly burn the course up (hence the low SSS) whereas the middle player (like me) will almost certainly have a couple of big numbers that wouldn't happen on a more forgiving course. As for the high h'cap players...I just feel bad for them.
If I consider the 3 worst holes (for me) at mine, the issue is the severity of punishment after even a slightly off-line drive. It's quite normal (regrettably) for me to have 3 doubles on these holes. If I consider the 3 hardest holes at the other course in my city, then there's almost always a short towards the green after a wayward drive.

Tight but short courses are bad news for the less good player. I reckon our high h'cap players are too high and our low h'cap players too low.

Like I said before, I cannot reach a conclusion.

 

[JezzE]

murph,
the SSS and CSS should take care of this. You'll probably find that on the 7,400 yarder the SSS effectively allows you several extra wedge shots in off those 5-wood lay-ups relative to par.
For example, I played a new place called Rockliffe Hall a few weeks ago, and par was always 72 but SSS varied as follows:
Yellow, 6,441 yards, SSS 70
White, 6,786 yards, SSS 72
Black, 7,220 yards, SSS 74
Gold, 7,879 yards, SSS 77!!

This of course means that on certain days off the Gold tees, the CSS could be 80 - 8 more than the par of the course!

 

[Macster]

My own course is generally recognised at 3/4 shots harder than others locally, which usually shows when I play those courses socially.

Ideal scenario

 

[USER1999]

I can see that the CSS and SSS make a difference, but if I turn up to play in a society, or with a few mates in a 4 ball, we play to par 72 regardless of length or CSS/SSS. It would only be in a medal this would make a difference. Someone whose h/cap was held at a longer tougher course would definately have an advantage over someone whose home track is a pitch and putt.

 

[USER1999]

Mike_J_Golf, bear in mind that all medals have stableford handicap adjustment, so in fact, you are always playing stableford. If we had h/caps based soley on medal we would all be off 28.