freddielong
Tour Winner
Yes but only because they would have to be a better golfer to play to it so it would come down to skill, which should be a big advantage
Handicaps
- Thread starter cshaw33
- Start date
jammydodger
Tour Winner
I expect to be playing up to 20 medal rounds next year on other courses (most on courses I havnt played before too ). Probably only about a dozen at my home course. What this will do for my handicap we'll have to wait and see I suppose.
Mike_j_golf
Q-School Graduate
I know its just easier to play to your handicap in a stableford that was my point are we really able to play to our handicaps are are we just kidding ourselves because of the stableford adjustment what would our handicaps be if there was none.
Mike
jammydodger
Tour Winner
It's only easier to play to your h/c in stableford if you're a higher h/c. Us lower h/c's dont see any difference tbh
I very very rarely shoot anything over a double bogey and my score usually would be the same whether playing medal or stableford as I suspect is the case for a lot of the lower guys on here.
I very very rarely shoot anything over a double bogey and my score usually would be the same whether playing medal or stableford as I suspect is the case for a lot of the lower guys on here.
Robobum
Money List Winner
Aye, within a shot, maybe 2 shots tops.
Canfordhacker
Q-School Graduate
I have averaged 33.4 stableford points over the 34 rounds at my home course this year, but 38.0 at the 12 rounds I have played at new courses.
What this tells me is familiarity breeds contempt at home, where I take more risks than I should. When I'm away, I'm usually more focussed, more risk averse and wanting to get more value for money and enjoyment from the round - so I course manage and play better.
Moral? Course management is where it's at!
What this tells me is familiarity breeds contempt at home, where I take more risks than I should. When I'm away, I'm usually more focussed, more risk averse and wanting to get more value for money and enjoyment from the round - so I course manage and play better.
Moral? Course management is where it's at!
rickg
Money List Winner
I typically play a new course fairly well as I'm usually more cautious and tend to play within myself. I think someone else has already said it, but familiarity can definitely lull you into a false sense of security at your home course.
If I could apply the same course management to my home course that I do with new courses, my handicap would easily be lower.
If I could apply the same course management to my home course that I do with new courses, my handicap would easily be lower.
Region3
Ryder Cup Winner
Every time I play a new course there's always a few holes that I think I could have played better if I knew what was ahead beforehand.
Playing your own course or one you're familiar with, you know full well what the risks and rewards are. Playing a new course in a more defensive way maybe just goes to show that your assessment of risk/reward round your own track needs re-evaluating?
Edit: 3 posts appeared while I was tying that and watching Corrie lol, so I guess I agree with them.
Playing your own course or one you're familiar with, you know full well what the risks and rewards are. Playing a new course in a more defensive way maybe just goes to show that your assessment of risk/reward round your own track needs re-evaluating?
Edit: 3 posts appeared while I was tying that and watching Corrie lol, so I guess I agree with them.
RGDave
Money List Winner
1. It must be much worse trying to play off (say) up to 6 -9. You and me don't need to make that many pars and sometimes after you've played a new hole and made bogey, you might think, "could have played it better" but it probably won't cost us the whole round. If often start a new course with 3 or 4 bogeys, get to a nice straightforward hole, make a par, maybe sneak in a birdie etc.etc.
I played for the club not so long ago (on a new course) and was 7 over after 7....(not good) birdied the 8th, parred the 9th, birdied 10th and suddenly from despair to 5 over on the 11th tee.
2. risk/reward re-evaluation....can you say more? I'm intrigued. I play new courses quite defensively.....could this be a better way to play mine week in week out?
Region3
Ryder Cup Winner
As others have said maybe we become complacent on our own courses, and play by rote without much thought.
We know what the risks and rewards are, but don't properly weigh them up on a hole we know well.
For example, the risk of hitting driver might be an OOB to our weak side or a hazard at driver distance, and the reward for flushing a drive would only be hitting 2 clubs shorter for the approach. Doesn't really sound worth it, but I'd bet most still reach for the big stick.
Our 11th is SI2 but only about 350yds. OOB all the way down the left only 5-10yds from the fairway, and big trees on the right which block your approach if you're behind them. The sensible thing to do would be hit 3 iron off the tee and I'd still only have a 9 iron or wedge left, but unless it's been really naughty I still take driver, because the guy on my right shoulder with horns and a pointy tail whispers to me that I'll only have a chip shot left if I nail it.
I've not played in a comp (that matters) there yet so it'll be interesting to see if my thoughts change when I eventually do.
My defensiveness (is that a real word?) on a new course is purely down to not knowing what's ahead, rather than a different mindset.
4 or 5 times playing new courses recently I've played an iron off the tee on dog-legs purely because I can't see what's round the corner. When I get there I might think "I'd have gone for that if I could have seen this", but on the tee you don't know the line, or even if there's any rubbish where you can't see. All apart from one I would go for if I played the hole again.
Maybe iron is the right choice and my judgement isn't very good?
Pants
Challenge Tour Pro
On unfamiliar courses I tend to try to play the shot that I can see which I suppose is playing defensively, as against on a familiar course where I know that if I play the shot with a little high fade over the tree, just enough to miss the bunker then I will only have ........
Yeh. Course management. I'll get the hang of it one day.
Yeh. Course management. I'll get the hang of it one day.
LCVreg
Assistant Pro
I havn't read all the posts on this issue, but when oh when are the handicap powers that be in this country (Congu) going to get their heads out of the sand and start the US Slope system...........this is the ONLY fair way of organising handicaps throughout the UK. Think of it this way, a 10 handicapper whose home club is a 5000 par 70 course, flat, open, and with many 300 yard par fours has to play against a 10 handicapper from a 6800 yard par 70 course, a links, with the same number of par 4's, most averaging over 400 yards and with traps and rough galore.........so who is the genuine 10 handicapper then. To say that the SSS and CSS system takes care of this is bunkum. And by the way, has anyone tried to read the 100 page book of Congo handicap system and rules.......it is one of the biggest load of gobblegook I have ever seen. Until Congu is either replaced by a team or system much more akin to golf in the 21st century, then our amateur golf in the UK will suffer. It is noted also that many of the better Scottish courses are now having to have a slope rating for their American visitors, the time is now right for all the UK to do so......................please someone, get it going and bring this country into line with the rest of the world.
SammmeBee
Journeyman Pro
Interesting...so you're saying we should record a score for every round of golf we play?
What about when I play on my own, what about when I play a match play game, isn't the pace of play slow enough as it is?
I play off of 5, and that is about right - I have 2 'forms' of play: competition - where I take it vaguely seriously and fun - where I try every impossible shot known to man (hit driver where you shouldn't, go for every pin etc) - when I play fun I hardly ever actually 'finish' a round with a recorded score, so that would be a NR so I reckon I'd be off about 10 - Bring on the monthly medal now!!
I think the Scottish and Irish course have slope ratings so that our US visitors can record said scores they need to....including mulligans....why do US 4-balls take soooooo long to go round btw?
Ethan
Money List Winner
I think there are 2 separate issues about the differences between the US and UK handicap systems. One is slope and course ratings, which allow you to adjust your handicap if playing a different course. This seems all right, although I think there are a lot of courses with inflated ratings, leading to flattering handicaps.
The second is that all rounds are recorded. I have more of a problem with this, mainly because when I have played with Americans recording scores for handicap, they invariably bend or simply break the rules all over the course. I don't see why the same would not happen here.
The second is that all rounds are recorded. I have more of a problem with this, mainly because when I have played with Americans recording scores for handicap, they invariably bend or simply break the rules all over the course. I don't see why the same would not happen here.
USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
I like the slope system, but the congu system for handicaps.
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
I personally find the opposite. Well, the first time I play it I do.
Without any prior knowledge of the course I tend not to think about things too much and therefore I'm not filling my head with negatives.
I don't know where the trouble is, so I think this makes me a little more aggressive than I would normally be.
Once I know the dangers of a hole I tend to tighten up a bit and don't play a "natural" game.
When I play on my home course I sometimes let my game get ahead of me. If I had a birdie on one hole the previous round for instance, I feel I "must" birdie it this time round. This will then reap me a bogie or double.
Similarly, if you've cocked a particular hole up regularly, this can soon become your nemesis and no matter what you try to do, you just can't get it out of your system and you never play the hole well.
I much rather fancy my chances of playing to my handicap on a strange course than I do my home track.
USER1999
Grand Slam Winner
I thought you had only played your home track 3 times?
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
Knob!
Played it loads of times before I actually joined, and have played about 12 or 13 games there this year.
My biggest problem is keep playing new courses when I should be playing my own!!
RGDave
Money List Winner
Hmm....Interesting.
There are 4 holes at mine that destroy my score week in week out. It's not unusual to throw away 8 shots of my 12 on just 4 holes. If I throw away 8 and still play to m h'cap, by my reckoning that's 14 holes played to 4.
I play about 4-6 courses quite often, enough to have the right course management. 3 local courses (much of a muchness) and 3 serious tracks. What surprises me is the relative ease I mange to play the tough holes everywhere but mine. I'm convinced the course design plays a crucial role, and sometimes a "harder/longer" course can actually play easier because I don't have pre-conceptions about possible disasters awaiting on the next tee.
RichE
Club Champion
Very good post - certainly one that has raised a lot of different points of view. I do agree that some courses are harder than others - but thats not necessarily because the course is x hundred yards longer.
From my experience, it really depends about how you play on the day. I've been to courses, perhaps viewed as harder than mine, and played better. Knowing yardage's and trouble spots is an obvious benefit, but won't stop you pulling a shot or getting it wrong.
I've seen a friend knock gross 76 round Vale de Lobo Royal (8 handicap and off yellow tee's) - yet day before play an 'easier' course and not score so well - first time he'd played VDL as well.
What i do think, is that we should all play as many other courses as we can to try different types of golf (links, parkland, heathland etc) as that will make us all better players in the long run. Just my opinion
From my experience, it really depends about how you play on the day. I've been to courses, perhaps viewed as harder than mine, and played better. Knowing yardage's and trouble spots is an obvious benefit, but won't stop you pulling a shot or getting it wrong.
I've seen a friend knock gross 76 round Vale de Lobo Royal (8 handicap and off yellow tee's) - yet day before play an 'easier' course and not score so well - first time he'd played VDL as well.
What i do think, is that we should all play as many other courses as we can to try different types of golf (links, parkland, heathland etc) as that will make us all better players in the long run. Just my opinion
