Handicaps??

[TheClaw]

What is the point of handicaps? Obviously they are supposed to create a level playing field...but why?

Having come to golf fairly recently from other sports where, if you're better than someone you will beat them (probably) and if they're better than you, you will get beat (probably), I was wondering what you lot think about it.

And!....when are handicaps ever accurate?

 

[Leftie]

Oh dear.

This could take a long time.

Retreats to armchair for a doze ............

 

[freddielong]

What is the point of handicaps? Obviously they are supposed to create a level playing field...but why?

Having come to golf fairly recently from other sports where, if you're better than someone you will beat them (probably) and if they're better than you, you will get beat (probably), I was wondering what you lot think about it.

And!....when are handicaps ever accurate?

I agree 100% but its not a widely held veiw

 

[viscount17]

would you rather go round with your mates using handicaps to produce a tight game that has interest for everybody up to th end

or

get your **** handed to you week in week out because you started playing years after the rest and are never going to catch up?

 

[Ethan]

And yet, the OP's signature proudly displays, to 1 decimal place, .... anyone? anyone?

 

[Screwback]

Handicap are great it gives a fair reflection of your golf, yes there is problems with the system but you are never going to get perfection.

Its great that someone off 22 can give someone of scratch a competitive game and vice versa!

 

[HawkeyeMS]

The handicap system has it's flaws and they have been debated here many times.

A lot of us would agree that the best player I.e the one with the lowest gross score, should win.

However, you will find there are two types of golfer. There are those of us who just want to improve and don't worry about winning monthly s'fords and medals and there are those who just want to play golf knowing they had a chance of winning every now and then.

Without the h'cap system the latter group would stop entering club events as they wouldn't see the point if they have no chance of winning, favouring to play in their own little group which would inevitably create cliques within golf clubs.

There should be events each year, such as the club championship that are such that the best player on the day wins, for other events, you have to have a h'cap system to keep everone involved as without this, there wouldn't be a club championship to begin with.

I could go on forever about what is right and wrong with the system but I think the general consensus is that it isn't perfect, but until someone comes up with something better it's the best we've got

 

[MashieNiblick]

Whats the point of handicaps?

1. "A golf handicap allows players of all levels of golfing ability to compete against each other on a fair and equal basis" (CONGU).

2. Handicaps also measure your ability fairly objectively so it gives you a notion of where you stand relative to other golfers and a measure of how you are improving (or otherwise).

3. To provide endless topics for discussions in clubhouses and on internet golf forums.

 

[pokerjoke]

Handicaps are there so the same player doesnt win week in week out,otherwise who would want to play just to lose.As you said handicaps create a level playing field which gives everyone a fair chance.How do we know handicaps are fair?we dont all the time ,but 99% of golfers are honest,the other 1% will get caught in the end.

 

[TheClaw]

And yet, the OP's signature proudly displays, to 1 decimal place, .... anyone? anyone?

Oh no, you've found me out. I secretly love the handicap system.
1. Unfortunately I'm stuck with a handicap whether I like it or not. 2. I'm using it to set goals. 3. I thought it was the done thing on here...

would you rather go round with your mates using handicaps to produce a tight game that has interest for everybody up to th end

or

get your **** handed to you week in week out because you started playing years after the rest and are never going to catch up?

I did start years after the rest but that doesn't mean that I/we can't catch up.

The same could be said for any sport. When I play snooker or basketball with my mates the people who practice more, have better natural ability etc normally win but yet we all go back for more

 

[TheClaw]

Handicaps are there so the same player doesnt win week in week out,otherwise who would want to play just to lose.As you said handicaps create a level playing field which gives everyone a fair chance.How do we know handicaps are fair?we dont all the time ,but 99% of golfers are honest,the other 1% will get caught in the end.

Yea I didn't really mean the dishonesty part, more the fact that one day we might play like a 6 handicap and the next day play like an 18 e.g. even Rory McIlroy shot a 61 then a 71 in the open....a "consistent" pro.

As for winning I still think the best player should win. There's plenty of shite football teams that get pumped every week. Should they start 3-0 up?

 

[TheClaw]

The handicap system has it's flaws and they have been debated here many times.

A lot of us would agree that the best player I.e the one with the lowest gross score, should win.

However, you will find there are two types of golfer. There are those of us who just want to improve and don't worry about winning monthly s'fords and medals and there are those who just want to play golf knowing they had a chance of winning every now and then.

Without the h'cap system the latter group would stop entering club events as they wouldn't see the point if they have no chance of winning, favouring to play in their own little group which would inevitably create cliques within golf clubs.

There should be events each year, such as the club championship that are such that the best player on the day wins, for other events, you have to have a h'cap system to keep everone involved as without this, there wouldn't be a club championship to begin with.

I could go on forever about what is right and wrong with the system but I think the general consensus is that it isn't perfect, but until someone comes up with something better it's the best we've got

Yea, fair enough. I like a good debate now and then.

 

[Smiffy]

What is the point of handicaps? Obviously they are supposed to create a level playing field...but why?

Having come to golf fairly recently from other sports where, if you're better than someone you will beat them (probably) and if they're better than you, you will get beat

If you fancy coming to the big meet we have arranged at Blackmoor in June, you would be more than welcome.
Even more so if you want to take me on for £100.00 off scratch.

I'll stay off my 12

 

[TheClaw]

What is the point of handicaps? Obviously they are supposed to create a level playing field...but why?

Having come to golf fairly recently from other sports where, if you're better than someone you will beat them (probably) and if they're better than you, you will get beat

If you fancy coming to the big meet we have arranged at Blackmoor in June, you would be more than welcome.
Even more so if you want to take me on for £100.00 off scratch.

I'll stay off my 12

Sounds fair to me

 

[Swinger]

The Handicapping system will be in place until people stop playing bad golf!

I always tell people the the only thing the H/C does is reward bad golf, generally after getting turned over by someone with a handicap higher than mine.

If you take the game seriously enough then it is irrelevant as you only play low H/C players in scratch events and then pro golf where there are no H/Cs.

As avereage hackers though the majority of us are in it for the social side, banter and fun of the sport and I can't think of anything worse for that then the same people coming in the bar weekend after weekend picking up the money and bragging rights. Granted this can happen with a dodgy handicap or two but people will wise up to that and sort it out for them.
I still think it would be worse if the low handicapper did it all the time as a vast majority of the players would not ever be able to compete and would realise this quickly. This would result in less people playing the game, smaller groups of players (of similar ability), less banter and the game we know and love wouldn't be the same.

Our system is flawed but every system is open to abuse and if you don't think so then you are mad. I personally know people play in qualifiers to go up .1 or actually base their handicaps on other players in within their group. Make every round a qualifier and they would be like a pig in *^&%. Best 10 rounds from 20 and their handicaps would go through the roof and the few rounds they decide to play properly (big events or big pots of money) they would have an untouchable score.

Currently as a 4 handicapper and the lowest in nearly all the groups of people I play with I find it hard to compete with a 20 Handicapper on his day or the guy off 12 who shoots in the high 70's most weekends. Don't get me wrong I do pick up a good amount of money and win the majority of matches but it does make wanting to get better and obtaining a lower H/C not quite as appealing.
I love the social side of golf and the banter with all my 'friends' but if I want to get better I really have to distance myself from handicap golf as playing out of my skin only to get beat by a 20+ H/C isn't going to get going.

I guess the biggest problem in my view is that alot of people can become stagnent at a certain level and lose the drive to improve and become the best player and get the lowest handicap they can. What do people want form the game?

My aim this year is to get to my ideal social H/C of 14.

For the record though I had the same aim last year and went from 5.1 down to 3.3 at my lowest. I can't bring myself to manipulate any round that way but I did only practise about 5 times. Not sure what I have to do.

 

[BROOKIE]

Right,how many people on this forum play to their handicap
week in week out,regardless of where they play.

 

[Imurg]

Hopefully nobody. If you do then your handicap is wrong.
Once in every 3 or 4 rounds is more like it.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Hopefully nobody. If you do then your handicap is wrong.
Once in every 3 or 4 rounds is more like it.

^
^
Wot he said. Anyone playing to there h'cap every week is playing off the wrong h'cap