garyinderry
Ryder Cup Winner
travels reasonably well. im usually around the 30 points mark no matter where I play unless I have a bit of a mare. there has also been quite a few of those down the years.
How well does your handicap travel?
- Thread starter Pistol Peter
- Start date
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
My handicap travels well as we have quite narrow and undulating fairways with plenty of dog legs and blind shots - and very small greens. Handicap at previous club did not travel well to my current club - though I might put that down to 8 yrs not playing 
Plan to go back to old club in not to distant - that will be interesting as I haven't played it for 18yrs - and obviously it will have matured a lot over that time.
To be honest though - I think it's less to do with your handicap whether you score well 'way from home' - and more to do with your attitude. If you go away and think - 'let's have fun - let's have a go - won't be back here in a while' chances are you'll mess up and possibly have a fairly miserable time. However if you think 'let's see if I can manage my game to get round in a half decent score' then you are much more likely to post a decent score - and enjoy yourself into the bargain.
So for anyone who thinks their handicap doesn't travel well and puts that down to their course being 'too easy' - I'd suggest you don't go down that way of thinking as you'll just feel 'down' about your course and actually you may be putting it down unfairly. Wherever you are playing, if you play to your strengths, and recognise and accept, and then carefully manage your weaknesses - you'll get round most courses in a decent score. And feel good for it.
Plan to go back to old club in not to distant - that will be interesting as I haven't played it for 18yrs - and obviously it will have matured a lot over that time.
To be honest though - I think it's less to do with your handicap whether you score well 'way from home' - and more to do with your attitude. If you go away and think - 'let's have fun - let's have a go - won't be back here in a while' chances are you'll mess up and possibly have a fairly miserable time. However if you think 'let's see if I can manage my game to get round in a half decent score' then you are much more likely to post a decent score - and enjoy yourself into the bargain.
So for anyone who thinks their handicap doesn't travel well and puts that down to their course being 'too easy' - I'd suggest you don't go down that way of thinking as you'll just feel 'down' about your course and actually you may be putting it down unfairly. Wherever you are playing, if you play to your strengths, and recognise and accept, and then carefully manage your weaknesses - you'll get round most courses in a decent score. And feel good for it.
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AMcC
Journeyman Pro
Like many others I feel my handicap does travel fairly well.
I put this down to my home track being one of the toughest in the area and I feel if I went back to my old course would possibly be 2 or 3 shots lower. Our SSS is 73 of a par of 72 and often the CSSS is 74 - 75.
I put this down to my home track being one of the toughest in the area and I feel if I went back to my old course would possibly be 2 or 3 shots lower. Our SSS is 73 of a par of 72 and often the CSSS is 74 - 75.
jimbob.someroo
Journeyman Pro
Ours travels pretty well to be honest. Had 34 points at HFH despite playing pants and won one of the two events I played in on the Surrey Golf Tour with 41 points off 3/4 handicap. Our greens are quick and it's a hard course to score stupidly low on. Think the our scratch prize this year (lowest scratch medal score throughout the season) was 66 from a lad who is off +2 and got to Open Final Qualifying. His nett 68 on the date probably didn't pick up a prize though!
richart
Major Champion
My handicap travels ok, as most courses are wider than mine, and I can actually get the driver out. Also I don't stand on the tee thinking don't go OB like last time or something similar.
GB72
Money List Winner
Depends where I am playing. I do not get to play many high end courses which tend to be more of a challenge than my home course. As such, when I am faced with somewhere like West Hill, my game goes to pot. Part of that, I suspect, is also due to playing with strangers, the hype of the event I am at etc. Put me on a strange course that is comparable in difficulty or style to my home course and my handicap travels pretty well.
Basically I play maybe half a dozen rounds away from my home course at the most each year and so I do find playing to my handicap a bit of a challenge when I am faced with something different
Basically I play maybe half a dozen rounds away from my home course at the most each year and so I do find playing to my handicap a bit of a challenge when I am faced with something different
G.U.R
Head Pro
After going from 21 to 16 in a short space of time over the summer it wasn't travelling very well, but recently played 2 society days at Blue Mountain and Downshire and scored 34 & 31 points respectively which is better than I have done.
D
Deleted member 1147
Guest
Depends what I'm playing in.
If it's a match, scratch league for example, I'm normally pretty close to my handicap. I suppose you play sensibly, and concentrate harder. Plus, I think my course is pretty difficult with it's ridiculous rough and tough greens (which aren't well kept). Gop elsewhere and the course is better kept, the rough not too penal and you score better.
When I go away for a golf weekend it's for fun, so I take shots on and have fun. often leading to worse scores as a result.
If it's a match, scratch league for example, I'm normally pretty close to my handicap. I suppose you play sensibly, and concentrate harder. Plus, I think my course is pretty difficult with it's ridiculous rough and tough greens (which aren't well kept). Gop elsewhere and the course is better kept, the rough not too penal and you score better.
When I go away for a golf weekend it's for fun, so I take shots on and have fun. often leading to worse scores as a result.
SGC001
Challenge Tour Pro
It'll depend on a few things, some already covered:
Some clubs handicaps tend to travel well as a rule (Suggests SSS isn't as accurate as it could be particularly for bogey golfers) and vice versa.
If your course suits your strengths / weaknesses (is your issue wedge play, carrying water, driving accuracy, distance, putting...) you may struggle elsewhere where it doesn't and vice versa.
If you don't play a lot at home and so haven't got as full a range of shots as you might have (1 course can present very samey challenges and you can find a solution over time rather than been able to work it out on the hoof).
You can learn by rote club selection / course management / green reading at your home course, and not really own those skills away.
on the other side you can develop problem holes at home.
Home and away conditions can affect it which can be true if you play away in comps or the type of game you play away e.g. matchplay.
Some people may experience more self induced pressure home / away.
If you know your own game and are honest with yourself you should have a chance of been able to play away from home.
MadAdey
Money List Winner
Depends on how hard your course is and how hard the one you are playing is.
I have played RAF matches against people that rock up with a low handicap that hey have from playing a course that is wide open and easy, to then see them struggle like hell on a tighter course like I am use to playing. They then think I am a bandit when I thrash them because they had to give me shots. Not a bandit, I just did not get my handicap from a course that you can miss the fairway by 30 yards and still have a shot at hte green.
I have played RAF matches against people that rock up with a low handicap that hey have from playing a course that is wide open and easy, to then see them struggle like hell on a tighter course like I am use to playing. They then think I am a bandit when I thrash them because they had to give me shots. Not a bandit, I just did not get my handicap from a course that you can miss the fairway by 30 yards and still have a shot at hte green.
Im not sure a would agree with most that say my handicap travels, etc.
We are all handicap golfers ans as such have good and bad day regardless of where you play.
I'm more than Capable of shooting well below my handicap home or away, but also of shooting a cricket score too.
Too all the guys who say my handicap travels, what about the times it don't????
We are all handicap golfers ans as such have good and bad day regardless of where you play.
I'm more than Capable of shooting well below my handicap home or away, but also of shooting a cricket score too.
Too all the guys who say my handicap travels, what about the times it don't????
GeneralStore
Challenge Tour Pro
I hear you Patrick, but looking at my scores, my 'cricket scores' have been on my home course.
This thread has definitely made me think and even though my course is relatively short, you have to be accurate off the tee and I would say that is a weakness of mine.
Over the last 2 months I have played St Enidoc, Trevose, Perranporth, Silvermere and West Hill and everytime I have played 5 to 6 shots better than my handicap. The 3 cornish courses especially are less penal that my home course if you are just off the fairway.
Going to the other extreme, there are some courses in the m25 area that you couldn't lose a ball if you tried e.g. Woldingham, so if anyone was a member there, I would be absolutely shocked if their handicap travelled well.
This thread has definitely made me think and even though my course is relatively short, you have to be accurate off the tee and I would say that is a weakness of mine.
Over the last 2 months I have played St Enidoc, Trevose, Perranporth, Silvermere and West Hill and everytime I have played 5 to 6 shots better than my handicap. The 3 cornish courses especially are less penal that my home course if you are just off the fairway.
Going to the other extreme, there are some courses in the m25 area that you couldn't lose a ball if you tried e.g. Woldingham, so if anyone was a member there, I would be absolutely shocked if their handicap travelled well.
the smiling assassin
Challenge Tour Pro
i'd also add, that often open competitions visitor css ratings can be quite high - more often than not 2 above sss in my experience. makes them slightly easier for travelling handicaps.
garyinderry
Ryder Cup Winner
tight courses tend to be shorter, long courses tend to be wider. most handicaps travel reasonably well.
if you are a short hitter you may well struggle at the longer courses. at shorter courses, accuracy off the tee is key. if someone bangs the driver all day they may also struggle, course management plays a big role here.
if you play to your handicap the very first time you play a new course anywhere, you have done well. there is no substitute for actually knowing a course. I find my second round anywhere is usually better than the first.
if you are a short hitter you may well struggle at the longer courses. at shorter courses, accuracy off the tee is key. if someone bangs the driver all day they may also struggle, course management plays a big role here.
if you play to your handicap the very first time you play a new course anywhere, you have done well. there is no substitute for actually knowing a course. I find my second round anywhere is usually better than the first.
Junior
Tour Winner
I find it hard to tell as my game has generally got a bit better the last couple of years, I almost always tend to play somewhere near my h/cap....unless that is i've had a night on the tiles in york and rock up to Moor Allerton 4 days before the Europro tour is due to start and the greens are like glass.
Region3
Ryder Cup Winner
I think my handicap travels well if I'm playing well, as someone else said.
I've had my 2 best rounds this year at away courses, but also my 2 worst.
At my own course I tend to spray it around off the tee quite a bit, but strangely find tighter courses focus me a bit better and I drive well if I'm swinging ok.
I've had my 2 best rounds this year at away courses, but also my 2 worst.
At my own course I tend to spray it around off the tee quite a bit, but strangely find tighter courses focus me a bit better and I drive well if I'm swinging ok.
HawkeyeMS
Ryder Cup Winner
It's a good point and it is difficult to quantify by results alone but you can get a fair idea from the course and how you played as to whether the course is too tough for you. The only time I have felt like that this year was on the West Course when I played pretty well and walked of 18 over par. If I'd played like that at RAGC I would have been around 9 or 10 over.
The only other time I can remember feeling out of my depth was the Montgomery Course at Carton House where I think I would struggle to play to my handicap.
I haven't yet come across a "normal" course where I didn't feel that I could play to my handicap if I played well.
