Voyager EMH
Slipper Wearing Plucker of Pheasants
We need to separate these two things.
1. Playing against the course.
2. Playing with and against others.
Play Against The Course
Old System: You were playing off your handicap and your net score determined the movement of your handicap.
New System: You return a gross score and this is included with your previous 19 gross scores to calculate your handicap.
Your net scores for those 20 rounds are not calculated or used for handicap assessment or adjustment.
(The net double bogey limit per hole does apply to those gross scores)
The new system allows the golfer to be completely free from thoughts of net score (or stableford points) and simply play each hole to the best of ability.
“I get x-shots on this course” is a misconception. It was true and very important to handicapping in the old system.
You have no handicap when playing against the course in the new system. You are returning a gross score. You returned a net score in the old system.
Playing With And Against Others.
This is what you can be doing in competitions and in social golf. Your playing handicap for the format of play should be in your mind. “I get x-shots” is relevant when comparing yourself to the other players.
Both At The Same Time
You might be playing with and against others and submitting a score for handicapping at the same time.
“I get x-shots” is not relevant to the score being submitted for handicapping – your gross score only is being recorded and used for handicapping.
From Now On
Eventually we will all adapt our thinking to the new system just as we did with the change from shillings and pence to the new decimal coinage. The labels on supermarket shelves showed prices in the old system for a while. This helped people to be clearer in their minds about how much money they were spending. Eventually the old prices were no longer needed.
Your thinking may continue to be that your mind is searching for something that resembles your old “one” handicap.
That concept is still there in your thinking, just as shillings and pence remained in our thinking.
That thinking will change over time, as you gradually think less and less about the old system.
If you can accept, or you can get your thinking around the fact that, “I get shots” (course handicap) matters not in your play against the course, you will know that you are adapting to the new system.
Your handicap is your Playing Handicap for when you are playing with and against others.
You have no handicap when playing against the course. You are merely attempting to return the best gross score that you can – this is golf.
Get out there, play to the best of your ability and enjoy it! The new handicapping system allows you to do this and it is very liberating.
“Play up, play up and play the game.”
I hope this has helped to stimulate thought and understanding.
1. Playing against the course.
2. Playing with and against others.
Play Against The Course
Old System: You were playing off your handicap and your net score determined the movement of your handicap.
New System: You return a gross score and this is included with your previous 19 gross scores to calculate your handicap.
Your net scores for those 20 rounds are not calculated or used for handicap assessment or adjustment.
(The net double bogey limit per hole does apply to those gross scores)
The new system allows the golfer to be completely free from thoughts of net score (or stableford points) and simply play each hole to the best of ability.
“I get x-shots on this course” is a misconception. It was true and very important to handicapping in the old system.
You have no handicap when playing against the course in the new system. You are returning a gross score. You returned a net score in the old system.
Playing With And Against Others.
This is what you can be doing in competitions and in social golf. Your playing handicap for the format of play should be in your mind. “I get x-shots” is relevant when comparing yourself to the other players.
Both At The Same Time
You might be playing with and against others and submitting a score for handicapping at the same time.
“I get x-shots” is not relevant to the score being submitted for handicapping – your gross score only is being recorded and used for handicapping.
From Now On
Eventually we will all adapt our thinking to the new system just as we did with the change from shillings and pence to the new decimal coinage. The labels on supermarket shelves showed prices in the old system for a while. This helped people to be clearer in their minds about how much money they were spending. Eventually the old prices were no longer needed.
Your thinking may continue to be that your mind is searching for something that resembles your old “one” handicap.
That concept is still there in your thinking, just as shillings and pence remained in our thinking.
That thinking will change over time, as you gradually think less and less about the old system.
If you can accept, or you can get your thinking around the fact that, “I get shots” (course handicap) matters not in your play against the course, you will know that you are adapting to the new system.
Your handicap is your Playing Handicap for when you are playing with and against others.
You have no handicap when playing against the course. You are merely attempting to return the best gross score that you can – this is golf.
Get out there, play to the best of your ability and enjoy it! The new handicapping system allows you to do this and it is very liberating.
“Play up, play up and play the game.”
I hope this has helped to stimulate thought and understanding.
Though I ‘get it’.
