I played today and..(Rolling) -originally created by JohnnyDee

[r0wly86]

How does one decide "the two hardest holes"? Is it just by consensus? The handicap index is intended to represent the difficulty of a hole.

Kind of but not absolutely, they try to avoid bunching, so front 9 will usually have SIs that are odd, and back nine evens. So if the 4 hardest holes on the course are on the front 9, they would have SI 1,3,5,&7 even though harder to play that 2,3,&6 on the back nine they would have higher SIs

In this scenario, unless the committee have a rule in place, it was played correctly and the shots don't apply to the match

 

[Arthur Wedge]

It’s always very simple

You get shots on the holes and you the the corresponding SI

So if you have 8 shots you get shots on SI 1-8

If a hole is closed then oh well

No different to potentially losing a match and still have holes where you have a shot

 

[Swango1980]

It’s always very simple

You get shots on the holes and you the the corresponding SI

So if you have 8 shots you get shots on SI 1-8

If a hole is closed then oh well

No different to potentially losing a match and still have holes where you have a shot

Everyone should know that this should not be taken as absolute fact in every scenario. And his last sentence makes no sense at all. It wouldn't matter if you had shots on all the remaining holes, you'd already lost more than you can win back. There is nothing "unfair" about that in terms of shots given.

This question looks to have come up before on Golf Monthly. Steven Rules responded:

"It is up to the Committee to decide.

Will a round consist of 18 holes? Or fewer holes? If 18, then which holes are to be played twice?

It is also up to the Committee to determine where handicap strokes are to be allocated.

That's why they get paid the big money - to make these lofty decisions."

If, as in the scenario I was in, and you don't have a Committee there every morning to decide how to act based on status of course, then everyone I've ever know just keep it simple at treat is as per what Arthur said. However, I wouldn't be surprised if other groups decided to take a proportion of the handicap, and agree what SI 1 - (whatever no. of holes open) would be, before play. In each case, the result is simply written down at the end, so the Committee would never get involved.

 

[rulie]

How does one decide "the two hardest holes"? Is it just by consensus? The handicap index is intended to represent the difficulty of a hole.

Sorry, my original post should be "The handicap index is NOT intended to represent the difficulty of a hole."

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Sorry, my original post should be "The handicap index is NOT intended to represent the difficulty of a hole."

Well SI are generally based on each holes hardest relative to par

The R&A

The R&A seeks to engage in and support activities for the benefit of the sport of golf from The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

www.randa.org

 

[Orikoru]

Well SI are generally based on each holes hardest relative to par

The R&A

The R&A seeks to engage in and support activities for the benefit of the sport of golf from The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

www.randa.org

Bit of both isn't it? The lower numbers tend to go to more difficult holes, just not necessarily in the correct order since they split the odds and evens over each nine, and try not to have SI1 on the 1st or 18th and stuff like that. But generally the SI 1, 2 and 3 will be difficult holes.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Bit of both isn't it? The lower numbers tend to go to more difficult holes, just not necessarily in the correct order since they split the odds and evens over each nine, and try not to have SI1 on the 1st or 18th and stuff like that. But generally the SI 1, 2 and 3 will be difficult holes.

Golf courses are generally designed with a gentle start then gets harder the drops down a little and then again on the back 9

Hence why SI fit in with that

There can also be two sets of SI - one for matchplay to help a match flow and ensure a balance with shots given

And also SI for stroke play as well

it’s always telling that when clubs assess SI regularly that they look at the average scores players have made of a defined period

 

[wjemather]

Everyone should know that this should not be taken as absolute fact in every scenario. And his last sentence makes no sense at all. It wouldn't matter if you had shots on all the remaining holes, you'd already lost more than you can win back. There is nothing "unfair" about that in terms of shots given.

This question looks to have come up before on Golf Monthly. Steven Rules responded:

"It is up to the Committee to decide.

Will a round consist of 18 holes? Or fewer holes? If 18, then which holes are to be played twice?

It is also up to the Committee to determine where handicap strokes are to be allocated.

That's why they get paid the big money - to make these lofty decisions."

If, as in the scenario I was in, and you don't have a Committee there every morning to decide how to act based on status of course, then everyone I've ever know just keep it simple at treat is as per what Arthur said. However, I wouldn't be surprised if other groups decided to take a proportion of the handicap, and agree what SI 1 - (whatever no. of holes open) would be, before play. In each case, the result is simply written down at the end, so the Committee would never get involved.

I wish this bit in bold was true! (The rest is accurate though.)

If the terms of competition don't cover a situation, the committee (or their designated representative - commonly the pro shop) need to make a decision. Players should not just make it up themselves.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

We were talking about match play, I thought. Obviously if you're all playing stroke play, everyone loses a shot on the same hole so whatever, who cares.

Bit of crossed wires there I guess, I assumed strokeplay/Stableford.

But if we’re talking match play it’s very rare I’m the one receiving shots. So if I’m
Giving shots then I don’t see how you can play a competitive match play in a reduced course where shot holes are closed, purely because you can’t just decide to move the shots onto other holes as that then disadvantages the lower player. IMO it’s just not sensible to play anything other than 9 or 18 holes in those instances.

 

[Voyager EMH]

If it is matchplay, then it is a non-issue.

Omitted holes are merely treated as halved with all players having notionally played according to "shots-given" playing handicaps for the matchplay format.
Effectively - just ignore the omitted holes.

That's the only way I've ever experienced it.
Never actually occurred to me until today that this needed an explanation.

Played yesterday and our 12th and 13th were closed. Two vs two betterball matchplay and the issue of the closed holes was not even spoken about.