ArnoldArmChewer
Tour Winner
Does anybody know how much the 'average' players handicap has reduced over say the last 10, 20, 30 & 40 years. With all the improvements in clubs, balls and course conditions I would be really interested to know?
Improvements in average handicap over last 40 yrs
- Thread starter ArnoldArmChewer
- Start date
wull
Tour Rookie
Re: Improvements in average handicap over last 40
i'm not sure how you would go about finding this one out but there may not be that much of a difference.
after reading up a bit on jack nicklaus etc those guys were still hitting the ball a long way with the clubs they had and the scoring was very low,when he was 13 he was shooting sub par rounds at will and was playing off +3 so i reckon the difference with club golfers may not be that much differenct.
i may be completely wrong though!!
here's the statistics part of the master scoreboard website
http://www.masterscoreboard.co.uk/SiteStats.php?MSBid=1283d259577cc35a6bd570bd04bd6df9
it's only useful for up-to-date handicap's and it's also for clubs that do it with them online.
i'm not sure how you would go about finding this one out but there may not be that much of a difference.
after reading up a bit on jack nicklaus etc those guys were still hitting the ball a long way with the clubs they had and the scoring was very low,when he was 13 he was shooting sub par rounds at will and was playing off +3 so i reckon the difference with club golfers may not be that much differenct.
i may be completely wrong though!!
here's the statistics part of the master scoreboard website
http://www.masterscoreboard.co.uk/SiteStats.php?MSBid=1283d259577cc35a6bd570bd04bd6df9
it's only useful for up-to-date handicap's and it's also for clubs that do it with them online.
Last edited:
chrisd
Major Champion
Re: Improvements in average handicap over last 40
For the average club golfer, my understanding is that it hasn't changed at all, and is around 16. I guess there are now hugely more numbers of golfers than were around in the past and many dont worry about getting their handicaps down, prefferring to play casually at their club, but the fact that they can now join a club at all is the greatest development - 30 years ago there was no chance of club membership for most!
Chris
For the average club golfer, my understanding is that it hasn't changed at all, and is around 16. I guess there are now hugely more numbers of golfers than were around in the past and many dont worry about getting their handicaps down, prefferring to play casually at their club, but the fact that they can now join a club at all is the greatest development - 30 years ago there was no chance of club membership for most!
Chris
S
Snelly
Guest
Re: Improvements in average handicap over last 40
Not changed really is my understanding too. Same goes for the professional tours too. Scoring averages are pretty similar.
All that said, courses for pros are generally longer now so you could argue that things have improved perhaps?
Not changed really is my understanding too. Same goes for the professional tours too. Scoring averages are pretty similar.
All that said, courses for pros are generally longer now so you could argue that things have improved perhaps?
HogansAlley
Assistant Pro
Re: Improvements in average handicap over last 40
I've heard it stated on here many times that average handicaps have remained constant for many, many years.
Going off on a slight tangent, I read a piece by Karl Morris which stated that people who take up the game generally experience a two-year period of rapid improvement before reaching a plateau that they never seem able to break through. He made the case that this was a mental safety net, and the mind did its best to keep you at that level - no better, no worse.
That's me in a nutshell: I feel as though I play every part of this game better every year but my range of scores remains the same - to a high single figure handicap.
I wonder if a mid-teen handicap (the stated national average) could be regarded as the most popular, or most widely attainable, plateau?
I've heard it stated on here many times that average handicaps have remained constant for many, many years.
Going off on a slight tangent, I read a piece by Karl Morris which stated that people who take up the game generally experience a two-year period of rapid improvement before reaching a plateau that they never seem able to break through. He made the case that this was a mental safety net, and the mind did its best to keep you at that level - no better, no worse.
That's me in a nutshell: I feel as though I play every part of this game better every year but my range of scores remains the same - to a high single figure handicap.
I wonder if a mid-teen handicap (the stated national average) could be regarded as the most popular, or most widely attainable, plateau?
Mark_Aged_42
Assistant Pro
Re: Improvements in average handicap over last 40
Or maybe thats as good as you can get without practising a lot more. Did golfers practice more years ago because they had less pressure on their time?
Or maybe thats as good as you can get without practising a lot more. Did golfers practice more years ago because they had less pressure on their time?
coolhand
Head Pro
Re: Improvements in average handicap over last 40
Won't any improvement be seen in CSS not necassarily in handicaps.
Won't any improvement be seen in CSS not necassarily in handicaps.
