Low Handicap v Chance to Win Things

[Grant85]

Just wondering how people prioritise the above.

My official handicap is 20.8. After a few years off, I put my cards in at the end of last season (two howlers and 1 ok round) and got in at 24.
This season I have played some solid golf, by my standards, and I feel my handicap should be somewhere in the teens. I've been cut around 5 times out of 9 rounds, and been buffer in all others.
I seem to hover around 89 or 90 incredibly consistently (par 70) despite having a few double bogeys (not consistently at the same holes). I guess that means my handicap is probably accurate as I'm never going to get much lower than 20 without scoring more in the mid 80s.

I do practice once a week, albeit this could possibly be more directed to get more out of it.

It's fairly frustrating to play a few decent holes, or have a good match with someone, and they say 'there's no way you should be 21/22 handicapper'. Ultimately my scoring hasn't gotten me down lower, which I have to remind them of as I am genuinely embarrassed at getting 12 shots off a good player and making 13 or 14 net pars and birdies.

One of my better rounds was a supplementary where I played off the yellows and got cut 1.6. There's the bonus of playing off the shorter yellows (69, rather than 70) & not having the pressure of competition. I feel both of these aspects more than make up for the 1 shot difference.
So who plays many supplementary rounds to try and get their handicap a bit lower?

I know in reality there is no reason to do this - just accept my level, practice a good bit, and play as well as I can play and possibly get a low round in one Saturday to win a strokeplay comp.
But for me, it's more of a pride thing that I want to have a lower handicap and I feel my ability is there, but the handicap system makes it far easier for people to stay at 17 or 18, compared with someone at 21 getting down to the teens, despite shooting the same scores.

 

[Orikoru]

I never really cared about winning comps as I never expected to have a chance in any. Obviously you have more chance of winning them at the beginning when you're improving more rapidly, perhaps. But the goal ultimately is to get your handicap down. And you only do that by playing well in comps anyway, so I guess they go hand in hand a little bit?

I've never put in a supplementary card. I want to get my handicap down, but I just prefer doing that by playing well in a comp. Doing a round just for the sole purpose of getting my handicap down seems a bit pointless to me. I'd only do it if I was unable to play comps for a long time, but that's never been the case.

 

[Imurg]

It's only ever been about the handicap for me, although these days I worry about it far less than j used to..
Yeah, it's nice to win but it depends on what you win.
I've got boxes of medals, small trophies and the like.
I really don't need any more
I've won crystal and clothing and clubs......
These days it's just money on the bar card.
Playing and playing well are what matters to me - the handicap will look after itself.
We keep saying well put more supplementary cards in because we don't get many comps but it doesn't always happen and it can take an age for them to be processed.
Put one in last Friday and heard nothing yet. Mine is a 0.1 increase. If I was on 8.4 I should be playing off 9 next time but I can't raise my handicap until it's done by the club.
Annoyingly pedestrian with supplementaries - that's the Zoo

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I simply play as well as I can on any given day and if my score is good enough to win then happy days and if someone comes in playing better then hats off. I like to be as competitive as I can but usually my foremost thought is about a) hitting buffer and b) if its going well getting a cut. I play in competitions across the year so my handicap is realistic to my current form and so don't see the need to put a supplementary in

 

[Grant85]

It's only ever been about the handicap for me, although these days I worry about it far less than j used to..
Yeah, it's nice to win but it depends on what you win.
I've got boxes of medals, small trophies and the like.
I really don't need any more
I've won crystal and clothing and clubs......
These days it's just money on the bar card.
Playing and playing well are what matters to me - the handicap will look after itself.
We keep saying well put more supplementary cards in because we don't get many comps but it doesn't always happen and it can take an age for them to be processed.
Put one in last Friday and heard nothing yet. Mine is a 0.1 increase. If I was on 8.4 I should be playing off 9 next time but I can't raise my handicap until it's done by the club.
Annoyingly pedestrian with supplementaries - that's the Zoo

That is poor. I accept these things run off volunteers and rules are rules with regards to needing a signed scorecard - but surely the world of golf can change with regards to processing through an app whereby your playing partner does your score on his phone and declares it is the accurate score. Would save a lot of man hours

 

[Mephistopheles]

It's only ever been about the handicap for me, although these days I worry about it far less than j used to..
Yeah, it's nice to win but it depends on what you win.
I've got boxes of medals, small trophies and the like.
I really don't need any more
I've won crystal and clothing and clubs......
These days it's just money on the bar card.
Playing and playing well are what matters to me - the handicap will look after itself.
We keep saying well put more supplementary cards in because we don't get many comps but it doesn't always happen and it can take an age for them to be processed.
Put one in last Friday and heard nothing yet. Mine is a 0.1 increase. If I was on 8.4 I should be playing off 9 next time but I can't raise my handicap until it's done by the club.
Annoyingly pedestrian with supplementaries - that's the Zoo

That doesn’t seem right.
You are responsible for your own handicap. Had you posted a score worthy of a cut you would be obliged to play off the lower handicap, calculated via sss on the scorecard. When the club handicap convener processes your score you can amend it, but , ultimately it is your responsibility.
The same should apply if you are going up 0•1

 

[fundy]

That doesn’t seem right.
You are responsible for your own handicap. Had you posted a score worthy of a cut you would be obliged to play off the lower handicap, calculated via sss on the scorecard. When the club handicap convener processes your score you can amend it, but , ultimately it is your responsibility.
The same should apply if you are going up 0•1

but it doesnt, you have the duty to reduce your handicap but not to increase as Imurg knows

 

[patricks148]

personally ive never quite got the attitude of those that feel their handicap is there for them to win things.

play your best and get your handicap as low as you can. there is a guy at the local club here in Inverness who was off 5 and got himself up to 13, wins things on a reg basis, though not handicap stroke play comps, he avoids those why would you rather be a mid teen handicap if you could be off 5

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I'm all about the handicap - I want it lower (much lower)

 

[Grant85]

personally ive never quite got the attitude of those that feel their handicap is there for them to win things.

play your best and get your handicap as low as you can. there is a guy at the local club here in Inverness who was off 5 and got himself up to 13, wins things on a reg basis, though not handicap stroke play comps, he avoids those why would you rather be a mid teen handicap if you could be off 5

I'm not so much suggesting I would keep my handicap high to win things, but there's the possibility of getting cut by winning things OR getting cut by playing supplementaries (which is more likely to yield the result of getting cut)

 

[Yant]

personally ive never quite got the attitude of those that feel their handicap is there for them to win things.

play your best and get your handicap as low as you can. there is a guy at the local club here in Inverness who was off 5 and got himself up to 13, wins things on a reg basis, though not handicap stroke play comps, he avoids those why would you rather be a mid teen handicap if you could be off 5

This is effectively cheating.

 

[Orikoru]

I'm not so much suggesting I would keep my handicap high to win things, but there's the possibility of getting cut by winning things OR getting cut by playing supplementaries (which is more likely to yield the result of getting cut)

Is it? Why?

 

[User20204]

there is a guy at the local club here in Inverness who was off 5 and got himself up to 13,

How long does it take to get yourself up 8 shots ? Must be at least 2 or 3 years of never getting cut or hitting buffer.

 

[patricks148]

I'm not so much suggesting I would keep my handicap high to win things, but there's the possibility of getting cut by winning things OR getting cut by playing supplementaries (which is more likely to yield the result of getting cut)

do both, they are called supplementary scores scores after all.

never do them myself as i play in all the medals, but if i couldn't play those i'd do the SP scores

 

[patricks148]

How long does it take to get yourself up 8 shots ? Must be at least 2 or 3 years of never getting cut or hitting buffer.

nope he did it in half a season, they have 3 comps a week and he threw in the odd open too so was getting 0,4 every week. He has won the winter allience (Handicap section)every year since going up and was trawling up the sweep money in that every week over the winter, they had to cut him down to 7 in that as loads complained and some guys i know won't even play in it now. one of the guys i know was drawn against him in the knock outs, he just let him have the tie as didn't want to play against him or with him for that matter. already won a couple of BB comps, NQ ob and been in the winning team of several scrambles

 

[Kennysarmy]

but it doesnt, you have the duty to reduce your handicap but not to increase as Imurg knows

Can you clarify what you mean by that?

I played with a couple of mates on Monday evening, two had played in the medal the previous day and had rounds that would have seen them go up 0.1 - both were previously on a *.4 handicap so I said they should play off the higher handicap in our friendly match as they should adjust their handicap themselves. Is this not right?

 

[patricks148]

Can you clarify what you mean by that?

I played with a couple of mates on Monday evening, two had played in the medal the previous day and had rounds that would have seen them go up 0.1 - both were previously on a *.4 handicap so I said they should play off the higher handicap in our friendly match as they should adjust their handicap themselves. Is this not right?

nope you can only self adjust down, up is down to the club to do

 

[Imurg]

Can you clarify what you mean by that?

I played with a couple of mates on Monday evening, two had played in the medal the previous day and had rounds that would have seen them go up 0.1 - both were previously on a *.4 handicap so I said they should play off the higher handicap in our friendly match as they should adjust their handicap themselves. Is this not right?

You can and should play off a lower handicap if you've played well previously and are awaiting results. You base calculations on SSS.
You can't play off a higher handicap than the one that is posted. If you're awaiting results then you can't increase until the card is processed.

 

[fundy]

Can you clarify what you mean by that?

I played with a couple of mates on Monday evening, two had played in the medal the previous day and had rounds that would have seen them go up 0.1 - both were previously on a *.4 handicap so I said they should play off the higher handicap in our friendly match as they should adjust their handicap themselves. Is this not right?

You have to wait for the club to adjust upwards but have a duty to revise yourself downwards

 

[Garush34]

I play to have a chance to get my handicap cut and get lower. Not too bothered about the winning, if I do its an addded bonus but if not I'm not bothered. I'd rather win off a lower handicap than a higher one. shows you've put the work in to get lower.

Sometimes I hate playing off a higher handicap as I have a decent swing and have on quite a few occassions had folk say to me that when they see my swing they'd expect me to be lower. Then they see that I have a rubbish short game and that explains when I play off 17.