Over / Under Handicap (Mid-round)

[jim8flog]

, may be worth still trying to score well.

Which is exactly what I said

 

[bobmac]

Have the PGA told the pros, via their communications, that a pro can have a handicap under the WHS system?

I don't know, I'm not a member any more

 

[timd77]

I personally think that's madness, and outrageous. Every time I play I'm trying to get the best score I can - for me that is what golf is all about. If I wasn't trying to get the best score I shouldn't have turned up.

I agree with you about stroke index as well. I wouldn't let having a shot or not affect how I play a hole, my only thought is the best way to play the hole for my game - what's the most likely way to result in the least strokes. Even in Stableford, after all, 3 points is better than 2 points.

Totally agree, I’ll always try my best on every hole. Even if I know I’m out of contention, I don’t want a hcp increase, or more importantly, to finish last in the comp!

As for trying to make birdie or par on every hole and looking at the SI/using your shots, it depends on the hole. If I can get to the green in regulation I’ll be trying to get a birdie or par if I fluff a shot up. But, using our 9th as an example, a long, tight tree lined par 4, unless it’s bone dry with lots of roll, I’ll plan to get on in 3, hope to get up and down, but feeling bogey is good.

Dan Hendriksen put out a YouTube vlog a while ago, in it he talked about how he always goes for par, hopes for birdie, but as soon as he messes one up or gets a bad bounce/lie/behind a tree etc, he’ll happily take a bogey rather than attempting Seve type recoveries, his aim being to prevent doubles at that point. I’ve tried it a few times and found it beneficial.

 

[Orikoru]

Totally agree, I’ll always try my best on every hole. Even if I know I’m out of contention, I don’t want a hcp increase, or more importantly, to finish last in the comp!

As for trying to make birdie or par on every hole and looking at the SI/using your shots, it depends on the hole. If I can get to the green in regulation I’ll be trying to get a birdie or par if I fluff a shot up. But, using our 9th as an example, a long, tight tree lined par 4, unless it’s bone dry with lots of roll, I’ll plan to get on in 3, hope to get up and down, but feeling bogey is good.

Dan Hendriksen put out a YouTube vlog a while ago, in it he talked about how he always goes for par, hopes for birdie, but as soon as he messes one up or gets a bad bounce/lie/behind a tree etc, he’ll happily take a bogey rather than attempting Seve type recoveries, his aim being to prevent doubles at that point. I’ve tried it a few times and found it beneficial.

Yeah, same here. That's what I mean by playing the hole, not the stroke index. I think it's silly to go out looking for bogey just because you get a shot, because inevitably if you make an error you're looking at double already. I try and play the shot I think gives me a decent chance of par, even if the third shot might be a short pitch that I hope to get close enough for a one-putt. And if I only end up making bogey, that's fine for me. As you say, I'm trying to avoid doubles as much as possible.

 

[Springveldt]

I take into account which holes are shot holes when judging how I'm going against handicap. For example, on the front 9 my shot holes are 4,5,8 and 9. So I'd guess 95% of the time I'm over my handicap when teeing off on 8 and I have to keep telling myself that I get 7 shots in the remaining 11 holes to make shots back.
I quite often feel like I'm chasing my card most rounds since I don't get a shot on the first 3 holes on the front and the first 2 on the back and I'll inevitably drop shots at them.

I just don't make enough birdies (as @bobmac points out) to take pressure off me (9 handicap, probably 1 every 2 rounds or so). It means I usually have to end up parring at least 3 or 4 shot holes as some of the holes I don't get shots at (the par 3's in particular) I end up losing shots there.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

I take into account which holes are shot holes when judging how I'm going against handicap. For example, on the front 9 my shot holes are 4,5,8 and 9. So I'd guess 95% of the time I'm over my handicap when teeing off on 8 and I have to keep telling myself that I get 7 shots in the remaining 11 holes to make shots back.
I quite often feel like I'm chasing my card most rounds since I don't get a shot on the first 3 holes on the front and the first 2 on the back and I'll inevitably drop shots at them.

I just don't make enough birdies (as @bobmac points out) to take pressure off me (9 handicap, probably 1 every 2 rounds or so). It means I usually have to end up parring at least 3 or 4 shot holes as some of the holes I don't get shots at (the par 3's in particular) I end up losing shots there.

Forgot about shot holes and make the best score you can on each hole you play regardless of receiving a shot on it or not.

 

[IanM]

I tend to think in terms of 6 groups of three holes and target being level (net) for the three.

If I'm under I think of it banked and forgotten. If I'm over, I keep awareness of where I get might it back.

 

[sunshine]

I try and stay in the present and not think about my score, but I'm always aware of my gross score v par. I only ever count up the stableford points after 9 and 18.

It's funny how we golfers all have our own psychology to scoring. A couple of weeks ago, I was standing on the 10th tee and my marker told me how many points I had for the front nine. I knew I was +2 gross, but I wasn't going to get out my card and add up the points because I was about to address the ball and play my shot, so I told him that sounded about right and hit my shot. As we walked off the tee he apologised profusely, he was mortified that he had alerted me to my score. Personally I couldn't care less but he had obviously played with people who get very funny about knowing their score.

 

[Springveldt]

Forgot about shot holes and make the best score you can on each hole you play regardless of receiving a shot on it or not.

Obviously I try and do that but there are a few holes on my course that I get a shot on that I find easier than some holes I don't get a shot on. I try to par everything but I treat shot holes as a chance to get ahead of my card so to speak and ease a bit of the pressure you might feel when you are having a good round.