bobmac
Major Champion
Just curious.....
Playing to or below your handicap
- Thread starter bobmac
- Start date
Pretty much every round. Probably 80 % of golfers do. Only those who are improving or on the slide don't. My handicap has been more or less static 12-13 for 20 years, so am always in the range of playing to it.
rulefan
Tour Winner
Do you mean 'spot on' or within 1 or 2 strokes?
bobmac
Major Champion
To or below your handicap, I can't edit the question 
jim8flog
Journeyman Pro
I have always reckoned on playing to my handicap around 10-15% of the rounds I play.
This year I have had 17 rounds of competition golf and bettered handicap twice.
I have a fairly stable handicap index which varies with a couple of shots.
This year I have had 17 rounds of competition golf and bettered handicap twice.
I have a fairly stable handicap index which varies with a couple of shots.
Crow
Crow Person
This needs to have a rounds played indicator as we all play different numbers of rounds per year, say "How many times per 50 rounds do you expect to play to or below your handicap?"
clubchamp98
Journeyman Pro
10% I would say.
But some of the stupid scores at my place are putting me off competition golf.
45/50 pts for a high capper is “ a very good day” happens almost every week now!
For a single digit player that’s impossible.
But some of the stupid scores at my place are putting me off competition golf.
45/50 pts for a high capper is “ a very good day” happens almost every week now!
For a single digit player that’s impossible.
Backache
Assistant Pro
It depends on how you define playing to your handicap and it can become a mater of semantics. But by your interpretation a scratch player could have an off day and shoot 150 in theory and their handicap would remain static if it did not alter any of the best 8 of 20 . I don't think many people would regard this as playing to their handicap.
wjemather
Well-known member
(As per the maths) about 20% on average; less when playing badly, more when playing well.
hovis
Tour Winner
I don't really see handicap as my target. I look at the conditions for the day and think for eg "high 70's will make me happy".
CliveW
Tour Winner
I never do, and if/when I do, it’s a bonus!
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
The way I'm playing right now..?
Never again...
Never again...
Last year played to and below plenty, not this year though, probably down not getting to play that often. Last year Al least 3/4 of my scores were maybe no more that a differential of 2, this year more like 6.
Not quite. I regard playing to my handicap as being in the normal spectrum of scores that keeps my hc effectively stable within a shot.
So in stableford language, 31-38 is playing to my hc.
But as you say, it depends what one means.
Real world example, I had 34 points stbl yesterday. One could consider that I didnt play to my hc.
PCC was 2 shots (very windy day!). So one could also consider that I therefore played exactly to my hc.
But course rating is 1 below par, so you could also say due to that I was one above my hc.
Or looking at my hc this morning, I see that it was reduced by 0.1. So you could argue on that, that I must have played better than my hc.
So I think on balance, if you are within your normal range and deviation, then you have played to your hc. Even I dont shoot 150, so if I did, that would be not playing to my hc. So would bettering about 78 on the otherside.
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In my last competitive year, a couple of years back it was 4 times. Rounds were split between low 80‘s down to low 70’s gross. The year before it was 7 times with most rounds in the 70’s, 6 times the year before with most in the 70’s.
For several years, 2010 onwards, I was frustratingly in the buffer far too often.
For several years, 2010 onwards, I was frustratingly in the buffer far too often.
Thank god for divisions! Far too often I’ve looked at the results on a Sunday morning and thought I needed to shoot a course record to beat the winning score.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Depends what you mean by playing to. But if I'm not there or thereabouts - i.e. at least 34 points or +2 net - then I tend to go home disappointed.
Voyager EMH
Slipper Wearing Plucker of Pheasants
About 20% of the time. Could do with some decent scores soon, though, to keep to 20% or better. Should find that is do-able now that the HI has gone up.
It would be interesting to see the graphs of those who differ greatly from my 20% rate.
It would be interesting to see the graphs of those who differ greatly from my 20% rate.
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Swinglowandslow
Well-known member
I agree completely about your point re high and low handicappers.
And I speak as someone who has come in twice on 45 points. Mostly I am around 32, have been 19?.
But, you're right. On the day, someone from around 20 will come in with that many points. ( I.e 45-50).. Someone around 20 will play out of their skin.
Not many single handicappers will do that, I.e. play uncharacteristicly enough to win big.
But, if you ask me to swap handicaps with a 6 player, I'll do it in a heartbeat.
To play such a high standard consistently is what I'd love to do. Hitting a golf ball like that almost always must be great.
Coming top in a club competition once in a while is nothing compared to that, I should think?
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clubchamp98
Journeyman Pro
Yes I think you have a point.
But low cappers don’t always play as well as you think .
We all play crap sometimes.
The only thing I have with handicaps is I have played with a guy who shot 58 net off 32 cap ,nothing spectacular but no big errors.
I have never played with a scratch guy or low cappers that could do that. ,not even close.
Was behind a lad who shot 65 gross a course record for an am.
But he would still be 7 shots behind the guy off 32. ( level playing field ?)
Almost all the low guys don’t play in our comps now ( just the majors) they are very competitive bunch and basically have their own comp and just put their cards in for h/cap.
They have no chance with this WHS and are voting with their feet.
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