Playing to or below your handicap

[Backache]

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.

OK fair enough . It is semantics but personally I have regarded playing to your handicap as playing towards the upper limits of your current potential which is how I think the handicap has been traditionally regarded. So playing to my handicap would be playing approximately within the old buffer, scoring above this is not unexpected but I would regard this as playing to a level consistent with my handicap but not to my handicap.

 

[CliveW]

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.

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It would be interesting to see the graphs of those who differ greatly from my 20% rate.

It would be interesting to know what that graph meant!

 

[Bobthesock]

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.

The low handicappers at your course sound a right happy lot! They are not professionals just slightly better than average amateurs. Should get over themselves and play the comps. It's all for fun anyway!

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I always expect to, but unfortunately I don’t always succeed

 

[Deleted member 29109]

I always expect to, but unfortunately I don’t always succeed

Every round I play I expect to shoot my best score ever. Usually that expectation is dampened by the second hole.

 

[Voyager EMH]

It would be interesting to know what that graph meant!

The graph is available to all on My England Golf. Don't know about other countries.
It is one's last 100 scores. Green dots and line is one's HI. More wiggly line and dots are one's scores.
Count the number of scores on or below one's HI at the time.
Should be around 20% for all.

Your HI is based on 40% of your scores. Kind of makes sense that around half will be below and half will be above since your HI is the average of those scores.

Some interesting perceptions posted here today.
I'm sorry that I've been a bit boring with the facts only.

 

[Jason.H]

The low handicappers at your course sound a right happy lot! They are not professionals just slightly better than average amateurs. Should get over themselves and play the comps. It's all for fun anyway!

Most low handicapped players at my club play in the comps, scratch team as often as possible. Whilst it’s obvious it’s hard for them to win there’s a good chance of a 2 and the prestige of being a low handicapper is priceless.

 

[clubchamp98]

The low handicappers at your course sound a right happy lot! They are not professionals just slightly better than average amateurs. Should get over themselves and play the comps. It's all for fun anyway!

If you think scratch and +2 is slightly better than average fair enough.
They are competing against themselves because as has been said they can’t beat 45/50 pts.
One young lad shot 68 gross a few weeks ago and came 6th in the comp ,a major won by a 32 capper.
That must be hard.
Paying their £3.50 every week just dosnt add up and they might as well play for a £5 between themselves ,at least they have a chance of winning.
WHS has been good for some but not for others.

 

[Bobthesock]

If you think scratch and +2 is slightly better than average fair enough.
They are competing against themselves because as has been said they can’t beat 45/50 pts.
One young lad shot 68 gross a few weeks ago and came 6th in the comp ,a major won by a 32 capper.
That must be hard.
Paying their £3.50 every week just dosnt add up and they might as well play for a £5 between themselves ,at least they have a chance of winning.
WHS has been good for some but not for others.

No 2s money there then? If they are that good they would make money from that.
It's not all about the winning it's about having a laugh and a beer at the end of it win or lose, at least where I play it is.
I'm unlikely to win much being off single figures but I still pay my 4 quid every week and see what happens.
Would hate to be at a stage where I didn't want to play in competitions because I didn't think I would win. Each to their own though!

 

[Swinglowandslow]

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.

Yes, everyone plays crap sometimes. But a gross score is a gross score.
If par is 72, then 84 for a low capper is awful, but rare. For me it would be a very good day indeed........and as rare?
I always aim for a par....and I always will. To get one most holes means hitting the ball very well..That is my main objective. That is what I like about golf.
If I were off scratch to 4, I would compete in scratch competitions. Probably wouldn't bother with handicap events. Match play is different, but in stroke play someone in the field , some high handicapper, will play out of his skin.
It only takes one of the field.
I take your point entirely.

 

[clubchamp98]

No 2s money there then? If they are that good they would make money from that.
It's not all about the winning it's about having a laugh and a beer at the end of it win or lose, at least where I play it is.
I'm unlikely to win much being off single figures but I still pay my 4 quid every week and see what happens.
Would hate to be at a stage where I didn't want to play in competitions because I didn't think I would win. Each to their own though!

The twos are separate £1 with the pro.
Our Par 3s are very tough and most of the field don’t bother with the 2s.
Last one I got I won £4.
I agree it’s about the company as much as the golf ,but the younger more driven guys at my club don’t agree.
I am still single figures and imho WHS has created so many bandits it’s unreal.
Won’t stop me playing in comps but my chances of winning are very low. That’s a bad thing to think when you tee it up on the first tee but I am just being realistic.

 

[clubchamp98]

Yes, everyone plays crap sometimes. But a gross score is a gross score.
If par is 72, then 84 for a low capper is awful, but rare. For me it would be a very good day indeed........and as rare?
I always aim for a par....and I always will. To get one most holes means hitting the ball very well..That is my main objective. That is what I like about golf.
If I were off scratch to 4, I would compete in scratch competitions. Probably wouldn't bother with handicap events. Match play is different, but in stroke play someone in the field , some high handicapper, will play out of his skin.
It only takes one of the field.
I take your point entirely.

Yes and every week there is one!
We never saw scores like that under the old system.
As soon as WHS came in the scores skyrocketed. No coincidence!

 

[Swinglowandslow]

No 2s money there then? If they are that good they would make money from that.
It's not all about the winning it's about having a laugh and a beer at the end of it win or lose, at least where I play it is.
I'm unlikely to win much being off single figures but I still pay my 4 quid every week and see what happens.
Would hate to be at a stage where I didn't want to play in competitions because I didn't think I would win. Each to their own though!

I take your point, bout playing being about the company etc, but of course, that is available in social golf too.
But it seems that now the system changes your penultimate sentence to.."because I know I wouldnt win"
There was a time when the highest handicap was 18. ?

 

[Bobthesock]

I take your point, bout playing being about the company etc, but of course, that is available in social golf too.
But it seems that now the system changes your penultimate sentence to.."because I know I wouldnt win"
There was a time when the highest handicap was 18. ?

Highest allowed today was 24 so not too bad, plus there is always a payout for lowest gross score so everyone has a chance to win something. 2s are included in the £4 entry fee and there are 5 par 3s.
It may be different for me as it's a very sociable club with few cliques, everyone plays with everyone else.
Thought the whole point in joining a club was to play in the competitions that's all

 

[rulefan]

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.

There are a lot of high cappers out there now. If there are 50 in your club there is a good chance that one of them will have 'a very good day' during the week.

 

[wjemather]

They are competing against themselves because as has been said they can’t beat 45/50 pts.
One young lad shot 68 gross a few weeks ago and came 6th in the comp ,a major won by a 32 capper.
That must be hard.
Paying their £3.50 every week just dosnt add up and they might as well play for a £5 between themselves ,at least they have a chance of winning.
WHS has been good for some but not for others.

This is just bad competition management; where are the divisions, limits for trophy eligibility, gross prizes, etc.?
And WHS has nothing to do with it - handicaps above 28 predate it by years.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

If you think scratch and +2 is slightly better than average fair enough.
They are competing against themselves because as has been said they can’t beat 45/50 pts.
One young lad shot 68 gross a few weeks ago and came 6th in the comp ,a major won by a 32 capper.
That must be hard.
Paying their £3.50 every week just dosnt add up and they might as well play for a £5 between themselves ,at least they have a chance of winning.
WHS has been good for some but not for others.

When the new handicap system first came out, it showed on the website where you stood in the country, county & club.
At 2.6 I was top 2% for country and county, and top 7% for club.
So the scratch and plus handicappers are along way from average.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

The old system was one where you were only supposed to play to it every 7 rounds or so wasn't it? It was almost aspirational. The new is supposed to be far closer to your average ability so the aim is to play to it far more often, isn't it?

 

[Imurg]

If I remember correctly, when WHS started up, an awful lot of higher handicappers saw their index go up from where their previous handicap was..
A 20 became a 22 which gave them 25 shots - numbers plucked out of the air but not unusual.
So instead of getting 20 shots they now have 25..
Also, a lot of lower handicappers got an index lower than their previous handicap so didn't get any extra shots..
A good day off 20 could produce 41/42 points - with 5 more shots that good day becomes nearer 50.
And a lower handicapper can't compete with that.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

The old system was one where you were only supposed to play to it every 7 rounds or so wasn't it? It was almost aspirational. The new is supposed to be far closer to your average ability so the aim is to play to it far more often, isn't it?

Yet for most lower handicappers, we came down with the introduction of the new system.