Reducing Handicap

[Nick_Toye]

Hi,

Early this month I joined my local club and have since racked up something like 12 rounds. Almost 4 times a week.

Twice I have carded below nett par of 69. I know I need to play with members of at least 6 months before I can submit any card, but I'm not sure I'm ready to actually play competitively with other people just yet, want to develop more confidence, but if I am consistently hitting below my handicap will such members be a little annoyed with me?

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Do you have a handicap yet?

 

[Birchy]

Get your cards in and get playing competitions. Its the only way to get fully comfortable with playing golf competitively imo.

 

[Nick_Toye]

Do you have a handicap yet?

Not yet, but I have been submitting my cards since I started as a member onto an online tracker, and it has me at 27.1

Get your cards in and get playing competitions. Its the only way to get fully comfortable with playing golf competitively imo.

Well they have this thing called a Sunday Corner, where you play as 4-ball group against other 4-balls, mixed handicaps, and I think its best score per group. Stableford I think, but that still gives me a handicap right? 37 scored today, so I know I can make a difference, think I'm going to go for it week after next, away this weekend.

I think I'm ready. I actually met this other player on the front 9 the other day and he played the 9 holes with me and then had to leave, he reckons he was a 15 handicap, but I was outdriving him, better approach play and putted better. He said as he was leaving, there is no way your a 28, but I am, well unofficially a 27.

My goal is to get myself down to 25 and go and play St Andrews early next year.

 

[woody69]

I don't understand? Surely if you haven't submitted any cards yet, then you don't have a handicap, so how can you be hitting below it?

EDIT - Just seen your post above, I see it's an unofficial one. That really doesn't matter. If you go out with a member to submit a card you don't have a handicap, so you won't annoy anyone. Just play your best and you'll get allocated a handicap based on your best card rounded down to nett double bogeys for anything worse than that. The fact you are already scoring less than the unofficial one suggests you may already be off 25 (or less).

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Just stick three cards in and go from there.

With the max score per hole being a double bogey for the purposes of your initial three cards, I'd be surprised if you weren't more like 20 than 27, but only one way to find out!

And to answer what seemed to be your original question: when you're putting cards in for handicap then you're not playing in a competition anyway, it's just to decide your handicap. It would also be impossible for you to annoy them by scoring lower than your handicap, because by definition you can't do that as you don't have one!

 

[Nick_Toye]

I don't understand? Surely if you haven't submitted any cards yet, then you don't have a handicap, so how can you be hitting below it?

EDIT - Just seen your post above, I see it's an unofficial one. That really doesn't matter. If you go out with a member to submit a card you don't have a handicap, so you won't annoy anyone. Just play your best and you'll get allocated a handicap based on your best card rounded down to nett double bogeys for anything worse than that. The fact you are already scoring less than the unofficial one suggests you may already be off 25 (or less).

Well I use this site http://todaysgolfer.golfscoretracker.co.uk/ It seems advanced enough to be accurate, but maybe they do it differently.

I've only scored twice under my unofficial one.

Its a par 69, the SSS is 68. My scored have been:

95
106
107
101
101
100
106
100
106
96

So I don't think that would get me to 25 would it?

Just stick three cards in and go from there.

With the max score per hole being a double bogey for the purposes of your initial three cards, I'd be surprised if you weren't more like 20 than 27, but only one way to find out!

And to answer what seemed to be your original question: when you're putting cards in for handicap then you're not playing in a competition anyway, it's just to decide your handicap. It would also be impossible for you to annoy them by scoring lower than your handicap, because by definition you can't do that as you don't have one!

I can't hand cards in unless its signed by another member.

How do you mean max score being a doubly bogey for initial 3? Don't I get a shot on every hole, and 2 shots on SI 1-10?

 

[duncan mackie]

I can't hand cards in unless its signed by another member.

How do you mean max score being a doubly bogey for initial 3? Don't I get a shot on every hole, and 2 shots on SI 1-10?

1. just go out and play with other members; ask the pro to pair you up with someone who will sign your cards or ask the handicap sec to make arrangements - it's what clubs (should) do.

2. until you have a handicap you don't know which holes you get shots on so you won't know where you have nett double bogeys etc! Until you have a handicap the max score that will count for handicap is a gross double bogey on any hole.

 

[Nick_Toye]

1. just go out and play with other members; ask the pro to pair you up with someone who will sign your cards or ask the handicap sec to make arrangements - it's what clubs (should) do.

2. until you have a handicap you don't know which holes you get shots on so you won't know where you have nett double bogeys etc! Until you have a handicap the max score that will count for handicap is a gross double bogey on any hole.

Right, so I've been scoring wrong then? Just for my own kind of at a glance view of my game, 28 is the most shots I can have right? So if it turns out I have less, then that's win win right?

Sorry, maths wasn't ever my strong point, not since I got a computer.

 

[Joff]

Right, so I've been scoring wrong then? Just for my own kind of at a glance view of my game, 28 is the most shots I can have right? So if it turns out I have less, then that's win win right?

Sorry, maths wasn't ever my strong point, not since I got a computer.

28 is the most you 'could' have (assuming you're an adult male), but as you have no handicap... You have no shots yet!!!

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Right, so I've been scoring wrong then? Just for my own kind of at a glance view of my game, 28 is the most shots I can have right? So if it turns out I have less, then that's win win right?

Sorry, maths wasn't ever my strong point, not since I got a computer.

Take any one of the cards you've listed. For any hole on which you've scored worse than a double bogey, just treat that whole as being a double bogey and recalculate your total. Deduct the SSS from your new total, and that's what your handicap would be.

It's the best score from the three cards you submit.

 

[Nick_Toye]

Take any one of the cards you've listed. For any hole on which you've scored worse than a double bogey, just treat that whole as being a double bogey and recalculate your total. Deduct the SSS from your new total, and that's what your handicap would be.

It's the best score from the three cards you submit.

Ok, well I can't submit any yet, but I may pick my 3 best rounds and do it for fun.

EDIT

Then I presume the club secretary once I submit cards, will work out the average from the 3 and that's my handicap? Is it rounded up or down?

 

[Nick_Toye]

28 is the most you 'could' have (assuming you're an adult male), but as you have no handicap... You have no shots yet!!!

Ok I get it. But still if I am scoring 105 one week, but the following week I card a 100 and say a 96, then I can see I am improving.

 

[Foxholer]

Right, so I've been scoring wrong then? Just for my own kind of at a glance view of my game, 28 is the most shots I can have right? So if it turns out I have less, then that's win win right?

Sorry, maths wasn't ever my strong point, not since I got a computer.

That's not a particularly bad way of assessing yourself, but it's not the 'proper' way of doing it.

As Duncan has posted, Clubs should be able to help you get those cards in - and you seem consistent enough to be capable of handling it. Don't be timid about; 'embrace' the Club environment - you may find you really enjoy it and most members are happy to help (some too much at times!). It's also a great way to learn The Rules, or at least the situations The Rules cover - there are quite a few 'myths', so best to check them either at the time, or after the round! Bear in mind that Pros often aren't the best reference, but can normally supply a copy of The Rules!

Don't be surprised if your first 'for handicap' score is rather higher than normal. The saying is 'it's amazing the difference having a card in you hand makes!'! The handicap will be taken from the best of the 3 cards you hand in, so it's quite possible to have 5 or 6 cards before handing in 3 (or all of them) 'for handicap'. That way there's less likelihood of a new member being embareassed by coming in with a 'great' score in their first comp. In your case, even a 28 handicap wouldn't seem to be too far off the mark though.

Good Luck and Enjoy!

 

[Nick_Toye]

That's not a particularly bad way of assessing yourself, but it's not the 'proper' way of doing it.

As Duncan has posted, Clubs should be able to help you get those cards in - and you seem consistent enough to be capable of handling it. Don't be timid about; 'embrace' the Club environment - you may find you really enjoy it and most members are happy to help (some too much at times!). It's also a great way to learn The Rules, or at least the situations The Rules cover - there are quite a few 'myths', so best to check them either at the time, or after the round! Bear in mind that Pros often aren't the best reference, but can normally supply a copy of The Rules!

Don't be surprised if your first 'for handicap' score is rather higher than normal. The saying is 'it's amazing the difference having a card in you hand makes!'! The handicap will be taken from the best of the 3 cards you hand in, so it's quite possible to have 5 or 6 cards before handing in 3 (or all of them) 'for handicap'. That way there's less likelihood of a new member being embareassed by coming in with a 'great' score in their first comp. In your case, even a 28 handicap wouldn't seem to be too far off the mark though.

Good Luck and Enjoy!

Ok, so I basically need to get out there and start playing with members?

The lad I went around with for front 9 was actually quite useful in giving me some tips on my swing, especially my drive. Although I kind of knew what he was saying and was trying to do that, but having someone there to observe was really good.

 

[Nick_Toye]

Wow, I just went through 3 cards where I scored 99,95,96

Doing the double-bogey worse score, and then deducting the SSS of 68 I have an average of 25.3

So if I had submitted these cards, my handicap would be 25.3?

 

[Nick_Toye]

Ok, now my interest has peaked somewhat, I feel my knowledge of golf is going up a level.

I took my best 3 cards, not necessarily the best scoring total, but after triple bogeys and worse had been rounded down. Turns out that if I had submitted those cards, I'd be 23.6. Which is awesome. Definitely opening a new dimension for me now.

So lets say that was my handicap. I would then get a shot per hole, and then 2 shots for SI 1 to 5? or 1 to 4? Not sure how it works it out with the decimal point.

And for Stableford I would get the same right? So a par on a SI 1 would give me 4pts? Please tell me that's right? ha ha.

 

[DCB]

You'd get 24 an initial allocation is always a full number.

Get three cards marked and get them in and then get playing in some comps, that's the way to really test your golf. Card in hand in a comp

 

[Fyldewhite]

Ok, so I basically need to get out there and start playing with members?

Yes, ultimately that's why you joined isn't it? Don't forget you are a member now too! The sooner you get your official handicap and get playing competition golf the sooner you can start setting "proper" targets and try to reduce it. What you are doing now is fine as a guide but actually meaningless in the grand scheme of things.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Get the cards in. With an official handicap it opens all sorts of opportunities. I'm sure you'll find plenty of help to get a game if you asked