Satisfied with your handicap?

[backwoodsman]

Following from GB72's post it reminds me of something I've been wondering about handicapping. I know club folk have to put in a number of cards each year (3 ?) for handicapping. Who decides which cards are the ones to be submitted? Do they have to be competition cards or what? Is it any card (ie all) from a competion you,ve entered. Or do you get to choose yourself. And if you do choose yourself - how do you decide which. Do you put in your absolute best scores to get the h/c down as low as possible , or do you put in the higher scores to keep it up somewhere near current? Or pick the selection where you think "well, that's about average for me?"

 

[GB72]

As it was for my first handicap and to get a fair idea of my current standard I simply put in the cards from my first 3 rounds. The first card was a good one, the second about average and the third not great so gave a fair cross section of what I can do on the course. I had hoped for something around 24 a this is the handicap I have been given when playing with my regular group but 27 is OK.

At least I have now got over the hurdle of getting my first one, I can enter comps and at least I now do not hold up the rest of my group as I putt out on every hole on the round just to complete my card and having to trouble one of the group to score my card every time.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I was under the impression that the cards submitted had to be competitive ones and the days of handing speculative on the day cards had gone. I'm a 28 handicapper when it comes to how the handicap system works but I understood you had to defend your handicap (i.e. play a competitive round at which your handicap was at stake i.e it could go up or down) a set number of times per 12 month period or it became lapsed.

I also understood that anyone not playing within a set number of shots of his handicap after defending it the pre-requisite number of times would then be entitled to a shot back on an annual handicap review.

I'm pretty sure there is a requirement in the US (again more knowledgable forumers will put me right) that you have to submit a card every time you play.

From my perspective I don't want to decide where and when I put a card in dependant on how well or badly I'm playing. That must lead to artificially high handicaps in worse case scenarios and players playing off handicaps too low for their GENERAL standard after submitting round of a lifetime cards.

I play in every club competition going so must play at least 25-30 events every year. As a result I'm happy that my handicap reflects my true ability over any golfing year. It comes down inthe summer when the course is at its easiest and is harder to play to in winter when it is wet and long.

My aim is to get to single figures and be consistent enought to play to it. I have had many people look at my swing since I changed it and say that my handicap is higher than it should be given the way I hit the ball. Time and practice will see if they are right

 

[brendy]

If you are talking about regular club players, Every competition you enter and complete a card, that score goes towards your handicap, if you enter 25 competitions then all 25 count as long as they are handicap qualifying comps (ie non lift clean and place etc). Most clubs have a rule that states that if you enter competitions and do not return a completed card, then there will be penalties if you cross a specified threshold, usually 2 or 3 scrapped cards unless a very good reason has been given, illness, on call etc.

 

[RGuk]

I'm not satisfied with my handicap.....not at all.
Here's the reason....I put in 2 cards off yellows and 1 card off mats. I worked it out (using the system) as about 14 or 15. However, the new h'cap sec' took the best of the three cards (the one off the mats) and gave me 11.5. At the time I was well chuffed, but looking back, he should have taken into consideration the winter SSS which is 2 less than for the rest of the year. I played the back nine 3 over par on that card.......easy off short tees........can't see me ever doing this off the yellow.

 

[Parmo]

I use Golfshake.com for my unofficial hcp, I generally put all my cards in to get a true figure of my hcp. I have noticed something this last week though, I entered a 85 then a 88 and again last weekend an 85 on my current hcp of 20.1 and my hcp has not changed and I would of thought my new hcp of been around 16ish mark but it stayed the same!!

SSS 65
Par 70

Such is life I guess.

 

[backwoodsman]

Ta all

 

[rgs]

To answer the question I am not satisfied with my handicap would love to get it down to from 19 to around 15/16 this season.