Standard Scratch

[jonny1409]

Can anyone tell me what this really means and what the significance of it is ?

I've just been reading another post and they were talking about how the CSS will be affected if only the good scores are entered into the computer.

I'm sure it may well be, but I'd love to know why ?!

 

[USER1999]

Standard scratch is effectively a measure of how difficult a course is playing on a given day. It is affected by the individual scores on each hole being averaged such that a par 4 may be playing as a par 4.2. All these decimals add up, and so the CSS may be a couple under or over par on any given day.

Handicaps are cut from the css, not the par of the course.

 

[Wildrover]

The SSS (Standard Scratch Score) is in effect the handicap score for the course, Eg if a course is Par 72 but a SSS of 71, then to play to your handicap you would need to shoot a net 71, not 72.
The CSS (Competition Standard Scratch) is the SSS for that particular day/comp. So if it's windy or wet the CSS would probably be higher than the SSS, and vice versa if it were a nice sunny still day with the course in perfect nick. The CSS is worked out from the scores returned in the comp.

 

[jonny1409]

So am I right in saying that if only the lowest scores (68, 69, 70 etc rather than 98, 99 etc) were entered into the computer for a comp, then the CSS would be lower than it would be if everyone entered their scores ?

Therefore I also assume that the reason people complain about this so much is that they may infact get a handicap lift because they'd be further away from the CSS ?

Have I understood this correctly ?

 

[birdieman]

SSS is a grading applied by your golf union (Scottish, English etc) that determines difficulty according to factors like course length, bunkering, water etc etc.
It is needed because par is not a measure of anything except length.
St Andrews Eden Course is par 70, Ballater (my course) is also par 70, however one is clearly a lot harder than the other and I wouldn't be expected to score equally on both courses. Ballater SSS is 69, Eden Course is probably 73 or close to that.

CSS - this is the SSS but measured for a particular day to reflect local conditions. i.e if it is really windy and wet or the pins are in the toughest places for club championship last round, scoring at my course will likely be poorer than normal so the CSS may become for example 70 or 71 instead of the SSS 69. It can come down one shot and up as many as three shots to reflect difficulty on the day.
The CSS is calculated from everybodies scores except category 4 (h'cap 20-28) and is weighted towards category 1 (h'cap scratch and better to 5) because low handicappers are much more consistent in their scoring than high handicappers.
Re. your last comment everyone playing in categories 1,2 and 3 has to enter their score for an accurate CSS to be calculated. As someone else said handicap changes are calculated by the difference in CSS and your net score that day. If your net score is under CSS you'll get cut, if it is over you might go up 0.1 depending on which of the 4 handicap categories you're in. As a cat. 1 player I get a 1 shot buffer zone, cat. 2 gets 2 shot buffer zone, cat. 3 a 3 shot buffer zone etc.

 

[Wildrover]

If only the higher scores were entered then the CSS would be higher and vice versa. (I assume we're talking medal scores here).
Normally for a comp if your net score is lower than the CSS then your handicap will be cut. If you are within one or two strokes over the CSS then you will be in the "buffer zone" so your h'cap will be unchanged. Any higher than that and you will get 0.1 added.

 

[Wildrover]

Birdieman
I'm sure the Old Course is a Par 72, as it only has two par 5's and 2 par 3's, the rest 4's.

 

[jonny1409]

Thanks all - that makes sense now.

 

[birdieman]

Birdieman
I'm sure the Old Course is a Par 72, as it only has two par 5's and 2 par 3's, the rest 4's.

I expect you're right, I couldn't remember, I'll need to find a better example!

 

[Wildrover]

I think your point was clear enough though, but of all the courses to get wrong.
Maybe we should go play it to see who is right.

 

[birdieman]

I think your point was clear enough though, but of all the courses to get wrong.
Maybe we should go play it to see who is right.

You offering to stump up Rover? I'll be there in a flash!
Some crafty editing to the first post has saved my blushes!

 

[Wildrover]

I think you should pay as you're nearer than me, it will cost me a small fortune in diesel just to get there.

 

[RGuk]

SSS is an arse!

My course was given SSS 68 par 71 the day it opened. It's not that short and now the "open" fairways are tree-lined and tight the SSS is a joke. To my mind it seems almost entirely dependent on length. The usga use 10 extra factors....interestingly, congu can't even state one determining factor...just waffle...

 

[Imurg]

Our Par 71 is SSS 69 of the whites and 67 off the yellows. Doesn't it show what a scratch player would go round in? If so the difference between our whites and yellows for a scratch golfer would not be 2 shots. If he can shoot 67 off the yellows than he can shoot it off the whites too, there isn't that much difference to him. To us yes, but to a scratch player??

With SSS 69 off the whites I basically have no buffer zone unless evryone plays really badly. I have to shoot nett par to maintain handicap. And off the yellows I need to shoot nett 62 to get cut as their is a policy of only cutting full shots from the yellows.

No wonder the handicap isn't coming down.........

 

[viscount17]

I may be wrong, but doesn't the SSS actually apply only to the white's (and the ladies SSS to their medal tee). I think it's only a convenience that it is also applied to yellows as at most courses the position of this is variable.

There is an oddity in the measurement of tees at our course. The official measurement is taken from the ladies medal tee, a fixed plate, but as there is only one of these instead of two they 'can't' use this for their medals. There are no similar plates for whites and yellows though on some holes there is a separate board for the seniors tee.