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Tenlarge

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I've been playing the game for over 30 years and up until WHS was introduced I cannot recall stableford competitions regularly being won with scores of 48,49 and sometimes 50 points. Perhaps players
are getting better - or maybe WHS has got it all wrong?
 

BTatHome

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We've had lots of new members, and most of the wins are very high new handicaps (sometimes with only a few rounds to use for whs calculations).

Can't say that the initial handicap allocation would be that different for those players.
 

Bdill93

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Point scoring is not getting this high at my place.

There have been a few comps where someone has gone into mega points but they have all settled down now really! If someone breaks 40 its just a great day at the office!
 

Tenlarge

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Allowing handicaps in excess of 28 has done a dis-service to both Pros and mid/low handicappers. The life blood a pro is teaching/lessons - if members off 30 plus handicaps can win comps why would they seek out the pro for lessons?? Further, low (and now even mid handicappers are becoming disillusioned with the game when they have quite literally no hope of competing against someone receiving 2 or even 3 shots per hole. We are headed for apartheid golf where some members will simply not play against 30 plus handicappers.
 

jim8flog

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I've been playing the game for over 30 years and up until WHS was introduced I cannot recall stableford competitions regularly being won with scores of 48,49 and sometimes 50 points. Perhaps players
are getting better - or maybe WHS has got it all wrong?

It is not the WHS so much that has increased winning scores but more likely the increase to 54 handicap index limit and allowing and the end of club handicaps.

As per Bllid3 we have not seen a big increase generally with just one 50 pointer from a player with a really long handicap record producing what was probably the round of his life.
 
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SteveJay

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I agree its likely to be more because of the handicap limits.

I played with a guy last week who was off 48! Despite his handicap, he could hit the ball a reasonable distance (200 + off the tee) and so when he played OK he could score very well. He had a 5 pointer and shot 17 on the last 5 holes alone, ending up with 37 I think. Yes, he had a fair few blobs, but agree that the high handicap seems too high for such players, who are easily capable of scoring 40+ or more on a good day.
 

Lord Tyrion

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I agree its likely to be more because of the handicap limits.

I played with a guy last week who was off 48! Despite his handicap, he could hit the ball a reasonable distance (200 + off the tee) and so when he played OK he could score very well. He had a 5 pointer and shot 17 on the last 5 holes alone, ending up with 37 I think. Yes, he had a fair few blobs, but agree that the high handicap seems too high for such players, who are easily capable of scoring 40+ or more on a good day.
I've seen a good few 4 pointers but never a 5 o_O. That does seem wrong, completely unachievable for most golfers, for good reaasons.
 

Tenlarge

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It is not the WHS so much that has increased winning scores but more likely the increase to 54 handicap index limit and allowing and the end of club handicaps.

As per Bllid3 we have not seen a big increase generally with just one 50 pointer from a player with a really long handicap record producing what was probably the round of his life.
 

The Fader

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Its a bit of both. Plus (and I have no proof) but I bet the "biggies" mainly come in stableford comps when the card wrecker holes can be more easily recovered from than a medal round.

High handicaps lend themselves to more of the exceptional scoring rounds. Simple maths says a 40 capper who shoots 20% (easily achievable by the fast improver) better than handicap is scoring 44+points whilst a 10 capper beating handicap by 20% clocks up a mere 38 points.

Add in that WHS indexes are far more fluid and realtime. I've struggled a bit recently this season. From an index of 8.1 I've risen rather too quickly to 10.9 in the space of just a couple of months. That is giving me 3 extra shots off the whites. To get 3 shots back under the old CONGU system would probably have taken a full season.

If I suddenly return to my more "normal" form - 40+ points is very achievable.

I'm all for inclusiveness but handicaps upto 54 are pushing credibility. 36 max would be more than plenty and would give newer / poorer golfers an incentive to want to get better. If we carry on the way we are going, golf will be like the primary school sports day where everyone wins no matter their ability.

To counter this, at our place nearly everything is played across 3 divisions to try and keep the majority happy.
 

Tenlarge

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The high handicap situation could be made more palatable if members were cut to the score they achieved. If a 28 handicapper plays to 16 off the white tees in a comp rather than lob off 2/3 shots shouldn't he be cut to 16??
Boooooo, hissssssss (imagine this is a panto for full effect)

I'm picturing a fairway split in two with angry, middle aged, slightly overweight golfers, shaking drivers at each other. Stableford v Medal. It is a Two Ronnies sketch :LOL:
Steady on....I am middle aged, overweight and angry!!!!
 

Lord Tyrion

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The high handicap situation could be made more palatable if members were cut to the score they achieved. If a 28 handicapper plays to 16 off the white tees in a comp rather than lob off 2/3 shots shouldn't he be cut to 16??

Steady on....I am middle aged, overweight and angry!!!!
Ah, but are you are on the Medal or Stableford side of the fairway shaking your club in an angry fashion:LOL:
 

IanM

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The high handicap situation could be made more palatable if members were cut to the score they achieved. If a 28 handicapper plays to 16 off the white tees in a comp rather than lob off 2/3 shots shouldn't he be cut to 16??

Welcome to the forum, been lots of chat about this already.... your suggestion above wouldn't be adopted as it doesn't involve sufficient mathematical gymnastics and pages of manuals! :) :)
Virtually all the very nutty scores I've seen are in pairs opens which don't count for handicap. I suspect that the scores are also proportional to the value of the prize table!
 

Jigger

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We’ve seen an improvement at our place but there still are a couple on bandit handicaps that only crop up in team events. In general we should start to see less as handicaps now travel with people.
 

Tenlarge

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Welcome to the forum, been lots of chat about this already.... your suggestion above wouldn't be adopted as it doesn't involve sufficient mathematical gymnastics and pages of manuals! :) :)
Virtually all the very nutty scores I've seen are in pairs opens which don't count for handicap. I suspect that the scores are also proportional to the value of the prize table!
Pairs comps are a particular problem....a bit of a get out jail card - win without a cut! Back in the day when you came in with 42/43 points you thought you played really well and would get in the frame - not anymore!
 

Tenlarge

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What's the point in spending a ton on lessons and kit if your up against a 30 plus handicapper. It's not the taking part that matters - it's the winning!!
 
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