Why are you not a Cat I player?

[coolhand]

Ditto!

And most importantly I don't want to be. Maybe it's because I'm relatively new to this sport but I don't understand what the obsession with having the lowest possible handicap is. Surely what matters is your handicap being a true reflection of your ability so that competitions can be fair and therefore FUN

 

[HawkeyeMS]

1-Don't have the time
2-Short game isn't good enough
3-Not mentally strong enough

If I can fix 2 I can get to single figures but that's about my limit I think.

 

[EZprophet]

Ditto!

And most importantly I don't want to be. Maybe it's because I'm relatively new to this sport but I don't understand what the obsession with having the lowest possible handicap is. Surely what matters is your handicap being a true reflection of your ability so that competitions can be fair and therefore FUN

The reason is that some people enjoy challenging themselves to be the best that they can be.

Ben Hogan said that "the best part of golf is improving" and I would say that for most people, he is right.

Being out on the golf course with mates is in itself a near perfect day out, but coming into the clubhouse having shot your personal best or having made 3 birdies in a row, or whetever it is that is an achievement for you personally, is an absolutely brilliant feeling.

I believe that people want the lowest possible handicap they can get as they want to prove to themselves that they can do it. They believe inside that they can play the game to a certain level and they want to be able to prove it to other people. I'm no psychologist but its probably some self serving ego thing, but whatever, thats human nature I guess.

It really is down to personality though, some people are just happy to hack it around and not keep score, I am not one of those people, and my guess is that 99% of people here (who care enough about the sport to visit a forum on the game) would agree with me.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Ditto!

And most importantly I don't want to be. Maybe it's because I'm relatively new to this sport but I don't understand what the obsession with having the lowest possible handicap is. Surely what matters is your handicap being a true reflection of your ability so that competitions can be fair and therefore FUN

The fairness depends on whether you want to be rewarded for average golf. Personally I think the best golfer, the one with the lowest gross score, should win but that's a whole different debate.

My drive is to be as good as I can be. If I could choose between winning and having 'lowest gross' next to my name I'd take the latter all day long.

 

[SimonC]

I am too. I don't practice my short game or my putting I can't be bothered with it. I do go to the range 3-4 times a week though. To be honest I should be better than 5, I shot level par yesterday 3 putting the last hole. Most of my bad scores come from erratic tee shots which is something I'm working hard on fixing at the moment. Hopefully this will be the year I can push on and get down to 2 or 3.