Winter Golf and Handicap

[Crow]

This is my third year at this course, previous course had no qualifiers from end of October through to start of April.

Here they're all year round if course is complying, which it usually is.
What I've quickly noticed is that my handicap goes up in summer and down in winter.
Sounds odd but our rough is so brutal that you only need to miss the fairway by a few yards and you're in big trouble. In winter it dies down so no more lost balls and you can actually hit the ball most of the time.

 

[Crow]

When does it kick in? Just posted how I never see it applied

Just looked up my last 20 competition scores at my home course, it went up by 1 five times, by 2 once and by 3 once.

 

[PJ87]

Even when it does it only adjusts your score by one shot. Never see it go up 2 or 3. Absolutely pointless.

I have one score with a PCC of 2

No idea why. the course was in excellent condition and it was a beautiful day

Was an away trip to east Sussex just didn't make sense

 

[IanM]

"No off-season: assumes all golf courses are equally fit for play all year round.

Quite an assumption. Maybe one of the wallies who think this should have tried to play proper golf a Newport this morning

 

[PJ87]

Just looked up my last 20 competition scores at my home course, it went up by 1 five times, by 2 once and by 3 once.

A quick Google says it is based automatically on scores from the day ..

So when I got a 3 sounds like people got beaten up by that course

And when we got nothing I think we were the only ones to submit cards .... Prob a flawed minimum card limit

 

[DeanoMK]

I have one score with a PCC of 2

No idea why. the course was in excellent condition and it was a beautiful day

Was an away trip to east Sussex just didn't make sense

It's all based on the scoring of the field (or GP cards) on that day. The comp I played on Saturday had a PCC of 1, because the majority of the field scored worse than normal.

 

[DeanoMK]

Usually when we get to this time of year, I stop entering comps or putting any cards in because it's winter golf and inevitably would just mean my handicap goes up, which I don't particularly want. I'm wondering now whether to do it differently this year though. This has been the first year where I've not been able to get my handicap down at all. So I'm asking myself, what would I rather? My handicap stays at 14.6 and then next Spring I resume trying to get it lower, possibly struggling again as I have this year. Or do I allow it to go up over winter and then get it back down in spring - same end result but a better feeling as at least I'll have had a cut then? And I suppose most of the spring comps are likely to be won by people who did go up over winter.

Which kind are you? No cards in winter so you don't go up, or just let it go up to get it back down again in spring?

My course for the last few years has been reduced to 12 holes with a shortened course on the holes that are open, so no scores entered there.

If I play a course that's fully open, no matter the time of year, then a score goes in.

 

[Crow]

A quick Google says it is based automatically on scores from the day ..

So when I got a 3 sounds like people got beaten up by that course

And when we got nothing I think we were the only ones to submit cards .... Prob a flawed minimum card limit

I think with fewer competitors you're more likely to see big fluctuations, depending on who is playing.

I only put in competition cards apart from the very occasional general play, all those in my post above were competitions.

 

[wjemather]

I have one score with a PCC of 2

No idea why. the course was in excellent condition and it was a beautiful day

Was an away trip to east Sussex just didn't make sense

PCC is not a subjective adjustment based on weather or course condition; it's based on the actual scores returned that day (subject to a minimum of 8 scores being returned by midnight).
FYI, your course has had a PCCs of 1 and 2 in the last 7 days.

 

[IanM]

We put scores in at Saunton last Wednesday is appalling weather. I bet our 3 ball were the only players entering scores. (Pcc was zero)

 

[LincolnShep]

Usually when we get to this time of year, I stop entering comps or putting any cards in because it's winter golf and inevitably would just mean my handicap goes up, which I don't particularly want. I'm wondering now whether to do it differently this year though. This has been the first year where I've not been able to get my handicap down at all. So I'm asking myself, what would I rather? My handicap stays at 14.6 and then next Spring I resume trying to get it lower, possibly struggling again as I have this year. Or do I allow it to go up over winter and then get it back down in spring - same end result but a better feeling as at least I'll have had a cut then? And I suppose most of the spring comps are likely to be won by people who did go up over winter.

Which kind are you? No cards in winter so you don't go up, or just let it go up to get it back down again in spring?

There's an implicit assumption here that everyone's winter scores will be worse than their summer scores. For some people that will be true, but not for everyone. My scores barely change. Do you know that you scores are worse in the winter?

Over the last ten years, I've averaged 31.1 (stableford points) in the winter and 31.3 in the summer.

'Winter', for the purposes of these calcs, is Oct-Mar incl.

 

[wjemather]

"No off-season: assumes all golf courses are equally fit for play all year round.

Quite an assumption.

There is no such assumption. The only requirement is that courses are fit for play and conditions are not exceptionally poor; individual clubs/committees are the ones who make that decision.

 

[PJ87]

PCC is not a subjective adjustment based on weather or course condition; it's based on the actual scores returned that day (subject to a minimum of 8 scores being returned by midnight).
FYI, your course has had a PCCs of 1 and 2 in the last 7 days.

As I said, the minimum 8 is the key

Midweek in my group I believe it's just us that put cards in ..

 

[IanM]

You're special Shep!!

And you're not wrong. Saunton will play a bit easier in the winter "when the rough has been cut back." Fairways still nice and firm and running too!!

However. My other course , in land parkland plays tougher. It is much shorter in the winter, forward tees off mats. BUT everything between tee and green will be mucky for periods after rain. Playing off goo isn't easy.

One course is fine for comps. The other isn't. The latter used to suspend qualifiers on 1st Nov. Now it doesn't and lots of people now stop playing in the competitions. This costs the pro revenue and I'm sure he's not the only one.

Ah, but no matter, you must obey without question

 

[IanM]

There is no such assumption. The only requirement is that courses are fit for play and not exceptionally poor; individual clubs/committees are the ones who make that decision.

Are you sure? This came up at the agm and we were told that it was a directive.

 

[2blue]

Well England Golf are quite clear - there should be no off-season. Providing you can still play a measured course then you can / should put cards in. They are even happy if holes are taken out of play, bunkers are flooded, placing is in play, mats are mandated and you have a couple of temporary greens. In short nothing like golf played during the season.

An argument is you should expect your handicap to be higher in winter due to tougher conditions and come down in summer. Very much a sine curve rather than a straight line. Thus my response to you is to keep playing and your HI will reflect the way you are playing in the prevailing conditions.

This is where we are as a Club. Playing Q-Comps with our newly created & rated, fixed Red-tee mats & making use of fairway mats, preferred lies & PCR in the rest of the general area. Whilst very much shorter it has in fact produced a really engaging challenge, though some will still look to protect their Summer H/caps..... though really difficult to understand why??

 

[wjemather]

Are you sure? This came up at the agm and we were told that it was a directive.

CONGU Guidance G7.2b: "Rule 7.2b empowers a Committee, subject to the agreement of the National Association, to suspend the submission of scores for handicapping purposes if it considers course conditions to be exceptionally poor. There are Local Rules that can be implemented in mitigation to enable the posting of Acceptable Scores to continue and these are detailed in Appendix H."

 

[2blue]

There is no such assumption. The only requirement is that courses are fit for play and not exceptionally poor; individual clubs/committees are the ones who make that decision.

Is this plucked from another thread?

EDIT.... Aaaah... yes, thanks, exactly as our Club is working.

 

[wjemather]

Is this plucked from another thread?

No, but it wouldn't be the first time I've repeated myself!

 

[mikejohnchapman]

When does it kick in? Just posted how I never see it applied

Well it's a closely guarded secret so only the great and good at the R&A and USGA know!

However, EG recently published the figures for PCC in 2023 to end of October which details how many round have been adjusted by PCC. Must have been some big fields!

While the recent rain may have stopped you from being able to access your local course, 2023 has witnessed 8.51 million rounds of golf posted on the World Handicap System™ (WHS™) platform to date (31 October).

That’s up 460,000 from 2022, with two months still remaining! And these are just stats for handicap purposes – there are millions more rounds which have been played by those just enjoying being out on the course!

With the unpredictable winter weather in England, did you know that over 1.26million scores in 2023 have been affected by the Playing Conditions Calculator due to abnormal course weather and conditions?