Winter h/c Vs Summer H/c

[Oddsocks]

It's funny you mention the 13th that's the dam hole that's ruined most cards. Last time I was there I wasn't striking my irons well so I played it as a par four.

 

[Oddsocks]

I know i'd rather be a 4 handicaper who can return 28 points, than an 8 who always gets 36+.

I have to say I've never understood this wish. I'm not saying you're wrong (I DO understand the desire to get as low as possible)....but I've always felt that ideally a h'cap should reflect your game fairly accurately at a given time.

To me, it's a kind of vanity. I didn't get any more respect or enjoyment playing off a lower h'cap. Better to be off 16 and get asked to play for the club and be known as a "good" 16 than play off 8 and be known as the bloke who can't play to his h'cap.

this is exactly my point although i may not have worded ir correctly. Why have a 10/11 status if at best your 14/15. shame there isnt a word for people who struggle to meet their handicaps, we have mexicans/bandits for those that exceed them.

 

[Region3]

we have mexicans/bandits for those that exceed them.

I'd disagree slightly with that. There are 2 types of player that are better than their handicap. Those that want to be lower and those that don't. It's the ones that don't that are (to me) the bandits.

If someone said they thought I was better than 11 then I'd take it as a compliment.
If they accused me of trying to keep it there I'd be annoyed.

 

[Oddsocks]

thasts the thing, im my pro who gives me lessons said he wanted me off 10/12 by the end of the year. Everyone i play with say 10/12, but they dont see the little *whoopsies* that kill my card and make me 15/16. alot of people will judge you on how far you drive, not how consistant you get up and down in etc.

 

[Region3]

How long have you not been a member anywhere?

 

[Oddsocks]

Summer 98 was my last membership.

From 99-05 i didnt play, then since then ive been playing on and off, 07 full season at pay&plays 08 % half of 09 out, now back at it atleast once a week.

 

[Losttheplot]

alot of people will judge you on how far you drive, not how consistant you get up and down in etc.

I agree that there are a lot of people who may judge you on this ability but anyone who has played golf and understands the game well will know it's not all about who can hit it the furthest. It's about the ability to get the ball in the hole in the least amount of shots. If a player gets from tee to green using driver then 9 iron isn't any better than someone who has to use driver then 5 iron. It's who takes the least amount of shots to get it in the hole.

To answer the original question, I find it a lot easier in winter to shoot lower scores as you can hold greens easier. Right now my greens are really firm and it's hard to hit them and spin the ball to hold up. Far easier to do that in winter.

 

[Region3]

Summer 98 was my last membership.

From 99-05 i didnt play, then since then ive been playing on and off, 07 full season at pay&plays 08 % half of 09 out, now back at it atleast once a week.

I don't understand how your quoting an 'official' handicap then. Do you use one of the online services?

 

[Oddsocks]

maybe quoting offical handicap is incorrect. At our society I play off 14, but that is more due to alot of 28 h/c beginners. for the start of the year i started off playing from 18 unofficially, as i wasnt playing club comps but was constantly 2/3/4 under my h/c within only a couple of months i adjusted my h/c to a more accurate number based on teh courses i was playing and the constant scores i was shooting.

Its by the by now as i have enquired with 2 local courses about joining just so i can then play their monthly medals. I am playing sunday at at selsdon park again in whihc it will give me my third card. this then gives the glub im joining the option to use these cards or ask me to play a round with a membership committee member for their own assesment.

 

[Spinn77]

I know i'd rather be a 4 handicaper who can return 28 points, than an 8 who always gets 36+.

I have to say I've never understood this wish. I'm not saying you're wrong (I DO understand the desire to get as low as possible)....but I've always felt that ideally a h'cap should reflect your game fairly accurately at a given time.

To me, it's a kind of vanity. I didn't get any more respect or enjoyment playing off a lower h'cap. Better to be off 16 and get asked to play for the club and be known as a "good" 16 than play off 8 and be known as the bloke who can't play to his h'cap.

this is exactly my point although i may not have worded ir correctly. Why have a 10/11 status if at best your 14/15. shame there isnt a word for people who struggle to meet their handicaps, we have mexicans/bandits for those that exceed them.

I chose the word 'can' carefully (as in can shoot a 28, ie, have a crap round)- was trying to say i want the best handicap i can achieve, knowing i won't ALWAYS play to it, but i still should be able to maintain it over a period of, say, 6 months a year etc...
That in itself means that I (or anyone) would not have a "10/11 status..but my (or anyones) best being 14" - that just can't happen can it. Unless your CSS is higher than par. Doesn't seem possible to me.

I want to know what my own personal 'level' is - i reckon i can maintain a 5 where i currently play. That may be only an 8 if i play somewhere else - who knows. Maintain it means i'd have good rounds and bad rounds but be there or there abouts at +1 or +2 gross (SSS is 66 - easy course...)

 

[jammydodger]

I play much much better golf through the summer without a doubt. Winter golf to me is just exercise. In the summer when the pressure is on and comps come every week thick and fast then that is when my game picks up and I shoot good scores.

winter golf I couldnt give a stuff about I just go out and knock it round without getting too cold or wet. It's usually just a pitch and putt contest anyway , no REAL skill involved there.

This time of year you have to really be on your game and have full concentration levels. You have to have imagination round the greens and a good touch to go with it. Anyone can just knock the ball onto the flag if its wet and holding , when its fast and running thats where you find out if youre a proper golfer.

All winter the blokes I play with (off 7,8.9,10,16 etc) will bang in 40+ points.I've seen 44 quite often and the winner usually needs 40+ in our little group. I'm usually around 32+ and they take the p!ss , I just smile and say "wait til it counts in the summer off the white tees , then we'll see who's laughing".
What has happened ? They've all gone up and arent seen on any leaderboards and i've gone down and you'll always see my name in the mix.

Winter golf has no correlation to what your true h/c is or should be , period. Higher h/cs get this misguided sense that they are better than they really are cos they can play target golf in the soft winter conditions off the yellow tees. All of a sudden the summer has gone the comps are finished and their h/c has stayed the same or most likely gone up and all theyve got left is taking a few quid off their mates through the winter thinking theyre Tiger Woods again

 

[Losttheplot]

Jammy I agree with you on a lot of points but to say "winter golf has no correlation to your handicap, period" I think might be unfair. The summer has it's positives and negatives just like the winter.
In the summer you can get rediculous amounts of roll which can get you a lot closer to the hole on some really long par 4's and can make long par 5's very reachable in 2. But that is counteracted by the fact that the greens are harder to hold because they are so hard.
In the winter this is a complete reversal where you need a good long game to make the par 4 in GIR but made easier by once your within distance of the green you can hold the greens a lot easier.
So for me each season has it's ups and downs and to each individual player will benefit from each season differently.

 

[RGDave]

So for me each season has it's ups and downs and to each individual player will benefit from each season differently.

Considering you've losttheplot, that is a super post.

I've been playing well of late but have struggled with staying on the greens. In winter, off the mats, life is easy around mine 1) we always use the main greens and 2) the tee mats are positioned in the "centre" of the hole, therefore removing the need to shape the tee shot. Summer conditions, but not totally dried out, suit me the best overall.
Horses for courses I guess.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Winter golf has no correlation to what your true h/c is or should be , period. Higher h/cs get this misguided sense that they are better than they really are cos they can play target golf in the soft winter conditions off the yellow tees. All of a sudden the summer has gone the comps are finished and their h/c has stayed the same or most likely gone up and all theyve got left is taking a few quid off their mates through the winter thinking theyre Tiger Woods again

I have to disagree with this but then I guess it depends on your course. If you're playing of mats and the course is shorter you may be right.

We don't have mats or temp tees and haven't had a temp green for 5 or 6 years. All our winter medals are played off the white blocks and as a result the course plays a lot longer. You're going into greens with longer irons, yes they're soft but from 180-200 yards most guys can't carry them anyway on a consistent basis.

As for high handicappers playing target golf? How many high handicappers do you know that could consistently hit a ball from lets say 120 yards to 10 feet? Getting the ball somewhere on the green isn't target golf. In any case I wager that most high handicapper's, hitting a green in summer is easier cause you get away with mishits or short shots as they bounce and roll onto the green. In winter if you don't hit it long enough, it stops short. A lot of people underestimate the skill involved in being able to hit consistent yardages with short irons and wedges. If you asked most high h'cappers how far they hit an 8 iron and then make them hit 10 shots in winter conditions to a pin I'd reckon maybe one would go the distance they said and more would miss the green than hit it. Target golf isn't that easy, it takes practice and skill.