How much better...

[Jrwatkins7]

Is your best round, than your handicap? I seem to play with a lot of guys that are 9-10s that have shot 70. 2s and 3s that have shot in the mid 60s. Meanwhile I'm a 5 and have never shot better than a couple of 74s...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[revkev]

The first question would be how difficult the course is that you play. There's a big difference between Oakmont from the tips at a course rating of 76 and the local muni at 69.

 

As a 5 you should average somewhere around 77 on a course of average difficulty. During a full season on that course one would expect a round or two that is at even or under. You could shoot 70 and still be only 3 or 4 under your index.

 

I'm currently playing to an index that moves from 5 to 6 on a more difficult than average course. My scores this year vary from 73 to 87. If I were regularly playing an easier course I'd have a sub par round tucked in there. I'd expect the same from someone else in my handicap range.

 

How long have you been a five for and what's the course rating from the course/tees that you play?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[Jrwatkins7]

The first question would be how difficult the course is that you play. There's a big difference between Oakmont from the tips at a course rating of 76 and the local muni at 69.

 

As a 5 you should average somewhere around 77 on a course of average difficulty. During a full season on that course one would expect a round or two that is at even or under. You could shoot 70 and still be only 3 or 4 under your index.

 

I'm currently playing to an index that moves from 5 to 6 on a more difficult than average course. My scores this year vary from 73 to 87. If I were regularly playing an easier course I'd have a sub par round tucked in there. I'd expect the same from someone else in my handicap range.

 

How long have you been a five for and what's the course rating from the course/tees that you play?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

I get it. I've been playing more in the last two years than I ever have (40+ rounds/ summer) going from 8 down to 5. My home course is 70.3/120 from the whites. I just still haven't had “that” round. I get in my own head every time thinking “this is gonna be the time!”

 

I am more hoping to hear about everyone's “great” round. While you are absolutely correct about the course rating- when I finally break par, that will be my focus!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[chisag]

... I have never been a fan of the system. It is in place to stop cheaters, not keep an accurate index of someones playing ability. Now they try and cover their a$$ and say it is an indication of your potential to score but I think we all know that isn't true for most. Taking your last 20 scores and dropping the highest 10 and then multiplying by 96% is just an attempt to stop players from entering high scores so they can sandbag. It is a flawed system at best. 

... That said, there are many different kinds of golfers when it comes to scoring. Many have a range that they rarely fall out of. As a +0.6 I usually shoot in the 70-76 range. I have shot a couple 66's which is only 4 under my index and several times a season I shoot in the 60's. So it is very rare for me to shoot 8 strokes above or below my index. But I have played with inconsistent golfers that can shoot a 78 on their best day and a 108 on their worst. Even when they shoot the 78 they hit some bladed shots that turn out OK, or hit it into the trees and it bounces out, etc. 

... But the guy with a nice swing and stellar short game that says he is "just really on today" is the one I suspect is working the system. If they have a consistent looking game and shoot well beneath their index, they're sandbagging most of the time. 

[CFrazier]

I'm a 3HCP and my best is 71....

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[GolfJunkie302]

My handicap is 6.7 as of the last revision. Before that, and for most of the summer, it was around 8.5. This season, I have had a couple of 75's, a 76, a couple of 77's, a bunch of 78's, and a lot of 79's. A lot in the low 80's too. I usually play courses/tees with a 70-71 course rating. Slope is usually about 130.

 

Sent from my SM-T580 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[Jmikecpa]

Shot 65 last week from the member's tees playing off a 1.6. Based on slope and rating from these tees I beat my index by just under 8 shots.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[Rusty1885]

It depends on the courses I'm playing. Sight unseen or not so familiar I'd probably shoot 71-77. Playing at my home course I can usually shoot par or from 69-75. It comes in all shapes sometimes 3 bogeys and 3 birdies on a really up and down day it'd be 4-5 birdies and 3-4 bogies. Once or twice a month I'd shoot 18 pars.

 

That said last weekend I played at one of my favorite nemesis course and shot 82. Last month I played at this mountain course with wacky green slope hit 13 fairways and 15 greens and still blew up the score with 37 putts.

[Kenny B]

I'm a 9 and as a member of a local muni, I play it almost all the time.  Usual scores are typically 79-86, but I shot 73 this year which tied my low round last year.  When I travel to unfamiliar courses or play local courses that I haven't played much, rounds are usually mid to high 80's.  For me the difference is course familiarity and ability to score in the short game.

[Rusty1885]

I'm a 9 and as a member of a local muni, I play it almost all the time.  Usual scores are typically 79-86, but I shot 73 this year which tied my low round last year.  When I travel to unfamiliar courses or play local courses that I haven't played much, rounds are usually mid to high 80's.  For me the difference is course familiarity and ability to score in the short game.

I wish I could have been there cheering you on especially on the back nine on your 73 round. I bet it was awesome.

[STUDque]

My handicap is based mostly off 9 hole matches so the 18 hole score is lower than it would be otherwise.

 

That being said, it's a "10." I've never broken 80 but did shoot 80 on the nose a few years back. It was from shorter tees and I'm not totally sure if I followed all the rules so I don't count that as my low. This year, in the playoffs, I shot 81 and count that as my low round. Before that, 83 was my lowest.

 

For 9 holes, I shot 37 once this year and that was 5 shots under my handicap at the time. Bogeyed 1 and parred the rest.

 

I typically play very close to my handicap so I don't have much high/low swing unless it's an unfamiliar course.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[gaussman1]

Is your best round, than your handicap? I seem to play with a lot of guys that are 9-10s that have shot 70. 2s and 3s that have shot in the mid 60s. Meanwhile I'm a 5 and have never shot better than a couple of 74s...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Unless you're playing a course with a rating around 67 then you're playing with sandbaggers. No way those guys are posting their better scores. A 5 should have 77-80 as the better half of his last 20 scores on a course with rating around par. That 2 or 3 wouldn't average 75, but would have 75-77 or so as the better half of his last 20 scores. Something under par would stick like glue unless they go online and pump in a bunch of fake scores to move it out of the lineup.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[Jrwatkins7]

Unless you're playing a course with a rating around 67 then you're playing with sandbaggers. No way those guys are posting their better scores. A 5 should have 77-80 as the better half of his last 20 scores on a course with rating around par. That 2 or 3 wouldn't average 75, but would have 75-77 or so as the better half of his last 20 scores. Something under par would stick like glue unless they go online and pump in a bunch of fake scores to move it out of the lineup.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using MyGolfSpy mobile app

Some of you read this as I was calling out sandbaggers in my club. That wasn't what I was going for... I was lamenting that I just have never had that one “awesome” round in my life that was an outlier to what my handicap is today. It seems that a lot of the guys I have played with have had one or two great days that I wish I could have. Along the same line as ...the duffers that have had a hole in one ...and I have never come close...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[chisag]

... I did not think calling out sandbaggers was your intention, the thread just logically went there. It is a flawed system and all of us have encountered sandbaggers. Again considering the index is supposed to be an indication of your ability at your very best, it is very difficult to be much better than that. Out of 20 scores you are throwing out your 10 worst. So shooting 10 strokes better than an average of your best 10 scores is extremely difficult. Shooting 10 better than an average of your 10 worst scores is easy, but of course they don't count toward you index. 

... My point being, very few shoot much less than a few strokes lower than their index because it is already an indication of your lowest scores. Obviously there are many reasons this can happen, like you play once a week but go on a vacation and play 6 days in a row. Or preparing for a tournament, you practice much more than normal, or normally don't practice at all but do practice for the tournament. But you are not alone as most of shooting 8-10 strokes below our index is never going to happen. 

[Kenny B]

I wish I could have been there cheering you on especially on the back nine on your 73 round. I bet it was awesome.

It was a better round than the 73 I shot last year which was mostly all pars.  -1 on the front and +2 on the back with birdies on #10 and #11.  Started to fall apart; with 4 bogeys.  I managed to salvage a par on the par 5 #18 after hitting a fairway bunker, getting out, going for the green and hitting a bunker; getting up and down.  On the tee I was thinking birdie!!!

[DiscipleofPenick]

Does this prove anything? 6 hcp but avg score is 82...so potential is there for upper 70s scoring.

 

Sent from my SM-G935P using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[ddryan]

One of the nice things that Virginia State Golf Assn website does is show "trends over time" showing a 6 month period of your most recent indices- mine is fairly consistent - gradual up or down depending on time of year, what is going on at work and at home, and where my head is.  However I have seen individuals who are steady eddie for months then shoot up two or three strokes- interestingly right before a trip or tournament.  I would think that should be an indication to tournament officials - especially if that individual ends up winning with scores considerably below his "index."

 

My best score ever is a 77, (several years ago) and normally score in the low 80's.  consistent putting and driving are key to my game, and I am looking forward to receiving my "Shot Scope 2.0" to see if my current assessment is correct, or if I need to work on other parts of my game-

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

shot my career low 73 twice this season at what I'd consider to be my home course. The first 73 was as good of a ball striking round as I've ever had - putting the ball where I wanted and I still had three 3-putts. The second one was a surprise - I didn't hit the ball particularly well on the front 9, but avoided 3 putts and double bogeys. Played better on back at 1 under - was shocked when I tallied it up for a 73. After the front 9 it didn't feel like a good round. Go figure...

 

That said, I fired a couple of 93's this year, too....one 93 only had 29 putts!! Short game woes....

 

 

Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy

[Jrwatkins7]

shot my career low 73 twice this season at what I'd consider to be my home course. The first 73 was as good of a ball striking round as I've ever had - putting the ball where I wanted and I still had three 3-putts. The second one was a surprise - I didn't hit the ball particularly well on the front 9, but avoided 3 putts and double bogeys. Played better on back at 1 under - was shocked when I tallied it up for a 73. After the front 9 it didn't feel like a good round. Go figure...

 

That said, I fired a couple of 93's this year, too....one 93 only had 29 putts!! Short game woes....

 

 

Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy

I think that if I could ever play a round where I was oblivious to my score, I could shoot 71 or 72... always in my own head...

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[chisag]

shot my career low 73 twice this season at what I'd consider to be my home course. The first 73 was as good of a ball striking round as I've ever had - putting the ball where I wanted and I still had three 3-putts. The second one was a surprise - I didn't hit the ball particularly well on the front 9, but avoided 3 putts and double bogeys. Played better on back at 1 under - was shocked when I tallied it up for a 73. After the front 9 it didn't feel like a good round. Go figure...

 

 

... Awesome and I think more golfers could be shocked of they didn't keep score as they went but adhered to the old cliche' "one stroke at a time". I play with golfers all the time that are very aware of their score and make comments like "I need to bogey 3 of the last 4 holes and just par 1 to break 90". They put pressure on every shot looking ahead instead of just playing the shot they have control of. Always loved Hogans quote when asked what is the most important shot in golf "the one you are playing right now". 

[ole gray]

I've been around the 12 - 16 handicap range for YEARS. Anyways several years ago when I was in that 16 capper range, I fired a 73 in my club championship. All the guys were pissing and moaning that evening talking about sand bags and stuff. I was throwing that chest out there like a bantam rooster on steroids. Well I got liquored up celebrating too much that night and came back with a sterling 96 the next day.

 

I guess the sand ran out of my bag

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[gaussman1]

Some of you read this as I was calling out sandbaggers in my club. That wasn't what I was going for... I was lamenting that I just have never had that one “awesome” round in my life that was an outlier to what my handicap is today. It seems that a lot of the guys I have played with have had one or two great days that I wish I could have. Along the same line as ...the duffers that have had a hole in one ...and I have never come close...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Oh my bad. I thought you were saying this was a common thing that you kept running into.

As a low hdcp already your chances of beating your number by a lot go way down. A lot easier for a 20 to beat his number by 10 on a given day than it is for a 5 to break par. You don't have nearly as many errors everyday so fewer chances to save strokes.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[Sluggo42]

I don't know what my cap really is.

My regular track is rated at 68.9 , slope of 122

 

Out of my best 10 of the last 20 rounds, a 75 would be my highest score, and would include 3 68's, a 69, a few 70's and a few above 70. Retirement really does wonders for your game...

 

I Used to be around an 8 years ago, but maybe not from what I'm reading. I don't play any organized outings anymore, for exactly the reasons mentioned above.

 

I could shoot a 73 and get beat by 10, by someone who just happened to have a good day...

 

Riiiight....

[gaussman1]

I don't know what my cap really is.

My regular track is rated at 68.9 , slope of 122

 

Out of my best 10 of the last 20 rounds, a 75 would be my highest score, and would include 3 68's, a 69, a few 70's and a few above 70. Retirement really does wonders for your game...

 

I Used to be around an 8 years ago, but maybe not from what I'm reading. I don't play any organized outings anymore, for exactly the reasons mentioned above.

 

I could shoot a 73 and get beat by 10, by someone who just happened to have a good day...

 

Riiiight....

Yeah you're a 0-1 or so with those scores. Retirement must be good!

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[ddryan]

... Awesome and I think more golfers could be shocked of they didn't keep score as they went but adhered to the old cliche' "one stroke at a time". I play with golfers all the time that are very aware of their score and make comments like "I need to bogey 3 of the last 4 holes and just par 1 to break 90". They put pressure on every shot looking ahead instead of just playing the shot they have control of. Always loved Hogans quote when asked what is the most important shot in golf "the one you are playing right now". 

So true, but so difficult to remain focused on thru 18 holes!

[chisag]

So true, but so difficult to remain focused on thru 18 holes!

 

 

... It is a learned skill. It becomes easier the more you do it. 

[Sluggo42]

... It is a learned skill. It becomes easier the more you do it.

 

I often don't even know which hole I'm on-

Once you get your head into the game, wind/distance/pin location/lie/ etc, it really does become all about that one shot...

 

I often complain that it's over too quickly.

[revkev]

This has turned into a very interesting thread reminding me yet again that the way we arrived be at our handicaps is different for each of us.

 

Generally speaking out of the 10 counted scores on your index card you will have 2 or 3 that are below your index. At some point one of those will s going to dip to the 5 or 6 stroke range.

 

If you're a 5 on a course like the one you describe you should threaten oar a few times a season. A round of 72 would only be 2 or 3 strokes below your index. You should be in that range about 1/10 times. It's a matter of sealing the deal.

 

You can do it!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[Canucklehead]

Mine best round is about 10 shots better. Had an awesome day, only shot +1 on the back, finished with a 77. Hdcp is 16-17

 

Sent from my E6853 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[cnosil]

I hover around a 6-7 and the best I have performed related to my index is 5 under. I generally score right around or a few strokes higher. My good rounds are generally driven by iron play and hitting greens. If I am hitting irons well and don't have to rely on my short game too much I can score well. My short game is just too prone to big mistakes that result in blow up holes.