FAKE/incorrect handicaps

[OHIOgolf]

Ok I have taken golf very seriously over the past year. To the point to where I have a good understanding of not just the game and my swing but the rules of golf. I consistently feel that when talking to friends or people at the courses I belong to, that after playing or watching them golf; their handicap that they tell me definitely doesn't equate to the quality of their game.

 

Even to the point to where I feel I should restart my handicap because I am now playing low 90's compared to my 110's

 

This may be more of a rant but if I'm not playing in comp should I even give a darn about what HC someone is or even myself? I use it to see my progression more so than anything else.

[cnosil]

Most people don't understand handicap and base it in the score they typically shoot. Scoring average of 82 doesn't make you a 10 handicap; you could be a mid single digit depending on the difficulty of the courses you play.

 

Unless you are playing competitively don't worry about someone's handicap. For personal progress evaluation it is a decent tool.

[ThatKyle]

What do you mean by restart? HDCP only counts for your best 10 of past 20 scores anyways. If you're accurately tracking it should naturally adjust accordingly. 

 

Even to the point to where I feel I should restart my handicap because I am now playing low 90's compared to my 110's
 

[Flipper554]

The golf world is full of sandbaggers. Every course I have ever belonged to has them and the funny thing is that everyone knows who they are yet they continue to play their silly game. My current course has a great way of weeding them out of mens night competition by keeping a men's night handicap. Like you I keep a handicap to gauge my game and how I am trending. On the other side of it there are a few out there that shave strokes to give them a lower handicap, I don't understand why especially if you are playing in tournaments. Takes all kinds to make the world spin.

[MDGolfHacker]

"A golf handicap is a numerical measure of a golfer's potential ability. In stroke play, it is used to calculate a net score from the number of strokes actually played during a competition, thus allowing players of different proficiency to play against each other on somewhat equal terms." The key word is potential ability. You may shoot a career best 85, followed up by a 100 (been there). Remember the handicap is calculated over a minimum of 5 rounds and the difficulty of the course. It's really used to put you on equal footing when in competition against someone that may be better or worse than you.

 

MDGolfHacker

[tony@CIC]

There are a few twists to the conversation from my perspective.

 

Some people brag about their 'low' handicap but play much higher - I dub that vanity handicap. Could be the situation you encounter

 

The index or handicap is based on your 10 best scores. There are lots of days I don't play to my handicap, especially in tournaments.

 

Then there are some that (unethically) post only their worst scores so they have a better chance in league play. Not the situation you encounter but it does happen unfortunately.

 

Lastly the handicap is based on the difficulty of the course or the tees played from. For instance if your handicap index is 26 and your playing a course that has a slope rating of 100 your course handicap is 23. On the other hand if the slope rating is 125 that 26 handicap becomes a 29. My conclusion is that if your friends play an easy course or from the forward tees vs a more difficult course or back tees that has a direct impact on the handicap.

 

As an FYI if you're on GHIN you can look up 'partner handicaps'

 

 

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[Ronoc]

Soooo... anyone got any tips or places to calculate your handicap?

Asking for a friend....

 

 

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[HardcoreLooper]

Soooo... anyone got any tips or places to calculate your handicap?

Asking for a friend....

 

 

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Your local public course most likely provides handicap services. You can also join a club without real estate and turn all your scores in online.

 

Is The Grint's handicap legit USGA?

 

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[Kenny B]

If you just want to track your handicap for personal reasons, you don't need to join GHIN in your local state.  That can cost about $45 plus a men's club fee at certain courses.  Better option is The Grint; you can maintain your handicap for free.

[DiscipleofPenick]

Glad to see some others post it, but there is such a thing a reverse sandbagging or the vanity handicap. There's also the idea of course difficulty and tees. To use courses in our area being a 10 playing the middle tees at Mallard or Hickory Nut is not the same as a 10 that plays the tips at Gray Hawk. And people who pick up everything within 6 feet of the hole all day shouldn't count those rounds anyways.

 

Overall try not to worry about what other people say and play and focus on your own game. you keep posting scores and working on it yours will legitimately trend in the right direction.

 

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[gaussman1]

Ok I have taken golf very seriously over the past year. To the point to where I have a good understanding of not just the game and my swing but the rules of golf. I consistently feel that when talking to friends or people at the courses I belong to, that after playing or watching them golf; their handicap that they tell me definitely doesn't equate to the quality of their game.

 

Even to the point to where I feel I should restart my handicap because I am now playing low 90's compared to my 110's

 

This may be more of a rant but if I'm not playing in comp should I even give a darn about what HC someone is or even myself? I use it to see my progression more so than anything else.

"Even to the point to where I feel I should restart my handicap because I am now playing low 90's compared to my 110"

As long as you're posting your scores that will take care of itself. As mentioned elsewhere your current index is based on the best 10 of your last 20 rounds. The whole point is to identify your current potential, not how you played last year

[MDGolfHacker]

http://www.calculator.net/golf-handicap-calculator.html

 

It doesn't save it though, but will calculate it.

 

MDGolfHacker

[OHIOgolf]

Infotalk Golf Handicap on iOS

 

 

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[revkev]

My experience has clearly differed from others. I belonged to a club in Indiana and the Pro policed things. We had a sandbagging issue one season and the two guys where asked to leave the club.

The four leagues that I've been a part of had a handicap committee that does its job and anyway league handicaps are always based on league play so sand bagging either way is not helpful.

 

My current club is policed by the pros who regularly check handicaps, make sure that scores are entered and know their members - you play with a pro as part of your club entry.

 

In regards to differing degrees of difficulty or tees all of that is mitigated by handicap index. My current 5.9 index makes me a 7 or 8 at my exceedingly difficult club. I have that index even though I only break 80 1 out of every 3 or 4 times.

 

I'm almost always in the 30's for the nine that I play in league. Easier course, lower handicap. That's how it works.

 

Just enter your scores and don't worry about it. Your handicap will adjust.

 

 

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[RickyBobby_PR]

Unless competing against someone I could care less what their hdcp is or if they are telling the truth about it. For my own hdcp I use it to help judge the state oh my game in comparison to where it has been but also to play in weekend money games or hdcp events

[tony@CIC]

Ok I have taken golf very seriously over the past year. To the point to where I have a good understanding of not just the game and my swing but the rules of golf. I consistently feel that when talking to friends or people at the courses I belong to, that after playing or watching them golf; their handicap that they tell me definitely doesn't equate to the quality of their game.

 

Even to the point to where I feel I should restart my handicap because I am now playing low 90's compared to my 110's

 

This may be more of a rant but if I'm not playing in comp should I even give a darn about what HC someone is or even myself? I use it to see my progression more so than anything else.

Ohiogolf check with the pro at the club or muni you play they'd may provide access to GHIN at no or minimal cost. I play with a couple of guys that didn't realize they could use GHIN (no charge) - our course provides it no charge for individuals who participate in league play.

 

 

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[Kanoito]

Or adopt the EGA system and problem solved!

[HardcoreLooper]

Ohiogolf check with the pro at the club or muni you play they'd may provide access to GHIN at no or minimal cost. I play with a couple of guys that didn't realize they could use GHIN (no charge) - our course provides it no charge for individuals who participate in league play.

The course I play most of my golf at provides GHIN handicapping through the Virginia State Golf Association for $35/year. This is the third course I've used, and all three have been $35/year for ages.

 

I play in a few events each year that require a legitimate, verifiable USGA handicap, so I keep a "real" handicap. If I just needed it for casual nassaus with my buddies, a free service that uses the USGA formula is just fine. Heck, you can take the formula and build a spreadsheet.

 

http://www.usga.org/Handicapping/handicap-manual.html#!rule-14389

[HardcoreLooper]

My experience has clearly differed from others. I belonged to a club in Indiana and the Pro policed things. We had a sandbagging issue one season and the two guys where asked to leave the club.

The four leagues that I've been a part of had a handicap committee that does its job and anyway league handicaps are always based on league play so sand bagging either way is not helpful.

 

My current club is policed by the pros who regularly check handicaps, make sure that scores are entered and know their members - you play with a pro as part of your club entry.

I belonged to a private club for a little while, and if your name was on the tee sheet and did not turn in a score, the pro shop entered a 71 (even par) for you. And you did not play without being on the tee sheet, even if you just walked up late in the afternoon.

 

None of the public courses where I've kept my handicap do anything to police the situation.

[tony@CIC]

Wow a 71 would motivate me to post my score every time.

 

 

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[OHIOgolf]

I just know I'm progressing and really that's all that matters at the end of the day.

 

I stopped playing in a league last year because they don't play by the rules and still kept a HC I.e. moving the ball slightly for a better lie, hitting it out of bounds and not hitting from the original spot or not taking a provisional. Sometimes I feel the HC system is not as taken seriously by most and only taken seriously by... well members on this forum lol

 

 

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[HeathS16]

Your local public course most likely provides handicap services. You can also join a club without real estate and turn all your scores in online.

 

Is The Grint's handicap legit USGA?

 

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From everything I looked up, yes it is. Diablo golf is legit as well. I use The Grint since my club closed in December.

 

 

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[00sportsman]

From everything I looked up, yes it is. Diablo golf is legit as well. I use The Grint since my club closed in December.

 

 

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I use Diablo for my official handicap. No problems.

 

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[tony@CIC]

I just know I'm progressing and really that's all that matters at the end of the day.

 

I stopped playing in a league last year because they don't play by the rules and still kept a HC I.e. moving the ball slightly for a better lie, hitting it out of bounds and not hitting from the original spot or not taking a provisional. Sometimes I feel the HC system is not as taken seriously by most and only taken seriously by... well members on this forum lol

 

 

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That is annoying when that happens - it destroys the integrity of the game. Once you start, i.e., moving the ball, foot wedges, etc. when do you stop.

 

 

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[SuperDave]

Most I play with don't keep track of handicap, but we got the one guy who moves the ball around in the middle of the fairway, etc, etc and then talks about how good he shoots. He isn't a bad player and could shoot well, but I think it's all ruined when he starts doing that.

 

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[OHIOgolf]

That is annoying when that happens - it destroys the integrity of the game. Once you start, i.e., moving the ball, foot wedges, etc. when do you stop.

 

The most annoying part is when they brag about the great shot they had from the worlds most comfortable lie from 3 inch rough. In those leagues lag putting is key because it seems like anything within 2-3 feet is a gimme.

 

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Titleist 718 ap3 (X-stiff,2 flat)

Cleveland RTX 2.0 wedges

Taylormade Spider Tour Putter RED 35” 1* Flat

Taylormade r1 (x-stiff)

Left Handed

OHIO NORTH

22.4 HC

[Charli]

I'm a big fan of the pro shop turning in an even par score card. Man that would hurt but That would definitely force people to send in their scores. Also I love the vanity handicaps. They don't stand a chance in a match.

[HardcoreLooper]

I'm a big fan of the pro shop turning in an even par score card. Man that would hurt but That would definitely force people to send in their scores. Also I love the vanity handicaps. They don't stand a chance in a match.

From what I heard, my old club had a huge problem with sandbaggers in the past. Turning in an even par round for people solved that problem quickly. I've heard of other clubs turning in a net even par score for you. That's letting you off too easily.

 

My biggest problem is that I hardly play over the winter, and I get stuck playing the spring with my late fall handicap, which is when I'm playing a ton and usually put up some decent scores.

[Flipper554]

From what I heard, my old club had a huge problem with sandbaggers in the past. Turning in an even par round for people solved that problem quickly. I've heard of other clubs turning in a net even par score for you. That's letting you off too easily.My biggest problem is that I hardly play over the winter, and I get stuck playing the spring with my late fall handicap, which is when I'm playing a ton and usually put up some decent scores.

Early spring is always tough after the winter break. When you are dropping off those good fall scores the old handicap jumps up a bit. It takes a good month to get things back to where they belong. Part of the fun of living in the snow zone.

[HardcoreLooper]

Agreed, Flipper. Problem is, I moved to Virginia to get out of the snow zone!