What are you using to calculate your handicap?

[Mpwsports34]

Hey all! 

 

I've asked a few of my friends and family about what they use to calculate their handicap, and I wanted to get the forums opinion and see if maybe there is another option that i haven't found yet. Are you guys using apps? Does your team or local course calculate that for you? Are you part of another community or league that gives you your handicap? How are you guys getting you handicap, and if you have multiple ways, have you noticed any variation on the score or handicap that you get based on the method or source?

 

Thanks!!

[goaliedad30]

As a member of our club, I'm also a member of the Northern California Golf Association. They, like virtually every state association, use GHIN.

[DaveP043]

12 minutes ago, goaliedad30 said:

As a member of our club, I'm also a member of the Northern California Golf Association. They, like virtually every state association, use GHIN.

Same for me, but I'm in the Virginia Stare Golf Association through membership at my home club.  

[cnosil]

I don't track my handicap officially so I don't use GHIN.  I just use an app I downloaded to track for my own knowledge.  My companies golf league does their own calculation based on performance within the league.  

[Hacker60521]

Like many others I’m a member of a local city golf association and part of the membership fee goes towards tracking handicaps. There are also a number of events that require official handicaps to participate in 

Edited August 14 by Hacker60521

[rkj427]

Like @cnosil I don't formally keep a GHIN, but rather track all of my rounds using my Garmin watches and the Garmin Golf app. and Garmin Connect website keep track of my scorecards, statistics, and handicap.

[Off Map Oscar]

It's worth getting a legit membership to your state or area association. I'm in the Utah Golf Association and the membership is only 50 but I get coupons to local courses and shops that easily make up for it and then the member play days and tournaments are absolutely worth it. In the next two months I'm playing 3 different country clubs I would never have a shot at including the only Arnold player signature course in utah. And it's only 100 bucks with the cart. 

Join your area association. Worth it. 

Edited August 14 by Off Map Oscar

[Will_Mac]

I use GHIN. In the past, The Grint (Grint now uses GHIN), and farther back, random unofficial handicap calculators. No idea what they were, though. All seemed pretty accurate, fwiw.

[CrazyGolfNut]

I use GHIN.  A few years ago when I worked in the pro shop I scored for several leagues and they all did something different but similar. Several used a spreadsheet with a 9 hole score average. Example, if the 9 holes that they played was a 35 and the average score of that player was a 45, then he was a 10 handicap. 

[Shapotomous]

This is the first year i have used ghin and it settled in at a 3 currently which is pretty close to my own estimate of a 4 during previous years.  Our league uses some kind of scoring average in league play and i am a 0 there.  I think that system is a little wonky because i have had weeks that i dont play and the following week my league ' cap has shifted by a shot.  

[David Leighton Reid]

I use Handicap Tracker that I downloaded from the app store on my phone.  It is simple and free.

 

[JDHolmes]

No one has said it yet so I will. You dont have a handicap any longer. You have an index. Your handicap is then calculated for any course based upon the course handicap and slope of the tee box you are going to play.

The effective way is to join a local association and be part of ghin. You cannot participate in any organized competition without a ghin index.

Now, if none of that matters to you, then a "handicap" really means nothing anyway. Me saying I'm a +1 handicap only means that on yellow tees at one of the home clubs I'm +1. From white, I'm 1. From blue, I'm 4.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[cnosil]

21 minutes ago, JDHolmes said:

No one has said it yet so I will. You dont have a handicap any longer. You have an index. Your handicap is then calculated for any course based upon the course handicap and slope of the tee box you are going to play.
 

If we want to be technically correct it is a Handicap Index and Course Handicap.  Most people refer to handicap as the handicap index.  Per the USGA: Your Handicap Index® is a portable number that represents your demonstrated ability - but when it comes time to tee it up, that number is converted to a Course Handicap, which accounts for the difficulty of the course and tees played.

https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/handicapping/world-handicap-system/topics/course-and-playing-handicap.html

 

[JDHolmes]

If we want to be technically correct it is a Handicap Index and Course Handicap.  Most people refer to handicap as the handicap index.  Per the USGA: Your Handicap Index is a portable number that represents your demonstrated ability - but when it comes time to tee it up, that number is converted to a Course Handicap, which accounts for the difficulty of the course and tees played.
https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/handicapping/world-handicap-system/topics/course-and-playing-handicap.html
 

Thanks. That is more technically correct.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[Off Map Oscar]

It's actually quite annoying that index and differential. I played a great round today that's going to make my handicap go up. 

The course I played has a lower slope rating than some of the others I play.  The differential make it so an 84 at one is better than an 80 at the other. So the 40 I shot today bumped an older 81 off the list of the last 20 and sent me up from an 11 to an 11.3. Dropping from 35 to 14 was easy. It's been a grind to get to that elusive 10 I've been chasing. 

[Stuka44]

Like @rkj427, and @cnosil, I only keep a handicap (unofficial), for my own self evaluation.  Unlike many on this forum, based on previous threads, I have never found myself in a position to use a handicap for anything.  None of the people I play with  declare at the beginning of the round,  that bragging rights are going to be based on NET score, we just play and don't care that much I guess.  So it really depends on what kind of golf you are going to play.  

Now if for self evaluation you are looking for a free way to track it, and I've found it to be quite accurate, matches almost identically to scores kept on Garmin Watch.

Website called " Free Golf Tracker", the site does require manual input(depends on what you want to track).  It calculates some things automatically based on what you input.  You can simply enter scores on the courses you play and track only handicap.  But you can track,  first putt distance, DIF, Sand Saves, Up and downs,  like I do and it gives you some pretty interesting information on your game. After a few times keeping track of the needed information to enter on your own scorecard is simple.  And when I get home I can enter the info into the website in less than 5 minutes.

If you check it out let me know, it has a function to form a group, to see each others stats, scores, etc.

Edited August 15 by Stuka44

[Punster46]

I use USGA Ghin

I use the USGA app to keep score and then post it

Edited August 15 by Punster46

[Desky63]

Been using Arccos for a few months now. Dropped 3 points… is it practice and increased playing time or the app? I’m thinking combination of both. 

[Kevin Mock]

I use an app called Infotalk Golf for my handicap.  I pay $9.99/yr and it keeps all your rounds and calculates your handicap.  It's been easy to use and never had a problem with it.  I also have the Bushnell app that I use with my Wingman speaker that I have used more and more recently, which also easy to use and calculates for other aspects, such as GIR, Fairways hit, and putts. 

[Mpwsports34]

On 8/13/2024 at 7:28 PM, rkj427 said:

Like @cnosil I don't formally keep a GHIN, but rather track all of my rounds using my Garmin watches and the Garmin Golf app. and Garmin Connect website keep track of my scorecards, statistics, and handicap.

That's mostly what I use as well. Garmin watch and an app in the app store. Just wanted to see the various options! 

[Mpwsports34]

4 hours ago, Desky63 said:

Been using Arccos for a few months now. Dropped 3 points… is it practice and increased playing time or the app? I’m thinking combination of both. 

I had arccos sensors for a little while as well and love using them! It was just the price point for me to continue using seemed a lil high, but I may go back to that. Love the info they provide

[Mpwsports34]

5 hours ago, Stuka44 said:

Like @rkj427, and @cnosil, I only keep a handicap (unofficial), for my own self evaluation.  Unlike many on this forum, based on previous threads, I have never found myself in a position to use a handicap for anything.  None of the people I play with  declare at the beginning of the round,  that bragging rights are going to be based on NET score, we just play and don't care that much I guess.  So it really depends on what kind of golf you are going to play.  

Now if for self evaluation you are looking for a free way to track it, and I've found it to be quite accurate, matches almost identically to scores kept on Garmin Watch.

Website called " Free Golf Tracker", the site does require manual input(depends on what you want to track).  It calculates some things automatically based on what you input.  You can simply enter scores on the courses you play and track only handicap.  But you can track,  first putt distance, DIF, Sand Saves, Up and downs,  like I do and it gives you some pretty interesting information on your game. After a few times keeping track of the needed information to enter on your own scorecard is simple.  And when I get home I can enter the info into the website in less than 5 minutes.

If you check it out let me know, it has a function to form a group, to see each others stats, scores, etc

For me it is most definitely for self evaluation. I'm not in a position right now to be competing or playing very seriously at the moment. Just a way to keep track of any progress or regress on my own ability 

[Off Map Oscar]

10 minutes ago, Mpwsports34 said:

I had arccos sensors for a little while as well and love using them! It was just the price point for me to continue using seemed a lil high, but I may go back to that. Love the info they provide

Look at shotscope. No subscription fee same data for the price of a gps watch

[Off Map Oscar]

8 minutes ago, Mpwsports34 said:

For me it is most definitely for self evaluation. I'm not in a position right now to be competing or playing very seriously at the moment. Just a way to keep track of any progress or regress on my own ability 

What's your handicap at? I've got two buddies that compete in two different leagues that require a handicap. Ones a 34 the other is a 26. Most leagues will group people into flights based on their handi and recent scores. These guys with high handis still manage to win their flights. Especially if it's a net event.  At 34 my one buddy gets almost 2 strokes a hole. That makes every par 3 a par 5. When the game is stableford he kills it just by making bogey.

Remember that the purpose of a handicap is so that you can compete on an equal footing with others. 

[Mpwsports34]

9 minutes ago, Off Map Oscar said:

What's your handicap at? I've got two buddies that compete in two different leagues that require a handicap. Ones a 34 the other is a 26. Most leagues will group people into flights based on their handi and recent scores. These guys with high handis still manage to win their flights. Especially if it's a net event.  At 34 my one buddy gets almost 2 strokes a hole. That makes every par 3 a par 5. When the game is stableford he kills it just by making bogey.

Remember that the purpose of a handicap is so that you can compete on an equal footing with others. 

I'm at a 24 currently 

[Off Map Oscar]

Just now, Mpwsports34 said:

I'm at a 24 currently 

Plenty good enough to play leagues man. Make some more golf homies. Play more golf. Earn some club credits towards anything proshop. 

[mardukes]

CDGA -- Chicago District Golf Association.  They are the affiliate to the USGA for the state of Illinois.  Membership which entails slightly more than just handicapping is $45 annually.  It's part of GHIN.

Edited August 15 by mardukes

[mardukes]

Interesting thing about the new handicapping calculations they put in this year.  Instead of two nine-hole scores being combined into a round, each one is kept as its own round.  To form an 18-hole differential they "estimate" the other nine-hole score.  That estimation is figured from your handicap.  I think there is a tread in here someplace discussing it.  So, if you have a particularly good or bad 9, the estimate mollifies your differential.

So, speaking of leagues, my nine-hole league keeps its own handicap.  They halved the calculation to use the 4 best of last 10.  However, there is no mollification -- straight nines.  As I have been playing absolute doodoo in league, CDGA (GHIN) tempers those results -- my 18-hole index in league is 8 or 9 strokes higher than that from the CDGA!

[Off Map Oscar]

The Saturday league I play is similar in that fashion to how they calculate their in-house one, but they play Chicago every Friday and Saturday for 18 holes. Your handicap is either plus or minus 1, 2, or 3 points instead of a stroke value. 

[mardukes]

16 hours ago, cnosil said:

If we want to be technically correct it is a Handicap Index and Course Handicap.  Most people refer to handicap as the handicap index.  Per the USGA: Your Handicap Index® is a portable number that represents your demonstrated ability - but when it comes time to tee it up, that number is converted to a Course Handicap, which accounts for the difficulty of the course and tees played.

https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/handicapping/world-handicap-system/topics/course-and-playing-handicap.html

 

Most refer to handicap index as handicap.

It doesn't seem quite right that ones league would use an outside handicap index.

• the scores should be tied 100% to the prize money
• if you play the same holes and tees all the time, there is no need to use an index -- just calculate course handicap
• it's lazy

PS- mine does calculate an index as we play the same course every week but not the same side