Fake handicap

[Sluggo42]

I think I qualify for this. I'm currently a 3.9 index. But my cap is all from casual rounds, mostly between two local tracks. Zero competition, zero pressure. I started in January after a ten year layoff with the thought of playing for a year to get steady, and to then join the local senior club.

 

But when I see the serious players in here, their caps are all based on serious competitive rounds, under full pressure for every shot.

 

I wonder how high mine will jump up to when I begin playing some competitive rounds.

 

On the other hand, I take pride in playing well, but many of the friends I've made lately don't want me to play tourneys with them as my cap will hurt their team. I have even been told I should do some drive by posting, to get my cap up...

[BIG STU]

Sluggo Not all handicaps are based under the pressure of competition. But you are being honest. As far as your friends go they must not have any confidence of their own ability to shun you from their teams because you have a low handicap. Shoot if I was playing competition on the handicap system I would take whomever and let the chips fall as they fell. You should be proud of your handicap index and strive to get it down lower. I have not played a tournament in years with an handicap index. The 2 reasons I have one now is that one mini tour tried to play off of handicap indexes and it did not work. The other reason I still have one is to try to qualify for the US Senior open but I just cannot quite get it low enough consistently I keep trying but in fact the biological clock keeps ticking on me Those friends of yours if they have you on the team will just have to play harder and that my friend builds character

[Rickles]

You have a correct handicap. A real handicap is every score from everywhere, every time you play. It is however unfortunately true that if you play the same course in friendly games most of the time you will shoot higher scores when you play elsewhere and in competition. Everyone who only puts in tournament scores or pads their handicap with higher scores is a cheater. If people want you to sandbag to play in tournaments are they really worth playing with and will you get any real satisfaction if you win. With a handicap as low as yours you should be playing tournaments where handicap is only to get you in the field or the qualifier anyway. If you want your handicap to be a more "accurate reflection" then you are just going to have to play more rounds at different courses and play in more tournaments.

I know this from experience because fresh out of college when I was working as a pro shop assistant and was a +2 I was a heck of a lot better golfer because I played 5 or more different courses regularly and was playing in lots of tournaments and also usually had a bet going. Now I play the same course almost exclusively and while I carry a 1 handicap, I struggle to break 80 in tournament conditions on a golf course I rarely play. 3 strokes of handicap is not a big difference but I am lightyears from being as good as I used to be. However in the world of handicaps I am a 1 because I input every score everywhere I play and that is what you do if you keep an accurate handicap.

[Shambles]

I think you get easier course setups if you play in social tournaments or weekends and holidays. The club managers, faced with needing to get a large number of players through the course with time enough leftover for them to have a few, will not be wanting to give them heavy problems posting a reasonable score. Weekdays, on the other hand, will be when the tees and pin positions are rotated to the more difficult to try to even out the wear and tear that comes for the tees, fairways and greens. Also, different times of the day can make problems greater or less depending on the prevailing wind of your home course.

 

Check out your home course on unpopular days and different hours and see the difference. On my home course I can be confronted with benign or horror depending on the day of the week and the time of day.

 

 

Shambles

[Sluggo42]

Actually shambles that's true. I usually play Monday morning. The track is soaked. Pins are either absolute front, or deep in back. Foggy now and then, lawnmowers on the greens, tractors in the bunkers... I guess I never thought about all of that stuff...

[Tyk]

You're doing the right thing recording every score. To do anything else is to cheat as I'm sure you know.  To get a more accurate handicap that reflects your ability on new courses, you would have to go play some new courses.  The problem is that if you play alot of golf on your home course, it's pretty hard to get enough away rounds in to make much difference, seeing as how only the 10 best of your last 20 scores are used.  So say if you play twice a week at home, and once a month away, only two or 3 away scores would ever even have a chance to be counted, if they are among your higher scores, then they won't factor into your handicap at all, although the experience will help you play better and more to your handicap when you are away.  In the GHIN system, tournament scores are weighted, I believe it counts your best two tournament scores for the past year, so playing in some away tournaments every year would reflect in your handicap.

 

Surprising that your friends don't want low handicappers on the team, and not very well thought out either.  You might take some strokes away from them, but at the same time, you should be bettering the score, you don't get the strokes because you don't need them.  Although if they are the types that expect you to sandbag, I don't know that I'd want to play in tournaments with them anyhow, if they are known sandbaggers, that will reflect upon you if you're playing with them, and people aren't stupid.  Everyone at every club knows who the 'baggers are, and they all have them!

 

I'd say that your handicap is more standard than you think and not at all fake.  Alot of guys that carry a handicap have a home course where they play most of thier rounds.  We play in a KC Cup event where we play home an away matches and EVERY team struggles on the road compared to at home.

[The Dansome]

Put all your scores in.

 

What you shoot is what you shoot regardless, it all works out in the end.

[kygolfer1980]

It does balance out.  I'm an 8.3 right now.  About a month ago I shot a 94 at my home course,  2 weeks later I shot a legit 74.  My 20 scores have alot of variety.  But when I play my friends in handicap matches it always ends up close. 

[JMiller]

I think I qualify for this. I'm currently a 3.9 index. But my cap is all from casual rounds, mostly between two local tracks. Zero competition, zero pressure. I started in January after a ten year layoff with the thought of playing for a year to get steady, and to then join the local senior club.

That's how most people carry handicaps, I don't think too many play in enough tournaments where there most recent 20 are all tournaments. Let alone the lowest 10 that are used may or may not be Tournaments that they have played in.

 

But when I see the serious players in here, their caps are all based on serious competitive rounds, under full pressure for every shot.

 

I wonder how high mine will jump up to when I begin playing some competitive rounds.

Probably not as high as you would think. If you always play by the USGA or R&A rules that match tournament rules (provisional ball, ball down, putt out, etc) then you are not likely to balloon that much unless you let the situation get to you mentally.

 

I sort of prep for tournaments by playing stroke play money games. Don't play for so much money that you would be depressed losing, just enough to make you think about every shot and swing. Find someone of the same skill level and play even some dollar amount per stroke. Could be 41 a stroke or $5 a stroke both work out well where it's not a ton of money at the end of the day but it costs you if you have a "blow up" hole.

 

On the other hand, I take pride in playing well, but many of the friends I've made lately don't want me to play tourneys with them as my cap will hurt their team. I have even been told I should do some drive by posting, to get my cap up...

Well, I don't always agree with padding / sandbagging your handicap at all. It is what it is, typically for most people there causal handicap / score would increase by 3 to 5 strokes tournament day for any number of reasons.

 

I think one of the more common ones is the "blow up" hole or not putting all the 3-5 footers out in practice / casual rounds. For example a single digit can only take double bogey cap in reporting a round for handicap. In a tournament most the time there is not a cap or a double par + 1 cap.

 

So lets say that you hit the tee shot OB and have to hit 3 from the tee on a par 3. Now you have to get up and down for a double bogey... You hit your ball 30 feet past the hole on the pitch shot, you end up 3 putting because it is on the wrong tier and made a terrible lag. You make a 7on the hole +4 where handicap would only count it as a 5.

 

If you want to practice for tournaments play the ball to a double par + 1 cap in causal rounds / money games. Only way you are going to get that high on a given hole is 2 or more Penalty strokes.

[revkev]

Sluggo you get an A for honesty and also for posting all of your scores.

 

Bottom line you don't know what you'll shoot under pressure until you play under pressure.  Frankly because I play in some tournaments and money games I get bored when I'm not and don't play nearly as well for fun with friends.  Illustration is I have a very good friend, parishioner, confidant, whom I've played lots of golf with but until the past month we've never played together in serious competition - some friendly partners stuff and some scrambles as teamates.

 

He was shocked when he played with me for real - he knew I was a lot better than him but for fun I'll sometimes get upset with myself visibly when I hit a bad shot or will hit bad shots because I lack focus, will often take putts I shouldn't - now I'm being honest.

 

For real, in competition - different story, when I hit a bad shot I'm moving on quickly, not concerned about what happened other than to recalibrate so that I can make the lowest score from where I'm at -

 

I shot 72, 77, 71 in these competitive rounds and he couldn't believe it - far different from a string of lazafare mid to high 70's that he's used to seeing out of me.  That may be you - you may need the bell to ring to focus.  He now realizes why I get upset at myself or get bored when I'm playing casually - I can't seem to conjure up the same focus no matter what I do - doesn't mean that I don't enjoy the casual play, just means I'm a different golfer when I'm doing it.

 

I should add that I'm the same guy - I always try to be a good playing partner or competitor, a good sport, someone whom people like to play with.  I just get much more intense from preshot routine to the end of the shot when it's my turn if the lights are on.

 

Nice thread

[Sluggo42]

Guys,

All of you have posted some really good thoughts and messages, and even though I don't personally know any of you, I can tell these were answers from your hearts. Well thought out and written. I just want to say thanks for the time you spent on these. I'm usually the jokester a lot, but this was actually an important thought to me.

 

Thanks again mates!

Cheers!