Handicap System

Apologies for this as I imagine the subject has been done to death on here, and elsewhere. However for those who have read the 'engineering' thread you will note my latest cut. I'm chuffed to bits with that because it was achieved on a very, very tough track.

The problems with our system really come to the fore when new members arrive at our clubs. They may have come from a club where the course is super tough, which means they will probably be winning everything, or they come from an easy track where they just get 0.1 cut after every QC.

Wouldn't it be much more sensible and fairer, to have new members hand in 3-cards to ensure an accurate handicap is given.

The yanks never have this problem, because difficulty and slope index is factored into the handicap, which means an 18-handicapper will be an actual 18-handicapper elsewhere.

Maybe I got it wrong way around Doc but I thought that 'slope' worked the other way - i.e. a person with an 18 handicap may get an extra shot or two if he played on a tougher away track

Surely the system is "meant" to work properly over here with h/c calculations being made compared to CSS or SSS rather than to par .. though it is certainly true that certain clubs' handicaps do travel well to other clubs .. my own for example. I've hovered around the same mark for 4 years now, playing LOTS of qualifiers so that would suggest it is "right" - yet often on away tracks I can play under handicap, not exactly with ease, but perhaps more often than one would expect

Davie, the slope index can work different ways in different states I believe. In some states depending on slope an 18 handicapper will play off the ladies tees against another 18 handicapper playing off the yellow tees and another 18 handicapper playing off the whites. So the player going from the yellows is a member and has 2 guests from different clubs who have easier and tougher slope index at their own clubs. Makes for a fairer round you would think.

Although our system is 'meant to' work it actually doesnt in many, many cases. A classic case in point; is that my brother in law has played off 8 for years, and then stopped playing for a couple of years. Throughout his non playing period we actually played everytime we met, and he gave me shots because he is a much better player. We go to Spain every year to play and he gives me 6 shots, which mean we have a close few rounds. He recently got back into golf and joined his old club 'Ely' and handed in 3 cards, he now plays off an official 18 handicap which is way too high for him, but those 3 rounds he played were genuine. Since getting his handicap he was played in the Mercedes tournament and came runner up at one course, which put him through to the area rounds which he won outright, and then played in the national round at the 'New Zealand Club' where he came 4th ...... Over the last 2 months he walked away with 4 trophies and a red face as he's a bit embarrased. He scored 43 points on Sunday playing ina bounce game and is getting a rep as a club bandit, but the only way to get a cut is to play in some club comps ...

Couldn't your brother in law put in some cards for a general handicap reduction if he's playing better than his handicap? Also, he could, should?, have submitted his tournament cards for consideration.

1GrumpyGolfer wrote:Couldn't your brother in law put in some cards for a general handicap reduction if he's playing better than his handicap?  Also, he could, should?, have submitted his tournament cards for consideration.

Told him grumps, and he knows its a bit out of order, especially as he knows I've been cut. He knows he should be playing at 10 to 12 at worst, and also knows that he beats the crap out of the 18 every time he plays at Ely. Handicap should be a good target per round but not frequently achieved, otherwise it's too high. Luckily he doesn't play mates for cash as he generally plays with his wife, but he did take someone elses place in the Mercedes thing, by having a second and then a win, and then finishing 4th in the nationals.

Doc wrote:Over the last 2 months he walked away with 4 trophies and a red face as he's a bit embarrased. He scored 43 points on Sunday playing in a bounce game and is getting a rep as a club bandit

I'm not surprised he is getting a rep to be honest. Can't really believe that an 8 handicapper, who continued to play during a two year absence from golf club membership can be that comfortable with picking up the pot every week playing off 18...

Sounds like he has to put up with being called a bandit Doc, especially as he doesn't appear to be inclined to do anything about it. Just don't play him for money

Funnily enough he rang me half hour ago to let me know he would be on holiday from tonight, and I asked him if he was playing any tournments whilst away  He laughed and now he knows I've taken the cut he knows he's going to have to enter the odd QC, so that he ends up with a real handicap.

BlueCoverman wrote:

Doc wrote:Over the last 2 months he walked away with 4 trophies and a red face as he's a bit embarrased. He scored 43 points on Sunday playing in a bounce game and is getting a rep as a club bandit

I'm not surprised he is getting a rep to be honest. Can't really believe that an 8 handicapper, who continued to play during a two year absence from golf club membership can be that comfortable with picking up the pot every week playing off 18...

We've got a little triumvirate of golfers at our club who claim 25-28 handicaps yet return scores (regularly) in excess of 25 points over 9 holes every Friday