Does your handicap feel too low?

[dmitchell165]

I'm a 2.2 index but don't feel like I'm nearly that good. My home course is pretty difficult (rated 73.7 as a par 71) and most of my scores are in the high 70s with an occasional low 70s or low 80s round. I feel like my handicap should be closer to 5. Does anyone else feel that way?

 

Part of it could be my style of play where I keep the ball in play, don't hit many greens, but get up and down a lot.

[flog2]

strangest humble brag post this month :rofl:

[Pigems]

I’m a 7.8 that rounds to 8 at most courses, On a good day I can shoot 80 or slightly better. That sounds about right to me :)

[dmitchell165]

Perhaps my course is rated too hard.

[b.helts]

Absolutely. Because if Brent’s a 4 I’ll eat my shoe that sandbagging son of a birch.

[Moonlightgrm]

If the course rating is 73.7 and your ten best scores of your last twenty average to 76.1, then your handicap is correct.

[MidMOGolfer]

You know all the problem areas to avoid at your home course, add a good short game to that which sounds like you have, and that equals a low handicap.

 

How much higher are your differentials at other courses you play?

 

 

 

 

[MtlJeff]

I think if you play at a tough course it's pretty easy sometimes to think your index is too low. Because you tend to shoot a lot of 76-78's and end up with a 1.1 index provided you shoot a couple of rounds around 72-73 every 20 games.

 

Sometimes it's fun to play easier courses every now and then. Because you can usually go pretty low and then feel good about yourself again

[parforme]

We play for money, although modest amounts, with strokes. Of course my handicap feels too low.

[bluedot]

I'm a 2.2 index but don't feel like I'm nearly that good. My home course is pretty difficult (rated 73.7 as a par 71) and most of my scores are in the high 70s with an occasional low 70s or low 80s round. I feel like my handicap should be closer to 5. Does anyone else feel that way?

 

Part of it could be my style of play where I keep the ball in play, don't hit many greens, but get up and down a lot.

 

Actually, the difference between what your index is and what you think it should be is pretty much exactly what the USGA estimates that most of us average above our index over 20 rounds; three strokes.

 

When you say "occasional" for your low 70s rounds, do you mean once out of every four or five rounds? And do you often shoot 75, 76, or 77? If you answered either or both of those questions "yes" then your index is spot on. Remember, your index is just the answer to a math problem.

 

And you can forget the occasional round in the 80s; those wouldn't count as one of your best ten rounds whether you are a two or a five. Your index is your potential, not your average.

[JohnnyMIke]

Zactly. For those of us with higher indicies than low single digits, significant inconsistencies and rounds ruined by a couple of blowup holes that get ESCed to 7s from 8s or 9s can furher obscure the issue.

Ill give ghin this: if both players are honest golfers, indices can be pretty helpful in establishing what will be a competitive match

[umassgolfer]

Zactly. For those of us with higher indicies than low single digits, significant inconsistencies and rounds ruined by a couple of blowup holes that get ESCed to 7s from 8s or 9s can furher obscure the issue.

Ill give ghin this: if both players are honest golfers, indices can be pretty helpful in establishing what will be a competitive match

 

I hear ya. I'm right around a 10 hdcp, but that's because of two miraculous early season rounds before I remembered how to make double bogey. The rest of my differentials are between 11-15, but those two are 8 or 9 differential. So my index is really not indicative of how I'm currently playing, and I don't have an opportunity to play enough to bump those out - only 14 rounds so far this year.

 

I get to the tee, say I'm a 9.8, then shoot a 90 with a couple really big numbers (that get factored down for ESC) and everyone thinks I'm full of it.

[Parker0065]

From a tournament player stand point, "you are what you are" to take a quote from a great football coach!!!!

Other than club member(just completely and totally for fun events) I personally have nothing to do, nor will not in any way participate in anything that promotes handicaps. It's just my own personal feelings. I grew up playing nothing but tournament, play it as it lies, best score wins, golf. The new modern, "everybody gets a trophy" lifestyle just doesn't fit for me, and thank God there's still just enough "actual real" competition still out there to have some fun.

Although, at my age there's basically the Senior County, City Opens, as well as the Mid-Am and US Senior Open qualifiers, along with the Club Championships, so 5 events are better than nothing.

[pearsonified]

It's all about course rating and slope, which is a grossly inexact "science."

 

For example, I average 3 strokes lower on a course with a 73.8/126 (6900 yards, par 72) than I do another course that's 69.8/123 (6000 yards, par 71). The shorter course is extremely penal if you play aggressively, and dry conditions + humps and bumps + safety trees mean that sometimes even good shots end up in bad positions.

 

If I only played the shorter course, my handicap would be about a 5 or 6, which is hilarious given I can play to a ~2 almost anywhere else.

 

In all likelihood, your course, despite its high rating, doesn't present that many troublesome shots or deadly obstacles, and you're able to knock it around there consistently and shoot in the high 70s.

 

Bottom line: The course rating system—and therefore the handicap system—is imperfect. If you're serious about your game (and especially about competing), then you owe it to yourself to have some idea what your REAL handicap is.

 

Based on tournament results from 2017 (which occurred on a nice variety of courses), my REAL handicap is about 3.6, some 2.4 strokes worse than my stated handicap, which mostly comes from courses I know and play well.

 

This is also a big reason why I track anti-handicap (see my signature), as it indicates how I might perform under less familiar conditions.

[juststeve]

It's all about course rating and slope, which is a grossly inexact "science."

 

For example, I average 3 strokes lower on a course with a 73.8/126 (6900 yards, par 72) than I do another course that's 69.8/123 (6000 yards, par 71). The shorter course is extremely penal if you play aggressively, and dry conditions + humps and bumps + safety trees mean that sometimes even good shots end up in bad positions.

 

If I only played the shorter course, my handicap would be about a 5 or 6, which is hilarious given I can play to a ~2 almost anywhere else.

 

In all likelihood, your course, despite its high rating, doesn't present that many troublesome shots or deadly obstacles, and you're able to knock it around there consistently and shoot in the high 70s.

 

Bottom line: The course rating system—and therefore the handicap system—is imperfect. If you're serious about your game (and especially about competing), then you owe it to yourself to have some idea what your REAL handicap is.

 

Based on tournament results from 2017 (which occurred on a nice variety of courses), my REAL handicap is about 3.6, some 2.4 strokes worse than my stated handicap, which mostly comes from courses I know and play well.

 

This is also a big reason why I track anti-handicap (see my signature), as it indicates how I might perform under less familiar conditions.

 

Is the problem with the way the courses are rated is is it your inability/unwillingness to modify your style to the course you are playing. Hitting shots that are overaggressive for the course you are playing should inflate your score.

 

Steve

[pearsonified]

Is the problem with the way the courses are rated is is it your inability/unwillingness to modify your style to the course you are playing. Hitting shots that are overaggressive for the course you are playing should inflate your score.

In a word, no.

 

One of the leagues I play in keeps detailed stats for handicap differentials on the courses in our rotation. The course I mentioned has the highest differentials, indicating the course rating and/or slope are out of whack compared to other courses we play.

 

For what it's worth, I play extremely conservatively on this course because the trouble is all 2-stroke death. When money is on the line, only a moron would bring such disasters into play.

[Mcgeeno]

I’m the opposite a 2.2 who plays on a home course rated 67.9

 

I have to shoot under par for a round to even “count” for my handicap.

 

I find I travel pretty well as my course is short but tight. I have to have my wedges and putter dialed in pretty well, when I get to a 75+ rated course usually breaking 80 is a pretty simple goal (compared to having to be under par at my track)

 

It’s always confused me a little how it all works but mine doesn’t feel too low.

[dmitchell165]

You know all the problem areas to avoid at your home course, add a good short game to that which sounds like you have, and that equals a low handicap.

 

How much higher are your differentials at other courses you play?

 

I think this nails it. My home course is tough but I've formulated a good strategy over the years. i.e. hitting fairway woods/long irons to the fat part of the fairway and take my chances from there (even if it leaves me with 200+ in). In order to get a more true handicap, I need to play more courses.

[dmitchell165]

I'm a 2.2 index but don't feel like I'm nearly that good. My home course is pretty difficult (rated 73.7 as a par 71) and most of my scores are in the high 70s with an occasional low 70s or low 80s round. I feel like my handicap should be closer to 5. Does anyone else feel that way?

 

Part of it could be my style of play where I keep the ball in play, don't hit many greens, but get up and down a lot.

 

Actually, the difference between what your index is and what you think it should be is pretty much exactly what the USGA estimates that most of us average above our index over 20 rounds; three strokes.

 

When you say "occasional" for your low 70s rounds, do you mean once out of every four or five rounds? And do you often shoot 75, 76, or 77? If you answered either or both of those questions "yes" then your index is spot on. Remember, your index is just the answer to a math problem.

 

And you can forget the occasional round in the 80s; those wouldn't count as one of your best ten rounds whether you are a two or a five. Your index is your potential, not your average.

 

You're right. Its funny how the math works out. I suppose that the low/mid single digit handicaps are probably in a tough spot in club tournaments. You're probably not going to shoot even/ under par to compete with the guys around 0 but also don't have the big variations in scores which would allow you to shoot in the low 60s net. Or maybe every handicap grouping feels the deck is stacked against them :tongue:

[dornstar]

It depends. There's times where I feel like I'm better than a +2. There's times when I'm not even close.

[bluedot]

I'm a 2.2 index but don't feel like I'm nearly that good. My home course is pretty difficult (rated 73.7 as a par 71) and most of my scores are in the high 70s with an occasional low 70s or low 80s round. I feel like my handicap should be closer to 5. Does anyone else feel that way?

 

Part of it could be my style of play where I keep the ball in play, don't hit many greens, but get up and down a lot.

 

Actually, the difference between what your index is and what you think it should be is pretty much exactly what the USGA estimates that most of us average above our index over 20 rounds; three strokes.

 

When you say "occasional" for your low 70s rounds, do you mean once out of every four or five rounds? And do you often shoot 75, 76, or 77? If you answered either or both of those questions "yes" then your index is spot on. Remember, your index is just the answer to a math problem.

 

And you can forget the occasional round in the 80s; those wouldn't count as one of your best ten rounds whether you are a two or a five. Your index is your potential, not your average.

 

You're right. Its funny how the math works out. I suppose that the low/mid single digit handicaps are probably in a tough spot in club tournaments. You're probably not going to shoot even/ under par to compete with the guys around 0 but also don't have the big variations in scores which would allow you to shoot in the low 60s net. Or maybe every handicap grouping feels the deck is stacked against them :tongue:

 

Actually, there is a (very) slight bias in favor of a lower handicap player, since your index is 96% of the average of the best 10 differentials. 96% of a smaller number is a smaller number, so the index of a 2 is closer to his actual performance than 96% of a 12. It isn't much difference, but it IS a difference.

 

Also, as handicaps go down, the range of scores can be expected to tighten, which also favors the lower handicap player IN A MATCH. I repeat: IN A MATCH!

 

The real problems for low handicappers occur in large field net stroke play events. In those, you often find a whole bunch of guys who carry higher indexes but on a given day can catch lightning in a bottle, so to speak. When the low handicapper loses to one of THOSE guys, the cries of "sandbagger!" immediately start. But often what has happened is that the 12 who shoots a net 66 to win the tournament has a completely honest handicap (no gimmes, no mulligans, stroke and distance penalties, posts 7's when he can, and so on), while the lower handicap who is complained is actually a vanity guy.

 

And according to the USGA, the vanity guys outnumber the sandbaggers by about 3 to 1.

[bluedot]

It depends. There's times where I feel like I'm better than a +2. There's times when I'm not even close.

 

You should only feel better one round out of every 5 or so. There will be several more where you really are a 2, and several more where you are a little worse than a 2. And there will be a number or rounds out of every 20 where you might not be close at all.

 

In other words, there's nothing in your post that indicates that there is anything unusual about your situation; the index assesses your potential.

[dornstar]

It depends. There's times where I feel like I'm better than a +2. There's times when I'm not even close.

 

You should only feel better one round out of every 5 or so. There will be several more where you really are a 2, and several more where you are a little worse than a 2. And there will be a number or rounds out of every 20 where you might not be close at all.

 

In other words, there's nothing in your post that indicates that there is anything unusual about your situation; the index assesses your potential.

Oh, I definitely think it's normal. I'll have periods where things are clicking and I'm pushing my handicap, but most of the time I'm fighting to find my game and to meet that standard. At +2, it doesn't take much not to meet it.

 

Really, outside of keeping a handicap for tournament purposes, I don't even think about it as it doesn't say much about my game in general. I pay much more attention to my scoring average.

[Krt22]

Most people who feel their handicap is too low don't understand how the handicap system works.

 

It's not your average score

 

It's your potential to score based on your past 20 rounds.

 

When everyone posts every score, uses proper ESC, and counts every stroke the handicap system works astonishingly well.

[Harleyweedwhacks]

Really, since I play from the back tees consistently at 6900 yards, and shoot mid 80s, I'm a 9.3 handicap, because the course rating is around 75 with a 136 slope. I've never played an easy course, so really I don't know what it's like. I shot a 48 on a championship course in Germany as a junior 2 years into my golfing career to win a 9 hole tourney by 5 shots. I wasn't playing the tips, but the men's tee, but the rating was still around 74 with a slope of 129. This was back when I didn't have a handicap, and assumed I was around a 20. But it was a tough course, so I know a 48 would have been really good for my handicap back then if I had one.

 

I stay around a 9.3 and I haven't improved in awhile. Though I did shoot two 79's, one from the men's tee at my local course, and one from the tips at a short course, those rounds really didn't do much for me.

 

I feel handicap is overrated anyway. In tournaments they don't even count your handicap, it's based off of scratch performance. So if you shoot 85, you shoot 85. If you shoot 67, you shoot 67. Period. If you're wanting to play competitively, don't even worry about it, because you can't even use it.

[TheyCallMeVinnie]

I do. Im an 8 but I dont think I should be an 8, maybe higher, 10-11

 

My course is rated/sloped very high and after work, I'll go play 9 holes and shoot, say, a 39. When I post my score its a 78. There is no way in hell I can shoot a 78 on that course. Since Im posting a 78, my handicap reflects it

[dachtor]

Most people who feel their handicap is too low don't understand how the handicap system works.

 

It's not your average score

 

It's your potential to score based on your past 20 rounds.

 

When everyone posts every score, uses proper ESC, and counts every stroke the handicap system works astonishingly well.

 

Exactly, if your handicap doesn't feel too low, you are doing something wrong!

 

This is an interesting table showing the probability of shooting an "exceptional score" based on hdcp range....

 

https://www.ushandic...asp?id=10817895

[LeoLeo99]

I feel my scores don't correlate well to the course's rating. I'll shoot my usual scores no matter the course. Rating at one of my local courses is 66. Yeah, it's an easy course and it's easy to make pars but it's not that easy to make birdies on it. Always shoot my highest differentials on that course even though I'm not playing any worse than usual. Could easily see this in reverse is what the OP sees. Or maybe the OP really is that good.

[smokey7817]

I know this, I have played hundreds of rounds of golf with players who claim to be between scratch and a 5. I would safely say that less than 10% percent of the time I've seen those players shoot their handicap. I know your handicap isn't exactly what you score relative to par but I do think most of us have a handicap index that is lower than what we can actually perform to in a tournament setting or under a little pressure.

[Mcgeeno]

Isn’t the number 1 in 3 or 1 in 4? Most people average 3 strokes higher than their cap so I don’t find that too crazy.

 

Its your potential not your average so a guy shouldn’t be doing it all the time I would think, lol.

 

Add in tourney pressure and I might only have a few tourney rounds a year near or below my index.