What do you think when someone tells you their handicap

[Cuja444]

I dont know what my handicap is , however when i play i putt everything in and take penalty strokes. People who keep a handicap i feel thats fine but i also think its funny that while being paired up with a random guy on vacation he kept talking bout his handicap. I was keeping score and i asked what he got and he said "a 6 and put a circle around it" i laughed and thought i know he got atleast a 8 but he explained when keeping his handicap he can only go so many over....i also laughed when he picked his ball up in the bunker twice and walked to cart bc he couldnt get it out.... Only to here "ill take a 6" man i should start keeping a handicap instead of telling people i shot 105 i can tell them 83...

[Johnnybmoto]

haha, funny, he doesn't know how ESC works. You still count all of your strokes. But when you enter your scores for Handicap purposes you are only allowed to take a certain amount to combat sandbagging.

[9thGreenAt9]

[quote name='DON SVO' timestamp='1374639296' post='7527408']
[quote name='miz85uno' timestamp='1374635470' post='7527088']
well that is how your suppose to do it, (if u bet) unless your a reverse sand-bagger also known as an "idiot". all the 10-18 handicaps love playing low single to scratch players, it's how they "cheat" and win...i will never play against anyone that i have to give more than 4 a side to, playing net score the game is heavily favored to a mid handicap. it's just how the system works.
[/quote]

You're not alone

A good friend of mine is a 4.X handicap and, even though I am only a legit 14 right now (coming back around from dominant wrist surgery), he refuses to give me more than 3 a side. Why? He can easily shoot 81-82 with a few bad shots. I shot 85 from the way-backs Sunday. My argument is always the same: I've seen him shoot 74. He's seen me shoot 96. On the flip side, another buddy of mine is a Plus-3 and my 4-cap friend demands the same 3 per side from him that he only begrudgingly gives me! There's never a good compromise unless it's just straight-up
[/quote]

it's simple why low handicaps can't play a "fair" game based on net score against mid-high cap players...it's the every 10 scores that get thrown out of every 20 games. like u said u can shoot a 96 on any given day which is 10 strokes higher then your handicap...ur friend on the other hand can go out and shoot an 81-82 on a bad day which is only 5/6 strokes higher then his handicap...regardless both your guys score won't even factor into your cap...so half the time u play your variable of scores will have a bigger margin for error then your friend will...it's the truth, better players will have a tighter range of scores while a lesser player can fluctuate his score more without being punished too severly based on how the handicap system works. for your +3 friend, i feel his pain...he should never play in any net type of tourney (unless he sand-bags of course) it's just a waste of time.

[Derek666]

[quote name='miz85uno' timestamp='1374635470' post='7527088']
[quote name='DON SVO' timestamp='1374608408' post='7523850']
[quote name='miz85uno' timestamp='1374601387' post='7522910']
ya u and the other 90% of the golfing public sure think alike.
[/quote]
If the other 90% enter their bad scores with their good scores then yes, we do!
[/quote]

well that is how your suppose to do it, (if u bet) unless your a reverse sand-bagger also known as an "idiot". all the 10-18 handicaps love playing low single to scratch players, it's how they "cheat" and win...i will never play against anyone that i have to give more than 4 a side to, playing net score the game is heavily favored to a mid handicap. it's just how the system works.
[/quote]

Whats the point of playing to a handicap then just dump it and play your own rules?

I get shafted all the time by high handicapers but i wouldnt b**** about it they just played better that day to their handicap than me.

Some comps over here you get 3/4 handicap in matchplay which is more fair imo but if your gona play with a handicap you need to follow the rules of golf.

Im not having a go btw

[Big Ben]

I play off a 4.8 index and shot a blistering 86 last week with a plus caper (from the tips on a 7500yrd beast). It was 92 degrees with 80% humidity and we looped in 2:45min's. My scores are all played by the rules however, have no interest in vanity caps. Low caps have bad days too...BB

[ReidStylez]

I always have to laugh. I have a buddy that entered in scores to a golf handicap site and his handicap for whatever reason last year was a 16. This year it's sitting at 24. He has yet to shoot in the 80's and is mostly shooting in the 100's.

[ChrisBouriat]

When someone tells me their handicap, I usually think "s**t, does that mean I have to tell them I'm a 24 index. I'm working on it, I swear."

[Pepperturbo]

[quote name='MtlJeff' timestamp='1374629184' post='7526250']
I play with a lot of great guys to play with i guess. My rounds range from 70-87 this year, but if i shoot 87 i don't think anyone is starting threads saying "wow i played with this 1 handicap who shot 87, what a vanity cap liar!". People who understand golf tend to understand that anyone can have bad days.

I guess i don't understand why guys would volunteer their handicaps playing with strangers. Who cares really.
[/quote]

Well said. Although I can't recall the last time I carded a 90, I did throw up a perday 85 earlier this year. My bones felt like hell and was a bit mentally constipated sh** happens kinda day.

[putts4bogey]

The "I'm about a" phrase makes me think they don't really know their handicap and are guessing. If you post all your scores, don't you know?

[Derek666]

Also noone over a single figure will say im a 15.4 or 22.6 but all single figure players will say im 1.8 etc (not 2 which is their handicap)

[2putttom]

[quote name='Derek666' timestamp='1374679187' post='7529508']
Also noone over a single figure will say im a 15.4 or 22.6 but all single figure players will say im 1.8 etc (not 2 which is their handicap)
[/quote] I am currently 9.1 with a trend of 10.5.....ha

[RRFireblade]

People ask me all the time, just about any time I get paired up with another group.

It doesn't bother me either way and I may or may not give an actual number depending on how much of an explaination I feel like getting in to. (Very little usually)

I think most are just curious.

[V-twin]

The group I play with has their handicaps in GHIN and we have access to look at them. The problem we have is the sandbaggers not posting their good scores.

[Mike Honcho]

I never ask, b/c frankly I don't really care. But, if some asks me, I have no problem telling them. Not really a big deal to me.

[TServos]

Been playing for 30 years and have never had an official handicap until a week or so ago. I got one because I was curious. I get asked what my handicap is every once in a while and always truthfully answered, "I don't have one." Now that I have one my answer will still be "I don't have one" because if I say "4" and proceed to hit 0 fairways and look like that guy from Everyone Loves Raymond with my driver I will feel like a moron.

[Pepperturbo]

[quote name='TServos' timestamp='1374705814' post='7532530']
Been playing for 30 years and have never had an official handicap until a week or so ago. I got one because I was curious. I get asked what my handicap is every once in a while and always truthfully answered, "I don't have one." Now that I have one my answer will still be "I don't have one" because if I say "4" and proceed to hit 0 fairways and look like that guy from Everyone Loves Raymond with my driver I will feel like a moron.
[/quote]

You shouldn't feel like a moron if you miss fairways. Look how often Pros miss them. Besides, your index is best 10 of 20, which can imply some fairways were hit. Remember, your index is only the way your trending.

[signats]

I reply that's nice, and then try my best to move the conversation back to reality.

[TServos]

[quote name='Pepperturbo' timestamp='1374706896' post='7532656']
You shouldn't feel like a moron if you miss fairways. Look how often Pros miss them. Besides, your index is best 10 of 20, which can imply some fairways were hit. Remember, your index is only the way your trending.
[/quote]

I don't miss fairways, I miss golf courses. I have ball marks on the side of my driver. I once hit a cart girl, before she got to work. Ping pays me to play Taylormade. Charles Barkley gives me advice. The Eskimos have seven different words for my slice. My driver is the most interesting club in my bag.

[kekoa]

I error on the conservative side and tell strangers im an 10

[BucketOfRocks]

[quote name='TServos' timestamp='1374712748' post='7533136']
[quote name='Pepperturbo' timestamp='1374706896' post='7532656']
You shouldn't feel like a moron if you miss fairways. Look how often Pros miss them. Besides, your index is best 10 of 20, which can imply some fairways were hit. Remember, your index is only the way your trending.
[/quote]

I don't miss fairways, I miss golf courses. I have ball marks on the side of my driver. I once hit a cart girl, before she got to work. Ping pays me to play Taylormade. Charles Barkley gives me advice. The Eskimos have seven different words for my slice. My driver is the most interesting club in my bag.
[/quote]

I thought this was a serious post until I got to "before she got to work".

[gmangolf]

The guys who offer their handicaps can't play. The guys who Basically say 'I can play a little' are the ones to watch out for. Good golfers dont get wrapped up in what someone else thinks about their handicap.

[WildDog06]

I get asked sometimes, and they're generally shocked I'm about a 17 index (since if they ask, I was playing really well), and my response is always "Just keep watching, you'll see why."

Probably not the best attitude about it, but it seems to be true whether they ask or not.

[aliikane]

To me the whole handicapping system is not accurate assessment of how good a golfer is. Average score is better assessment of how good a player is than handicap. In reality, you only shoot your handicap or better 1 out of 4 rounds. The ESC rule is kinda lame because I see myself just not caring about trying to grind out a hole when I pump one out of bounds or get a penalty stroke and just taking the ESC score. Also, depending on the course and conditions that is played, scores can vary a ton. So, they really should just take the actual score and then adjust score based on the difficulty of the course and then take an average across the board or average it by taking out the lowest and highest score (anomalies).

Anybody can have really bad day at golf. Several 80's score at British Open. Scott Piercy carded an 88.

[Derek666]

[quote name='aliikane' timestamp='1374734177' post='7534882']
To me the whole handicapping system is not accurate assessment of how good a golfer is. Average score is better assessment of how good a player is than handicap. In reality, you only shoot your handicap or better 1 out of 4 rounds. The ESC rule is kinda lame because I see myself just not caring about trying to grind out a hole when I pump one out of bounds or get a penalty stroke and just taking the ESC score. Also, depending on the course and conditions that is played, scores can vary a ton. So, they really should just take the actual score and then adjust score based on the difficulty of the course and then take an average across the board or average it by taking out the lowest and highest score (anomalies).

Anybody can have really bad day at golf. Several 80's score at British Open. Scott Piercy carded an 88.
[/quote]

I dont understand the US handicap system as i've never used it but over here the handicap system is pretty accurate for those that play regular medal rounds.

[HighSpeedScene]

I honestly don't think I've ever asked someone what their handicap is. If the stakes are high enough for me to care I will have already verified online. If no handicap, we are playing gross, if stakes are too low to care, well, I don't care so I'm just trying to score for my own personal enjoyment anyway.

If we aren't playing for anything, no reason to care about handicaps.

[cardoustie]

I never get asked in North America

I do get asked a lot during my 2 week XMas and 2 week March holidays when I play with strangers. Sometimes they are curious if I am playing well.

My patent answer is "last season I fluctuated between a 3 and a 7. We're out of season now so I am closer to a 6 or 7." Generally caps travel well from my course as it is 73.8 / 145 and very tight

One Dutch guy I met in Aruba challenged me to a second money game after he lost on day 1. He was an 8 and refused strokes. it was at Tierra Del Sol and he was a high fader.

For those that have played there, it blows 30mph all day long and he really had no chance. Anyways, we had a great time and I won a few bucks and a few post round brews. He was 54 and a retired multi-multi millionaire so guilt never entered the picture

[SHIVAN]

I like when people try to guess your handicap...that's always "fun"....

[mojosodope]

Well technically. A handicap is for the same course. and a Index is for different courses. so if youre a club member and go and play the same course everyday, you tell someone your Handicap is "..."

and if you play all over and not just one course all the time. you have to tell someone your index is "..."

typically a persons handicap is lower because you keep playing that course. and people that play all over, typically have a higher index.

[strokingforscratch]

I've also found that an index/handicap is not an indication of how well someone strikes the ball, or vice versa---and that makes it hard to "guess" at anyone's playing ability--or where that ability will cap-out. I've seen guys that have some ugly ball flights make their way around a course pretty damn efficiently. On the flip side, I play to a 24, and I have compliments all the time on my ball flight---I hit it solidly, right to left "baby" draw...it's a nice picture of what a ball flight should look like. By the same token, it's a product of 1000's of range balls and many many swing lessons. I'm only now starting to learn how to use my swing on the course, and that's a *completely* different matter....thusly, a 24.

On the flip-side, I've only been playing for five months. Some of the "ugly swingers" I play with have been at it for 15-20 years for their 10 index....with not much hope of exceeding that. I'm hoping there's hope for me to get into the single digit---once it all comes together, that is.

[jchris74]

I don't care about your handicap unless your scores have Ts next to them. That's the only way to know if the number is legit (assuming that the scores are posted for you by your state association or other governing body).