question about Handicapping

["Richard"]

Handicap Factor	Maximum
0 or plus	1 over par
1 through 18	2 over par
19 through 32	3 over par
33+	4 over par

How do I know where to start? Because I don't have a handicap I don't know if I should play as a 1-18 or as a 19-32. I've shot some really bad rounds this year but also some really good rounds. I shot a 77 one day and then a 103 the next time I went out. I'm all over the place and it goes day to day so tomorrow after I play my round (with the intention to calculate my handicap) I don't know if I should play 2 over as my max or 3 over as my max...

[Big Johnny69]

Take your scores thotho and put them in the Ottawa Golf Handicapping program. All you need is the slope/rating for the tees you played and your cap will be done automatically. Or there is lots of sites and software out there that can do it for you.

[g8r]

which means dont use ESC until you have a handicap...right? (or use the +4 max)

[Kilroy]

Do not use ESC until it gives you a starting hcp at 5 rounds.

["Richard"]

hey, how did you like those vids?

I went to that website but they don't ask for my score, they ask for my adjusted score.. but I don't know how to adjust it... 2 over max or 3 over max

["Richard"]

so if I shot a 90 but two of those holes are a quad and a trip... that means just enter 90 where it asks for the adjusted score? enter the real score basically?

[el tigre]

so if I shot a 90 but two of those holes are a quad and a trip... that means just enter 90 where it asks for the adjusted score? enter the real score basically?

For the first 5 rounds, enter your real score. After 5 rounds the system will give you a handicap factor, which you can use to figure out your adjusted score for all your other rounds after the first 5.

[Kilroy]

I just added this to the help file for the handicapping system:

New Handicaps
If you are entering your first scores and do not have a handicap yet, enter the total score without adjustment until you are given a handicap. This will happen when you enter your fifth round.

["Richard"]

sweet, thanks guys. What should my friend do? He plays muligans.... He can't really enter and acurate score can me? He takes one on the front and one on the back. I told him to just add two strokes for each one he took cause instead of hitting 3 off the tee he is hitting one and 3-1 = 2

[Kilroy]

Any hole not played by the rules of golf should be entered as an ESC maximum. Ie; when you pick up or just drop a ball instead of returning to the tee to save time.

In the case of an unhandicapped player entering par +4 would be fine.

[Kona Golf]

The Rating System is actually based on Course handicap not " handicap factor ".

ie: you may have a handicap factor of 15.2, but your course handicap on the Golds at Glen Abbey would be 19 therfore in that round you would record as much as 3 over par.

The same player playing at a course with a rating of 108 may be playing that course as a 13 handicap in which case you would only record a double bogey!

The factor is based on a course slope rating of 113. Higher the slope the higher the Course Handicap, which is also affected by the tee box you are playing!

Every course has a handicap chart posted in the proshop somewhere, if not just ask.

It is different in the USGA rules.

Maximum on any hole is 7, even if it is a par 3! This is the reason that a 5 handicap US golfer is actually better than a 5 handicap Canadian Golfer. Their handicaps are built on actual scoring as opposed to the ESC system we use.

["Richard"]

The Rating System is actually based on Course handicap not " handicap factor ".

ie: you may have a handicap factor of 15.2, but your course handicap on the Golds at Glen Abbey would be 19 therfore in that round you would record as much as 3 over par.

The same player playing at a course with a rating of 108 may be playing that course as a 13 handicap in which case you would only record a double bogey!

The factor is based on a course slope rating of 113. Higher the slope the higher the Course Handicap, which is also affected by the tee box you are playing!

Every course has a handicap chart posted in the proshop somewhere, if not just ask.

It is different in the USGA rules.

Maximum on any hole is 7, even if it is a par 3! This is the reason that a 5 handicap US golfer is actually better than a 5 handicap Canadian Golfer. Their handicaps are built on actual scoring as opposed to the ESC system we use.

You completely lost me man... my friend for example used the system and entered his last 5 rounds (the real scores) and it spit out a handicap of 11.8 so now when he plays, the most he can get is 2 over.. tahts what I understood from all this but now that I think about it, that doesn't make much sense. I mean, what he does play glen abby like you said from the tips and goes 4 over on everything.. it would be fair to mark down only a two. So how does this work then?

[jmr73]

Your friend has an index of 11.8 and still takes mulligans?

Thotho... what kona is saying is your 11.8 is not a handicap it is an index. The index translates to different handicap on different courses. It might be a handicap of 10 on the whites at Cloverdale (just an example) and a 17 on a tougher course from the tips.

Using the handicap chart, you use your index to find your handicap for the tees you will be playing.

If that handicap is over 18, ESC max is 3 strokes.

["Richard"]

where is this handicap chart? I've never seen one before. Is there one on any of the course websites?

I had to readjust his score, gave him an extra 2 strokes for each muli that he took. No point waiting 5 roudns to get his real index so hwe just kinda figured a muli was worth 2 strokes and went with that. Plus, your index will fix it self if its off a bit anyway right?

[jmr73]

where is this handicap chart? I've never seen one before. Is there one on any of the course websites?

I had to readjust his score, gave him an extra 2 strokes for each muli that he took. No point waiting 5 roudns to get his real index so hwe just kinda figured a muli was worth 2 strokes and went with that. Plus, your index will fix it self if its off a bit anyway right?

The chart is either in the pro shop or on a bulletin board near where the members enter their scores. It is usually on 2-3 sheets of paper as there is a chart for each tee.

I just thought it was funny, since a 11.2 is a pretty good index. He would have to shoot consistantly in the low 80s. I can't imagine taking mulligans when you are playing that well. I would suggest he stop taking mulligans if he really wants to guage his real score. He is not really helping himself if his scores are that low.

[jvincent]

thotho, a couple of things to remember.

1. To get a valid handicap, you have to be playing according to the rules. This means no mulligans, unless you are applying the appropriate penalty strokes.

2. ESC only applies for posting scores for handicapping purposes. If you are playing your buddy (or in a tournament) where every stroke counts, you have to count them all. It's only when it's time to post the score that you reduce them. Lots of people misinterpret what ESC is for.

If I'm playing a casual round and dump a couple of balls in the water, I'll take an "X" on the scorecard, which means I'm quitting this hole. It's OK in that case because for my handicap I know I have to enter +2 for that hole but my total score for the round doesn't matter.

However, in any kind of stroke play game, you have to count them all. If you are playing match play, which is hole by hole, then you can pick up and concede the hole, since the score on any individual hole doesn't matter to the outcome of the match.

["Richard"]

Course ---------------Tee Rating Slope Adj Diff
Stonebridge - 18 Holes Blue 68.8 129 86 15.1
Stonebridge - 18 Holes Blue 68.8 129 82 11.6
Stonebridge - 18 Holes Blue 68.8 129 87 15.9
Irish Hills - 18 Holes Blue 69.4 120 90 19.4
Greensmere - 18 Holes Blue 69.9 116 95 24.5

Rounds Considered 5
Rounds Used 1
Handicap Factor 11.1
Adj Score Avg 88
Used Adj Avg 82

I thought 11.1 was a bit to low because if a course had a rating of a 69 that means you would have to shoot a low 80 to get an 11.1 but I'm guessing it has to do with the "rounds used" because how can you be an 11.1 with a 86, 82, 87, 90 and 95 frmo the second tees? Eitherway he is better than me and if he is reading I'm not trying to put down your game, I'm just trying to get a better understanding of how this works and I can't use my own number since I only have 3 rounds on the books (77, 85, 103). I have played way more rounds than that but only kept the cards for the good rounds (the ones in my signature)

Can someone explain these numbers to me?

["Richard"]

Yeah, I knew that already and because he wants to keep track of his handicap he isn't doing muligans and gimmies anymore. So these numbers might be off even though I've added 2 strokes for each muli anyway but even if they are off it will readjust itself after a few rounds right?

[jvincent]

Can someone explain these numbers to me?

The number of scores used to calculate a handicap changes based on the number of scores posted. If you have 20 or more scores, you use your best 10. For five scores, you use your one best.

So, the best score was an 82, which based on the rating/slope comes out to a differential of 11.6. That is then multiplied by 0.96 and then truncated, not rounded, to the tenths digit.

Remember, a handicap is not a guage of your "average" game, but an indicator of your "potential" game, which is why the reduction factors are there.

Now, is it possible to shoot better than your HDCP? Yes, with a certain probability. But more often than not, you will shoot worse than your handicap.

[Colby]

where is this handicap chart? I've never seen one before. Is there one on any of the course websites?

I had to readjust his score, gave him an extra 2 strokes for each muli that he took. No point waiting 5 roudns to get his real index so hwe just kinda figured a muli was worth 2 strokes and went with that. Plus, your index will fix it self if its off a bit anyway right?

thotho,

I use this site to either calculate a course handicap, or generate a gandicap sheet for a particular course.

http://www.mulligansoftware.com/golf/stats.html

["Richard"]

Thanks man I just used it to check medows from the tip and its its 11 for an 11 handicap so that means my friend will use a double as the highest he can take when he inputs his score. But for me, I just enter whatever I shot and on my 5th round I'll get a handicap. I'm kind of exceited about this ahahah

[Colby]

Glad to help out. Although with your list of best rounds in your signature, you're going to be pretty low!

["Richard"]

hey colby, thanks for the confidence but those are my best rounds, I didn't include the 100+ rounds on that list but slowly slowly they are going away, I'm getting more consistant. TOmorrow is my one year golf aniversary. I played my frist round exactly one year ago tomorrow so 'm pretty happy with the rounds I've shot in my first year, hopefully the second year will be as fun as the first year. Don't know why I never started playing this game earlier

[Colby]

What you should do then, if you still have them, is post the last 20 rounds into a handicap system, that will give you a close handicap. And I only mean close because you won't have used ESC on any rounds. That said, looking at your recent scores, I would put most of your rounds in the middle, that is nothing more than a double.

["Richard"]

I don't have them, I don't even have most of the good ones, I can easliy remember all the good rounds but for the life of me can't remember the bad ones.

I don't mind starting over again. I'm more interested in what my handicap is to start the year next season