Not counting a round?

[nokids]

Can I waive my right to count a round towards my handicap before playing it? Here is my situation:

I am supposed to play Oaks of Cobden on Sunday June 6 2010. I'm pretty tired from playing 3 rounds this week, and i'm playing Greensmere Saturday. I have never played Oaks of Cobden, and I usually don't play courses very well the first time out. I'll probably not play there again this year, so I am skeptical that I'll actually play well. Plus the course isn't rated very high, so I'll probably have to shoot a ridiculously low score to improve my handicap. I would like to use this round as 'practice' and not count it towards my handicap whether it's a good or bad round.

If this is not possible, I'll gladly count the round whatever it is.

Thanks!

ps: jvincent, stay out of this thread, i know i whine a lot!

[Kilroy]

Do that and our bet is off. You don't want to be a vanity 'capper do you?

Go out and play 9 holes with 3 balls and drop here and there and try a bunch of new things without keeping score. That is a practice "round".

Besides, Oaks is easy. I played the back nine at +1 first time I played it.

[gbower]

Damn, I'd like to do that for every course I only play once, especially if it happens to be a tournament round. Count it or you should call off all bets with Dan.

[nokids]

Do that and our bet is off. You don't want to be a vanity 'capper do you?

Go out and play 9 holes with 3 balls and drop here and there and try a bunch of new things without keeping score. That is a practice "round".

Besides, Oaks is easy. I played the back nine at +1 first time I played it.

I'll count the round, I just didn't know if there was a rule i could invoke to say that i'm just going to mess around and have fun. i find that i'm taking every shot so seriously, it would be nice to unplug. for example, hitting my driver is a nervewrecking experience, i'd like to just forget about out of bounds and all the hazards and try to crank a FunDonny 300 yard monster drive. (295 according to chief)

[nokids]

Go out and play 9 holes with 3 balls and drop here and there and try a bunch of new things without keeping score. That is a practice "round".

so why can't i do this at Oaks and Cobden on Sunday? i want to play it without keeping score.

[mjf]

Go out and play 9 holes with 3 balls and drop here and there and try a bunch of new things without keeping score. That is a practice "round".

So... where is the line between a "real" round and a practice round then? If he plays 18 holes with 3 balls, I presume it's still a practice round. Only 2 balls?? Still a practice round I should think.

How about 2 balls on half of the holes? 2 balls on a single hole?

[mjf]

After a bit of searching, here are some of the ways that it won't be a "real" round:

i. When fewer than seven holes are played;
ii. When made on a golf course in an area in which an inactive season
established by the authorized golf association is in effect;
iii. When a majority of the holes are not played in accordance with
the principles of the Rules of Golf;
iv. When the length of the course is less than 3,000 yards for 18
holes;
v. When, as a condition of the competition, the maximum number of
clubs allowed is less than 14, or types of clubs are limited as, for
example, in a competition that allows only iron clubs;
vi. When scores are made on a course with no USGA Course or Slope
Rating;
vii. When a player carries or uses non-conforming clubs or uses
non-conforming balls;
viii. When artificial devices (as defined under Rule 14-3) are used
during the execution of a stroke.


My recommendation, don't bother putting anything under 3 feet. That should cover you under the "majority of holes not played under the rules of golf" point from above.

Personally, I think it's ludicrous that you can't state "This is a practice round". So, in my opinion, use the rules to your advantage.

[nokids]

After a bit of searching, here are some of the ways that it won't be a "real" round:

i. When fewer than seven holes are played;
ii. When made on a golf course in an area in which an inactive season
established by the authorized golf association is in effect;
iii. When a majority of the holes are not played in accordance with
the principles of the Rules of Golf;
iv. When the length of the course is less than 3,000 yards for 18
holes;
v. When, as a condition of the competition, the maximum number of
clubs allowed is less than 14, or types of clubs are limited as, for
example, in a competition that allows only iron clubs;
vi. When scores are made on a course with no USGA Course or Slope
Rating;
vii. When a player carries or uses non-conforming clubs or uses
non-conforming balls;
viii. When artificial devices (as defined under Rule 14-3) are used
during the execution of a stroke.


My recommendation, don't bother putting anything under 3 feet. That should cover you under the "majority of holes not played under the rules of golf" point from above.

Personally, I think it's ludicrous that you can't state "This is a practice round". So, in my opinion, use the rules to your advantage.

very interesting post mjf. thanks for posting that!

[gbower]

Now we know that he'll break a few of those and only count the rounds that are really good so he can win the bet.

[nokids]

Now we know that he'll break a few of those and only count the rounds that are really good so he can win the bet.

just to show you how honest i am about 'the bet'. i went to play a round with jvincent at Loch March. on the 3rd tee box, he tells me "you wont be able to enter this round in your handicap because this course isn't an rcga member" .... something along those lines.

i was already having a bad round, and after he told me that, the rest of my round was just as aweful. but i figured, well, this round isn't going to count so who cares. i shot a season worst 95.

i get on Ottawa golf's website and looked up the thread about LM not being an RCGA course and whether to enter my score in the system. i find out that yes i should enter it because it has a rating/slope and i can enter it manually because OG tracks unofficial handicaps.

how many people do you know would enter a season worst score into their tracker after playing an entire round thinking it was a meaningless round (but still according to the rules). i decided in the end that i should enter it because that's the deal i had with Dan. so the point of that long story is that i'm honest about the bet with Dan.

[ex-mailman]

It is only ONE round out of TWENTY. It probably will never figure in anyway.

[DenisO]

That's the way I see it, I play every course like I am entering it, and even if I'm playing crappy and have pretty much given up, I still know I'll be entering the score in and it just won't be counting towards my top 10. The only time it bugged me a bit is when that 20th round I'm knocking off was a decent one, has happened once so far lol.

[mjf]

just to show you how honest i am about 'the bet'. i went to play a round with jvincent at Loch March. on the 3rd tee box, he tells me "you wont be able to enter this round in your handicap because this course isn't an rcga member" .... something along those lines.

i get on Ottawa golf's website and looked up the thread about LM not being an RCGA course and whether to enter my score in the system. i find out that yes i should enter it because it has a rating/slope and i can enter it manually because OG tracks unofficial handicaps.

Strictly speaking, I believe jvincent is correct about the whole Loch March not valid for handicapping thing. Since the course isn't an RCGA member, the rating / slope isn't really valid. It's probably not really any different me buying 100 acres of land, calling it a golf course and giving it an arbitrary rating... from the RCGA's perspective.

Having said that, I still include rounds at Loch March in my handicap calculations. I don't really feel guilty about doing so because I know that, if anything, Loch March is under-"rated" and under-"sloped". Since my goal is to get my handicap as low as possible, I know I'm not getting any benefit by using scores from Loch March.

[jvincent]

Hey, just ask my wife, I am ALWAYS right.

[BC MIST]

Personally, I think it's ludicrous that you can't state "This is a practice round". So, in my opinion, use the rules to your advantage.

And if you scored 65 during this "practice round," would you count it?

Twenty five years ago I played a round and said, "I am only going to use irons today...." and had my best score, ever. Should the round have counted?

[mjf]

And if you scored 65 during this "practice round," would you count it?

I wouldn't, but others might.

Twenty five years ago I played a round and said, "I am only going to use irons today...." and had my best score, ever. Should the round have counted?

What if I play with left-handed clubs and have my worst score ever. Should that round count?

[Kilroy]

Declaring a practice round just so a potentally high score won't count is manipulating the handicap system and definately not correct. A handicap is meaningless if you enter scores selectively.

What if it's cold and raining and you don't usually play in the rain? Those Socttish links courses play completely differently depending on conditions. One day plays easy and the next it can be brutal. It all counts.

Truly practicing on the course is semething else, as the outline describes. It all boils down to your intent. What nokids described would be manipulating the system.

[nokids]

If I didn't have that bet with Dan I think I would have the right to make up my mind before a round if I'm going to practice on a course. If i dont bring a scorecard and don't write down my strokes, i think that's pretty clear that i'm practicing.

Even the pros, who are bound the same rules as us, can go out and have practice rounds at Augusta or whatever course, and the PGA isn't keeping track of their driving yardage, or putts per round. So I think it's totally within my right as a weekend hacker to say "i'm going to practice different shots on such and such course", and not keep track of the score.

Anyway, tomorrow's round at Oaks is going to be entered into my handicap tracker.

[Kilroy]

Pros don't use handicaps so it's irrelevant.

Pros practice rounds are more about gaining local knowlege and deciding on tournament strategy. They will drop extra balls and try certain trouble shots etc.

[mjf]

Declaring a practice round just so a potentally high score won't count is manipulating the handicap system and definately not correct. A handicap is meaningless if you enter scores selectively.

If you do so after the round has begun then I agree. If, however, you decide before the first shot is struck I don't.

Whether or not it's "correct" seems to be more a matter of opinion than a matter of fact.

What if it's cold and raining and you don't usually play in the rain? Those Socttish links courses play completely differently depending on conditions. One day plays easy and the next it can be brutal. It all counts.

What if it's warm and sunny on tournament day and you only EVER play when it's cold and raining?

[BC MIST]

What if I play with left-handed clubs and have my worst score ever. Should that round count?

Yes/No. If you cease being a rightie and now play from the left side, the round counts. Otherwise, the round is invalid. Decision 1-1/2

I played my normal way, right handed, by the rules, and tried hard on every shot. Score counts?

[BC MIST]

If I didn't have that bet with Dan I think I would have the right to make up my mind before a round if I'm going to practice on a course. If i dont bring a scorecard and don't write down my strokes, i think that's pretty clear that i'm practicing.

If you play 1 ball, try hard on every shot, the score counts.

[gbower]

If you're out having a practice round taking lots of extra shots you'd better not be holding up everyone else. When the pros have a practice round they may just go to the area that they'd be hitting their second shots and hit 3 or 4 shots from that area. The only time I'll actually play a practice round using more than one ball is when noone is within a few holes behind me. If you're out playing in a foursome on a weekend I doubt that this is possible and you'd be playing one ball within your group.

[Kilroy]

Last week I was early to the course. I went out and found 3 empty holes and played 3 balls to the hole. I did not count strokes. I didn't want a headache. To me that was a "9 hole practice round". Much more enjoyable than 45 min on the practice green. It is the only example of golf holes I have played this hcp season without entering a score.

Playing new courses, playing too much or not enough, bad knees, bad conditions, bad karma... that's just golf.

[fourlights]

I believe that if you keep a handicap, you must enter all scores. Period.

[jvincent]

I believe that if you keep a handicap, you must enter all scores. Period.

Not quite. There are specific rules for which rounds must and must not be entered. It's all explained in the handicapping manual.

[fourlights]

Not quite. There are specific rules for which rounds must and must not be entered. It's all explained in the handicapping manual.

But it seems silly to be able to say that you won't count your round beforehand, but what do I know. I always enter every complete round, beauty to stinker and every one in between.

[jvincent]

In general, yes, you should enter all rounds.

But let's say you are having your own "demo day" and are carrying 18 clubs, or you play two/three balls on every hole, etc. That round (or more appropriately day of golf) would not count.

[fourlights]

In general, yes, you should enter all rounds.

But let's say you are having your own "demo day" and are carrying 18 clubs, or you play two/three balls on every hole, etc. That round (or more appropriately day of golf) would not count.

I would agree with you there.

[Arrt]

i. When fewer than seven holes are played;

What is the difference between seven and eight?