Scratch golfer playing from whites

[nokids]

Let's say a golfer can shoot par (whatever the rating is) from the whites, but not from the blues or tips because they are better with their shorter irons than the longer irons/woods. Is this person still considered a scratch golfer?

Thanks.

[LBH]

let me answer with a question: is a golf pro at a local course a scratch golfer even if he wouldn't be playing from the tips at Pebble Beach or St Andrews?

A scratch golfer is a scratch golfer. But a scratch golfer from the blue tees or tips is a better golfer, in my opinion, than a scratch golfer from the white tees.

Being a scratch golfer has nothing to do with what tees you play at but with the scores and handicap factor you register...

My 2 cents

[jeffc]

he sure is...perhaps he doesn't hit it nearly as far as he used to but is still a great player...if he can do it from the whites and it works out to be scratch so be it.

[jvincent]

Like LBH says, it depends on your definition of "scratch golfer".

Define it as a handicap factor of X or better is one way.

In the handicapping system, a scratch golfer is defined as:

An amateur player who plays to the standard of the stroke play qualifiers competing in the United States Amateur Championship. The male scratch golfer hits his tee shots an average of 250 yards and can reach a 470-yard hole in two shots.

[nokids]

An amateur player who plays to the standard of the stroke play qualifiers competing in the United States Amateur Championship

In english, does that mean: A golfer who shoots par in tournaments?

[jvincent]

Generally speaking that means a handicap index (USGA term) of 2.4 or better since that is the cut-off for US Amateur qualifying, who can meet the distance requirements.

[goochy]

I'm old fashioned...to me a "scratch" golfer is a 0 handicap or better...whatever tees he or she plays from. That is an awesome and very rare accomplishment.

[Husband]

If I had a 0 handicap playing from the whites, I wouldn't catch myself ever playing the whites.

The game is about improvement with the ultimate (unachievable) goal of perfection.

[sillywilly]

If I had a 0 handicap playing from the whites, I wouldn't catch myself ever playing the whites.

The game is about improvement with the ultimate (unachievable) goal of perfection.

that is what the game is for you, for me the game is getting away from my hectic life with my friends and having a few drinks, spending some time together and getting some exercise. Since i was introduced to this website, i've also added meeting new people with common interests to my list

I can see how a golfer could be scratch from the white at a certain course and a 4 hcp from the tips. That just means from the whites, he avoids the trouble from the whites but not the blues or could mean he is better with his short irons and his long irons.

[mpare]

A person who has a 0 handicap from the white tees may have a handicap factor that is greater or less than zero. It depends on what the rating and slope are for those white tees. When that person moves back to the blues, his handicap from those tees may be greater than 0. It depends on how the blues are rated and sloped. In short, you could have a 0 cap from the whites and a 1 or 2 from the blues.

On the issue of handicaps generally, a scratch handicapper has not reached perfection. Years ago Golf Digest used to calculate the handicap index for the PGA tour players based on their tournament play only. All of them were + handicaps. If memory serves me correctly, Greg Norman led the pack at something close to plus 8. That means that your local scratch golfer would be receiving 8 strokes or more when playing him at that time. Now that's perfection.

[Ruskie]

It seems there's some confusion here. A scratch golfer is the one with an "index" or "handicap factor" of 2.4 or better. For a given course/tee combination, that index is translated to course handicap based on the slope assigned to that combination. The golfer is then expected to have the potential to shoot the rating of those tees + course handicap about 10% of the time.

It all really has nothing to do with what a nominal par of the course is. On a par 72 course, if the tees are rated at 66, then with a course handicap of 0, a golfer is expected to shoot 66 (-6) 10% of the time. Shooting 72 would actually be a whooping 6 strokes above his handicap.

On the other hand, I think what Nokids meant was a golfer who shoots even par from the whites on a given course, which on most of the local courses would not result in "scratch" index. It's also pretty pointless discussing this view without a specific course in mind. Compare the difference between whites and blues at, say, Marshes, vs. Stonebridge. Marshes is a different course from the blues, while Stonebridge is just a tiny bit longer.

[nokids]

On the other hand, I think what Nokids meant was a golfer who shoots even par from the whites on a given course, which on most of the local courses would not result in "scratch" index. It's also pretty pointless discussing this view without a specific course in mind. Compare the difference between whites and blues at, say, Marshes, vs. Stonebridge. Marshes is a different course from the blues, while Stonebridge is just a tiny bit longer.

I specifically had Stonebridge in mind because I played from the black, blues, and whites this month, and i found the whites to be really easy. I played pretty bad and shot a 79. Whereas when I played from the blacks I played very well and shot an 84. This got me thinking that playing from the whites would be much easier to become scratch at Stonebridge than the back tees. Having said that, my rounds from the back tees were more enjoyable than from the whites because it was more challenging. Whites was not a fun challenge because of all the 2nd shots that required me to use a PW.

[Ruskie]

I specifically had Stonebridge in mind because I played from the black, blues, and whites this month, and i found the whites to be really easy. I played pretty bad and shot a 79. Whereas when I played from the blacks I played very well and shot an 84. This got me thinking that playing from the whites would be much easier to become scratch at Stonebridge than the back tees. Having said that, my rounds from the back tees were more enjoyable than from the whites because it was more challenging. Whites was not a fun challenge because of all the 2nd shots that required me to use a PW.

Well, at Stonebridge you would need to consistently shoot 3-4 under par from the whites to become scratch. From the tips it would be around even par.

[Chambokl]

I specifically had Stonebridge in mind because I played from the black, blues, and whites this month, and i found the whites to be really easy. I played pretty bad and shot a 79. Whereas when I played from the blacks I played very well and shot an 84. This got me thinking that playing from the whites would be much easier to become scratch at Stonebridge than the back tees. Having said that, my rounds from the back tees were more enjoyable than from the whites because it was more challenging. Whites was not a fun challenge because of all the 2nd shots that required me to use a PW.

The course rating and slope would adjust all of that. For example to be a scratch from the white you would have to shoot under par but from the black it would be 3 or 4 over...

[mpare]

Which was the point of my earlier comment.

The course rating and slope would adjust all of that. For example to be a scratch from the white you would have to shoot under par but from the black it would be 3 or 4 over...