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How's Your Handicap

How's Your Handicap

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The club that I'm a member at keeps the handicaps there. We turn in the scorecards after every round and they post them. If I play somewhere else, I can go online and post them. I play in a lot of amateur tournaments, so I need the handicap to play in those.
 
The way I understand it, the handicap is a reflection of your potential, not your average. I am always happy when I play to my handicap and I'm really happy when I play better than my handicap.
 
TC said:
Interesting. So you're only 1/2 as good as your handicap indicates? hahaha, just kidding.

The provider I use doesn't kick out anything.
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I laugh when I see someone posting in the What did you shoot today thread, if they are a 10 handicap and they rant that they shot an 85, because the way I understand it, you should only shoot better than your handicap about 25% of the time. Because it only keeps track of yout 10 best scores out of the last 20, as others have pointed out.
 
JB said:
This is wear the rub runs in. Most people that do not use an official handicap believe or get confused by what a handicap is. Many believe a handicap is or around your average score. That is not true.
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Exactly, while I don't fully understand the GHIN system it is designed to accurately calculate your golfing potential. So the 10 best scores of your last 20 rounds are used, which may or may not really give an accurate picture of how someone shoots everyday but it should give a pretty good look at what that golfer is capable of shooting. That's why I'm a 6.4 yet I rarely go out and shoot a round of 18 at 6 over par or better. It gets confusing to me when 9 hole scores are calculated in, that is how my handicap got as low as it is, I have a lot of really good 9 hole scores in league that go into the system.
 
I just looked at mine last night on the WSGA site (WI State Golf Assoc.). My index is 7.5, up from around 5 at the start of last season. It really jumped when about five scores of 75 or better dropped out midway through last year. I'm back to being an 80ish shooter.

I've had an official 'cap for quite a few years. The clubs I belong to include a WSGA 'cap with their memberships. I play in a lot of events at my club and have to have an established 'cap. My goal is to bring that bad boy back down a bit, but I need to drop some poundage and get some distance back. Last year I hit the ball off the tee like a girl.

A fat girl.

Kevin
 
1. How many of you guys use a service, whether it be online or in a club, to keep up with a handicap?
I use OOB. For me it's great. You can do hole by hole, just the round and it helps keep track of so many statistics. It's awesome. I haven't been doing hole by hole but I'm a packrat and still have my scorecards. So I know where my strokes are going.

2. If you don't do this, have you thought about it?
I did it because of THP and was able to find a service through the threads.

3. What else do you like about the services that you use? (I like fairway files b/c we have a group that a few of us THP'ers belong to so we can see each others scores/stats/etc.)
We have a group as well! I've been off in updating on time but its cool to have the support. The hole by hole scoring as I mentioned is fantastic. Itll track your clubs as well. Just little things that really make it fun to use. Very informative as well.

4. Do you think that it's important?
If you want to get good you have to know your weaknesses. Looking at the scorecard is the best place to start imo. You can find where all of your strokes are going. Sometimes we equate good scoring to good ball striking and if we have bad rounds we work on a swing that doesnt need working on!

5. Do you think keeping a handicap is important overall?
I think its a good help. Sometimes its funny though, a 7 handicap can be a different type of 7 handicap than another person. Maybe someone can't hit a fairway but has a killer shortgame. Then they get paired with someone with the exact opposite skill set. You can really learn alot from another golfer if you're open to it.

6. What is your actual handicap?
15.6 I try and keep it up to date. Sometimes I think it should be higher but I just look hole by hole and its getting more consistant. I start to put holes together and remember how I saved bogey or par lol.
 
I decided this year would be my year to really figure out my handicap. I use Golfshot when I am playing and it has a feature that will figure out you handicap, I don't know how accurate it is or what version they are using. I also downloaded OOB for my iphone, so between on of these two I should get a good idea. I do want to get an official handicap too though.
 
Don't forget to apply the ESC when entering scores.

Kevin
 
I use nethandicap.com they have some nice analysis tools you can get some nice charts and you can get an official USGA index card.

You could get more charts if you enter things like sand saves, chips length of putts etc... All I enter is storke fairways, GIR and putts so I don't use the analysis to it fullest potential

as you can see this trend is going the wrong way..
ChartPic_000001.png


i was using another site think is was golfhandicap.com and they just disappeared overnight and i lost years of scores and stats...that sucked
 
Esox said:
Don't forget to apply the ESC when entering scores.

Kevin
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Most of the online tools figure in ESC automatically
 
My hcp was way higher on the other system i used. Im assuming this one is more accurate. But wow I didnt think it would come out like that.

Most of the dates on my score entries are wrong by the way, i was flipping them over from the facebook app and i didnt feel like entering dates or numbers.
 
I just use yahoo golf to keep track of mine. Has a pretty big database of courses. If the course isnt there, you can input your own slope/rating and apply it to the score. Only downside is that it takes total scores rather than hole by hole scoring. Dunno if that makes it a "fake" handicap but I seem to shoot around what my handicap says. (22ish)
 
Esox said:
Don't forget to apply the ESC when entering scores.

Kevin
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That's still something that I just don't get. I just put my score in.
 
JNRadio said:
Most of the online tools figure in ESC automatically
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Yeah, I think that fairway files does that. They have a link on the site about ESC, I've just never read up on it.
 
TC said:
Yeah, I think that fairway files does that. They have a link on the site about ESC, I've just never read up on it.
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It's basically to limit the amount of strokes you can shoot on holes, from my reading up on it.

I signed up for fairway files, and realized that some of my rounds, I was "knitting" so I look forward to an accurate handicap (good or bad) this season.
 
1. How many of you guys use a service, whether it be online or in a club, to keep up with a handicap? I use the Chicago District Golf Association to keep my official handicap, and then use Oobgolf for unofficial stats, etc.
2. If you don't do this, have you thought about it?

3. What else do you like about the services that you use? (I like fairway files b/c we have a group that a few of us THP'ers belong to so we can see each others scores/stats/etc.) I enjoy all the stats on Oobgolf. It serves as an indication of areas in my game that I can approve. Also, if I play a course enough, I can check the stats on certain holes, etc. For example, I noticed on one hole that I always missed the fairway on the right. Well, after reviewing the stats I started aiming down the left side and, whoila, I started hitting the fairway more often.

4. Do you think that it's important? It is important to me.

5. Do you think keeping a handicap is important overall? Not really, what is important is enjoying the game and enjoying the people. But keeping a handicap helps me enjoy the game more.

6. What is your actual handicap? approximately 8
 
I am part of the group with TC and One-T and I also keep stats with a large group of THPers on OOB. I like the stats both sites provide and it is nice seeing the handicap go down!
 
jefrazie said:
I just use yahoo golf to keep track of mine. Has a pretty big database of courses. If the course isnt there, you can input your own slope/rating and apply it to the score. Only downside is that it takes total scores rather than hole by hole scoring. Dunno if that makes it a "fake" handicap but I seem to shoot around what my handicap says. (22ish)
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If you don't do hole by hole it can't do ESC accurately, it can't change the 10 you took on a par 4 back down to a 7 or 8 depending on your current handicap
 
TC said:
Yeah, I think that fairway files does that. They have a link on the site about ESC, I've just never read up on it.
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If you enter your scores hole by hole, the site probably applies the ESC for you. If you enter a total score only you need to adjust. Not much to it, really.

'Cap of 9 or less No score higher than double bogey.
'Cap of 10-19 No score higher than 7.
'Cap of 20-29 No score higher than 8.
'Cap of 30-39 No score higher than 9.
'Cap of 40-+ No score higher than 10.

That's all there is to it. Keeps a couple blow up holes from raising your 'cap. Like a 12 on the 18th in a big match for instance.

Kevin
 
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