Let's all laugh at the Yanks...

[Andy_79]

My mate is just back from St. Andrew's Uni for 'reading Week' ( I remember those fondly, ha ha !) and told me a fellow "Scratch" golfer American told him that he should be off one or two as he shot three rounds of 3 over par or better.
Apparently the handicapping system in the States means that a golfer there takes the BEST ten round scores out of the last twenty they played. What an absolute farce !!! This same "Scratch" handicapper told my mate "breaking 80" would be a good score on the Old Course on one particular day. My mate - a 7 h/capper - then had a one-under par 71, taking a '7' on 17 in the process to prove the Yank to be an absolute moron, and further demonstrate the fact that Americans have got false as f*ck handicaps. Period.
Sorry, guys, but that has to be the most farcical thing I have heard of in all my puff. No wonder when Americans come to play our course and say "I play to about a five", you immediately eliminate them from being a single figure handicapper altogether. Absolutely ridiculous.

*Awaits Backlash*

Andy.

[The master]

Yes but the americans can't just play around there home course all the time, they have to play a selceted amount of qualifying handicap rounds at away courses, so it kind off all even outs.... even if you don't find it obscene there is no need to come on that hard about it, you seem very angry and upset, maybe you should go and play golf in america?

[Andy_79]

ha ha, I was just absloutely bloody bemused my it all, mate. It is just "cheating", tbh ! Imho, of course. Had a few drinks and still couldn;t get over it, so thought I'd come on here and spout off about it. Sorry if I offended.

[The master]

Originally Posted by Andy_79

ha ha, I was just absloutely bloody bemused my it all, mate. It is just "cheating", tbh ! Imho, of course. Had a few drinks and still couldn;t get over it, so thought I'd come on here and spout off about it. Sorry if I offended.

Fair enough, I use to think like yourself, but I have never played in tourneys in usa so I don't excactly no how it works, slope etc.. comes into it.

[nsherman2006]

Yes, but does the 7 handicap usually shoot under par?

If so, i think that we have some issues hadicapping over there too. And BTW, i'm a USGA 5.3. I'd expect to shoot something like 79 or 80 at St. Andrews. At my home course, i usually shoot anywhere from 2-5 over. It is an easy track though, but the slope/rating system makes up for that. I think maybe the American 'scratch' golfer isn't really scratch

Played it without wind on a simulator(i know it's nothing like the real thing), and shot like 2 or 3 under. I think if it was my home course i think could be scratch, because it's wide open and short. If there is ever a day at the British Open @ St. Andrews where there is little wind, i'd expect to see a 59.

[Andy_79]

I know that too, although by what this guy was tellin me mate, it sounds pretty farcical from that alone...

[Tiger Who?]

Originally Posted by Andy_79

My mate is just back from St. Andrew's Uni for 'reading Week' ( I remember those fondly, ha ha !) and told me a fellow "Scratch" golfer American told him that he should be off one or two as he shot three rounds of 3 over par or better.
Apparently the handicapping system in the States means that a golfer there takes the BEST ten round scores out of the last twenty they played. What an absolute farce !!! This same "Scratch" handicapper told my mate "breaking 80" would be a good score on the Old Course on one particular day. My mate - a 7 h/capper - then had a one-under par 71, taking a '7' on 17 in the process to prove the Yank to be an absolute moron, and further demonstrate the fact that Americans have got false as f*ck handicaps. Period.
Sorry, guys, but that has to be the most farcical thing I have heard of in all my puff. No wonder when Americans come to play our course and say "I play to about a five", you immediately eliminate them from being a single figure handicapper altogether. Absolutely ridiculous.

*Awaits Backlash*

Andy.

Hahahaha...no. We should all sit back and laugh at you.

[Andy_79]

Originally Posted by nsherman2006

Yes, but does the 7 handicap usually shoot under par?

If so, i think that we have some issues hadicapping over there too. And BTW, i'm a USGA 5.3. I'd expect to shoot something like 79 or 80 at St. Andrews. .

Errrrr, WHY exactly would you shoot 79-80 at St. Andrews >?? This is exactly my point - it is an EASY golf course.

He is able to shoot 71 on St. Andrews on a day with little wind, as he has done, yes. He told me a scratch h/capper he knows there shot 92. A Scratch handicapper should be breaking 75 all the time, and maybe shooting no more than 80 if the wind is howling, and it is deemed a "non-counting" score day. You cannot work your handicap system that way - it is just farcical ! Yes, I like this word today, but it true, innit !?!

[nsherman2006]

well let's see, it's par 72, i'm a 5 handicap. So if the handicap system is true, i should shoot 77. However, accounting for my lack of wind experience and playing a totally different course, i would probably shoot something in the high 70s or low 80s. If i played the course often, and there were days with little wind, i would probably shoot around par, because it is an easy track. I think that the handicap systems are not as different as you think. It's that guys coming from the states have to adjust to totally different playing conditions over there. If you guys came here, i'm sure youd struggle with the thick rough, narrow fairways, and dense trees of parkland courses until you are able to adjust.

[Andy_79]

Okay man, I'm sure you're right. I'd blame my mate getting on his high horse coupled with me hitting the lagers hard this avo. Sorry Up the Yanks & their golf courses, too

[Tiger Who?]

Originally Posted by Andy_79

Okay man, I'm sure you're right. I'd blame my mate getting on his high horse coupled with me hitting the lagers hard this avo. Sorry Up the Yanks & their golf courses, too

You need to sit down.

[Bravo]

Originally Posted by Andy_79

Okay man, I'm sure you're right. I'd blame my mate getting on his high horse coupled with me hitting the lagers hard this avo. Sorry Up the Yanks & their golf courses, too

How are handicaps computed in the UK?

[Silver]

Andy, I'm not sure of the relevance of the best 10 of 20 rounds...?

The way I understand it, the purpose of that scheme is to ensure that handicaps are as low as possible so as to prevent 'bagging. Based on my best 10 rounds, I'm a RCGA 19 or 18.5 or something like that (haven't checked lately). This means that if I play a good solid round near the top of the my skill level (obviously there's always room for improvement) on an "average" course in terms of difficulty - with average being that a scratch golfer would shoot par - I would theoretically shoot somewhere around 90. Sure, I've shot lower and can shoot lower, but I usually shoot a bit higher.

If they just took my last 10, my handicap would be artificially high, because it's not that hard for me to shoot less than that, and so people would be complaining that I'm insufficiently handicapped.

Know what I mean, son?

[Golf Monkey]

Originally Posted by Bravo

How are handicaps computed in the UK?

Bravo, check out the link below

http://www.congu.com/faq.asp?pid=8

[Golf Monkey]

Originally Posted by Andy_79

Errrrr, WHY exactly would you shoot 79-80 at St. Andrews >?? This is exactly my point - it is an EASY golf course.

Jeeez you have had a lot to drink!