Handicap question

[Tenn-Driver]

Ok guys, help me out here...

On your score card, you will have a line where it says handicap.
example, hole one will have a HC of 17, then hole 2 & 3 will have 16, then 4 will have 4, hole 5 has a HC of 12...

Can someone please explain to me what this about and why the #'s jump around so much.

Now the really dumb question...
How do I figure my handicap..?
Is this an avg of the addition strokes above the course par (72) ?

[HighTopFade]

The handicap numbers 1 to 18 on the scorecard represents the difficulty of the hole. 1 being the hardest on the course, 18 being the easiest on the course.

As for calculating handicaps, it's weird math that makes my head hurt.

[demon]

Originally Posted by stuck@16

The handicap numbers 1 to 18 on the scorecard represents the difficulty of the hole. 1 being the hardest on the course, 18 being the easiest on the course.

As for calculating handicaps, it's weird math that makes my head hurt.

Tell me about it, I am in the process of writing some software to do it and it isnt very fun.

[Sandpiper3]

The # holes is for difficulty, this is used for bets and matches and such. say I with my 2 handicap plays against my friend whose an 8, to "even" things out, the difference of our handicaps determines how many strokes he gets in the match (he gets 6 strokes on me).

Generally when betting with handicaps, the strokes that are given are the top toughest holes that the player strokes on, in this case he gets strokes on the # 1-6 handicap holes.

To calculate your handicap its the avg of your best 10 rounds of your most recent 20. The exact math i dont even want to bother doing though because it takes into account score, course rating and slope rating.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by stuck@16

The handicap numbers 1 to 18 on the scorecard represents the difficulty of the hole. 1 being the hardest on the course, 18 being the easiest on the course.

Not quite as described.... it's more difficult to explain that that. Actually the handicap numbers are based on need, not difficulty. A hole is handicapped by the likelyhood that a bogey player will need a stroke to tie a scratch player on that hole. For example... a long, tricky par 4 might be the most difficult hole on a course, but if it allows the bogey golfer to play it as a 3 shot hole to make a five, while a scratch golfer is more likely to shoot for the green in regulation, but is also just as likely to miss and be forced to chip and 2 putt, also for a bogey 5. Thus the the bogey player is LESS likely to need that extra stroke there than he is on an easier hole where his weaker game is still probably going to result in a bogey while the scratch golfer will more likely make his par. This is a bit of a simplified example, but in my experience the #1 handicap hole is rarely the most difficult hole on the course. It also isn't going to be the easiest, but usually falls somewhere in between.

Also the front 9 will always have the odd numbered handicaps, and the back 9 will have the even numbers. This is done for match play purposes, and will sometimes superseed other factors in the hole rating.

[Sandpiper3]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Not quite as described.... it's more difficult to explain that that. Actually the handicap numbers are based on need, not difficulty. A hole is handicapped by the likelyhood that a bogey player will need a stroke to tie a scratch player on that hole. For example... a long, tricky par 4 might be the most difficult hole on a course, but if it allows the bogey golfer to play it as a 3 shot hole to make a five, while a scratch golfer is more likely to shoot for the green in regulation, but is also just as likely to miss and be forced to chip and 2 putt, also for a bogey 5. Thus the the bogey player is LESS likely to need that extra stroke there than he is on an easier hole where his weaker game is still probably going to result in a bogey while the scratch golfer will more likely make his par. This is a bit of a simplified example, but in my experience the #1 handicap hole is rarely the most difficult hole on the course. It also isn't going to be the easiest, but usually falls somewhere in between.

Also the front 9 will always have the odd numbered handicaps, and the back 9 will have the even numbers. This is done for match play purposes, and will sometimes superseed other factors in the hole rating.

It doesnt matter about even or odds, it just depends where the toughest hole is. But yes, almost all the time it goes 1 front, 2 back, etc.

Im pretty sure that they dont go by where people need strokes, but just plain and simply which hole is toughest to make a par/birdie on.

[Andy_79]

Originally Posted by Sandpiper3

The # holes is for difficulty, this is used for bets and matches and such. say I with my 2 handicap plays against my friend whose an 8, to "even" things out, the difference of our handicaps determines how many strokes he gets in the match (he gets 6 strokes on me).

Don't you guys do 3/4 of the difference, no...?

[DouginGA]

check out http://golf.about.com/cs/handicappin...capsummary.htm and its sublinks.
about has the best definitions and explainations on about anything you wanna know about golf.
demon,
http://golf.about.com/cs/handicappin...calculated.htm pretty well explains it , there is also a handicap calculator somewhere on the site.

[sandwedge]

Originally Posted by DouginGA

check out http://golf.about.com/cs/handicappin...capsummary.htm and its sublinks.
about has the best definitions and explainations on about anything you wanna know about golf.
demon,
http://golf.about.com/cs/handicappin...calculated.htm pretty well explains it , there is also a handicap calculator somewhere on the site.

Very good information. I used this site a month or two ago to try to understand the handicapping. I also used the tools on there to figure out my own handicap. It is still very confusing though.

Here is the link to the handicap calculator.
http://golf.about.com/od/handicaps/l...dicapincal.htm

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Sandpiper3

It doesnt matter about even or odds, it just depends where the toughest hole is. But yes, almost all the time it goes 1 front, 2 back, etc.

Im pretty sure that they dont go by where people need strokes, but just plain and simply which hole is toughest to make a par/birdie on.

What I stated came straight from the lecturer at a USGA Rules seminar that I attended a few years ago. And the comment about odd and even is also correct, check out a few scorecards.... you will see that this method predominates, although it's not set in stone as the following quote from the USGA Handicap Manual demonstrates:

1. Odd Strokes/Even Strokes
   The USGA recommends that the odd-numbered strokes be assigned to the holes on the first nine and the even-numbered strokes to the holes on the second nine. This format equalizes, as nearly as possible, the distribution of handicap strokes over the entire 18 holes, and makes matches more equitable. In a case where the second nine is decidedly more difficult than the first nine, consideration should be given to allocating odd-numbered strokes to the second nine.
2. Importance of Low Strokes
   The first handicap stroke should be allocated so that this stroke is most useful in matches between players of almost equal ability, such as matches involving players with a Course Handicap of 0 and 1, 10 and 11, or 29 and 30. In such matches, the first handicap stroke will be of the greatest importance as an equalizer to the player receiving the stroke.

In allocating the second handicap stroke, matches between players having a slightly greater difference in Course Handicap should be given the most consideration, such as matches involving players with a Course Handicap of 0 and 2, 10 and 12, or 29 and 31. This process should be continued until the first six strokes have been assigned.
Without substantially deviating from the above principles, allocating low-numbered strokes to holes near the end of each nine should be avoided, so that players receiving strokes will have the opportunity to use these strokes before either nine or 18-hole matches are decided. Lower-numbered strokes should not be allocated to the first and second holes of a course in the event that a hole-by-hole playoff is necessary.

[Sandpiper3]

Originally Posted by Andy_79

Don't you guys do 3/4 of the difference, no...?

With my friends at least we play full strokes. Ive nvr heard of playing 3/4 strokes?

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Sandpiper3

With my friends at least we play full strokes. Ive nvr heard of playing 3/4 strokes?

80% is pretty common in club stroke play events. The field in our events is flighted into as many as 6 flights, and using 80% of each player's course handicap brings the actual stroke differential within each flight closer. For example, if you have a flight of 20 golfers whose full handicaps range from 12 to 16, using the 80% adjustment brings them down to something more like 10 to 13.... not as large a stroke disadvantage for the lower handicaps in the flight.

[JEFF4i]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Not quite as described.... it's more difficult to explain that that. Actually the handicap numbers are based on need, not difficulty. A hole is handicapped by the likelyhood that a bogey player will need a stroke to tie a scratch player on that hole. For example... a long, tricky par 4 might be the most difficult hole on a course, but if it allows the bogey golfer to play it as a 3 shot hole to make a five, while a scratch golfer is more likely to shoot for the green in regulation, but is also just as likely to miss and be forced to chip and 2 putt, also for a bogey 5. Thus the the bogey player is LESS likely to need that extra stroke there than he is on an easier hole where his weaker game is still probably going to result in a bogey while the scratch golfer will more likely make his par. This is a bit of a simplified example, but in my experience the #1 handicap hole is rarely the most difficult hole on the course. It also isn't going to be the easiest, but usually falls somewhere in between.

Also the front 9 will always have the odd numbered handicaps, and the back 9 will have the even numbers. This is done for match play purposes, and will sometimes superseed other factors in the hole rating.

Not so sure, my home course's #1 hardest hole is a 475 Par 4, and given it's layout, probably the hardest hole on the course. #2 is a 610(from the tips) Par 5. So on and so forth.