2013 Handicap Watch

First topic message reminder :

Right - all you competition addicts, a thread to share our handicap adjustments (perhaps some tales of woe...hopefully some tales of banditry) this year. Geeky or what

Say what?!
For a start it was a damn breezy day. For example, our 9th hole normally plays 2iron,wedge for me was a flushed 2iron and a 4iron!
I was very surprised the CSS didn't go up 1, if not 2 strokes it was that kinda day.
Winning score was -5 hcp. It's pretty unusual for it to be any lower round there as it's a 6500 yard parkland course which at this time of year gets very limited run on the fairways..so it plays to its full length.
2nd was -4, 3rd was -3. There were 5 of us at -2, and another 4 at -1. Given the size of field is usually around 150+ for most summer comps, and we have about 60 cat 1 players for a start(obviously not all of them play each week) ..yes, I'd say we do have much competition

CSS did go up to 73 after all - happy days! Stableford at my away club next weekend.

You have 62 Cat 1 players barragan? Out of how many members? A quick scan reveals we have just 5 out of I'm guessing about 300. I know we're particularly low but your figure is spectacular.

Unfortunately I am no longer one of those 5. Two buffers and two .1's in the last week have seen me back to my usual confines of Cat 2.

Exact 5.6.

We have 11 out of 521 registered handicaps. 13 if you add in the two with away handicaps. And I'm nowhere near being one of them.

Not sure, maybe 550-650ish.
Can't be bothered to count how many there are with registered handicaps, but you can get a rough idea if you're able to log onto howdidido and do a search for duddingston GC. You can view the handicap list by category rather than surname. Our club left hdid at the end of 2011, so the info is 18 months out of date, but it's probably not far off - seems there were 68 cat 1s back then...standards are slipping...

took a 7 on the last (4 from just off the fringe) for a 77 gross and 36 pts. a bogey would have been a cut and in the prizes

Would you say that was standard for your area barragan? Like I said I knew we were far below the average. Embarrassingly so it would seem.

Bet you guys don't struggle to field a worthwhile scratch team that's for sure.

"4 fluffed chips and one thinned". "it was a damn breezy day". "very limited run on the fairways". "Winning score was -5 hcp".

You must have had a storming 13 holes or so in those conditions after fluffing those shots?? and what a low winning score for a CSS of -5? Would hate to think what the scores are on a nice easy day.

Well played!

Ta jpx
Normally winning score ranges from 66-68 - occasionally 69 if particularly nasty conditions. I guess because the field size on a weekend medal is usually between 140-160, its rare that nobody goes low. Wednesday medals are usually a better chance for a 69 ish winning score, but that's because there are usually only 80-100 entrants.
As for my own scoring, I holed out well, struck my irons as well as I can, drove pretty well, holed a nice bunker shot. To be honest, if I hadn't been in a good frame of mind it could easily have been low 80s. Equally, if I hadn't been such a wuss with my chips it could easily have been 3 or 4 lower.

14 APR less said bout that the better. Up .1 to 3.7

21 APR pretty tough conditions, blowing quite hard and no run on fairways. The first for example, was a driver then 5 wood when usually a 3 wood and around 8 iron. Played very well and well chuffed with my 3 over 75 although was -1 through 11 so touch disappointed in a way, that I couldn't sustain it.

75 n 71 CSS 75 5th in competition - 4 cut = 3.3

Not sure hibbz, I guess most of the east Lothian clubs will have strong cat 1 sections. As for Edinburgh, I'm sure there will be a good spread round the 15 or so clubs in the city too. Golf is good value round here and quite high levels of participation. Fife is close too!

Nice cut sand - back to 3

Starting Exact Handicap: 4.8
Target: 4.4 or below
# of qualifying comps for 2013: around 12
First planned comp: 8th June

Late start to the season for me due to uni exams. Should be ale to play a fair bit in June and July an possibly August if everything goes to plan, hope to get cut down to 4 as I've been stuck between 4.6 and 5.5 the last couple of years. Managed to get a couple of rounds in the last two weeks, despite limited range visits and nine holes since November I managed a 79 and an 81 (par 71) but both off the yellows in easy-ish conditions. Practice needed!

First qualifier at the weekend. Played quite well front nine but nothing went my way - 14 points. Played pretty badly back nine - 14 points. Up to 8.3 unless it goes non counting (we live in hope). Must do better!

shot 85 in the wind and rain. had a shocker with the putter. had 4 3 putts and another from just off the front i putted. i'm so fragile confidence wise with the short ones.(doing my best not to mention the Y word) i need to start hitting back of the hole rather than dropping it in the front!

I feel like I've somehow cheated. Started 6.0. Played two medals (79 and 78) and down to 5 (5.4). How?

On the first medal I started 3, 10. 2nd hole is stoke 5 so same as a 7 so carried on the round as if I was 3 over. Managed to play the rest in 3 over. Off the white tees so Par 70 / SSS 71 but increased to 72. 2 shots below so 0.4 off.

On the second medal 7 over after 10 and all but given up but managed to play the rest in 1 over. Off the gold tees so Par 70 / SSS 72 but increased to 73. 1 shot below so 0.2 off.

On a related note I've been stuck between 5 and 6 for a couple of years now. Now I'm back to 5 I have to shoot one less but the handicap buffer has reduced from 2 to 1 shot so if I'm not breaking my handicap (most rounds) then I have two less shots to make buffer.

Anyone else feeling stuck on 5 and 6 trap.

BUffer yesterday in my first comp round yesterday, missed an easy birdie and had two bogies on my last two holes too

Back down point 2 at the weekend to get back to 5.0 (so Scottie - yes 5 is difficult, even more so when the CSS seems to be frequently -2 round our place and a buffer under par).

Saturday CSS was par and a pleasant surprise of a cut after my +3 less 5 -2.

Not stuck between 5 and 6 now but have been in the past. I think it's a good thing, really. If you were to still get cut 0.2 for every shot you could easily go straight from say 5.6 to 4.2 with a really good, but freak, round. If you then play to 6 every time but with a 1 shot buffer you'll go up .1 but it'll take 13 rounds before you're back to your real handicap. With the reduced cut it's a bit more realistic but if you consistently play to 4 or even 5 you'll stay there or get lower. In reality to get to 4 or 3, or to stay at 5 for that matter, you have to play very good golf over a period of time, which is as it should be.

Scottie, read my earlier posts ie the 5/6 trap. I can get down to 5 pretty easily and in fact have done once already this year but always go back up to 6 within a month or two which again I have done.

What Smithers says is very true though and does make me feel less frustrated about it.

Another decidedly average performance Sunday gone for me 31pts up .1 to 5.7

No golf this Sunday (running a marathon round Richmond Park) but playing Friday instead at an away event (Betchworth Park) but don't think it's qualifying so next up 36 hole medal on May 12th.

Yes I'm another one who bounces between 5 and 6. Played two qualifiers this month without finding the buffer zone so up 0.2 and currently on 5.4

One more chance to discover a bit of form or it's back to 6!

Agree that it is as it should be per SJ. Consistency is the key, it's just a tad frustrating at our place that the CSS is generally -2 so we have to shoot very good scores to maintain.

Still it is a relatively nice problem to have!

Similar position here, last couple of seasons have been bouncing between 5 and 6. The reality for me is that I would need to practice to have a shot at getting down lower. With a newborn at the beginning of last year, my time for practice is next to none - as it should be. I actually did a check a couple of years ago when I started the year at 7.8, and got cut to 5.0. Using the same gross scores for each comp I calculated what my exact handicap would have been if i'd started the year off 5.0, and the end result was nearly exactly the same. In the same way, I doubt my handicap would be too far off what it is if there was a 2-stroke buffer for cat 1, it all seems to even out pretty well.

BlueCoverman wrote:Yes I'm another one who bounces between 5 and 6. Played two qualifiers this month without finding the buffer zone so up 0.2 and currently on 5.4

One more chance to discover a bit of form or it's back to 6!

i'm a bouncer too! ticked up to 5.5 this season
im not actually all that disappointed though as im hitting it quite well but putting badly. ive a CSS-4 in me so all the better to be 5.5 rather than 5.4 when that inevitable round happens

P
M
A

Well, it seems pretty obvious to me just from the number of people on this thread in that boat that the way to break through that barrier is to spend less time on internet forums and more time practising!

Is it better being in the 5/6 trap on the way down or on the way up?

For me approaching 50 it's on the way up so having a trap or a shelf acts as a break on the gradual slide to double figures, although there is always the hope of "getting the game sorted again".

Must be more frustrating if you are on the way down. It must act as a real barrier and forces those that get stuck to relaise they've probably reached the limit.

I used to play to the old rules where you has to break your handicap 3 for 8 rounds or 4 from 12 rounds (I think that's right). I think the new system if fairer but the old system avoided the 5/6 trap.

Now got 7 qualifiers in since starting back at end of March. Up 0.1 in two, taking me to 5.8, buffer in four, and down 0.5 from 5.8 to 5.3 in one. After missing a lot of golf now a happy chap getting back to 5. That has enabled me to (hopefully) get in to English Seniors in June, which last few years has balloted out at 5. Tricky bit now is keeping 5, or lower.
Have developed a bad habit of starting rounds poorly, and then fighting like crazy to recover. Just hoping for a nice start to next medal coming Sunday!

Couple of counters over the last week. Ball striking was superb at my away course last weekend but I had next to no control over the direction, hit some decent shots, but just didn't get going at all.
This weekend past I was all over the shop. Somehow scrapped out a level handicap round but rode my luck, scrambled well and the putter was hot.

27 APR___78n73___CSS/70___t22/73___+0.1 = 5.1
04 MAY___78n73___CSS/73___t15/155___0.0 = 5.1

Up 0.4 so far but managed to play to (the new) handicap for the first time this year on Saturday.

Another 0.1 at the weekend. Had chances to get inside the buffer, but again things didn't quite go my way. I'll be off 9 if I don't "pull my socks up". Maybe I should just get used to hovering between 8 and 9 instead of between 7 and 8.

Went up 0.1 last Wednesday due to about a month's worth of double bogies in one afternoon. Just think it was one of those days where things rarely went right.

Still, I'm 0.5 lower than the start of the season which is positive and loving the sunny evenings at the moment so can't really complain...

Away day this weekend to finish our winter league and I need to avoid defeat to win it so fingers crossed, and if it doesn't happen then there will be plenty of alcohol to dull the pain.

ScottieD18 wrote:I feel like I've somehow cheated. Started 6.0. Played two medals (79 and 78) and down to 5 (5.4). How?

On the first medal I started 3, 10. 2nd hole is stoke 5 so same as a 7 so carried on the round as if I was 3 over. Managed to play the rest in 3 over. Off the white tees so Par 70 / SSS 71 but increased to 72. 2 shots below so 0.4 off.

On the second medal 7 over after 10 and all but given up but managed to play the rest in 1 over. Off the gold tees so Par 70 / SSS 72 but increased to 73. 1 shot below so 0.2 off.

On a related note I've been stuck between 5 and 6 for a couple of years now. Now I'm back to 5 I have to shoot one less but the handicap buffer has reduced from 2 to 1 shot so if I'm not breaking my handicap (most rounds) then I have two less shots to make buffer.

Anyone else feeling stuck on 5 and 6 trap.

Lucked out for a third round in a row. Doubled 10 to go 4 over, but held it together to finish 6 over on 76. SSS of 71 increased by a shot for the third week so sneaked another 0.1 off. I can now afford a bad round before going back up to 6.

PS: I bought a new utility club the day before. Stuck it in the bag and ended up using it 7 times in the first round. I went for the Callaway X hot PRO. So far loving it.

EmmDee57 wrote:Starting Exact Handicap: 9.7
Target: 12.5 - Fed up being good and more to be made with handicap of 13, playing in Division 2.
Number of planned hcp counting comps in 2013: around 30
First counting comp planned: 7th April.

2 medals played, up 0.1 in each so 9.9 now. Plan to be up to 12.5 has taken a back seat due to a 3 week spell of Greensome & Texas Scramble competitions. Normal service resumes next Saturday. In current form, I'm confident there'll be another 0.1 increase.

EmmDee57 wrote:

EmmDee57 wrote:Starting Exact Handicap: 9.7
Target: 12.5 - Fed up being good and more to be made with handicap of 13, playing in Division 2.
Number of planned hcp counting comps in 2013: around 30
First counting comp planned: 7th April.

2 medals played, up 0.1 in each so 9.9 now. Plan to be up to 12.5 has taken a back seat due to a 3 week spell of Greensome & Texas Scramble competitions. Normal service resumes next Saturday. In current form, I'm confident there'll be another 0.1 increase.

Bad form there EmmDee57 - a golfer should never try to increase his handicap. Reducing your handicap by a single shot should be more important than any handicap competition.

Can't help it. I had a good spell 2 years ago and got cut down to 7.2 and the following season I developed the shanks and hated the game. Never really recovered from that and rarely break 85 nowadays and that's with trying my best. Just being honest in saying it'll be no surprise if I go up 0.1 in every medal I play this year. My level is 12 or 13 and not single figures.

EmmDee

If you have been playing that badly for the last two years, you should have got something back in the annual handicap review

Sand wrote:14 APR less said bout that the better. Up .1 to 3.7

21 APR pretty tough conditions, blowing quite hard and no run on fairways. The first for example, was a driver then 5 wood when usually a 3 wood and around 8 iron. Played very well and well chuffed with my 3 over 75 although was -1 through 11 so touch disappointed in a way, that I couldn't sustain it.

75 n 71 CSS 75 5th in competition - 4 cut = 3.3

Time for an update I suppose...

27th of April 2nd Course medal CSS = 71. 80 n 77 74th in competition out of 164. Up .1 to 3.4

28th of April CSS 75. 80 n 77. 28th out of 150. Up .1 to 3.5

1st of May Stableford. 34 pts No score as blob at 3rd. 9th in Competition out of 115. Down .1 to 3.4

8th of May N/R as weather was bad and unlikely to get round before dark. Weird round. Started with a quadruple, then went out in 38 (2 over) after 4 birdies, 2 pars and 2 bogeys rest of front 9.

End result back to 3.5 for second course medal tomorrow.

First qualifier of the year for me tomorrow. I'm no good in the rain, worse in the wind and haven't been playing that well lately, so I fully expect to struggle to break 90 tomorrow. 0.1 back is virtually guaranteed!

Suffice to say I wasn't wrong, although it didn't rain.

Hibbz wrote:Scottie, read my earlier posts ie the 5/6 trap. I can get down to 5 pretty easily and in fact have done once already this year but always go back up to 6 within a month or two which again I have done.

What Smithers says is very true though and does make me feel less frustrated about it.

Another decidedly average performance Sunday gone for me 31pts up .1 to 5.7

No golf this Sunday (running a marathon round Richmond Park) but playing Friday instead at an away event (Betchworth Park) but don't think it's qualifying so next up 36 hole medal on May 12th.

3hrs 49mins round a brutally hilly Richmond Park followed by two billy buffers in the 36hole medal.

38pts in today's stableford against a CSS of 37 chips me back down to 5.5. Played really nicely today and not a single six on the card which always pleases me.

Two more qualifiers in the past week - midweek medal I came 2nd but bang on CSS so no cut. Stableford yesterday, played well for 2/3 of the course, but blobbed the other 6 holes! Up to 8.8 and no more qualifiers for at least 3 weeks.

Few more medals since last update...37 stableford points so down to 3.3.

Disappointing NR after being +1 thru 11. Heavens opened and my score went quickly offline. Up to 3.4.

Second course medal yesterday CSS 71 score 70 less 3 for 67 and -4 cut down to 3.0. Good day for scoring but first time I've ever came off course slightly disappointed with a round of -2. Missed so many chances, but can't complain with that score!

Should be another 0.2 off today so down from 6.0 to 5.1. Now thinking of 4 rather than when I'm back to 6. The trouble is that 6 may prevail!

Cant believe I only just found this. I was a crack golfer at school (Im South African, need I say more?). Handicap was four, but I havent payed in so long I'd be hugely satisfied if it was in single-digits

welcome aboard some of have been here for a lifetime!
O.1 back yesterday after a really solid start in the monthly stableford,15 points after 6 and just pulled drive slightly up long par five 7.then I made the bad decision to play the next shot a bit tight to the trees on the left made contact into a ditch and made an 8.Steady six would have been two more points.Couple of blobs on the back nine chasing a score.Partner off 8 was even worse he had 17 points of the first six, under par ,and somehow managed to score only 15 on the remaining 12 holes.Try again tomorrow

kingraf wrote:Cant believe I only just found this. I was a crack golfer at school (Im South African, need I say more?). Handicap was four, but I havent payed in so long I'd be hugely satisfied if it was in single-digits

A real shame that you lost your relationship with the game. Maybe the golf section can reignite a love for the great game.

Pretty good day - 38 points and 0.4 off (hopefully - if CSS doesn't move). H'cap going in the right direction for a change! 8.0 exact.

kingraf wrote:Cant believe I only just found this. I was a crack golfer at school (Im South African, need I say more?). Handicap was four, but I havent payed in so long I'd be hugely satisfied if it was in single-digits

Welcome !

Glorious away day to Lundin Links yesterday for the Men's Open. Lovely and warm with a cloudless blue skies. Just a slight breeze to contend with, one maybe two club wind at times. Played well generally, but had a few appalling shots in the mix which were costly. Also had four 3putts coming back, which cost me my place amongst the prizes. Still lots of positives to take, not least a card with nothing worse than a 5 on a challenging course.

25 MAY___78n73___CSS/74___-1___t18/153___-0.1 = 5.0
04 MAY___78n73___CSS/73___E___t15/155___0.0 = 5.1
27 APR___78n73___CSS/70___+3___t22/73___+0.1 = 5.1
20 APR___75n70___CSS/73___-3___t4/151___-0.3 = 5.0
03 APR___81n76___CSS/74___+2___t20/81___+0.1 = 5.3
Starting 5.2

Frittered away a .1 in today's stableford. At one point (after 8) I was three better than handicap but through a combination of crap putting and some weak tee shots on the par 3's ended up 2 worse.

More devastating was the fact that none of my four ball had time to stop for a pint!!!!! Something I said lads?

Now 5.6