What Is A Golf Handicap? - Topic

Member

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Aug 26 2011 01:11am

This course is too tough for my 10 handicap!

The USGA Handicapping System uses a slope rating for golf courses, to determine the difficulty of a course. While your handicap might be 10 at the municipal course, it could be 11 or 12 at the difficult Country Club.

Course rating is the number of strokes a certain set of tees are expected to be played in by the upper-half of scratch golfers. There will be a course rating for every tee at the golf course, for men or women. A USGA Course Rating of 74.8 means that 74.8 is expected to be the average score of the best 50-percent of rounds played by scratch golfers. Slope rating is a number representing the relative difficulty of a course for bogey golfers compared to course rating. Slope can range from 55 to 155, with 113 being considered a course of average difficulty. There will be a handicap conversion chart at every golf course you go to, and you can check to see what your handicap is at that course from whatever tee blocks you would like to play.

Once you establish your handicap you will be given an index number (basically your handicap in decimal point form).
You will take this index number to the golf course you will be playing, and compare it to the course conversion chart to determine your handicap. The local golf professional can help you.

How do you find out what your Golf Handicap is?

The United States Golf Association (USGA) has come up with a formula that will find your handicap out of your previous scores you shot. The formula will use your best 10 out of your last 20 scores. They have a way to establish your handicap in as little as 5 scores when you get started.

Where can I establish my handicap?

Almost any golf course can do it for you, ask the PGA Professional to help you. There is usually a yearly charge of 35 to 50 dollars depending on where you go. There are also some online sites that will let you post your
scores for free! Yahoo has one, and it's probably the most popular.

http://golf.sports.yahoo.com/tracker

Although because the system can be manipulated, most courses will only accept handicaps that are configured using preferred methods. Here in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska we use the GHIN Handicap system.

Once you have your golf handicap, you can play fairly against uncle leroy or against any other player in the world!

comments or questions? feel free to PM me.

This post was edited by MisterFurious on Aug 26 2011 01:19am

SeaBas

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Aug 26 2011 02:50am

There are about 500 other golf words you'd need to explain before I can watch any simple game.. It's a start though.

This post was edited by SeaBas on Aug 26 2011 02:50am

MrMoJoRising

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Aug 26 2011 09:00am

This is an excellent post.

Thank you very much for this MisterFurious.

Quote (SeaBas @ Aug 26 2011 04:50am)

There are about 500 other golf words you'd need to explain before I can watch any simple game.. It's a start though.

Good idea. MisterFurious, you should create a Golf Dictionary

Or post one already made or something

This post was edited by MrMoJoRising on Aug 26 2011 09:05am

MisterFurious

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Aug 29 2011 01:02am

Quote (MrMoJoRising @ Aug 26 2011 07:00am)

This is an excellent post.

Thank you very much for this MisterFurious.

Good idea. MisterFurious, you should create a Golf Dictionary :) Or post one already made or something

Golf Dictionary would be a good one. I bet there's one out there already we could copy on here

magikod

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Sep 3 2011 03:51pm

Quote (MisterFurious @ Aug 26 2011 03:11am)

You know what makes golf really good? The way amateur competitions use a handicapping system to make golfers of all skill levels equal through a golf tournament. Golf handicaps can also be used in "friendly" matches So, if your just starting to play and your uncle leroy has been playing for years you can use your golf handicap so that you both are on an equal playing field to start the match.

How is a Golf Handicap used?

Handicap is a number that has been determined by your previous play (i will get into that more in a second). If you have a handicap of say 10 and you are playing against a player with a handicap of 0, he would give you 10 strokes on the 10 hardest handicap holes at the course you are playing. The handicap numbers are listed on the scorecard with 1 being the hardest and 18 being the easiest hole. After you have completed you can minus your handicap off your score to find your "Net" score. Your Net score is your gross score minus your handicap. Players will compare Net scores to decide who wins the competition, or the tournament committee will have a scoreboard up showing everyones gross and net scores.

Random photo of a golf scoreboard, it looks as if they have the players separated into age divisions.

http://i56.tinypic.com/30uzf4l.jpg

This course is too tough for my 10 handicap!

The USGA Handicapping System uses a slope rating for golf courses, to determine the difficulty of a course. While your handicap might be 10 at the municipal course, it could be 11 or 12 at the difficult Country Club.

Course rating is the number of strokes a certain set of tees are expected to be played in by the upper-half of scratch golfers. There will be a course rating for every tee at the golf course, for men or women. A USGA Course Rating of 74.8 means that 74.8 is expected to be the average score of the best 50-percent of rounds played by scratch golfers. Slope rating is a number representing the relative difficulty of a course for bogey golfers compared to course rating. Slope can range from 55 to 155, with 113 being considered a course of average difficulty. There will be a handicap conversion chart at every golf course you go to, and you can check to see what your handicap is at that course from whatever tee blocks you would like to play.

Once you establish your handicap you will be given an index number (basically your handicap in decimal point form).
You will take this index number to the golf course you will be playing, and compare it to the course conversion chart to determine your handicap. The local golf professional can help you.

How do you find out what your Golf Handicap is?

The United States Golf Association (USGA) has come up with a formula that will find your handicap out of your previous scores you shot. The formula will use your best 10 out of your last 20 scores. They have a way to establish your handicap in as little as 5 scores when you get started.

Where can I establish my handicap?

Almost any golf course can do it for you, ask the PGA Professional to help you. There is usually a yearly charge of 35 to 50 dollars depending on where you go. There are also some online sites that will let you post your
scores for free! Yahoo has one, and it's probably the most popular.

http://golf.sports.yahoo.com/tracker

Although because the system can be manipulated, most courses will only accept handicaps that are configured using preferred methods. Here in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska we use the GHIN Handicap system.

Once you have your golf handicap, you can play fairly against uncle leroy or against any other player in the world!

comments or questions? feel free to PM me.

great post

Biceps

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Sep 3 2011 07:18pm

Sooo much to read