We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Tournament handicap question??

fastbasser

fastbasser

Active member
Joined
Feb 6, 2012
Messages
1,019
Reaction score
2
Location
Ocala, Fl
Handicap
10.7
My wife and I played a 2 person "scramble" or Captain and mate" today. After seeing the handicaps, it was obvious we were in no way competitive as a team. I was told by our Pro they used the "USGA" formula. I asked where I could find it and received no response. . My handicap is 15 while my wife's is 31.. We received 10 strokes. Our opponents were a 12 and a 13. They received 6. It is really obvious their formula really favors the low handicap team. Does this sound correct?

Does anyone know if there is an official USGA formula for this type of tournament??

Thanks in advance.

:drinks:
 
I would imagine it's associated with the slope differential of the tees you guys played and your overall handicaps, and then a very small percentage of that (as it should be).

I've never heard of the USGA having a specific formula for scrambles though..
 
I've never heard of this.

I enjoy playing scrambles but never have expectations of winning one where handicaps are factored or "mulligans" can be bought, etc...
 
Our course owner is a low handicap and always plays with the same. These are suppose to be "fair" for all groups. I am just looking for the guidelines if there are any..
 
Well, I found out the formula used was as follows.. 35% of my handicap and 15% of my wife's.. Not a good way to play unless you sandbag your butt off or are a real low handicap.

Live and learn.. LOL:drinks:
 
If its a scramble and for a great cause, it is what it is which is not really golf anyway, just something done on the course that resembles golf to make someone much needed money. I've played many and never worried about whether or not I'd win.
 
I agreed except it wasn't for a cause. It was for prize money and year end club points. Had I known their formula, I would not have wasted the money..
 
fastbasser said:
I agreed except it wasn't for a cause. It was for prize money and year end club points. Had I known their formula, I would not have wasted the money..
Click to expand...

If the formula is applied to everyone equally, I'm not sure I understand the problem.

Oh wait...
 
SharkHat said:
If the formula is applied to everyone equally, I'm not sure I understand the problem.

Oh wait...
Click to expand...

Real easy. Just do the math.
 
SharkHat said:
If the formula is applied to everyone equally, I'm not sure I understand the problem.

Oh wait...
Click to expand...

Kind of where I'm at. It is of course always important to know the format upfront before signing on to play. There are hundreds of formats in golf to make interesting games on the course over just the normal stroke play. Take each format with a grain of salt and then decide if it works for you or not. I play lots of different events, and I skip a few because I don't care for the format. No big deal to me either way. If it is going to make it not fun, I'd say live and learn and skip it next time.
 
An online scramble handicap calculator seems to agree that the assigned handicaps were correct:
http://www.leaderboard.com/SCRAMBLECAP

So, like I said, if the rules were applied equally to everyone in the field, what was unfair?
 
I play about 10 charity tournaments per year, which are all hosted at my home club. They are almost all 4-man scrambles, and the team handicap is always half of the average (ie add up the 4 individual handicaps and divide by 8).
 
SharkHat said:
An online scramble handicap calculator seems to agree that the assigned handicaps were correct:
http://www.leaderboard.com/SCRAMBLECAP

So, like I said, if the rules were applied equally to everyone in the field, what was unfair?
Click to expand...

I found the formula as well. It favors the scratch or low handicap team in a big way .. Not one I would play again with a very high handicapper.. Live and learn..
 
fastbasser said:
I found the formula as well. It favors the scratch or low handicap team in a big way .. Not one I would play again with a very high handicapper.. Live and learn..
Click to expand...

You don't think that it should? It's a measure to prevent sandbagging.
 
SharkHat said:
You don't think that it should? It's a measure to prevent sandbagging.
Click to expand...

I think it should just be fair. Better golfers have a more difficult time shooting their handicap.. The 15% of the high handicap player is a killer though when that person has an honest handicap.. I totally agree we have to protect tourneys against sand bagger's though.
 
I am playing in a couples chapman tourney this weekend with the wife. The handicap system they are using is 1/2 the combined total of the two handicaps and then adjusted to course handicap. So for this tourney, my 3.1 plus the wife's 25.6 = 28.7 divided by 2 = 14.4 - course adjusted to 16.
 
Drumdog said:
I am playing in a couples chapman tourney this weekend with the wife. The handicap system they are using is 1/2 the combined total of the two handicaps and then adjusted to course handicap. So for this tourney, my 3.1 plus the wife's 25.6 = 28.7 divided by 2 = 14.4 - course adjusted to 16.
Click to expand...

That seems much more fair.. You are not heavily penalized for golfing with your wife..
 
fastbasser said:
I think it should just be fair. Better golfers have a more difficult time shooting their handicap.. The 15% of the high handicap player is a killer though when that person has an honest handicap.. I totally agree we have to protect tourneys against sand bagger's though.
Click to expand...

In a scramble format it's actually completely logical, since it's not a combined score and your team is likely going to use fewer of the higher handicappers shots.
 
SharkHat said:
In a scramble format it's actually completely logical, since it's not a combined score and your team is likely going to use fewer of the higher handicappers shots.
Click to expand...

Here is logic.. 2 scratch golfers are going to or should beat a 15 and a 30 handicap by 20 shots..
 
fastbasser said:
Here is logic.. 2 scratch golfers are going to or should beat a 15 and a 30 handicap by 20 shots..
Click to expand...

You're right. They should beat the other team. Because they're better.
 
SharkHat said:
You don't think that it should? It's a measure to prevent sandbagging.
Click to expand...

With this being said, you feel it is more important to try and deter sandbagging than have a fair handicap for honest golfers. Somethng is very wrong with this!
 
fastbasser said:
With this being said, you feel it is more important to try and deter sandbagging than have a fair handicap for honest golfers. Somethng is very wrong with this!
Click to expand...

The handicap that was applied was both fair and deterred sandbagging.
 
SharkHat said:
The handicap that was applied was both fair and deterred sandbagging.
Click to expand...

Isn't the measure of fairness that if all players play to their 'cap they would tie? If that's correct, pro-rating the indexes so higher cap players count less puts those teams at a competitive disadvantage. I think I'm with the OP on this one. Then again, it is always good to know the rules going into these things...
 
tequila4kapp said:
Isn't the measure of fairness that if all players play to their 'cap they would tie? If that's correct, pro-rating the higher indexed players puts them at a competitive advantage. I think I'm with the OP on this one. Then again, it is always good to know the rules going into these things...
Click to expand...

The measure of fairness is whether or not the rules are applied to everyone equally. Unless there were people in the field for whom a different formula was applied, the rule was fair.

Remember that it was a scramble and not a combined score format.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top