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How Important Is Your Handicap to You?

Canadan

Canadan

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Kind of a weird question, but I think it might introduce some interesting discussions.

Is your handicap a badge of honor?
Is it something you don't like talking about?
Is it something you celebrate?
Does it annoy you?

What kind of impact does your handicap have on who you are as a golfer?
 
It’s somewhat important to me since it’s such an easy metric to gauge my performance and skill development.

I am proud of where I’m at considering what my game looked like only a few years ago.

I do wish that my local course had a current rating though. For whatever reason they let it lapse a number of years ago so I carry two numbers; one official (but only includes scores from one course), and another using all my rounds tracked with Arccos.
 
YukonLiving said:
It’s somewhat important to me since it’s such an easy metric to gauge my performance and skill development.
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This, It's a great benchmark to compare the state of my game over time, and with the overall golfing universe.
 
My handicap really isn't important to me. I do focus on getting better each time I play. Several years ago I thought I'd never be able to play again after a serious neck injury and I thought I'd have to put my clubs up for good. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. So, my attitude has changed. I am just grateful I can play and I truly just enjoy my time on the course each time I get to go play. Prior to that, I was borderline obsessed with my handicap and really when I think back on it, I didn't enjoy myself like I do now.
 
It's way more important to me than it should be. Ever since I started keeping one, and watched it improve quickly, I've been way more cognizant of it during a round. I'm a much harder on myself and my game now. Like I compare myself to my cap everywhere I play and always think I should play better. I let it get in my head during good AND bad rounds. I wish it was as easy to ignore it like others tell me. So in a sense, it bothers me and wish it didn't have such a big influence on the mental side of my game
 
It's important to me in that it's a snapshot of the state of my overall game at a given point in time, and a useful metric to track my progress (or lack thereof). Hovering around a 15, I don't exactly consider it a badge of honor. :LOL: I wouldn't say I celebrate, but I'm pleased to see it trend down and less pleased when I see it trend up - but in the big picture it's just a number and I don't let it define me. I don't aspire to be a pro or high level competitive golfer, my #1 priority any time I'm on the golf course is to have fun and enjoy it, and I can do that no matter what my handicap is at the moment.
 
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Davidhibler said:
Not super important to me because I don't play in any comps. It is kinda cool to watch it move based on how I'm playing.
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I’ve only played in one comp where a handicap was necessary, so that’s not why I want to maintain one either… can completely relate.
 
hadi05 said:
Prior to that, I was borderline obsessed with my handicap and really when I think back on it, I didn't enjoy myself like I do now.
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This is honestly the most important for me. I can be internally competitive, but it needs to be fun - that’s why I’m playing after all.
 
YukonLiving said:
I’ve only played in one comp where a handicap was necessary, so that’s not why I want to maintain one either… can completely relate.
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The only time mine matters is our Saturday Men's Club skins games - and if those were really important to me I'd have a vested interest in getting my handicap as high as possible to maximize the number of pops I get. :LOL:
 
YukonLiving said:
This is honestly the most important for me. I can be internally competitive, but it needs to be fun - that’s why I’m playing after all.
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100%
 
It’s a bit of a sore subject since I’m playing pretty badly. It doesn’t impact who I am as a golfer at all since I don’t think it accurately represents my potential. I thought about the disagreement between my handicap and my potential and the biggest issue is the space between my ears. After this weekend’s round I think I narrowed down the cause. Now I just need to figure out how to overcome that challenge.
 
I think the biggest impact it has on me as a golfer is conversationally. It matters more to others than it does to me, so talking about it gets pretty obligatory. How I react to that depends on how they do. Which isn't always great.

As a player it's pretty irrelevant. Outside of pops in friendlies and an occasional tournament format it has near zero bearing on anything I do. I don't use it to gauge any progress, my flight doesn't change, it's not really a consideration in my matches, and around here competitive peers rarely post.
 
I don’t really keep a handicap. I use the grint and there are times I don’t even post scores to that. But I do use it “most” of the time and try to be honest.

The number is really for me. I want to keep track of how I am playing. It is a bit frustrating watching it go up over the past two years.
 
OldandStiff said:
I think the biggest impact it has on me as a golfer is conversationally. It matters more to others than it does to me, so talking about it gets pretty obligatory. How I react to that depends on how they do. Which isn't always great.

As a player it's pretty irrelevant. Outside of pops in friendlies and an occasional tournament format it has near zero bearing on anything I do. I don't use it to gauge any progress, my flight doesn't change, it's not really a consideration in my matches, and around here competitive peers rarely post.
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Very interesting to hear your perspective as a + capper.
 
OldandStiff said:
I think the biggest impact it has on me as a golfer is conversationally. It matters more to others than it does to me, so talking about it gets pretty obligatory....
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That flex of being able to casually throw out "Oh, I'm around a +2 at the moment. Somewhere around there, I don't really keep track...." :ROFLMAO:
 
I don’t have an official one and it hampers me
1-2 times a year.

2022 I’m going to fix this.

@OldandStiff it will not be +2
 
It's a general barometer of where my game -- and sometimes my head and spare time -- is in a given period of time. It usually fluctuates between 6 and 9 depending on the amount played, or if I'm tinkering with swing changes, or changing/testing clubs, and/or dealing with injuries. A shoulder injury this year has helped take it from 6 to almost 9, so, now that the shoulder has healed (or cortisone has relieved the pain), I will actually enjoy working toward getting it back down to 6 or so.
 
hadi05 said:
Prior to that, I was borderline obsessed with my handicap and really when I think back on it, I didn't enjoy myself like I do now.
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This sounds somewhat familiar. I still love golf more than anything and have an absolute blast MOST of the time, but some days where I play as a single, I'm pretty freaking hard on myself about poor play and that self doubt creeps in to my head during other rounds
 
Muchmore18 said:
This sounds somewhat familiar. I still love golf more than anything and have an absolute blast MOST of the time, but some days where I play as a single, I'm pretty freaking hard on myself about poor play and that self doubt creeps in to my head during other rounds
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Yep! That struggle is real!
 
Muchmore18 said:
This sounds somewhat familiar. I still love golf more than anything and have an absolute blast MOST of the time, but some days where I play as a single, I'm pretty freaking hard on myself about poor play and that self doubt creeps in to my head during other rounds
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The mental game is pretty important for consistent play eh?
 
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