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Does Your Handicap Travel?

Best question in quite some time. Mine does to an extent, since I don't have a home course. But, I have had days where I played 36 on the same course under the same conditions and shot 8 - 10 strokes worse on the second 18.
 
I'm very aware that my handicap does not travel as well as it should.
I don't normally submit a card unless it's a Saturday or Sunday competition, it is off the back tees so in theory the course is playing as hard as it can be.
I should therefore be able to play at other local easier courses and have a couple of strokes advantage but it doesn't alway work like that.
 
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I like to think mine does, provided I'm actually playing decently. If I go to a new course, and provided a few tips on how to play certain holes or where I can get into trouble, then without a doubt, I think I'm on par with my hdcp, especially if I think about the increase in course rating and whatnot. If I shoot a 84 at 'home' then 89 at a Sea Island, I'm pretty good with that since it's a much tougher track. Again, if I'm not into it, or just not concentrating on the round (THPers are kind of fun to hang out with, so it happens) then I can go off the rails (coughElCampeoncough).

The Unofficial Gauntlet was match play, but I thought I brought a pretty good game that weekend that held up well. Even with SethLaw draining 30 footers and killing my spirit, I stayed in a decent game.

The one place I MUST get back to is True Blue. Played it once ("played") at an Invitational and it didn't go well. I have some revenge to pound into that course some day.
 
I *guess* mine does. Today I played a course that is an almost identical rating and slope to my home course (70.5/123 vs 70.2/123) and I shot about 5 strokes above what I did the last two rounds at my home course. It made me want to question the two ratings. This one seemed *much* tougher. Part of that is a little bit of bad design IMO but also some really tough approaches to some already tough greens. If anything the rating maybe should be the same but the slope should be higher. I can't see many people with my handicap getting out of there with less than 100 strokes.
 
I'd like to think my handicap travels, but it hasn't for a few years. I usually know where I'm going to land in my round, it's not always close, but most of the time its in the ballpark.
 
Mine travelled half way round the world. It was 12 when I left the UK, the NCGA gave me a handicap of 12, which surprised me as the greens here are a helluva lot more difficult.
 
i'm not sure yet since i haven't played a ton yet out of my local area, but i will say i played about 25 rounds last year, and my best scores were at courses considerably higher in slope and rating, which i really couldn't put my finger on why to be honest.
 
Mine does, I suck everywhere. hahaha This is something I am trying to work on. I think the course management and playing within myself, not letting a bad circumstance make me try to pull a superhero move, will help most on this. I haven't traveled all that much for golf to know for sure though, yet.
 
I think mine is starting to much more. I have been playing at tougher courses with a lot of slope so I feel that it is making great strides.
 
I would say it travels alright, the course I shoot my lowest rounds on is on the shorter side and is fairly forgiving off the tee, so I am usually 4-6 strokes better there than most places. I feel if I play the right set of tees and keep my head out of my butt I can put up a respectable round at most courses.
 
I don't really know if my handicap travels very well, but I know for sure that it is lower than it should be due to a hot streak I went on just before the season ended last November and the two home courses I frequent.
The two courses I primarily play are both conducive to giving someone a lower cap. One of them has easy greens where everything seems to drop and the other has a 72/136 rating from the blues and I don't find it as difficult as that slope rating would suggest.

I am going to find out in March when I go to the Palm Desert and again at #TheKing if it travels at all. Here's hoping.
 
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Mine travels well. I play at a variety of courses and usually end up between 80-84. I do have bad rounds but that is because my swing is off. I think spending time on the putting green is what helps the most. Learning new greens is the hardest part of a game traveling well.
 
Mine absolutely does. We ( the group of guys I play with ) play a lot of different courses, of different types ( Rolling hills, coastal, mountainous ) and we always play the ball down and play by the rules as best as we can. Living in the Baltimore area really gives us fairly close access to different styles of courses ( Up to PA for rolling hills, out to Frederick for mountain type courses, and down to the eastern shore for coastal style courses.) I never really thought about it too much, but in that regard we are pretty lucky! The one thing that changes the most though when playing in various events elsewhere though is some greens & rough (only a few courses in this general area have Bermuda grass) is different than we typically play, so that can add a stroke or 2 for sure!
 
It didn't used to but after lessons this year it travels a lot better. I don't know whether its confidence or just being more relaxed because I can dig myself out of trouble better and strike the ball better and that I know I rarely hit two bad shots in a row.
 
Mine used to travel pretty well when I was playing regularly and my ball striking was consistent (never great, but I could mostly depend on my misses having the same general pattern). Having only played 7 rounds in the last 2 years, my game is an inconsistent wreck, and until I get back to more regular play, it's going to stay that way.

I'm sort of hoping for some good news though. I may be able to start spending more time in the summer back in Colorado, and that means more play, and subsequently getting the feel part of my game back. Time will tell.
 
The last course we were members of was challenging enough that when I went on the road, I actually shot as good and in many cases better scores than at home. I'm sure my new home course will prepare me for the same results as I'm still trying to break 90 on it. :beat-up:
 
Howzat said:
It all depends on the course for me. At True Blue, I can play better than my index. Caledonia or TPC Vegas....not so much.
Click to expand...

Hey, that sounds ALOT like me....haha

I am not sure mine does....I have played some pretty bad golf at THP events...but played pretty decent at others...some of my best moments the past few years have come on the course at True Blue,,,but in Vegas I stunk..played bad in the Dallas Invitational last year...maybe I am a "reverse sandbagger"
 
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Does Your Handicap Travel?

I play all over the place and rarely play the same course more than 2-3 times per year so I guess my handicap travels since all I do is travel.

Of course lately it mostly just travels upward haha
 
Yea mine travels, out the window. lol..when playing new courses,my comfort level is low and I usually over think every shot. After playing a course about 3 times, then my handicap starts looking inline.

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For the most part it does. Only time I have trouble is with very tight fairways. Coming from central jersey public courses they are pretty wide open for the most part. Learned this in florida. Some of the courses are very tight and it was a bit of a struggle when playing the same length courses that I am used to. It did add a few strokes.
 
As we head into THP Event season, I thought I would give this one a bump.
 
That is my main focus, that it travels. Too many times I've come away disappointed.

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Good Bump, I would say mine travels central Illlinois pretty good. Seems like so far I am ranging from 90-100. Hopefully when I get down to Florida I will be shooting some better scores.
 
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