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Do you feel your handicap accurately reflects your ability?

Uh...since handicap is supposed to indicate my scoring "potential," I would say yes, it's accurate. 13.5 is my current index. That doesn't mean I play to it even half the time, but I've got the ability to do it in any given round.

What holds me back? Consistency off the tee, consistency in my second shot, and being able to get up and down for pars when I'm not on the GIR.
 
I see a repeating theme in this thread of consistency or short game holding people back. Rory proved last weekend that we all regularly demonstrate our lack of consistency on the golf course. It's impossible to stay consistent in golf, even for the best in the world. My last 20 rounds show some incredible lack of consistency, but overall my index reflects my ability. Like everyone, I'm puzzled how I shoot 79 one evening two weeks ago hitting only 6 GIR and go out the next morning and shoot 68 with 18 GIR. I guess golf is a 4-letter word!




Northern California Golf Assoc+0.76/1/2014+0.7

UsedTDateScoreCR/SlopeDiff.Course
*A5/21/147472.7/1361.1Lost Tracks Golf Club
*A5/20/146870.5/134-2.1Widgi Creek Golf Club
A5/19/147973.4/1374.6Quail Run Golf Club
H5/18/147371.6/1261.3Serrano CC
H5/10/147471.6/1262.2Serrano CC
*C5/4/147271.6/1260.4Serrano CC / Serrano CC
A5/3/148073.6/1385.2Turkey Creek GC
H4/26/147371.6/1261.3Serrano CC
C4/26/147471.6/1262.2Serrano CC / Serrano CC
H3/23/148171.6/1268.4Serrano CC
H3/21/147471.6/1262.2Serrano CC
*C3/16/147171.8/124-0.7Serrano CC / Serrano CC
*H12/27/136871.6/126-3.2Serrano CC
H12/26/137571.6/1263.0Serrano CC
*A12/15/136970.6/125-1.4Castle Oaks GC
*A11/30/136770.6/125-3.3Castle Oaks GC
*C11/9/137371.8/1241.1Serrano CC / Serrano CC
*H10/25/137271.6/1260.4Serrano CC
*H8/24/137271.6/1260.4Serrano CC
H8/23/137571.6/1263.0Serrano CC




​
 
Howzat said:
Do you feel you handicap is a decent indicator of your ability
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My ability I'd have to say no, my ability to score - absolutely. Similar story to others, I'm very streaky but at the extreme ends - I can get up to five pars in a round (with 25 I get a stroke every hole and two strokes on 7), but then throw in three 8s and an 11 and score is shot.

Howzat said:
What holds you back from a lower index?
Click to expand...

Tee and long game, bad decisions poorly executed.

Howzat said:
Can you really be a high handicap golfer but have the iron play of a scratch golfer?
Click to expand...

I had a wedge lesson a few ago, pro said I was hitting them like a single digit player and left me as is, just gave a couple of tips for distance control. Not claiming to be scratch obviously but definitely have far far more proficiency and consistency there than off the tee.
 
I feel my handicap is currently above my ability. I have been dealing with upper left arm issues so have posted far fewer rounds this year than normal. And some of those rounds have been higher scoring than normal due to the difficulty in making a full swing at times. I feel that once I get past the issues, I will get my handicap back to the 4 - 5 range.
 
When I was posting a regular handicap, I always had a spread of scores that seemed almost impossible. For the 22 years that I carried an official handicap, every season I had a few scores in the 70's, yet always had those scores in the high 90's and even over 100 occasionally. My handicap index remained in the 10-12 range during almost all of those 2 plus decades, because the bulk of my scores were at or below 85.

My low during that period was 73 (still my personal best), and my high was 104, both scores on the same home course - both recorded during the Men's Club Championship. The 73 came my first year when I still had a 16 handicap, and the 104 came 3 years later when I was supposedly playing to a 10 handicap.

From this you can see that the most consistent part of my game has always been its inconsistency. Those high scores have rarely impacted my handicap in any way except by knocking a significant score off the bottom of the list.
 
I personally think that slope carries a bit too much weight in the calculations, but I feel like it represents a good judgement of my "potential." Sometimes I am higher, sometimes I am lower, but overall, I think it gives a pretty good representation.
 
My handicap is pretty accurate right now. It could be a lot lower if I had a chance to play more, but as long as I'm playing as much as I am now, I kind of figure my handicap will stay about right where it is now.
 
I know that handicap is used to measure potential more than average scoring. With that understanding, I think my handicap is accurate.

My scoring can get a little varied. But, I definitely have the potential to drop some pretty low scores on a somewhat regular basis.

Add in math, and there you go.
 
I actually think my handicap is lower than it should be right now, As someone said earlier, I think it's a better reflection for better players because their range of scores is much closer together.....but you get into the teens and they can be all over the place and the biggest issue I see is that if I have "all the stars align" and shoot 80 once or twice, my handicap can drop significantly....it doesnt matter if I shoot 110 every round for the next several weekends, those 2 80's are going to figure into my cap until I have 20 new rounds in to bump them off thus making my handicap lower than it should be.

What's holding me back? Short game and consitancy
 
I've not played enough rounds so far this year to feel that ANY handicap is correct for me. I've played well enough to be a single digit, I know this, but at the same time, I've had some rounds which make me wonder. I'm 100% sure I'm no where near the 1 that I played to in college and after college for a while I was an Asst. Pro. With that said, with some practice and a number of rounds under my belt, I feel I could get back near that fairly quickly.
 
tahoebum said:
I see a repeating theme in this thread of consistency or short game holding people back. Rory proved last weekend that we all regularly demonstrate our lack of consistency on the golf course. It's impossible to stay consistent in golf, even for the best in the world. My last 20 rounds show some incredible lack of consistency, but overall my index reflects my ability. Like everyone, I'm puzzled how I shoot 79 one evening two weeks ago hitting only 6 GIR and go out the next morning and shoot 68 with 18 GIR. I guess golf is a 4-letter word!




Northern California Golf Assoc
+0.7
6/1/2014
+0.7

Used
T
Date
Score
CR/Slope
Diff.
Course
*
A
5/21/14
74
72.7/136
1.1
Lost Tracks Golf Club
*
A
5/20/14
68
70.5/134
-2.1
Widgi Creek Golf Club
A
5/19/14
79
73.4/137
4.6
Quail Run Golf Club
H
5/18/14
73
71.6/126
1.3
Serrano CC
H
5/10/14
74
71.6/126
2.2
Serrano CC
*
C
5/4/14
72
71.6/126
0.4
Serrano CC / Serrano CC
A
5/3/14
80
73.6/138
5.2
Turkey Creek GC
H
4/26/14
73
71.6/126
1.3
Serrano CC
C
4/26/14
74
71.6/126
2.2
Serrano CC / Serrano CC
H
3/23/14
81
71.6/126
8.4
Serrano CC
H
3/21/14
74
71.6/126
2.2
Serrano CC
*
C
3/16/14
71
71.8/124
-0.7
Serrano CC / Serrano CC
*
H
12/27/13
68
71.6/126
-3.2
Serrano CC
H
12/26/13
75
71.6/126
3.0
Serrano CC
*
A
12/15/13
69
70.6/125
-1.4
Castle Oaks GC
*
A
11/30/13
67
70.6/125
-3.3
Castle Oaks GC
*
C
11/9/13
73
71.8/124
1.1
Serrano CC / Serrano CC
*
H
10/25/13
72
71.6/126
0.4
Serrano CC
*
H
8/24/13
72
71.6/126
0.4
Serrano CC
H
8/23/13
75
71.6/126
3.0
Serrano CC

​
Click to expand...

Tobe honest (I know its all kind of relative to the view of each indivdual) but none the less I believe if you really look at your scores your not as inconsistent as you think.

I know stats can be viewed from different angles but sometimes thats what it takes to better understand them. If u took away the two extremes of the highest scored numbers (80,81) and lowest (67, 68, 68) That leaves you with 15 rounds where the spread is 10 strokes. That is only a "give or take of 5" from a medium. Thats 75% of your last 20 rounds played within (+ or -) 5 strokes of a medium and imo is pretty darn consistent.
You also have 13 of those 15 rounds played between 71 and 75 where your spread is only 4 strokes. Thats only a 2 stroke (+ or -) from a middle. Thats about 85% of the 15 rounds and is about 65% of your last 20 rounds of golf played within 4 strokes of each other.

So lets see
If these last 20 rounds are pretty much in line with how any typical set of 20 rounds looks for you then I have to say is pretty darn consistent. Would be 75% played within a (+ or - 5) or 10 strokes and 65% played within a (+ or - 2) or 5 tsrokes. I have to say that is pretty darn consistent golf. If this is a normal 20 round strectch for you than through 100 rounds you are in the 70's 75times. Perhaps you would like to be in the 60's 75 times but thats another topic. As far consistency goes this is avery nice consistency imo :)
 
Howzat said:
Curious as to everyone's thoughts on this. I hear a lot of people say things on the internet like "I am a mid/higher handicapper but have players irons because my iron game isn't the issue". Do you feel you handicap is a decent indicator of your ability. What holds you back from a lower index? Can you really be a high handicap golfer but have the iron play of a scratch golfer?
Click to expand...

As I see handicap as true potential to what can be accomplished, I think my number plays similar to my abilities when I am striking the ball well. At this point, for me, it's about increasing my consistency and ability to predict ball flight -- And of course putting. One of the biggest issues I face when I travel is trying to sort out the greens, differing speeds equating to different breaks, etc.
 
No, not at all. 36 is too low of a number.
 
For me the answer is no. I am trending to a 9 right now, but there are weekends I play to about a 5 and then weekends I play to about a 25, I guess I am a Bi-Polar golfer.
I know where my flaws are, just at times I can not seem to over come them. Example sunday in Indy, I hit my 5, 6 and 7 iron perfect, but could not hit a wedge to save my life, go figure
 
Canadan said:
As I see handicap as true potential to what can be accomplished, I think my number plays similar to my abilities when I am striking the ball well. At this point, for me, it's about increasing my consistency and ability to predict ball flight -- And of course putting. One of the biggest issues I face when I travel is trying to sort out the greens, differing speeds equating to different breaks, etc.
Click to expand...

I've got kind of similar feelings. I also think that one should not blindly look at the final score, for me handicap is more than that, I shot 9 pars today on the front nine, I think that's good. But I still played even with my handicap.
 
I guess I would say that my handicap is a pretty good indicator of where I am because I struggle with consistency. There are rounds or even 9 hole stretches where I can play like a 5, but then there are times where I look like a double digit handicapper. Consistency is something I am working on and struggling at, all at the same time.
 
When I am striking the ball well, even if my accuracy is off, I play much better than my handicap. However, I always have a couple blow up holes that up my score. Right now, I just can't consistently hit the ball so it is fairly accurate as I am having trouble finding a groove and getting my once impressive short game back. Or any short game for that matter.
 
I don't have enough rounds in yet this season for a full picture but my handicap seems to be a pretty good indicator of the fact that every few rounds I can play really really well and every few rounds I can play really really mediocre. The fact that the number is going down is a tribute to the fact that my bad rounds aren't as bad as they used to be.
 
I show as a 10 on my app, but I've only shot 82 or less three times in the last two years. Granted, I've only played 28 rounds in three years, but I'm not playing to a 10. My latest scores where I normally play are up 4/6 strokes per round, minimum, vs three or four years ago. I have a history of playing at a 6, but I think my 10 is actually low now. So, for me, I'm opposite the premise presented here.
 
I don't think mine does. I have 12 full 18 hole rounds posted. 2 are a 76 and 78; the rest are between 86 and 93. So without the full 20 rounds, those two in the 70s are doing a lot. Also three of the higher rounds have ESC adjustments, effectively making them lower than they actually were.

I feel like I should be good enough to be at the handicap I am, but I don't think I'm actually that consistent. I think my main issue currently is off the tee, then proximity to the green on my approaches.
 
I see a lot of responses such as "I show as a X, but I never break Y" Not calling anyone out or anything, but even in this thread, some have fallen into the trap of thinking you should always shoot your index. Again, our handicap index is based on our ability to shoot a score. It doesn't mean we always have to do it though. It's also prudent to remember that the index is only as good as the information that is put in. we should be putting in all of our scores obviously and be honest with ourselves. The system is probably not perfect, but in the long run, is probably a reasonably good indicator for each of us to use.

JM
 
If I'm playing from the tees typically labelled "regular men's", my index is rather accurate. However, if I move up to the tees typically labelled "senior tees", I think I play a bit better than my index.
 
Pkielwa said:
I show as a 10 on my app, but I've only shot 82 or less three times in the last two years. Granted, I've only played 28 rounds in three years, but I'm not playing to a 10. My latest scores where I normally play are up 4/6 strokes per round, minimum, vs three or four years ago. I have a history of playing at a 6, but I think my 10 is actually low now. So, for me, I'm opposite the premise presented here.
Click to expand...

Johnny mojo said:
I see a lot of responses such as "I show as a X, but I never break Y" Not calling anyone out or anything, but even in this thread, some have fallen into the trap of thinking you should always shoot your index. Again, our handicap index is based on our ability to shoot a score. It doesn't mean we always have to do it though. It's also prudent to remember that the index is only as good as the information that is put in. we should be putting in all of our scores obviously and be honest with ourselves. The system is probably not perfect, but in the long run, is probably a reasonably good indicator for each of us to use.

JM
Click to expand...

Totally agree Jonny. Your handicap is a measure of your potential (not an average or what you should shoot every weekend).
 
I'd say my handicap accurately reflects my game. I enter all my scores and feel like I can play to my index and maybe a bit lower if I keep my focus going.

I know that my ability is what keeps me from shooting lower scores and if I'd work on my game more I would be shooting lower scores.
 
I think it accurately reflects what my score would be if everything comes together during a round.

I used to put too much emphasis on my handicap and think that if I didn't shoot that number that it was a bad round. I have been able to overcome that and really enjoy the game more. I still want to break 80 every round but when I don't it die at bother me as much as it used to.
 
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