Handicap System Favors the Higher Handicap

[d_in_la]

All my golfing life, I have been taught/told that the handicap system is designed so that lesser skilled golfers could compete with better golfers by tilting the playing field. However, this little tidbit in the Jimmy Fallon-covered Golf Digest suggests the opposite is true: As a high handicapper, against a low handicapper, you really have to play much better than your average, especially the gap is six strokes or more.

[h=3]HANDICAP DEPARTMENT[/h]

ANOTHER REASON TO ASK FOR MORE STROKES
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You would think that a golfer with a course handicap of 12 would have a decent chance of beating a scratch golfer, provided he was given his full 12 shots. But that golfer has only a 25-percent chance of winning, says Dean Knuth, former director of the USGA's handicap department.
"The USGA set up its system to favor better players with a built-in 'bonus for excellence,' " Knuth says. "It's a philosophy that handicaps should be based on potential rather than average ability."
For every six strokes in handicap difference, the better player has a one-stroke advantage, Knuth says. So in a match between an 8 and a 14, the 8-handicapper has a 60-percent chance of winning. You might want to remember that before wagering.

(Last subheading on this webpage: http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2014-06/rules-marking-balls)

​

Admittedly, this should be fuel into the "getting better" bucket as to not give up too many strokes. (For example, Granddaddy.) And I don't know if Knuth was taking into account Equitable Stroke Control, which, if I understand it, isn't applied in Match Play.

Thoughts on the matter? Is the handicap system rigged for better players? Or is all this Morgan Cup coverage and contemplating the future of my golf game getting my all wrapped in knots? :doh:

 

[Erky]

And THIS is why so many golf bets are won on the first tee.

 

[Awkward silence]

Regardless of handicap I will argue for any many strokes as I can get if I playing for money.

 

[McRock]

I find that 'really high' handicappers have an advantage. A dude with a 20 handicap getting 20 strokes, if he has a good day, he's going to trounce the guy with a 6 handicap.

But I'm sure we all have examples of when it has worked and when it has not.

Like many things in life, it may not be perfect, but it's the best solution that I know of.

~Rock

 

[mayday1775]

During the intramurals I constantly got beat by high handicappers because I was giving up a stroke on most holes. I mean when I am giving up 10 strokes to a guy all he has to do is make a bogey to my par and we half the hole. It is hard to win that way.

 

[coers]

I think you put a high handicap guy with a low handicap guy they are porbably going to do worse. All the sitting and waiting on the other guy and then they get frustrated and mess up there game.

 

[Erky]

In match play, I think the high handicappers have an advantage. In stroke play, the low handicappers have the advantage.

 

[Borss]

I think you put a high handicap guy with a low handicap guy they are porbably going to do worse. All the sitting and waiting on the other guy and then they get frustrated and mess up there game.

Slower play shouldn't affect a good player.

 

[coers]

I have deffiantly seen it though, not saying everyone is like that.

Slower play shouldn't affect a good player.

 

[mikedean441]

All my golfing life, I have been taught/told that the handicap system is designed so that lesser skilled golfers could compete with better golfers by tilting the playing field. However, this little tidbit in the Jimmy Fallon-covered Golf Digest suggests the opposite is true: As a high handicapper, against a low handicapper, you really have to play much better than your average, especially the gap is six strokes or more.

HANDICAP DEPARTMENT

ANOTHER REASON TO ASK FOR MORE STROKES
​

You would think that a golfer with a course handicap of 12 would have a decent chance of beating a scratch golfer, provided he was given his full 12 shots. But that golfer has only a 25-percent chance of winning, says Dean Knuth, former director of the USGA's handicap department.
"The USGA set up its system to favor better players with a built-in 'bonus for excellence,' " Knuth says. "It's a philosophy that handicaps should be based on potential rather than average ability."
For every six strokes in handicap difference, the better player has a one-stroke advantage, Knuth says. So in a match between an 8 and a 14, the 8-handicapper has a 60-percent chance of winning. You might want to remember that before wagering.

(Last subheading on this webpage: http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2014-06/rules-marking-balls)

​

Admittedly, this should be fuel into the "getting better" bucket as to not give up too many strokes. (For example, Granddaddy.) And I don't know if Knuth was taking into account Equitable Stroke Control, which, if I understand it, isn't applied in Match Play.

Thoughts on the matter? Is the handicap system rigged for better players? Or is all this Morgan Cup coverage and contemplating the future of my golf game getting my all wrapped in knots? :doh:

Quoting for Canadan for any future stroke negotiations

 

[Martsy]

In match play, I think the high handicappers have an advantage. In stroke play, the low handicappers have the advantage.

i'd definitely agree with that...since the single biggest detriment to a higher handicap in my experience is consistency. I can potentially birdie just about every hole...i could also just as easily (maybe even easier) shoot a triple bogey.

 

[Nate]

That's why I call it donating my $20 in my regular Saturday morning group because the mid to high handicappers always take home the cash. I've gotten my hands on the cash a time or two but it's not common.

 

[mpeterson]

Isn't the article saying that the system favors the low handicapper?

That said, I would agree with the folks that say this discrepancy may not hold up in match play.

 

[Sowega]

In match play, I think the high handicappers have an advantage. In stroke play, the low handicappers have the advantage.

This pretty much sums it up best.

 

[SaffaClint]

I disagree with this! I play most club days on the weekend and inevitably get grouped with high handicappers. I don't mind playing with them over bit but I've taken to excluding myself from bets. There is no way on earth I can beat a guy playing off say 23 in a stableford format. Maybe I play against a lot of sandbaggers, I don't know but what I do know is that all too often I see these players scoring upwards of 41 points. I have to shoot -5 to draw the match, **** that ****. Golf is expensive enough without getting into bets I can't win.

 

[Greg Kulbick]

I disagree with this! I play most club days on the weekend and inevitably get grouped with high handicappers. I don't mind playing with them over bit but I've taken to excluding myself from bets. There is no way on earth I can beat a guy playing off say 23 in a stableford format. Maybe I play against a lot of sandbaggers, I don't know but what I do know is that all too often I see these players scoring upwards of 41 points. I have to shoot -5 to draw the match, **** that ****. Golf is expensive enough without getting into bets I can't win.

If a 23 is scoring 40 points, whatever you do, don't buy any bridges they try to sell you.

 

[mikedean441]

I disagree with this! I play most club days on the weekend and inevitably get grouped with high handicappers. I don't mind playing with them over bit but I've taken to excluding myself from bets. There is no way on earth I can beat a guy playing off say 23 in a stableford format. Maybe I play against a lot of sandbaggers, I don't know but what I do know is that all too often I see these players scoring upwards of 41 points. I have to shoot -5 to draw the match, **** that ****. Golf is expensive enough without getting into bets I can't win.

Well Id say if there was anyone to believe in this situation its teh guy who used to be in charge of the system itself

 

[Shanep10]

On our clubs days they do the prizes in 3 divisions of 0-8, 8-16 and 16-36. The winning scores in the 14-36 grade is always 3-4 shots better that my 0-8 grade. 39 points will often win the 0-8 grade but regularly 45 points is winner in the highest grade which tells me I would loose a match more often than not if having to give say 15 shots to a golfer in that grade.

 

[Parshooter36]

I'll admit that I don't fully understand the handicap system, but I believe that the lower handicap player should have the advantage. The strokes should be there to make the match more competitive, not to penalize a player for being good.

 

[SaffaClint]

On our clubs days they do the prizes in 3 divisions of 0-8, 8-16 and 16-36. The winning scores in the 14-36 grade is always 3-4 shots better that my 0-8 grade. 39 points will often win the 0-8 grade but regularly 45 points is winner in the highest grade which tells me I would loose a match more often than not if having to give say 15 shots to a golfer in that grade.

Exactly my point Shanep10

 

[Erky]

If a 23 is scoring 40 points, whatever you do, don't buy any bridges they try to sell you.

No kidding. I think the record for FOUR rounds in Stableford at the Barracuda was like 40.

 

[golfinFF]

In match play I definitely agree stroke play not so much.

In match play all the higher cap has to do is play for his par and force the lower cap to press for birdies.

In stroke play the lower player can play his game and force the higher to try and play better than his cap to win. In stoke my bet is on the lower cap the majority of the time as he will be more consistent on what they shoot as the high capper can be +/- 5 or more strokes

 

[d_in_la]

In match play I definitely agree stroke play not so much.

In match play all the higher cap has to do is play for his par and force the lower cap to press for birdies.

In stroke play the lower player can play his game and force the higher to try and play better than his cap to win. In stoke my bet is on the lower cap the majority of the time as he will be more consistent on what they shoot as the high capper can be +/- 5 or more strokes

Bolded for emphasis - I'm not sure that as a highcap, you're capable of par out on every hole, or even many. If you are a highcap, you might be playing for bogey net par or even double net bogie as that is what your skill level's average is. Where as if you're a lowcap, straight par is a reasonable score.

 

[Rusty1885]

In match play I definitely agree stroke play not so much.

In match play all the higher cap has to do is play for his par and force the lower cap to press for birdies.

In stroke play the lower player can play his game and force the higher to try and play better than his cap to win. In stoke my bet is on the lower cap the majority of the time as he will be more consistent on what they shoot as the high capper can be +/- 5 or more strokes

Bolded for emphasis - I'm not sure that as a highcap, you're capable of par out on every hole, or even many. If you are a highcap, you might be playing for bogey net par or even double net bogie as that is what your skill level's average is. Where as if you're a lowcap, straight par is a reasonable score.

I hear you but I think golfinFF meant handicap par, which for an 18 could be 5 on a par 4.

One of the main issue that high cap can't keep it together is the whole round without a blowup hole(s). That what makes them high capper. Match play where it reset on every hole suits them well as a form of competition.

 

[Jeanthemachine]

I think I understand the argument that the lower handicap player has an advantage in match play but my experience has been that the high handicp player wins most matches when the difference is large (8 or more).

The low handicapper is (usually) around par on most holes and will be hard to beat if the high handicapper typically has a few really high scores which are still only loss of hole in match play but can really add up in stroke play.

ESC limits the blow-up holes impact on handicap but not on total score in a tournament whereas the low handicapper has few instances where ESC impacts the handicap.