We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Do you chase a Golf Handicap?

Jman

Jman

Here for the Conversation
Albatross 2024 Club
Staff member
Joined
Jan 20, 2010
Messages
182,118
Reaction score
96,719
Location
Oklahoma
Handicap
SOFTCAPPED
Curious as to who uses their handicap to determine how they’re doing in this game? It’s something I used to do, but really don’t anymore. Where do you sit?
 
Not at all. In fact didn't even really keep one last year as I wasn't playing in any events or tournaments. Can tell by my play and scores how I'm doing. I probably would have achieved my lowest one ever last year but didn't feel the need to really go after it. Will probably keep one this year solely because I intend to play a few tournaments.
 
I’d like to get below 10 again just to prove I can. But I’m more focused on playing better and improving in every facet from tee to green and shooting 80 or below as after as not.

So, yes and no.
 
Always felt i could be a single digit player but I can't make tbe move to practicing & working on eliminating silly mistakes
 
No. OK, OK. Kind of, maybe yes. Handicap gives me a benchmark metric and I enjoy working to improve my game. Dropped to 6.1 last year; was up to low 8-something for awhile; ended at 7.3. I tend to think of my game as a handicap range more than one number: ~6-8. For this upcoming season I don’t want to set a target handicap goal but feel good about nudging that range down. A bigger goal is to better test how my game/handicap travels to new courses.
 
Eventually a handicap is something I want to aim at but that's a long way off at the moment. I like the idea of having a reference number of some kind.
 
Never worry about handicap. It is what it is..

I turn in my required monthly score cards to our league's secretary, and he does the rest. Come event time, I see what it is.

I can tell how I'm playing, just by playing, on various courses. I play well, most of the time, on my home course. The real test for me is how I play (score) on courses I'm not real familiar with.
 
GoldenBuff said:
A bigger goal is to better test how my game/handicap travels to new courses.
Click to expand...
This ^^^^^^^^ I know I can walk onto my home course and shoot my HC9/10 times. But I want it to travel which it did much better in 20 than any year prior.
 
Interesting topic for me, because so far I haven't even kept score. (Save one game where one of our foursome kept score for all of us on the front nine.) I'm wondering what will happen when (if?) I get good enough that keeping score makes sense. My fear is allowing the pursuit of a lower HC to ruin my enjoyment of the game.
 
I still track one, but it really doesn't mean anything now that I don't play league. It is just a number, it doesn't mean I am gonna shoot a good score lol.

I think it is funny if you tell someone you golf, the next queston is often "what is your handicap". It really means nothing though. Vanity caps, inflated caps, who cares.
 
No. I will admit I’d love to maintain a single digit cap though.
 
I have a handicap and I do use it to gauge my progress or lack of it in improving. I established it for our league and it was difficult to watch it constantly raise while I was posting my first 20 rounds. I‘ve hit a plateau, but feel that I’m on the verge of it starting to decline.

hopefully I can grab a few skins while on the way down! 😉
 
This year I hope to get a handicap for the first time. And I’ve never broken 100 so getting the handicap to be about 20-25 would be amazing.
 
I keep it but don't really dwell on it any more or think it defines me as a golfer. Do I want to see it decrease? Sure. But I am now perfectly fine if I feel I play to my ability and have fun doing it.
 
It gives me overall feedback on the year I guess. I like to look back on the year and see what it looked like and see the changes. I also will compare it with my league handicap as well. I'd like to drop it a bit lower as I'm relatively new to the "serious" golf game (started seriously playing 6 years ago after my baseball career was done) and I think it gives me some confidence knowing that I can play and compete with our locally top players.
 
I track a handicap and is used to track my improvement in the game. I have been working real hard to improve and I love it when it's reflected in my handicap.
 
My handicap is a direct representation of what tees I play, thats about it. Since I score the same from any yardage between 6000 and 6600, if I play 6000 it goes up to 9-10, if I play 6600 it goes down to 7ish.
 
I used to, but can’t say I do anymore. I am more focused on just playing good golf.
 
I focus on it too much, to be honest. I always check my score at the end of a round and compare it to my cap. The thing that sucks is that I'm all to disappointed if I don't shoot at my cap and I'm not excited at all if I shoot at or under it. 🤷‍♂️

The only rounds I feel "good" about are when I shoot significantly under it. :(
 
I keep one and I don't know why. I haven't played in an event that requires one in many years. I keep telling myself that "next year is the year" and something inevitably comes up on the work/home calendar that doesn't allow it.

Do I chase a number? I'd be lying if I said no. I'd love to get sub 5 but realize that's a tall order considering the amount of time (zero) I dedicate to practicing and getting better. I've definitely put rounds together that would get me there - but I'm nowhere near consistent enough to put enough enough of them together to get there.
 
I do not, I don’t even like having one in regards to having to pay for it, no I’m not cheap, I just don’t use it enough. I live in a smaller rural area, everyone knows everyone, I typically only play a couple open tournaments and that’s it, I’m flighted in the championship or 1st flight depending regardless, so it’s a waste to me. I know what I shoot on an average. When I have been required to have one in the past for a couple different things I just dumped idk 6-7 scores in there and that was it.
Handicaps are annoying. Do they keep people honest? People get around them for the wrong uses.
There’s been times people have asked me “well what’s your handicap” I said I don’t have one, “well how do you know what you shoot” what do you mean? I know what par is, I know how many over I am, this really isn’t rocket science but I’m just going down another tangent with handicaps.
IMO their annoying.
 
I probably put more focus on it than I should. I play with a group of probably 8 guys and the highest cap from them is a 3 so I put pressure on myself to get as low as I can. In reality I should just not worry about it and my handicap would probably improve.
 
I absolutely used it to track my progress, and had specific goals related to it, etc. I suppose it still indicates how I've been doing, but I pretty much try to ignore it whenever possible.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top