How would you change the USGA Handicap rules?

MagicSpell

Team Hackers in 2022 Morgan Cup
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Some recent threads have suggested that there's much wrong with the current USGA handicap methods. What changes would you like to see in order to make the handicap system more useful?
Can the system be adjusted to prevent sandbagging?
Should tournaments use a combination of handicap and posted scores from that tournament to determine net scores?
What changes to posting solo rounds would you make?
Are there other sports with handicapping that do it better (bowling, for example)?
 
quite a bit of this has been discussed in many threads already, but my two biggest ones are allowing solo rounds, and changing ob/lost ball rules. treat it like a red stake where you know the point of entry, drop, and take a stroke.
 
Base it only on rounds where the golfer is competing and has another golfer sign his scorecard. Even if the "competing" is just a friendly match against a buddy for bragging rights or for loser buys the beer. The key thing is the signed scorecard, which would need to be signed by another golfer also in the handicap system.
 
No changes needed outside of posting solo rounds. I definitely don't want to have to have someone sign my card and rely on someone else to get my scores entered.

Tournaments either should not utilize handicaps, or if it's a league, require new players to play at scratch for a few tournaments to build/confirm their index.
 
-CRW-;n8883584 said:
No changes needed outside of posting solo rounds. I definitely don't want to have to have someone sign my card and rely on someone else to get my scores entered.

Tournaments either should not utilize handicaps, or if it's a league, require new players to play at scratch for a few tournaments to build/confirm their index.

So you don't trust someone's handicap unless you have seen them actually shoot the scores in your league?

But you are also against having attested scores?

I think the idea is, if handicaps were based on attested competitive scores you'd be able to trust them without seeing the rounds personally. If you're only going to give strokes based on the rounds you've seen there's no need for a handicap system at all, innit?
 
For handicapping, there is always someone that will gain the system to their benefit. Others will post lower scores just to look better as well. I am not sure how you fix this in golf.

As for rules via the USGA, I think they have done a fine job and not much I would change. However, if they could create a new rule to truely penalize slow play I would be all for that. Not sure how to police, but would support.
 
fuffle master;n8883615 said:
For handicapping, there is always someone that will gain the system to their benefit. Others will post lower scores just to look better as well. I am not sure how you fix this in golf.

As for rules via the USGA, I think they have done a fine job and not much I would change. However, if they could create a new rule to truely penalize slow play I would be all for that. Not sure how to police, but would support.

Except with the current system, there's no need to "game" anything. Just open up the GHIN app and type in a few of whatever number you like.
 
Et Tu Brute?;n8883620 said:
Except with the current system, there's no need to "game" anything. Just open up the GHIN app and type in a few of whatever number you like.

Technically, that's not 100% true. Clubs should have handicap committees that enforce the rules, but the truth is most don't. Some courses in the area, including public courses, ask that members turn scorecards in to be entered, rather than entering themselves, or at least review those entered by members. The vast majority do not.

Honestly it's rare that I run into a case where things are crazy out of the ordinary playing in handicapped matches, whether it's in league or at something like a THP event. Sure, there's the one-off charity event where someone shoots a dumb score, but I honestly don't have much issue with the handicap system.
 
Et Tu Brute?;n8883600 said:
So you don't trust someone's handicap unless you have seen them actually shoot the scores in your league?

But you are also against having attested scores?

I think the idea is, if handicaps were based on attested competitive scores you'd be able to trust them without seeing the rounds personally. If you're only going to give strokes based on the rounds you've seen there's no need for a handicap system at all, innit?

I don't care about other's handicaps and I'm not a fan of tournaments that are handicapped. I don't play in a league, but I agree with the rule of playing scratch the first few rounds. That's how most leagues here operate.

I'm only against forcing attested scores, not against them in tournament format. I just don't want to rely on anyone else. My handicap is just a reference for me.
 
I would change lost ball/OB to lateral hazard. I think it slows down play with provisionals and driving back to the tee etc. The new rule is too much of a penalty unless you hit a real long bomb OB and are willing to take the two-stroke penalty.

in relation to handicap, I think making all OB/lost ball lateral hazard would give truer handicaps instead of people taking 8’s constantly because of stroke and distance. Give the people the distance and penalize them a stroke and move along
 
I would like to see every single score (including solo rounds) to count against handicap.

Want a true handicap? Post everything!
 
I think we need to take a page out of the Euro book and keep it to comps only. This would mean that people here would have to play more, but in my opinion, thats what having a handicap is about. You don;t need one if you don't play in events throughout the year. I know many just do it to boast to buddies or some other ego thing, but if clubs would have more comps, this could be a great way to do it.

The biggest issue with this is that belonging to clubs is a lot harder here in america due to the fee structures. I mean, in scotland and GB, you can be a member at a prestigious club for like 200$ a month or something like that. no way you can find that here.
 
I would make OB like a water hazard instead of lowing stroke and distance, that would speed up the game.
 
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