Old Issue . . . New Proposed Rule

TripleF

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Littleton, NC
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To me, some sort of a maximum score just makes good sense. We all have our "blow-up" holes and setting some sort of maximum makes sense for pace of play and for our handicaps (Just my opinion!)

But the USGA new proposed rule leaves it up to "the committee" so each golf course could be different!! So how on earth would a handicap work. USGA has identified a problem but has "ducked responsibility" for the solution.

I've got to admit the current 7-stroke max (for most of us) is just plain stupid! Maybe declare double par as a maximum . . . or maybe a triple bogey. But we need a universal rule we all follow.

http://www.usga.org/rules-hub/rules...nge---maximum-score--form-of-stroke-play.html
 
There has been a max score for handicaps, the ESC system.
I actually really like a max score for pace of play...The problem is, like most things, it won't be followed.
 
I had been on a layoff from golf for quite some time. I have no idea what my actual handicap would be. Any idea where I would start anew and what my max on a given hole would be if I just started over again at 36? IIRC the max would be 9, no?
 
I, for one, am all for the idea of not being disqualified for not completing a hole. There are plenty of times when I am playing by myself where I have a blow up and it takes me a while to get to the green. Many times I just pick up my ball and try to clear my head before the next tee. This is when I am not keeping any sort of score, but to just take a "max score" would take the thought process out of that.
 
I like quadruple bogey being the rule - that's the beginning of true UGLY territory. Triple is pretty easy to get to if you lose a ball off the tee, miss the green, and struggle a little on the short game. Quads and higher usually mean something astoundingly bad happened. When I play casually, I either follow this or 10 being the max.

It makes perfect sense for pace of play purposes, or maybe even less. I understand counting all of them for competitive rounds, but otherwise it's really not necessary to sweat over that 4 foot knee knocker for 11.
 
My league has a double par max. I like it for pace of play but as one of the lower handicaps in the league I hate it. It's not too far fetched to think a 24 cap might take a 7 or 8 on a tough par 3 but they get away with it for free.
 
I've always been told that double par is the max score when I'm playing with others. I usually pick up anyway as I've never really had a handicap. I still do a happy dance every time I can get my ball in the air!
 
Double par max. Every hazard as a lateral. Same with a lost ball. Faster play. More enjoyment.
 
At my home course if you are in the gangsome ( which you pay to get in ) max score is double bogey for pace of play. In tournaments its either double par or in our club championship you play out and record the score
 
im not sure I follow. I don't see issue with esc for casual golf at all. If pace is problematic than instead of finishing I just pick up and score the 7 because that's all I can post anyway. And I think that works fine. But perhaps we are talking of competition here and in that case I really don't know what you guys do. I mean I suppose you can have whatever rule for a max but no matter what that is if you don't finish the hole how can you have ever technically beaten someone else? And there in lies the problem I assume.
 
Yeah I will pick up on a hole I am just sucking and past my double bogey max and will pick up. I obv hole out in tournaments but after carding a 10 or 2 then the tournament is over anyways so I stop the grinding and just try to suck as little as possible and finish the round. I am sure plenty of people finish and just NC or DQ when they pick up from a hole in a tournament. Pretty sure I have seen net events with a local rule having a max for a hole to keep it moving. I haven't seen that in a gross only tournament though.
 
I like quadruple bogey being the rule - that's the beginning of true UGLY territory. Triple is pretty easy to get to if you lose a ball off the tee, miss the green, and struggle a little on the short game. Quads and higher usually mean something astoundingly bad happened. When I play casually, I either follow this or 10 being the max.

It makes perfect sense for pace of play purposes, or maybe even less. I understand counting all of them for competitive rounds, but otherwise it's really not necessary to sweat over that 4 foot knee knocker for 11.

Quad makes a lot of sense to me too.
 
I only would like a max score if there are people behind and letting them through would be worse than picking up. That would be having to start letting through several groups.

Max score when picking up? Whatever you want. 1 or 2 plus wherever you are when you pick up. It must already be bad anyway or you wouldn't be picking up. You aren't going to pick up for two more shots if you are 2 in the fairway on a par 5. You could I guess, but why are you playing golf if you are going to do that?

Play out whenever you can, pick up if you have to, not because you are pissed off. I hear people say they've never scored double figures on a hole, but they also pick up after quadruple par. They might have gotten a 15 but they picked up at 9! I got a horrendous 17 once but never would have known if I picked up at quadruple.
 
To me, a max score like a 7 makes no sense! That's just a double bogie on a par 5! Double or triple bogie or double par makes more sense. I played behind a foursome that played out every hole . . . and they were all beginners. They finally let us play through but I bet their round took 5 - 6 hours and there was a HUGE gap between them and the next group! This isn't good for golf. And honestly, if you card a 6 or a 20 on your par threes and similar on other holes . . . your handicap will max out anyway!
 
Triple seems plenty. If you come in at +54...who is going to quibble?

its not that. Its scoring well enough to be in contention for most the round yet but then having a triple on one hole where you maxed and picked up never truly knowing what that hole would have scored. How can you beat out someone a stroke or two behind you while he finished every hole but you didn't even if it was just one hole? If it happened twice even more so an issue. It is possible to play really well except for one or 2 blow ups.. Heck there can even be more than that while played extremely well on the other holes.
 
To me, a max score like a 7 makes no sense! That's just a double bogie on a par 5! Double or triple bogie or double par makes more sense. I played behind a foursome that played out every hole . . . and they were all beginners. They finally let us play through but I bet their round took 5 - 6 hours and there was a HUGE gap between them and the next group! This isn't good for golf. And honestly, if you card a 6 or a 20 on your par threes and similar on other holes . . . your handicap will max out anyway!

think you kind of answered your own question. For posting HC rounds it only counts your best golf anyway and eliminates your worst. Your ten best of your last 20 are whats used to calculate HC and similar to ignoring the 10 worst of last 20 it also ignores a blowup hole. The whole purpose is to base ones cap on their best potential, not their average. When one is getting strokes they should be required to play their best golf in order to win. If you based HC on average and not best potential you wouldn't have to score much better than average to be in contention.

Now as for playing stroke play competitively and maxing out via some limit, then that leaves question/.debate as to what is fair and correct or not.
 
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