Are Handicap Goals Limited?

I will never understand chasing a handicap number and wearing it like a badge of honor. It limits you as a golfer IMO. You chase a number for personal gain, that is great but most can't produce when with others. So what good is that number. And I know people will say it your potential.

To the OP, I asked you at the MC what you were going to do with your golf career. You didn't know and that frustrated me to know end. You have more talent then most could ever hope for and could really do something with your game if you put your mind to it without a whole lot of effort. You got to scratch, now get to the plus side. And let's get some titles under that belt.

Tadashi70 said:

I will never understand chasing a handicap number and wearing it like a badge of honor. It limits you as a golfer IMO. You chase a number for personal gain, that is great but most can't produce when with others. So what good is that number. And I know people will say it your potential.

To the OP, I asked you at the MC what you were going to do with your golf career. You didn't know and that frustrated me to know end. You have more talent then most could ever hope for and could really do something with your game if you put your mind to it without a whole lot of effort. You got to scratch, now get to the plus side. And let's get some titles under that belt.

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I appreciate the sentiment my friend -- And I know our conversations get a little squirrelly when we talk about competition golf haha! I just need to turn the page to that chapter if it's really something I want to accomplish. One thing is for sure, I really want to take a run at my Club Championship next year. I've missed two of the last three years and based on average scoring, would have competed both times.

Slept on my golf goals overnight and I want to work on a couple of mental things first. Not getting frustrated at bad breaks or 'giving back strokes' to the course is a big one. Staying level for a round of golf is another. We'll see what the fall brings and where I finish the year, it's just not going to be about lowest possible scores anymore. More about playing to enjoy and taking advantage of days where I'm swinging well. The number will just be what it is at the end of the day and I refuse to feel pressure about it anymore.

More than a particular number I want to be consistent and put myself in a position to compete in tournaments. I'm a 10 handicap and trending down but I can honestly say that I could shoot par at anytime. It's all mental at this point in my game.

I am an avid player and I absolutely love playing the game. I work on my game as I see it as being a work in progress. I set goals every year to lower my handicap, but I also am a realist. I am not willing to spend thousands of dollars in lessons and tons more money on the newest equipment as it comes out. I will take a lesson here and there to give me some expert opinions on what I should work on. Then it's range work and rounds of golf to try to reach my goal. I hope to be a scratch player in the next couple of years, but if I don't get there, it's not going to depress me.

Canadan said:

Thanks for your thoughts guys.



To your bolded, I have REALLY started to enjoy golf with my wife. It's not to say I didn't before, it's just that I enjoy it even more now. She mashes the ball and I get a ton of pride out of watching her play the game I adore so much.

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Don't tell everyone she is good at golf - you will embarass her.

I saw that pride first hand buddy and she can definitely mash the ball!!

I think Freddie hit it on the head for me, I can play to the 9.8-10 on my home course with my buddies and may get back a bit lower again. But when playing with people I am just meeting or a new course I always seem to leave a lot out there, be it nerves or whatever. Just enjoying the day, the people and the good shots is reward enough at this point.

The real deciding factor is age for me, I love this game, take lessons, practice when I can and have gotten a lot better in the last month with things coming together but the body cannot keep up. Now getting in the Bridgestone I am going to push even harder. But the ceiling is the back & the knees now.

I am not sure who said it "but golf is a cruel game, when you are young you don't have the money or time, when you get old you have the money and time but not the body"

I haven't chased a hcdp number in a long time. Now, for me, it's a consisitency chase (ie, consecutive rounds at/under some number, double-digit GIRs and/or FW's), or >75ft of putts made. Another thing I look for is, how many drivers, hybrids and iron full swings did I take that I would take every time. It doesn't necessarily mean the shot ended up next to the hole, or 300 down the middle. But, was it solidly struck, and did the ball go, basically, where I wanted it to go. This takes score and putting out of the equation and really just tells me how good am I striking the ball.

In some ways I feel lucky to find golf later in life than at an early age. So much is really still new to me and I keep learning that I really haven't thought about whether my handicap has a ceiling. To be honest with you - I am not sure I care. Knowing the competitive side of myself I knew that once I decided I was going to focus on the game, I wouldn't stop trying to improve on my score. To me that is one of the BEST things about golf - that each time I go out, I have an opportunity to top my best score.

But more important that shooting my best score -I love to play golf. Give me unlimited number of range balls and I will stay out there as long as I can. I get excited to play before each and every round. That part is still so refreshing for a guy who just became so tired of playing baseball and softball that he just stopped - that I am going to ride that wave and continue to enjoy each and every second.

So as long as the game still brings me that excitement, I am going to continue to try and get better at it. Do I have a ceiling?? I have no idea and at this point - not worried about it to be honest. I do have goals in mind and whether they are realistic is still out for the jury. Only time will tell.

Once the game stops being fun for me, I will re-evaluate my goals and expectations about the game. At that point in time, I hope that I can admit to myself that I have hit my ceiling.

From November until last month getting on the course was about lowering my handicap, not playing better, not improving as a golfer. Getting a better score was my only real goal...and while it was nice to be rewarded as that started happening, it kinda bit me in the end. Yes, I played other courses, but my bread & butter came through a lot of local knowledge, which didn't do me a whole lot of favors. It worked, and I'm happy to know how much error-correction I can play, and learning how to move around the golf course, things like that which, combined with a more consistent and effective swing, will help to make me a much better golfer.

I think you can chase a score and an index and get good scores and good indices. But I'm kind of reminded of Martin Kaymer reworking his swing while being #1 in the world. There's something to be said for doing the things you have to do to improve your game, rather than chasing those scores & indices.

I chase consistency through efficiency in my game, if it leads to lower numbers than so be it. My overall goal every year is to improve on something in my game within the time constraints life throws me. I know this method will probably never get me to a + handicap but that's cool as long as I keep enjoying the process.

Golfs place in my life is more about the process, fun equipment, playing with friends and family all while challenging myself to play as well as possible with the limited practice time I have. With this said, my handicap goal is not really a goal, it's more of a byproduct of loving golf.

I've been in your shoes before Dan. When I was still in the industry (almost 10 years ago) working as an Assistant Pro. It was my JOB to be good, and see others and make them better. I was never down to a + handicap (very close a .5) but my motivation to get better was there. Then I met the love of my life, my wife Lori, and things changed some. I would still practice and or play 5 days a week (minimum) but my drive wasn't there, as much. Then due to budget cut backs, my job got cut. That's when everything changed for me with golf.
I don't practice or play hardly even half as much as I use to. Not due to not wanting to, but do to current job and more importantly, time I want to spend with my wife and kids. So here is my take, you have to ask yourself, what do I want to achieve with my game? Where do I want to take this? To what level? Do you want to try and make it into a US Open, or something similar to this? Or is you Legacy going to be what you've already accomplished and further on here with THP? I think your answer to those questions will lean you to where you take you game now.
I'll be honest, if I had the cash and time, I'd still practice and play like I use to, because the drive and motivation is still there. Life turned me into a different direction, but my love for the game and idea that I can still play and be GOOD didn't. I'm nowhere near where I was, but I have days and rounds, or 9 holes where I see that spark and play well. With that said, there is always the old saying. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting new results. If you DON'T want your golf game to be in that category, then I suggest moving your goal and handicap to a level that makes you nervous enough to MAKE the change you need to get there. Take it from me, your mind will remember the good golf, it will hate the bad golf and that frustration is something I live with now.

Side note: It's why I sooooooo want to get a spot on the Grandaddy or (past) Morgan Cup...or similar. That was I can go to my wife and have a legit reason to get back to that level. It's for me but also so I don't look bad when I'm playing. I sometimes wonder if it's something like that, that would allow her to let me be there again. Just due to the time it would take (to a degree) away from my wife and kids. It's selfish, and I LOVE my family, but I want my game back in a bad way. If you don't want that on your conscious, then don't give up on your current goals.

Thanks for pointing out I have a ceiling


I am not quite sure where that ceiling is yet, I think it is probably mid single digits, but I may never get there. I have made a ton of progress over the past year, and vary from shooting a couple over on 9 holes to this mornings round where everything was a tap in bogey and just couldn't pull anything together. Not woe is me either, but I am not seeing a way for me to make it down to scratch. I can play really well for a while but just too many mental mistakes.

I think I have some sort of sporting syndrome, whenever I take up a sport I just throw myself into it headlong. As a youngster in Scotland basketball was my thing, we didn't have a garden so I had a brick I knew was 10' high and I'd shoot at it for 3-4 hours a day in the wind, rain & snow.

Tennis the same thing

Rugby I dedicated myself to some hardcore gym work

Golf is no different, I was at the range for a cheeky 100 balls after work but most nights I spend an hour or 2 working on my short game.

Handicap is 24 but I've just taken the game up, my goal is to get to somewhere in the single digits. I'm a member of a really good course so that means most golfers there tend to be really good. I'm embarrassed of my current game so I spend all my time practicing. Most likely they don't care about how bad I am, that's my problem!!

Bottom line, congratulations to you, you've achieved what many of us on here dream about and work towards.

I have 1 goal I wish I'd achieved in the gym, I became very focused on the seated shoulder press, I used to use a smith machine for safety reasons and I really wanted a 3 rep set at 150kg (330lbs to my transatlantic friends) I got injured on that journey and unfortunately only ever made it to 140kg (308 lbs).

I'm away to get back into the gym to shift some fat for golf purposes and unfortunately my change in sporting direction means I will never be likely to complete that goal


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Ill be happy when I am scratch. It's the brutal truth. Once I get there, I think I will feel like I did something really special.

I think I would be satisfied if I could reach a 10 or below. I'm currently in the want to practice/play more mood, but just don't have the time or money. I've been on the road for work almost a third of the year and it's definitely hampered my game, but when I do have the time I'm seeing the results and steps toward my goal. I'm excited for next year since my travel time is going to decrease greatly and hopefully I will see my handicap trend in the right direction instead of up like it has this year.

I've got a friend who is a scratch golfer/club champion at one of our local courses. He's made the Senior US Open and has won numerous tournaments here in route to trying to get his card. The time he dedicates to the game is huge and luckily his family and kids are grown now, but during his rise it was pretty stressful. I'm sure theres a limit to my game but again I would be satisfied shooting an 80 or below one day.

I currently play off a 4 which I am happy about. I play once a week and do no practice so I think 4 is as low as I can go with what effort I am prepared to put in. I realised a few years ago that I hate practice and I am happy just going out and knowing I will shoot anything from 70-80 any week. I do think I could get down to a 1-2 handicap with a lot of effort and hard work but that does not interest me at all !

I appear to be plain weird, I love practice more than playing a round!


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Canadan said:

I'm really having a hard time putting this into words, but I'd like to try because I am very interested in hearing what my THP friends think.

For the longest time (I call 15 years a long time) I have been chasing my index. Every year, I start somewhere and seek a number to finish the season on. I practiced and improved my game and typically, through a lot of hard work and self(swing) realization I managed to achieve the number I wanted.

It's been an incredible run, and I have been fortunate enough to be on the plus side of scratch twice in my life now. But, I am at the point where going lower will probably take a deeper dive into the game. Physical fitness related to the golf swing based muscles, a swing coach, and a whole lot more time on the range with someone watching my swing. I'm not intending this as a 'woe is me' type thing at all, so please please don't take it that way. What I see, is that golf is genuinely hard. Shooting par is exceptionally hard, and shooting below par is not only hard, but infrequent - And I am just not sure that's what I want to do to focus on golf over the next 2-5 years.

So I ask at this turning point of my golf life; Do you believe your handicap goals are limited? Is there a number you think you can achieve but don't see yourself going lower? If you're an avid player, what drives you to work on your game besides the pure enjoyment of golf?

I really look forward to everyone's thoughts.

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I chased it hard for a few years and while I got good and shot below par, I knew deep down inside that the next step would require resources I didn't have. I still dig for a score and somehow to shoot a decent one most of the time but I accept that I am where I am and I'm grateful just to be here. I am limited but I'll always work as hard as I can to be as good as I can be.

Canadan said:

Thanks for your thoughts guys.



To your bolded, I have REALLY started to enjoy golf with my wife. It's not to say I didn't before, it's just that I enjoy it even more now. She mashes the ball and I get a ton of pride out of watching her play the game I adore so much.

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Damn it I'm a little slow on the uptake! This would be an awesome 4some buddy!

I've also been playing a ton with my wife this year. Some of the most fun I've had on the course. Never have I been happier to lose a whole than when she sunk a 10 footer for par against me.

As your skill improves your commitment to playing and practising goes up. But its like a logarithmic equation, the amount of time required to practice to improve increase greatly as the handicap factor decreases.

It just means you need to play and practice more to decrease your handicap, and it isn't likely to happen on one or two rounds a week.

I have a goal, but I'm realistic about what my family life and my job will allow me to achieve. I get frustrated when I don't play anywhere near my potential, but I've learned to shake it off pretty quickly and just enjoy hitting shots when the score has gone to hell.

Later in life when the kids are gone, I might even be able to adjust my goal downwards, but we'll just see how that goes. Right now, I'm really enjoying the process of continuing to try to improve and playing with my wife. She's still a complete beginner, but getting out there is still a blast.