Are handicaps equal?

Just visited Golfer Today and once again noticed that UK has a system were max handicap is 28.

In Finland we have a system were max handicap is 54.

Would a Finnish player with a hcp 10 be at the same level in skills than UK player? You need to compare handicaps on international tournaments, don't you?

Hannu

Wow Hannu,

I coming over there to play golf. I will look like a pro with my handicap instead of being a novice here

Mark, Please too:-)

Maybe golf is relatively young in Finland and we need a lower entry level to attract players. We have about 120 golf courses or clubs and a little over 100 000 green card players. On the other hand Finland has people just about the same amount than London has:-) - or less... Just over 5 million.

If you have a 10 hcp and a mate in UK has the same, would there skills be equal? Would even two playes from England that have the same hcp be equally good?

Hannu

They should be the same, the problem occurs when you have someone at the extremes i.e at 28.
Unless they are actually able to play to 28 if they went to Finland they would get beaten every time.
Same problem for a Fin of anything more than 28 going over there, if you can play to 40 but are forced to play off 28 you are not going to do very well...

I think it depends on a couple factors:

Where are you located? In North America, it's a convoluted set of trigonometric functions that determine a handicap. This general handicap is further manipulated depending on the slope and rating of the course you play. My understanding is that across the pond, you have your handicap, and you apply it against the standard scatch score for a course. (In other words, I think the math is much simpler).

Then, as you said, there's a 'maximum handicap'. Finland is 54. USGA ruled (USA, Canada) the max is 36.

I don't even want to think about what happens when a USGA handicap is applied to an SSS.

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http://www.nexgolf.fi/tuloskortti/course_select.php


Here is one program that calculates our hcp.
You just give you Handicap and select a course and Tee you played.
(Our course is JG Jyvas-Golf - Sippulanniemi)

Would this be something like USGA or UK?

If only I could read Fin!

http://www.nexgolf.fi/tuloskortti/

Hope this will let you choose english...

That is actually really, really cool. I love how it shows you your personal par on the scorecard.

Now, where's one for my little 9 hole course?

here in Australia we have a 27 max, but some social clubs allow higher handicaps to attract new golfers. I first started on 27 and needed a 36 to be have a chance, that is why I never played much comp. these days I still don't play much comp, so my handicap only goes down every couple of months, I put 5 cards in a year.

I tried to find a tool that lets you build your own course for calculation HCP. I found one but it did not show ones personal par for each hole.


MR Change... the highest hcp in competitions in Finland is 36. HCP from 36 to 54 are kind of club related, but a national system. In many courses you need a lower hcp - often under 36 but could be down to 20 - just to get to play. (Competitions you might need a hcp under 4:-)

Hannu

In the UK we have the CONGU system which again gets convoluted with bands, buffer zones, adjustments and SSS

My home course has an SSS of 72 which means my handicap would effectively be much lower on a course with an SSS of 67 but you wouldnt play to that in a away tournament

I wouldnt worry about it Hannu. Just come over and have fun and hope the weathers good.