Handicap System

Fellow golfers, I am new to the game!

I wanted to know how the handicap system works? Does it have an effect on your score?

your scores have an effect on your handicap. Your scores get lower so does your handicap.

At least my understanding the Usga takes your last 20 scores, adjusts them due to the slope of the course you play and then throws out the highest 10 and then averages the next 10 (to reflect the amount over par). There is also some provisions that if you play in 2 tournements and shoot below your handicap then those scores are averaged and become your handicap (for sand baggers out there)

The handicap is supposed to reflect what you usually shoot on a good day. Your not suposed to consistently shoot under your handicap unless your improving and your handicap will also be droping in a hurry (as a better score replaces a higher score).

Europe I believe has a diferent version, where you play in comps and a committee gives you a handicap based on your scores in comps (I hope that is right, my only info was previous posts).

Thank you for the info.

I need to play some more before I get a Handicap.

hi goat,

when you beat your handicap it comes down and if you don't beat your handicap you go up by 0.1.

Liam,

Hi Liam,

Let me see if I"ve got this. Lets say I'm a 10 handicap (I wish), does that means I normally shoot 10 over par? Then if I shoot under that it goes down, but if I shoot over that it goes up by 0.1.

Is that right???

Pretty much
To get your starting handicap you hand in 3 cards (from competitions only, only singles competitions can adjust your handicap)
Then they give you the average.
So if the par is 72 and the CSS (Competition Standard Scratch - what a scratch golfer would have scored that day, worked out on average scores of class 2 golfers ~ 12-15 handicap) is also 72 and you shoot an 82 you were 10 over.
Do that 2 more times and you get a handicap of 10.
Then in your next comp the CSS is again 72, you shoot a 85 you get 0.1 back on at the end of the month.
There is a buffer zone where you can be a certain amount over par (nett) and not get the 0.1 back, its different for each handicap class.

If you then shoot an 80 the next week you will immediately lose 2 (you were two under) x 0.2 shots from your handicap.
So now you are playing off 9.8.

Clear as mud huh?

mtngoat,

When looking at the replies for this, check the country of the responder. The handicap systems are quite a bit different in the USA and abroad.

Here is a link to the usga's handicap page. There is an FAQ and other pages you should be able to get a bunch of info from.

http://www.usga.org/playing/handicaps/handicaps.html

Thanks for all the info guys, I am going to start working on my handicap. I'll post it when I get it.