Can anyone explain CSS etc?

Grey Fox

Hi,

I got my handicap about 6 months ago and am trying to get down as low as I can as fast as possible.

From what I gather, the amount your handicap is cut after a competition depends on how much better than CSS you score.

My course is a par 72 and CSS is usually 70. As far as I know, that means that a scratch golfer would be expected to shoot 70 strokes (or 2 better than his handicap). Therefore I (or anyone else) would be expected to shoot 38 points, and my handicap would not be cut unless I shot more than that. I know I may be incorrect and correct me if I am, but this is my understanding of it so far.

My question is why is CSS always 38 points and not 36? Even in crappy conditions like today CSS was still 70, I thought it's supposed to change depending on weather and course conditions?? Does anyone have any links to explain CSS, SSS and the like?

Shooting 39 points or better is quite a challenge. I shot 37 points today and it seems like a waste of time if I don't get cut for it.

Thanks.

PhilipMarlowe

CSS can go 1 lower than SSS and up to 3 higher than it.
My course is par 71 and SSS of 72 off the back tees. CSS is mostly 72 from there too, occasionally 71 and sometimes 73 or more. I'm not a fan of playing off the whites where SSS is 1 under and you have to sometimes get 37 points to hit the buffer (in cat. 1).

How does the system work?

A "Scratch Score" system is used in the UK & Ireland in order to rate courses and be fair to golfers of varying ability, and to make allowances that courses may play "easier" or "harder" than par, overall, to the amateur field. For this reason, a Standard Scratch Score (SSS) is used as a baseline for how the course plays in practice (e.g. an SSS lower than par indicates a course which golfers find slightly easier, and vice versa).

Akin to the SSS is the Competition Scratch Score (CSS). Only scores gained in qualifying competitions or through the allowance of Supplementary Scores, are applicable the system (although general play, does allow corrections). The principle is the same, only the CSS describes how easy or difficult the course played during a given competition. It is against this CSS score that a player's handicap is adjusted by the club. Golfers with a handicap of 5 or lower are said to be Category 1 players. Higher handicap players are categorised as Category 2, 3, or 4 (ladies have a further category of 5). For every stroke the Category 1 golfer's net score is below the CSS, their handicap is reduced by 0.1. For Category 2 golfers, this figure is 0.2, for Category 3 golfers it is a 0.3 reduction, 0.4 for Category 4 golfers, and 0.5 for ladies between 28 and 36.

Similarly, amateur golfers are allowed a buffer zone to protect their handicap on "off-days". For Cat 1 this is 1 stroke, for Cat 2 this is 2 strokes, etc. This means that if a Category 1 golfer's net score is one stroke higher than the CSS, their handicap will not increase. If a golfer's net score is higher than the CSS plus buffer zone combined, their handicap will increase by 0.1. This 0.1 increase covers all golfers and does not vary by category.

How is the CSS Calculated?

The CSS is a calculation based on the number of players in a competition. Those players differing abilities are given a differing ‘weight’ dependant on their playing category. Players who’s handicaps fall in to the higher group (4 for men and 5 for ladies) are disregarded for this calculation.

Firstly the number of golfers taking part on the day is divided in to home and visitor players. If there are over 20 players in both groups, then two separate CSSs are computed.

Then the players are divided into categories, and the higher ones disregarded. These numbers are then converted into percentages of the field and rounded to the nearest 10%. Then we count up the players that have score 2 over or better than the SSS of the course. This again is converted to a percentage. These figures are then compared to a CONGU table, this table gives us the number that the CSS will move. The CSS can only move one shot below the SSS but up to three above. The calculation cannot be worse than three shots, if it would have done, then the CSS for handicap down adjustments is set at SSS +3, but handicap increases are not allowed. This is called a Reductions Only Competition.

Grey Fox

Thanks Licksy,

My course must be fairly easy. I'm category 3 at the moment and recent scores of 40 and 42 points have yielded cuts of 0.6 and 1.2 respectively. Trouble is scores of 40+ rounds are quite rare, I usually score around 37 or 38 points. It seems silly to me that someone can go out and shoot 38 points and not get cut for it.

Webbs

Grey Fox wrote: »

Thanks Licksy,

My course must be fairly easy. I'm category 3 at the moment and recent scores of 40 and 42 points have yielded cuts of 0.6 and 1.2 respectively. Trouble is scores of 40+ rounds are quite rare, I usually score around 37 or 38 points. It seems silly to me that someone can go out and shoot 38 points and not get cut for it.

I appreciate you want to get your handicap down, but if you arent shooting in the 40s and your course is around the 38 points SSS then you must be playing roughly around your handicap. Go and play another course and see what you shoot there, it'll give you a good idea of where you are

Grey Fox

Webbs wrote: »

I appreciate you want to get your handicap down, but if you arent shooting in the 40s and your course is around the 38 points SSS then you must be playing roughly around your handicap. Go and play another course and see what you shoot there, it'll give you a good idea of where you are

Would it not be 36 points SSS and 38 points CSS? I'm 15 at the moment and expect to get down to 12 soon (and then 10), it's just that for every 40+ round there's 3 or 4 37/38 point rounds. Would be nice to even get cut 0.1 for them (I know that's not possible cos I'm Cat. 3). Jeez imagine being a 1 or 2 handicapper trying to get to scratch, you would need like 10 or 20 rounds of >38 points.