Help me out here please :)

Emoran

Hi all!

Im 17 an am fairly new to golf
I probably started at the start of the summer maybe a month or two earlier...
anyway i see my self as a good begginer not getting ahead of myself or anything but im really happy with how well iv started.
I usually practise a short game once a week and driving range once every two weeks.
So far my best on a course has been 14 over par which im pretty happy about and im sure within a cuple years i can bring that down to single digits:p

I try to get to play on a "proper" course every three weeks
anyway although im happy with my golf skills il be honest here my golf knowledge is not up to par(no pun intended;) ) I could easily find this over the internet although i prefer a straight forward answer simplified!
I havent a clue how the points or handicap system work!:o

I play golf with my friend who started with me and say we get 15 over par then i would try talk to other friendss from school or teammates who play golf and they all play with a points system or a handicap


Apologys if i rambled on way too much just wanted to introduce myself aswell:D nice golf section you guys got runnin here!

cheers all,
Eoin

PhilipMarlowe

Stableford is the points system that lots of competitions are run under. It's based on your strokes but is a bit more forgiving in that you can have one or two bad holes and still manage a competitive score.
For someone who plays off a zero handicap (scratch golfer), 2 points are awarded for a par, 3 for a birdie, 4 for an eagle.
1 points is given for a bogey with nothing for a double bogey or worse. This is where stableford is 'easier' than strokes because he could take 10 shots on a par 4 and it's the same as only taking 6. He scores zero (a scratch, a blob) on that hole.
18 pars = 36 points which is basically playing to his handicap.

But most golfers have a handicap which they get when they are members of a recognised club. If you have a 12 handicap, you will receive a one shot allowance on the 12 hardest holes of the course that you are playing. Holes on a golf course are indexed 1 to 18 with index 1 being (kinda) the hardest and index 18 being (kinda) the easiest (they are not rated purely on difficulty but it will do to think of it that way for now).
So our 12 handicapper is 'supposed' to score a bogey on these index 1 to 12 and have a par on the index 13 to 18.
If he gets a bogey on a hole that he receives a stroke on, then his NETT score is a par on that hole and he gets 2 points. If he manages to par the hole, that's a nett birdie for 3 points. A double bogey on that hole is a nett bogey for 1 point.
On the holes that he doesn't receive a stroke, what he actually scores is his nett score so a par is 2 points etc.

Handicaps are awarded once you join a club... usually you hand in 3 cards to show your ability and then are given a starting handicap. This won't be your average score but should be what you can potentially score on a good day.
Your handicap is adjusted then once you play in club competitions. It's adjusted downwards on good days based on how much you beat your handicap by and based on what your current handicap is.
On bad days, your handicap increases by 0.1
On O.K. days it stays static.

POINTBREAK

Good answer.

Osgoodisgood

Emoran wrote: »

Hi all!

Im 17 an am fairly new to golf

So far my best on a course has been 14 over par which im pretty happy about and im sure within a cuple years i can bring that down to single digits:p

Well done. That's a really good start.
Enjoy your golf

Snakey

Holes on a golf course are indexed 1 to 18 with index 1 being (kinda) the hardest and index 18 being (kinda) the easiest (they are not rated purely on difficulty but it will do to think of it that way for now).

You mind explaining this Licksy, I always thought it was based on difficulty?

FlutterinBantam

Snakey wrote: »

You mind explaining this Licksy, I always thought it was based on difficulty?

"Difficulty" is not an easy thing to quantify.

Which is why he used "kinda"

Wind conditions,direction,terrain,obstacles all contribute to the "difficulty" of a hole.

Some are changeable some are not.

It's not an absolutely exact science.

PhilipMarlowe

It's usually based around difficulty but indexes have to be spread around too so that all the low ones don't come at once (important in matchplay when conceding shots to an opponent). Also very low indexes shouldn't either come at the start or the end of the round... if the first is index 1 then if a match goes down 19 it can be difficult.
You'll mostly see all even indexes (2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16&18) on the easier of the front or back nines. The more difficult nine gets the odd indexes so that if you have an odd numbered handicap then you receive one more shot on that particular nine....

PhilipMarlowe

New guy, skip this stuff
Other golf nuts, read on...
http://www.congu.com/template2.asp?pid=67&parent=38&parent2=67

Appendix G: Handicap Stroke Index
Rule of Golf 33-4 requires Committees to 'publish a table indicating the order of holes at which handicap strokes are to be given or received'. To provide consistency at Affiliated Clubs it is recommended that the allocation is made as follows:
(a) Of paramount importance for match play competition is the even spread of the strokes to be received at all handicap differences over the 18 holes.
(b) This is best achieved by allocating the odd numbered strokes to the more difficult of the two nines, usually the longer nine, and the even numbers to the other nine.
(c) The first and second stroke index holes should be placed close to the centre of each nine and the first six strokes should not be allocated to adjacent holes. The 7th to the 10th indices should be allocated so that a player receiving 10 strokes does not receive strokes on three consecutive holes.
(d) None of the first eight strokes should be allocated to the first or the last hole, and at clubs where competitive matches may be started at the 10th hole, at the 9th or 10th holes. This avoids a player receiving an undue advantage on the 19th hole should a match continue to sudden death. Unless there are compelling reasons to the contrary, stroke indices 9, 10, 11 and 12 should be allocated to holes 1, 9, 10 and 18 in such order as shall be considered appropriate.
(e) Subject to the foregoing recommendations, when selecting each stroke index in turn holes of varying length should be selected. Index 1 could be a Par 5, index 2 a long Par 4, index 3 a shorter Par 4 and index 4 a Par 3. There is no recommended order for this selection, the objective being to select in index sequence holes of varying playing difficulty. Such a selection provides more equal opportunity for all handicaps in match play and Stableford and Par competitions than an order based upon hole length or difficulty to obtain Par.
Note 1: Par is not an indicator of hole difficulty. Long Par 3 and 4 holes are often selected for low index allocation in preference to Par 5 holes on the basis that it is easier to score Par on a Par 5 hole than 4 on a long Par 4. Long Par 3 and 4 holes are difficult Pars for low handicap players but often relatively easy Bogeys for the player with a slightly higher handicap. Difficulty in relation to Par is only one of several factors to be taken into account when selecting stroke indices.
Note 2: When allocating a stroke index it should be noted that in the majority of social matches there are small handicap differences thereby making the even distribution of the lower indices of great importance.
The above recommendations for the 'Handicap Stroke Index' provision are principally directed at match play situations and have proved to be suitable for that purpose. The 'Handicap Stroke Index', however, is also used widely for Stableford, Par and Bogey competitions. In these forms of stroke play competition the need to have a uniform and balanced distribution of strokes is less compelling. There is a cogent case for the Index in such competitions to be aligned to the ranking of holes in terms of playing difficulty irrespective of hole number. Such a ranking facility is available through many of the licensed handicap software programs currently used by Affiliated Clubs.
Clubs that conduct a significant number of Stableford, Par and Bogey competitions may wish to provide separate stroke indices for match play and the listed forms of stroke play. To avoid confusion this would be best done on separate scorecards.
If a golf club conducts Stableford, Par or Bogey competitions in which men and ladies compete in the same competition, albeit from different tees, it is recommended that a common 'Handicap Stroke Index' be provided. Such an action will facilitate the management of the competition and subsequent handicap adjustment.
These recommendations supplement those made by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews contained in 'Guidance on Running a Competition".

Snakey

Thanks! I promise never to utter another "Index 18 me bollix!" as long as I live*






*ok, for the rest of October

Emoran

wasnt expecting a reply that good:D
cheers Licksy understand well now
thanks for the help lads!

Eoin

G1032

So much for my home course sticking to the CONGU rules.

Our first 4 holes are indexed 4, 10, 3 and 6
Our last 4 holes are indexed 5, 1, 15 and 3

This is totally flaunting rule C above where a person getting 10 shots will have a shot on each of the first 4 holes.

PhilipMarlowe

Also, (d) says that 1-8 souuldn't be used for the first or the last hole (fail).
My home course is pretty ok except that the 18th is index 5

Yours is pretty weird in that if you are conceding 5 shots to an opponent, you could have him bet on 14 with only having to give 2 shots away! Of course you could be 2 up thru 14 and lose to 4 pars either but it seems strange to have indexes 1, 3 & 5 so close together...

G1032

Licksy wrote: »

Also, (d) says that 1-8 souuldn't be used for the first or the last hole (fail).
My home course is pretty ok except that the 18th is index 5

Yours is pretty weird in that if you are conceding 5 shots to an opponent, you could have him bet on 14 with only having to give 2 shots away! Of course you could be 2 up thru 14 and lose to 4 pars either but it seems strange to have indexes 1, 3 & 5 so close together...

Very strange alright. A couple/3 years ago I was giving a guy 6 shots (could have been 7, doesn't matter anyway). I was 2 up with 3 to play, finished par par par and lost on 18th!!! It's crazy if you ask me.

PhilipMarlowe

Time for a motion at the AGM so, now that you can argue the case

G1032

Licksy wrote: »

Time for a motion at the AGM so, now that you can argue the case

You read my mind!!