Calculating Handicaps

PLUGandPLAY

I've been tasked by my mates, who don't have GUI handicaps with calculating handicaps for them.

I've setup a spreadsheet that will calculate the handicaps, using the CONGU rules as I interpret them. It does a good job but there are some aspects of it which I am not happy about and I feel that a more detailed understanding of the rules would lead to a better system.

It would be great if I could get your opinions on some of the issues.

Q1. When first setting up a handicap is a player assigned a provisional handicap, eg 20 and the first three cards are used increase or reduce the handicap. Or is the average of the first three cards used?

Q2. Is there a maximum number of shots that a players handicap can be reduced by in a certain time period?

Q3. Same question for shots added to a players handicap.

Thanks for any help you can give

PLUGandPLAY

No body has an opinion on this?

dvemail

Normally 3 cards get handed in and the club will decide what handicap to give the person.
It won't necessarily be the average. Say if a player shoots +15 while the 2 other cards are +20 and +28. The average would mean a handicap of 21 but the club knows that the
player can shoot a lower score so they would probably give a handicap of 15 or so.

No to the second question.

0.1 gets added to the players handicap everytime he/she shoots lower than the
Standard Scratch. There is also a buffer zone of 2 or 3 shots depending on the
handicap, where if the C.S.S is 36 and he had 34pts the handicap would remain the
same. While if he shot a 32, 0.1 would be added to the handicap.

PhilipMarlowe

This is kinda the official way but societies have their own quirky ways...

PLUGandPLAY wrote: »

Q1. When first setting up a handicap is a player assigned a provisional handicap, eg 20 and the first three cards are used increase or reduce the handicap. Or is the average of the first three cards used?

No. When first setting up a player you look at his 3 cards and reduce any 'mare holes to a double bogey (eg. a 7 on a par 4 becomes an adjusted 6). Then you total up these adjusted scores and the handicap awarded is basically the amount that the best of these adjusted cards differs from the SSS of the course.

Now, that's a little simplistic because you'd also take other things into account... Suppose the guy had 9 pars and 9 doubles (or worse) on a card - You'd have to take into account that the amount of pars shows an ability greater than the simple 'formula' would suggest.

So, there's a formula applied firstly and then a judgement call applied to the result. His best score is the one that you are most concerned with and the other cards allow you to get some kind of handle on the ability. Sometimes a conservative handicap is awarded on the basis of the fact that a starting golfer will improve (quickly). Also, bear in mind that your handicap is not your average score.

PLUGandPLAY wrote: »

Q2. Is there a maximum number of shots that a players handicap can be reduced by in a certain time period?

No. If you award a handicap that now seems to be too generous then you can correct it with a cut but you can't cut a category 1 player (or a cat 2 player into cat 1) without permission from you GUI (province). If the player plays well then he can get cut. The more he plays the more potential he has to adjust his handicap.

PLUGandPLAY wrote: »

Q3. Same question for shots added to a players handicap.

Not sure
I think there is/was a limit of 2.0 worth of increases in a season but not sure if it still/ever exists.

dvemail

Licksy wrote: »

I think there is/was a limit of 2.0 worth of increases in a season but not sure if it still/ever exists.

Ya think the limit you can go up is 2 shots a year.

Myksyk

dvemail wrote: »

Ya think the limit you can go up is 2 shots a year.

correct

samdeman

go onto todaysgolfer and they have a golf score tracker and you will be able to track your handicap and print a handicap cert for free

PLUGandPLAY

Cheers guys