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handicap

• handylad 2 Posts

  Wed, Mar 24 2010 2:19 PM

  if you want this to be as real as it can be...then please bring in the handicap.....every golf course in the world play handicap rules....

• WGTniv 1,788 Posts

  Wed, Mar 24 2010 3:42 PM

  Hi handylad,

  Thanks for the suggestion.  A handicap system is on our Roadmap for potential features.  You can check our Upcoming Product Release thread for more info on features planned for the future. =)

   

• Crazyman2 731 Posts

  Wed, Mar 24 2010 9:13 PM

  WE are already using em Handylad with great effect I may add.  We also use them for stableford and many other comps. 

  Equality is already here!!! 

  Keep Smiling & Happy Golfin'

• lvietri 3,326 Posts

  Thu, Mar 25 2010 4:51 AM

  Never one to shy away from a handicap discussion (since I think there is definately a place for them in golf) .... I decided to check my scores against the GHIN system (see ghin.com for details) which is a service provided by the USGA for handicapping purposes and is the most widely recognized handicap system in the US.

  The formula is based on the rating and slope of each course.  The higher the rating / slope - the more difficult the course.    Kiawah and BP Black are very highly rated - i.e. Very Hard.    I did not include St. Andrews in my calculation since the UK uses a different handicap system which crazyman uses in his league and describes very well on his home page.   For this excercise I used the Tournament Handicaps since they were the ones I had available in GHIN.   GHIN also gives you front / back 9 rating/slopes so doing the 9 hole calc's was easy.

  Anyway to calculate your handicap index for a round it is quite easy.  I used my total score instead of adjusted (adjusted = nothing higher than 6 strokes + the first digit of your handicap on any hole --- for a 12 hcp adj score = 7 on any hole).

  Adjusted score minus course rating X 113 / Slope = Index for a single round.

  To determine handicap average your best 10 index scores out of the last 20 scores and multiply by 96%.  This is your handicap.

  You can see in my chart below my handicap is a plus 4.4 .... i.e. better than scratch.  My WGT handicap is 68 or 4 under par on Kiawah and a bit less on Bethpage.   Pretty close isn't it ???    I haven't checked any other golfers but I plan to run these numbers for a few of my buddies to see just how far off the variations are.   Based on my scores I'd say my handicap as calculated by GHIN and my WGT average is close enough for government work.

  I'll report back shortly

   

  

   

   

• TarheelsRule 5,607 Posts

  Thu, Mar 25 2010 10:16 AM

  I am a big fan of the USGA handicap system, for most golfers it is the way in which we establish fair matches in normal play and rank unknown players in tournaments where they are flighted or the play with some percentage of their handicap for each round. In real life you have what is called sandbaggers, people who intentionally inflate their handicaps by not reporting good scores or by missing easy putts when their partners are in the hole. You also have the vanity handicaps who do the opposite, take mulligans, don't post bad scores, give themselves 5 foot gimmies. Ont the WGT you have more of the vanity types who quit when a bogey is made so they won't ruin their average. If we used a handicap system on here to award prizes, I think the sandbaggers would run wild. I would love to see it but don't believe it would work on WGT.

• aceydeucey 504 Posts

  Thu, Mar 25 2010 12:25 PM

  I still believe WGT should conduct Tier only tournaments. As a Pro, I cannot compete against Masters so why spend credits entering a tourney I know I cannot win... much less place. Let the Masters compete against themselves. I, for one, would gladly enter any Pro Only tourney.

• TarheelsRule 5,607 Posts

  Thu, Mar 25 2010 5:14 PM

  I understand your point acey but the flaw to it is that many people would then sandbag you by not reaching the master level while being able to shoot scores well below the pro average.  The WGT has taken the stance that if you don't have the levels then you won't have this problem.  I see what you are thinking but look at the other side, if you are a pro and can play what is your incentive to improve to a master level since you can win just as much as a pro in terms of prize money and since you can sandbag you now have an advantage over the other pros.  We all know you can manipulate your rank by playing rounds and not scoring your best so I guess which pool do you want to be in, one with people who are legitimately better or people who are better but pretend to be equal.

• VillaGolfer 7 Posts

  Mon, Feb 20 2012 6:17 PM

  Would you send me a copy of the spreadsheet?

  Thanks,

  Mike

• miclormic 1,077 Posts

  Mon, Apr 8 2013 5:17 PM

  this query about handicap is dated 2010???? Still don't see a handicap when I play??

• TarheelsRule 5,607 Posts

  Wed, Apr 17 2013 9:30 AM

  WGT has chosen to use an average score rather than handicap.

  The flaw to that is that the average score was not adjusted to the course rating.  Of course in WGT land, the tiers are the adjustment.  For example if you are a master with a 65 average you can't expect to shoot a 65 playing the green speed and tees of a Legend with a 65 average.  You know this because of the different tiers.

  In real golf, in theory everyone is equal under the handicap system, if I have a 4.8 I can look at the course I'm playing and get my course handicap and compete with another golfer who does the same thing. 

  In many of our CC tournaments we use a 'handicap' by just adjusting the final score, it's a little tougher now with the Legend and Tour Legend tiers but it can be done.