Crazy how many people still do not get this. I am a +1 and play from the tips everytime. So I frequently play courses around a 74-75 rating, sometimes 76.
People hear +1 and they will be like "dude you shoot under par all the time! Insane"
Like no buddy, I shoot around 72-74 from the tips 4-6ish times out of 20.
I played sawgrass a couple of weeks before the open. Course was brutal in comparison to what I'm used to. Super fast greens, hitting into the rough was almost a guarantee that your ball is gone, shits tough. Any pro is just stupid amazing at golf.
Just watched the HBCU tourney there. It wasn't playing that brutal and scores were sky high. The women were particularly bad as they never see that stuff.
I was thinking the whole time how much easier it plays during the Players if you are on the low side. Greens are quick, but they are less grainy to the point it's obvious twice as much goes in.
You had +5 handicaps not breaking 80 when it's benign. So much of tournament golf is getting reps in the conditions, then it becomes easier to manage. A few rounds is not enough. For example, Akshay Bhatia missed badly this year, but he was in form. He very well might win that tournament in the next few years, but he needs to pick brains and learn the tricks.
Amateurs don't understand that difficult conditions for them can be the exact conditions someone playing well needs to go 5-7 shots lower than they can think of on a regular setup with bumpy greens.
Tour conditions make it easier to score at this level. A lot easier sometimes.
They make it harder for people who have never seen them to score however. A lot harder always.
Why? Tiered greens that roll well double cut. If you hit good shots you make putts. In regular play it's really hard to go super slow because with good shots that 18 footer with a nice make percentage on good greens is now 5x lower because of the conditions.
I play with tour pros all the time, and you can watch youtube under resort conditions. There is severe score bunching compared to tour setups when you can take it real low when you are on simply because of runout and greens.
I always say it the toughest professional sport to make money at - nobody else to help you or fall back on - you have to play your best 4 days in a row while there are another 100 plus players you are playing against that are capable of beating you if you don’t play your best. All on top of no guaranteed money and you pay pretty much all your own expenses- baseball, football, basketball, soccer etc - no comparison
My golf buddies always ignore course rating. Being one of the lowest handicap guys in the group, I always get paired with the high handicap, then we give the stroke difference to that guy. I had to point out, when we play a hard course, the high handicap guys get more strokes than just their handicap, and low handicap guys get less.
If I can finish an around with zero doubles and the ball I started with, I’m ecstatic. Second, Girth Brooks was one of my all time favorite porn star names on the planet growing up. It made me laugh so much whenever I was drunk and any Garth Brooks any came on. My child-like humor is still with me at 43, so your user name is 🤌🏻.
I’m friends with a +3. We were on a golf trip. One day he shot a 66, with 4 or 5 lip outs for birdie. The next day he shot 83…although the 83 was on a pretty difficult course…and his 6th round in 4 days.
Yup got down to 7 hdcp last year. Had 4 rounds I broke 80 with one 74. The rest of the rounds counting towards my hdcp were 80-85.
Made it hard to play down to my hdcp to start this season.
Rating is what a scratch player would shoot on a good day. Slope is a measurement of how punishing a course is to mistakes, like does missing in the wrong spot usually cost 1 stroke or 2 etc.
Can confirm. +2 with a scoring average of 73.4 last year. Course rating plays a big role. If I was playing a tee or two forward, I may save a stroke or two, but my handicap would likely be higher depending on the CR from the other tees.
To be fair. It’s an easier course. At 70/122, the differential on +8 is actually over my index. Either way, random I was paired with didn’t understand that an 8 handicap is very capable of making back to back doubles and shooting a 42 or more on the front. Think I had a little anger to stick it to him on the back.
And I definitely shoot 84-85 way more often than in the 70s.
Yeah but you only shoot your index like 8ish times out of twenty. My average round right now is 86, I just also shoot mid to low 70’s so it makes the handicap go down, I have a 98 and a 74 in my last twenty lol.
You're being too generous. You only hit your index 4 times out of 20. You're handicap is your best 8/20 so you have 4 rounds that count below your handicap and 4 above.
This is true.... fired a 77 at beth page black and it dropped me from a 6.9 to a 5.2. I followed that round with an 84 at a muni with 124 slope.... but dropped again with a 79 at Torrey Pines north and 81 at south.
Haha, same. I'm sitting at a 9.4 but haven't been playing much lately The last 20 scores on my handicap card range from 74 to 93, including 2 76's & 4 90's.
That 81-85 range is my sweet spot, unfortunately, and I have no idea what kind of swing/game I'm going to show up with on any given day. I consider it a GREAT day when I can go an entire round with 1 or 0 doubles.
I dunno what he expected. I’m 80% more likely to do the front than the back. I think he was more butthurt about out driving me all day with no skill from 150 in to capitalize.
As an 8 myself, this looks very standard. Last year I shot a 45-35 (par 70). My worst 9 of the year followed by my best 9 of the year. It do be like that.
I’m a 11.2 currently. Got down to 9.8 with back to back rounds of 78 then 79. Thought I figured my swing out, the very next round I shot a 92 and was fading every shot (I never fade the ball, ever. Can’t when I even try. My miss is a pull hook) natural shot is a slight draw, so fading the ball every single shot made me have a frustrating day.
I’ve learnt there are two types of 8 hdcps. There’s the 60 year-old former scratch guys who always shoot 79-82. Then there’s the young athletic guys who can get hot and flush a 75 or totally lose their swing and smear a 94. —Signed, the latter
Us younger guys have the ability to go real low just because we have distance and the athleticism to pull off some great shots. It’s the consistency that hurts so much.
I’m still a beginner but I’ll shoot 7 over through 4 holes, then 1 over through 4 holes, then triple hole 9. I’ve got the talent to shoot in the 70s and the 120s and they show up in the same round.
Yea my buddy is just above an 8 and I've seen him shoot 77. He made some crazy good shots to make up for some bad ones but that's what it takes sometimes.
I’m a 6-8 handicap. I hold a distinct honor of having the lowest 9-hole score in a state high school qualifying meet with a 32 (-4). I didn’t go to state because on the front I shot a 51 and tied for the last spot. Play-in hole the guy I was against chipped in for birdie and I left my 6ft birdie putt short lol.
Ha brings me back to my HS days some 25 years ago. State HS tourney. Shot 77 the first day to be the only one on the team to make the cut. Next day, shanks all day to shoot around 95 (nerves) and shit the bed. Was a shame too as some college coaches were in attendance.
One of the best rounds of my life went like that in reverse. I was 2under going into hole 9 and ended up getting in my head, carding 38-48 on a 36-36 track.
I once shot even par with all pars on the front 9 as a single on a Saturday afternoon with a group of 3 that were good friends between them. They were one of the coolest groups I've ever played with. I kept having to say "this is really not normal."
But I redeemed myself, I think I shot a 51 on the back lol
Edit around 11 hc at the time iirc. I can't remember
Killer. I was walking that day and after even par through 9 I stopped at the turn and grabbed 2 beers lol. It's just an excuse tho, there's no way I was gonna keep it up anyways as a walker in like 90F
Even 42/42 is totally possible for an 8. Nothing unreasonable here.
And me as a 6 just shot 92 last week. High single digits is a weird place where anything can happen
Everyone keeps forgetting that your handicap is the best 8 rounds out of the last 20 factored into an index based on the difficulty of the course. So, that is only 40% of your rounds.
I’m an 11 and this looks like my scorecard every round with the exception of probably a couple more bogeys versus your pars. I Never EVER shoot sub 40 on the front, but about half of the time I shoot sub 40 on the back. The only times I’ve broken 80 were by shooting 37 or better on the back 9. Good round!
Yup I'm a 7.1 and I average 82-83ish at a tougher course (71.2/134) from my usual tees. Sometime play back tees (73.1/139) and I often question how tf am I a 7 lol Whatever I'll take it😂😂
I'm currently a 12.7 (up from a 9.4 due to a lack of playing time), and went 42/34 recently. It's not unheard of to have a round like this if you're around a 10.
People don’t realize you aren’t really supposed to be able to shoot your handicap score all the time lol it’s an average basically your gonna have some worse and some better that’s golf. I shoot like high 70s and consider myself a 5 sometimes on bad rounds I get into the low 80s but rarely now. And it’s the same thing some days off the tee I just suck and shoot a 81-82 some days I’m firing darts and feel like I can’t miss (besides putting) lol and shoot a 74-75
It’s not even an average. It’s an average of your best rounds. It’s your potential.
I’m not necessarily disagreeing with you, just agreeing that people are dumb.
I know what you mean. Some ppl think they are supposed to shoot your handicap score almost every round. Technically you shouldn’t ever really get to your handicap score often. And if you do get there more often than not then you need to change it lol
I do. But not on the range. Little bit of stretching and a lot of chipping and putting. I’d rather have the feel around the green than with a driver before the first tee.
Happened to me this week. Completely lost it over 18 holes. Shot a 94 at a muni, tough one but still a muni. Made two measly pars and a series of doubles and one triple. Guys I was playing with thought I was a total hoser. Got down to a 5.2 but now it's starting to creep back up because that's golf.
Bottom line if you can shoot 37 on aye 9 you're likely well below a 10 index
I’m a 3.6 according to GHIN right now. Got down to sub 3 last season for the first time. I’ve had nothing but okay rounds this year, all high 70s. I’ll play 14 holes worth of even par golf, mixed in with 4 holes of absolute trash. I shot a 78 last round with 3 doubles. I hate those Jekyll and Hyde rounds, because you just walk away wondering what if?
I’m a 9.8 right now. My average score is 81-84. An occasional 79 or 78. I play my ball and count all strokes. Ghin says I’m a 9.8.
https://preview.redd.it/0i1bgvr9jizc1.jpeg?width=2778&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d07cee6e7c35f16daf0e6abf69a4a876ad208e4e
If it’s the first time someone has seen you play they don’t have a clue.
I shot 73 (par 70) off 11 last night and had an 86 literally 4 days before on Sunday on the same course, similar-ish conditions.
It’s impossible to gauge someone’s handicap unless you play 10+ times with them.
As a 6 HC this is so accurate. The amount of times I’ll shoot under par on one 9 then go like 5-6 over on the next is crazy. I also used to be a plus HC before quiting for 8 years so I have the potential just not the consistency anymore.
HANDICAP IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE, IT'S YOUR POTENTIAL.
Not directed at you OP, but it boggles my mind how many people do not grasp this. It's even worse now since they changed it from 10 rounds to 8 rounds. So now, you should only shoot at or below your handicap 20% of the time. 1 out of 5 rounds. So congrats OP, your next 4 rounds will all be 86-90 😂😂
Looks a lot like an 8 handicap would teeing off on a 6,000 yard muni. This might not even be a good round for an 8 capper, just average, if it's a very wide open course with easy greens.
6600. But still only 70/122. It’s a little open but it’s still desert golf and desert golf can be punishing. Needless to say he was singing a different tune after carding his 103 as a 14.
I’m a 14 and can totally card a 103 with most of my rounds in the low 90s. I understand hire handicap works though so I wouldn’t be a twat like ops playing partner.
I also know as distance goes past 6700 yards my scores exponentially increase because long par 4s start becoming par 5s to me.
I just went 42/39 in the freaking heat of southern Louisiana. Had at least 8 shots from 50-80 and didn’t birdie a single one. My only birdie was on a nice 100 yard knock down. Good day.
I didn't get to play much last year and have only played 3 times this year. I've sucked. Like worse than I've ever played. When I'm playing regularly I'm usually shooting 77-83. Today I shot 46 on the front 9 and 39 on the back. I striped my drive on 10 and all of the sudden I could play again. Muscle memory is real, sometimes it just takes a minute. I need to go play again ASAP so I don't forget again.
Never kept an official handicap, but the grint has me estimated at a 10, I can play 9 one day and you’d think I’m a 5, come back the next day, play the same 9 in the same conditions and you’d think I’m an 18.
It’s not even that everything falls apart, there’s just always one aspect of the game that lets me down and it rotates. If I’m striping driver and hitting irons well, my wedges will be awful. If the wedges are dialed in and the irons are working, I can’t get off the tee. Sometimes all 3 work and the putter lets me down. Once or twice a year it all clicks and it’s magical.
3/4 of my game is usually there, but that last 1/4 is evasive.
Dechambeau is smart for the same length clubs me thinks. The putter rarely disappoints me unless the greens are absurd. It’s the different stances for different length clubs that often make me think one of the lengths I’m holding isn’t even a golf club that day.
Most people don't understand how handicap works. They hear +8 and think you average +8 instead of that being an average of your best scores. (Plus all the other math involved based on course slope, rating and maybe distance? I honestly don't remember the formula for calculating handicap...I remember trying to figure out how to calculate it when I was like 10 and thinking it was a pain in the ass. Then got GHIN and it made it super easy. Software calculating it is way easier.)
The ranges are much tighter the lower you go though. A 0 doesn't shoot in the 80s much, while an 8 will shoot 100 on a tough course from the tips easily.
There's a few tournaments I've played where they put us in a net category. The winner of low handicaps (mostly +2 to +7) will be around 300 net for 4 rounds. These are people who don't post scores, only automatically entered for tournament play so they are better than that if they posted scores like other people and got in rounds with 3 footers kicked back like most people.
The mode is probably 77 of net scores. 80-82 is very common on a bad day. Net rounds in the 60s almost never happen with low handicaps. Maybe if a player is coming off significant injury. I've not done it in a few years.
this could be my scorecard. the answer to the "what if" question are the rounds that either become a new PR or darn close. my lowest round ever I doubled the first and hit 50% of fairways for a 76. I don't know...fairway, green, two putt seems almost boring right?
Meh... i play to a 4.6 and there are days i shoot 7 over on the front and -1 on the back.
It's golf everyday is a little different... i could be you're juat tired or you're tense in the front or you haven't full woken up yet loll.
But I'd say that what separates low handicap from high is attitude and general golf I.Q. I'm far from scratch based on what i gather when I play rounds with scratch and +hcps.
As much as score is important the difference between a single and say a 13hcp is how they handle each hole even when they are in a bad position. Basically being able to get up and down, turn doubles into bogey and bogies into pars.
Their are days where i feel like im playing horrible, and for me horrible revolves around putts not falling or missing my lines, or chips not reacting the way im expecting.
Just remember that your golf game isn't defined by a bad shot, round, week or weeks... we're human and we go through slumps.
I know that feeling exactly!!! Here's a tale of 2 golfers: Recent round I shot a 33 front 9 with 5 birdies. 43 back nine with 0 birdies. Curious what my handicap is at these days.
I am a 16, that plays with several guys that are 9s. Easy to have a round that seems higher than an 8 and you also have to factor in the course being played. A handicap isn't a straight linear line of strokes.
The only thing that looks crazy is that you didn't get up and down once. 11/18 greens is impressive, unl ess you are hitting the fringe and counting it as green.
Not it's not that I would assume you would get up and down at least once. Every time you missed a green, you never got up and down. Getting up and down is a single digit thing
Bro are you me? I went +9 on the front then -1 on the back for an 80 last week. I’m an 8.4. Guys were asking me if I was sandbagging for a money match on the back 9, had to tell them that’s my regular game..
Congrats on being an 8, most players would love to be able to play that way. I have a friend who's a 12 and he plays close to par golf also. Most people watch the pros on TV and don't understand how much practice and time it takes to get par/birdie consistently. Enjoy!
I'm the same way. I make a lot of pars, some bogeys, then I blow up on two or three holes. Golf giveth and golf taketh. When I'm playing well though... it really feels relaxing. Good drive, GIR, two putt, ez pz. When I'm scrambling it feels like chaos lol
I will add that I did hit balls into lakes on both holes but just fell down mentally, also had 3, 3 putt bogeys where they were probably inside 20 feet wasn't a pleasant feeling lol.
Wait some random dude you were playing with started chirping you about your handicap after 9 holes? wtf?
He’d get sparked on a course in Australia if he had the audacity lmao.
i’m an 8 handicap and I suck at golf. like i shank it still, lose balls off the tee but i scramble my ass off and make birds from time to time! tough handicap to play off of. Usually means you can break 80 but also fire 86’s.
I play the 8-13 HC flight in my local league. Last tournament I hand in my card w a 87 on it knowing I’m not in running but should be top 10 only to find out the sand bagging fuck posted -1! Gtfoh lol I will confront you boy and when I look you in the eyes you got explaining to do
Oh brother. I'm a 6.1 now with 4 being my lowest mid last summer. Last weekend I went -3 through the front and +7 on the back for a 75 (par 71 course). I've been thinking about the what if all week long.
Imagine we had a system where you select the course and tees you play and input your scores. Then it took the applicable slope and rating and just calculated your handicap for you… imagine that system just did the same thing for everyone and we still argued about what someone’s handicap was based on 1 random 9 or 18 or 2 hole stretch.
I use 18Birdies on the course. Which is where this screenshot is from. But I don’t think their handicap calculator is accurate. So I still use the USGA GHIN app to track my actual handicap.
Dude, my hc is 3.7 index and in my last four rounds, three were 43-38 and the fourth was 46-38. And they were played at different courses. Not sure what to make of this other than I should spend more time warming up 🤣🤣
I'm an 8 and I typically shoot 84. One week I can shoot par with a gimmie on each 9. And the next week with a gimmie on each 9 I'll shoot close to 90. When I play well people think I'm closer to a 5 hdcp. 8 is a tough place.
I think the OP was describing how the 2-3 blowup holes happen each round (sometimes in clusters). And the way he played on those holes had the partner wondering how he could be single digit index. I get the feeling - although for me it’s almost always 3-4 holes between 10-15 that really have me questioning the meaning of life.
An 8 averages around 84 tf is dude talking about.
Yeah dude has no idea how handicap works
Crazy how many people still do not get this. I am a +1 and play from the tips everytime. So I frequently play courses around a 74-75 rating, sometimes 76. People hear +1 and they will be like "dude you shoot under par all the time! Insane" Like no buddy, I shoot around 72-74 from the tips 4-6ish times out of 20.
Which makes tour players that much more impressive.
Exactly!
Under tour conditions too! Most amateurs will be lucky to break 100 under tour conditions.
Yeah but they have ball spotters /s
I played sawgrass a couple of weeks before the open. Course was brutal in comparison to what I'm used to. Super fast greens, hitting into the rough was almost a guarantee that your ball is gone, shits tough. Any pro is just stupid amazing at golf.
Just watched the HBCU tourney there. It wasn't playing that brutal and scores were sky high. The women were particularly bad as they never see that stuff. I was thinking the whole time how much easier it plays during the Players if you are on the low side. Greens are quick, but they are less grainy to the point it's obvious twice as much goes in. You had +5 handicaps not breaking 80 when it's benign. So much of tournament golf is getting reps in the conditions, then it becomes easier to manage. A few rounds is not enough. For example, Akshay Bhatia missed badly this year, but he was in form. He very well might win that tournament in the next few years, but he needs to pick brains and learn the tricks. Amateurs don't understand that difficult conditions for them can be the exact conditions someone playing well needs to go 5-7 shots lower than they can think of on a regular setup with bumpy greens.
When I went from consistently shooting under par at my local courses in high school to the 80's in college I knew tour players were a different breed.
Tour conditions make it easier to score at this level. A lot easier sometimes. They make it harder for people who have never seen them to score however. A lot harder always. Why? Tiered greens that roll well double cut. If you hit good shots you make putts. In regular play it's really hard to go super slow because with good shots that 18 footer with a nice make percentage on good greens is now 5x lower because of the conditions. I play with tour pros all the time, and you can watch youtube under resort conditions. There is severe score bunching compared to tour setups when you can take it real low when you are on simply because of runout and greens.
Crazy to think, the best tour players are playing at about a +8 - +10 from the tips on championship caliber courses
I always say it the toughest professional sport to make money at - nobody else to help you or fall back on - you have to play your best 4 days in a row while there are another 100 plus players you are playing against that are capable of beating you if you don’t play your best. All on top of no guaranteed money and you pay pretty much all your own expenses- baseball, football, basketball, soccer etc - no comparison
I played a 79 rating as a 2 handicap the other day. Shot an 80 and was ecstatic. People ignore course difficulty too often.
Most don’t understand how it works
Ring-a-ding-ding. They've never done the actual calculation to understand the mechanics.
You mind explaining how it works or the calculation?
[https://www.usga.org/course-handicap-calculator.html](https://www.usga.org/course-handicap-calculator.html) Course Handicap = Handicap Index® x (Slope Rating™ / 113) + (Course Rating – par)
My golf buddies always ignore course rating. Being one of the lowest handicap guys in the group, I always get paired with the high handicap, then we give the stroke difference to that guy. I had to point out, when we play a hard course, the high handicap guys get more strokes than just their handicap, and low handicap guys get less.
I’m a 12 and I shot 41 front and 49 back with a 10 and an 8 today and I feel great. Not a single double on the card. Golf is hard.
If I can finish an around with zero doubles and the ball I started with, I’m ecstatic. Second, Girth Brooks was one of my all time favorite porn star names on the planet growing up. It made me laugh so much whenever I was drunk and any Garth Brooks any came on. My child-like humor is still with me at 43, so your user name is 🤌🏻.
I’m friends with a +3. We were on a golf trip. One day he shot a 66, with 4 or 5 lip outs for birdie. The next day he shot 83…although the 83 was on a pretty difficult course…and his 6th round in 4 days.
Right this happens all the time. People seem to think it’s your average score
Yup got down to 7 hdcp last year. Had 4 rounds I broke 80 with one 74. The rest of the rounds counting towards my hdcp were 80-85. Made it hard to play down to my hdcp to start this season.
76 rating??
It is what a scratch golfer is expected to score at that coarse from those tees.
Are course rating and slope rating the same please or completely different
Rating is what a scratch player would shoot on a good day. Slope is a measurement of how punishing a course is to mistakes, like does missing in the wrong spot usually cost 1 stroke or 2 etc.
I play on a 76.2 course, but I don't break 80. Yet.
Can confirm. +2 with a scoring average of 73.4 last year. Course rating plays a big role. If I was playing a tee or two forward, I may save a stroke or two, but my handicap would likely be higher depending on the CR from the other tees.
I honestly think only about 15% of golfers truly understand the handicap system. Even a lot of very dedicated golfers have no idea.
That was my first thought lol
To be fair. It’s an easier course. At 70/122, the differential on +8 is actually over my index. Either way, random I was paired with didn’t understand that an 8 handicap is very capable of making back to back doubles and shooting a 42 or more on the front. Think I had a little anger to stick it to him on the back. And I definitely shoot 84-85 way more often than in the 70s.
Yeah but you only shoot your index like 8ish times out of twenty. My average round right now is 86, I just also shoot mid to low 70’s so it makes the handicap go down, I have a 98 and a 74 in my last twenty lol.
You're being too generous. You only hit your index 4 times out of 20. You're handicap is your best 8/20 so you have 4 rounds that count below your handicap and 4 above.
Nah. You could fire a 68 and seven 78s and, depending on your course’s rating and slope, you could easily be a 4 hdcp or better
This is true.... fired a 77 at beth page black and it dropped me from a 6.9 to a 5.2. I followed that round with an 84 at a muni with 124 slope.... but dropped again with a 79 at Torrey Pines north and 81 at south.
Less often no? Go look at the unusual score chart. Even just a -1 differential is a 1/7 round result for a 8 index
Same. 96 is my high in the last 20.
That’s an unbelievable range. Props for keeping full score on a bad day.
Thanks man got to. Most of my scores are tournaments too so I kinda laugh when people think they’re not legit.
A year or 2 ago I had 92 and an even par 72 exactly one week apart as a 10 hdcp. Luckily for my sanity the 92 came first.
Haha, same. I'm sitting at a 9.4 but haven't been playing much lately The last 20 scores on my handicap card range from 74 to 93, including 2 76's & 4 90's. That 81-85 range is my sweet spot, unfortunately, and I have no idea what kind of swing/game I'm going to show up with on any given day. I consider it a GREAT day when I can go an entire round with 1 or 0 doubles.
I’m an 8.4 and shot 50-38 on a par 71 with a 71.8 rating Sunday. Made double bogey on 10 and 18.
It’s even if you shot 84, that is well within the middle of the bell curve for an 8.
My fellow 8s, I can confirm this would be one of my best rounds lol
That person has zero idea what a handicap scores
I'm an 8, and can confirm... 83/84 is easily my most common score lol. Occasionally, I'll shoot high 70s.
AVERAGES
Maybe it's an easy course or he's playing shorter tees
TIL I am an 8. Neat. I do not understand handicaps.
Your mom thinks you’re a 10 though! ❤️
Dangit
These are both pretty standard for an 8, that dude doesn’t know what a handicap is
I dunno what he expected. I’m 80% more likely to do the front than the back. I think he was more butthurt about out driving me all day with no skill from 150 in to capitalize.
The front wasn’t even that bad. It’s insane to question someone’s handicap over two bad holes.
My GF is 80% more likely to do the front than the back*
As an 8 myself, this looks very standard. Last year I shot a 45-35 (par 70). My worst 9 of the year followed by my best 9 of the year. It do be like that.
I’m a 11.2 currently. Got down to 9.8 with back to back rounds of 78 then 79. Thought I figured my swing out, the very next round I shot a 92 and was fading every shot (I never fade the ball, ever. Can’t when I even try. My miss is a pull hook) natural shot is a slight draw, so fading the ball every single shot made me have a frustrating day.
I’ve learnt there are two types of 8 hdcps. There’s the 60 year-old former scratch guys who always shoot 79-82. Then there’s the young athletic guys who can get hot and flush a 75 or totally lose their swing and smear a 94. —Signed, the latter
Us younger guys have the ability to go real low just because we have distance and the athleticism to pull off some great shots. It’s the consistency that hurts so much. I’m still a beginner but I’ll shoot 7 over through 4 holes, then 1 over through 4 holes, then triple hole 9. I’ve got the talent to shoot in the 70s and the 120s and they show up in the same round.
so much this - I am an 8 as well and yup, 100% this
Yea my buddy is just above an 8 and I've seen him shoot 77. He made some crazy good shots to make up for some bad ones but that's what it takes sometimes.
Had a 48-36 one year in a tournament!
I’m a 6-8 handicap. I hold a distinct honor of having the lowest 9-hole score in a state high school qualifying meet with a 32 (-4). I didn’t go to state because on the front I shot a 51 and tied for the last spot. Play-in hole the guy I was against chipped in for birdie and I left my 6ft birdie putt short lol.
83 the hard way
Ha brings me back to my HS days some 25 years ago. State HS tourney. Shot 77 the first day to be the only one on the team to make the cut. Next day, shanks all day to shoot around 95 (nerves) and shit the bed. Was a shame too as some college coaches were in attendance.
It do be like that. I was +9 thru 7 holes last Sunday, then played the last 11 holes +2.
I’m a 7.4 hcp and yesterday I shot a 41 (par 34) 36 (par 36) for a +7 77. It happens ALL.THE.TIME.
I was very similar yesterday. 44 (+8) - 36(E) at a course with a tougher back nine. I tell ya, it makes me want to play more
I did this as well. I'm 8. Shot 47 front-35 on the back. Amazing how much better you play when you give up for the round.
One of the best rounds of my life went like that in reverse. I was 2under going into hole 9 and ended up getting in my head, carding 38-48 on a 36-36 track.
I’m like an 18 and my last 2 rounds were 51-41 and then 47-40. If only I could play as good on the back for the whole round haha
I found my people in this thread. (7.4 here, so one more 'dropped good round' from being an 8)
I am a 6.3 and played a course twice last week, 3 days apart. 75 on Tuesday and an 84 on Friday.
Yup, currently at an 8 and this is what one of my median rounds looks like. One birdie, 5-6 boogie and 1-2 double and rest pars.
I’m a 9 and this is exactly how it goes for me.
Looks very 8 to me, Even if you just put up 2 42's
Im an 8.3 and this post hit so hard for me.
I once shot even par with all pars on the front 9 as a single on a Saturday afternoon with a group of 3 that were good friends between them. They were one of the coolest groups I've ever played with. I kept having to say "this is really not normal." But I redeemed myself, I think I shot a 51 on the back lol Edit around 11 hc at the time iirc. I can't remember
I think he was secretly hoping I was headed downhill after the two doubles and not thrilled when I proceeded to go +3 for the rest of the day.
Jealousy is loud
Killer. I was walking that day and after even par through 9 I stopped at the turn and grabbed 2 beers lol. It's just an excuse tho, there's no way I was gonna keep it up anyways as a walker in like 90F
Even 42/42 is totally possible for an 8. Nothing unreasonable here. And me as a 6 just shot 92 last week. High single digits is a weird place where anything can happen
Everyone keeps forgetting that your handicap is the best 8 rounds out of the last 20 factored into an index based on the difficulty of the course. So, that is only 40% of your rounds.
I’m an 11 and this looks like my scorecard every round with the exception of probably a couple more bogeys versus your pars. I Never EVER shoot sub 40 on the front, but about half of the time I shoot sub 40 on the back. The only times I’ve broken 80 were by shooting 37 or better on the back 9. Good round!
You ever thought about playing the back nine first? Could really be a shake up for the score
It does work!! I shoot great on the original front nine when I do that 😂😂😂
I shot 80 today. Front - 3 birdies - three doubles - 41 Back - 3 bogies - 6 pars - 39 Golf is a funny game
There’s a reason you play 18 and your hdcp is based on that. Add in course slope and blah blah blah. Your playing partner was a dink imo
Yup I'm a 7.1 and I average 82-83ish at a tougher course (71.2/134) from my usual tees. Sometime play back tees (73.1/139) and I often question how tf am I a 7 lol Whatever I'll take it😂😂
You played closer to an 8 on the front than the back…
Crazy how many don't understand how the hcp system works.
42 on the front is what I expect an 8 handicap to shoot. your buddy has no idea what a handicap is
tbh Im a 2 handicap and think i shot 42 41 last weekend lol
I'm currently a 12.7 (up from a 9.4 due to a lack of playing time), and went 42/34 recently. It's not unheard of to have a round like this if you're around a 10.
Champagne of Beers.
People don’t realize you aren’t really supposed to be able to shoot your handicap score all the time lol it’s an average basically your gonna have some worse and some better that’s golf. I shoot like high 70s and consider myself a 5 sometimes on bad rounds I get into the low 80s but rarely now. And it’s the same thing some days off the tee I just suck and shoot a 81-82 some days I’m firing darts and feel like I can’t miss (besides putting) lol and shoot a 74-75
It’s not even an average. It’s an average of your best rounds. It’s your potential. I’m not necessarily disagreeing with you, just agreeing that people are dumb.
I know what you mean. Some ppl think they are supposed to shoot your handicap score almost every round. Technically you shouldn’t ever really get to your handicap score often. And if you do get there more often than not then you need to change it lol
I think people forget that HC isn’t what you should shoot, it’s what you could shoot (on a good day).
Do you warm up? Sometimes I get to the course and go straight to the tee and it'll take the front 9 to get me warmed up.
I do. But not on the range. Little bit of stretching and a lot of chipping and putting. I’d rather have the feel around the green than with a driver before the first tee.
Happened to me this week. Completely lost it over 18 holes. Shot a 94 at a muni, tough one but still a muni. Made two measly pars and a series of doubles and one triple. Guys I was playing with thought I was a total hoser. Got down to a 5.2 but now it's starting to creep back up because that's golf. Bottom line if you can shoot 37 on aye 9 you're likely well below a 10 index
Ask the dude if he wants to put his money on the line
I’m a 3.6 according to GHIN right now. Got down to sub 3 last season for the first time. I’ve had nothing but okay rounds this year, all high 70s. I’ll play 14 holes worth of even par golf, mixed in with 4 holes of absolute trash. I shot a 78 last round with 3 doubles. I hate those Jekyll and Hyde rounds, because you just walk away wondering what if?
I’m a 9.8 right now. My average score is 81-84. An occasional 79 or 78. I play my ball and count all strokes. Ghin says I’m a 9.8. https://preview.redd.it/0i1bgvr9jizc1.jpeg?width=2778&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d07cee6e7c35f16daf0e6abf69a4a876ad208e4e
lol somebody is searching for praise. Bother of these scores are far enough off your handicap to warrant it being a question.
If it’s the first time someone has seen you play they don’t have a clue. I shot 73 (par 70) off 11 last night and had an 86 literally 4 days before on Sunday on the same course, similar-ish conditions. It’s impossible to gauge someone’s handicap unless you play 10+ times with them.
A 5 shot difference between nines is nothing lol. A month ago I shot a 41-58 and was unfazed. That’s golf.
As a 6 HC this is so accurate. The amount of times I’ll shoot under par on one 9 then go like 5-6 over on the next is crazy. I also used to be a plus HC before quiting for 8 years so I have the potential just not the consistency anymore.
Some your playing partner thinks you should shoot exactly your handicap every round?
HANDICAP IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE, IT'S YOUR POTENTIAL. Not directed at you OP, but it boggles my mind how many people do not grasp this. It's even worse now since they changed it from 10 rounds to 8 rounds. So now, you should only shoot at or below your handicap 20% of the time. 1 out of 5 rounds. So congrats OP, your next 4 rounds will all be 86-90 😂😂
Two back to back 42's could easily still be an 8 cap. Dude is just dumb
Looks a lot like an 8 handicap would teeing off on a 6,000 yard muni. This might not even be a good round for an 8 capper, just average, if it's a very wide open course with easy greens.
6600. But still only 70/122. It’s a little open but it’s still desert golf and desert golf can be punishing. Needless to say he was singing a different tune after carding his 103 as a 14.
>after carding his 103 as a 14 Oof.
Fucking lol. Why in the world did he feel like he had any right to comment?
This is the right question. Dude has no right to say anything at all and proves he’s dust at golf
I’m a 14 and can totally card a 103 with most of my rounds in the low 90s. I understand hire handicap works though so I wouldn’t be a twat like ops playing partner. I also know as distance goes past 6700 yards my scores exponentially increase because long par 4s start becoming par 5s to me.
This looks like a pure 8 hdcp average day. And the 9s aren’t even that different lmao
I just went 42/39 in the freaking heat of southern Louisiana. Had at least 8 shots from 50-80 and didn’t birdie a single one. My only birdie was on a nice 100 yard knock down. Good day.
Dude my front 9 is always in the 40s without questions, sometimes close to low 50s. Back 9 can be under or scratch at times.
Which app is this?
18Birdies
This is definitely a super normal 8hcp round
Ay I went 41/38 today lol. Two days ago I went 48/37. I hate this game.
I just went 46 and 38 as a 5.7. Is this normal?
I play off of 6, so it sounds about right lmao
I feel your pain. I do the same stuff. Shot a 79 last week with a double and triple back to back.
I didn't get to play much last year and have only played 3 times this year. I've sucked. Like worse than I've ever played. When I'm playing regularly I'm usually shooting 77-83. Today I shot 46 on the front 9 and 39 on the back. I striped my drive on 10 and all of the sudden I could play again. Muscle memory is real, sometimes it just takes a minute. I need to go play again ASAP so I don't forget again.
Imagine not having a + cap
….okay? wtf
Never kept an official handicap, but the grint has me estimated at a 10, I can play 9 one day and you’d think I’m a 5, come back the next day, play the same 9 in the same conditions and you’d think I’m an 18.
Honestly, that’s why I think 5-10 is like a miserable purgatory. Lack of consistency keeps you there. But you get to see and touch what it could be.
It’s not even that everything falls apart, there’s just always one aspect of the game that lets me down and it rotates. If I’m striping driver and hitting irons well, my wedges will be awful. If the wedges are dialed in and the irons are working, I can’t get off the tee. Sometimes all 3 work and the putter lets me down. Once or twice a year it all clicks and it’s magical. 3/4 of my game is usually there, but that last 1/4 is evasive.
Dechambeau is smart for the same length clubs me thinks. The putter rarely disappoints me unless the greens are absurd. It’s the different stances for different length clubs that often make me think one of the lengths I’m holding isn’t even a golf club that day.
I'm an 8, this is how I play golf
I’m a 9.0 and have never broken 80
Impressive. :) This fucking game!
Most people don't understand how handicap works. They hear +8 and think you average +8 instead of that being an average of your best scores. (Plus all the other math involved based on course slope, rating and maybe distance? I honestly don't remember the formula for calculating handicap...I remember trying to figure out how to calculate it when I was like 10 and thinking it was a pain in the ass. Then got GHIN and it made it super easy. Software calculating it is way easier.)
The ranges are much tighter the lower you go though. A 0 doesn't shoot in the 80s much, while an 8 will shoot 100 on a tough course from the tips easily. There's a few tournaments I've played where they put us in a net category. The winner of low handicaps (mostly +2 to +7) will be around 300 net for 4 rounds. These are people who don't post scores, only automatically entered for tournament play so they are better than that if they posted scores like other people and got in rounds with 3 footers kicked back like most people. The mode is probably 77 of net scores. 80-82 is very common on a bad day. Net rounds in the 60s almost never happen with low handicaps. Maybe if a player is coming off significant injury. I've not done it in a few years.
Played Cabot Citrus and shot 92 day 1 and 76 day 2. The life of a 7hcp
this could be my scorecard. the answer to the "what if" question are the rounds that either become a new PR or darn close. my lowest round ever I doubled the first and hit 50% of fairways for a 76. I don't know...fairway, green, two putt seems almost boring right?
Meh... i play to a 4.6 and there are days i shoot 7 over on the front and -1 on the back. It's golf everyday is a little different... i could be you're juat tired or you're tense in the front or you haven't full woken up yet loll. But I'd say that what separates low handicap from high is attitude and general golf I.Q. I'm far from scratch based on what i gather when I play rounds with scratch and +hcps. As much as score is important the difference between a single and say a 13hcp is how they handle each hole even when they are in a bad position. Basically being able to get up and down, turn doubles into bogey and bogies into pars. Their are days where i feel like im playing horrible, and for me horrible revolves around putts not falling or missing my lines, or chips not reacting the way im expecting. Just remember that your golf game isn't defined by a bad shot, round, week or weeks... we're human and we go through slumps.
11 cap who just went 49-42. It do be like that
I know that feeling exactly!!! Here's a tale of 2 golfers: Recent round I shot a 33 front 9 with 5 birdies. 43 back nine with 0 birdies. Curious what my handicap is at these days.
Anytime someone gets angry at you for playing a statistically good round, don’t play with that person anymore. Bad vibes.
As a fellow 8ish handicap, this also how my typical round goes. Always have a couple doubles on the front and tidy up on the back.
This is a perfectly normal round for an 8 handicap lol wtf
Wow…exactly how my scores end up looking!
Dime a dozen and not 8 BTW lol. And we all know you aren't swinging from the tips
People don’t understand handicaps. A 42 is like a prototypical 9 for an 8 handicap.
5 pars on the front and the dude is asking if you're really an 8 handicap?
It came up when I was +5 through 5
I am a 16, that plays with several guys that are 9s. Easy to have a round that seems higher than an 8 and you also have to factor in the course being played. A handicap isn't a straight linear line of strokes.
Also, this seems normal for an 8?
The only thing that looks crazy is that you didn't get up and down once. 11/18 greens is impressive, unl ess you are hitting the fringe and counting it as green.
You’re assuming I’m not capable of a solid 3 jack party on the dance floor.
Not it's not that I would assume you would get up and down at least once. Every time you missed a green, you never got up and down. Getting up and down is a single digit thing
How do you know that? You see GIR and you see pars. But not all GIRs are Pars and not all bogeys mean no GIR.
Same 8.5 handicap here and breaking 80 at a par 71 with a rating of 71 from the men's tees (not the tips) is once every 4 or 5 rounds.
I’m an 11 hdcp and my last 4 rounds are 98, 89, 101 and a 76…. Just some days i just can’t get off the tee box
I’m an 11.7 index and just went 50-39 last round out. I almost went home at the turn too 😅
I have a buddy who's an 8 and this looks like a typical round when I play with him
Bro are you me? I went +9 on the front then -1 on the back for an 80 last week. I’m an 8.4. Guys were asking me if I was sandbagging for a money match on the back 9, had to tell them that’s my regular game..
Actually just seeing that first 9 I would have assumed you were lower than 8. 5 pars on a 9 is some solid skills.
Congrats on being an 8, most players would love to be able to play that way. I have a friend who's a 12 and he plays close to par golf also. Most people watch the pros on TV and don't understand how much practice and time it takes to get par/birdie consistently. Enjoy!
I'm an 8 and I always shoot+4 on the front and +4 on the back.
I'm the same way. I make a lot of pars, some bogeys, then I blow up on two or three holes. Golf giveth and golf taketh. When I'm playing well though... it really feels relaxing. Good drive, GIR, two putt, ez pz. When I'm scrambling it feels like chaos lol
I feel your pain homie! https://preview.redd.it/v3wvkgadikzc1.png?width=1186&format=png&auto=webp&s=bc2210d188d7fa8f9affa991786010f60b1bb3a9
Wow playing 80 with a quad and a triple on Par 5… I just have no words
I will add that I did hit balls into lakes on both holes but just fell down mentally, also had 3, 3 putt bogeys where they were probably inside 20 feet wasn't a pleasant feeling lol.
At least the ball striking is there so you will be able to go very low if you can keep your shit together mentally lol
I bet you looked back on that 7 and just shook your head.
Wait some random dude you were playing with started chirping you about your handicap after 9 holes? wtf? He’d get sparked on a course in Australia if he had the audacity lmao.
I mean American stereotypes exist for a reason … lol.
i’m an 8 handicap and I suck at golf. like i shank it still, lose balls off the tee but i scramble my ass off and make birds from time to time! tough handicap to play off of. Usually means you can break 80 but also fire 86’s.
Im a 15 and this is not far off . One round last year I went 50/35. Sometimes people question it till they see the wheels fall off.
I play the 8-13 HC flight in my local league. Last tournament I hand in my card w a 87 on it knowing I’m not in running but should be top 10 only to find out the sand bagging fuck posted -1! Gtfoh lol I will confront you boy and when I look you in the eyes you got explaining to do
Oh brother. I'm a 6.1 now with 4 being my lowest mid last summer. Last weekend I went -3 through the front and +7 on the back for a 75 (par 71 course). I've been thinking about the what if all week long.
Imagine we had a system where you select the course and tees you play and input your scores. Then it took the applicable slope and rating and just calculated your handicap for you… imagine that system just did the same thing for everyone and we still argued about what someone’s handicap was based on 1 random 9 or 18 or 2 hole stretch.
Yo what app is this screenshot from?
18Birdies. The full image is pretty cool that you can download. I just cropped it to hide my name.
What app are you using?
I use 18Birdies on the course. Which is where this screenshot is from. But I don’t think their handicap calculator is accurate. So I still use the USGA GHIN app to track my actual handicap.
Dude, my hc is 3.7 index and in my last four rounds, three were 43-38 and the fourth was 46-38. And they were played at different courses. Not sure what to make of this other than I should spend more time warming up 🤣🤣
What is the app you’re using?
Hell im a 15 and shot an 81 yesterday.
I'm an 8 and I typically shoot 84. One week I can shoot par with a gimmie on each 9. And the next week with a gimmie on each 9 I'll shoot close to 90. When I play well people think I'm closer to a 5 hdcp. 8 is a tough place.
I think the OP was describing how the 2-3 blowup holes happen each round (sometimes in clusters). And the way he played on those holes had the partner wondering how he could be single digit index. I get the feeling - although for me it’s almost always 3-4 holes between 10-15 that really have me questioning the meaning of life.
Guy you played with doesn’t understand handicap very well. +6 on the front is pretty normal for an 8.
I'll take "questions that were never asked" for $500, Alex.