What is a Golf Handicap? A Beginner’s Guide

TOPRANKGOLF ^ | 9/22/23 | Joe Morelli

[Rummyfan]

For most golfers their handicap is…. Showing up! My teaching pro recently advised me to take two weeks off and then just quit altogether.

[kiryandil]

https://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/4250167/posts?page=27#27

[kiryandil]

Yeah, I had an SOB pull that cr@p on my team.

[kiryandil]

https://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/4250167/posts?page=31#31

I’ll have to cipher on this post.

[kiryandil]

“Things that I did not know.”

[shotgun]

I broke 80 twice, but to get from 90 to 80 took a lot of time. I was recently divorced and was at the course every afternoon after work for a year. Plus, I added some better wedges and really learned how to properly grip my driver, so it went straight with a slight fade.

It was my middle game that needed more work.

[Rummyfan]

Basically that’s it. But every course has a rating so one’s handicap fluctuates a little depending on the difficulty of the course and which tees you’re hitting from. Me I’m a 29 so it really doesn’t much matter. I can play poorly on any course.

[libertylover]

The closer tees are actually meant for female golfers. Male golfers use the tees set back from the front tees.

I think that's a bit "old-school". Many courses today have multiple sets of tees: women's, youth/senior, men's, and championship. Not wanting to be sexist, some course just call them by the color they use for the markers: red, yellow, white, and blue and you can attach your own label to them.

[Robert DeLong]

I think that's a bit "old-school".

Most likely is as it's been a long time since I played a round of golf. Last time I played they had two sets of tees which I defined. If I remember correctly, red was women & white were men. 🙂👍

[1Old Pro]

Last time I played they had two sets of tees which I defined. If I remember correctly, red was women & white were men.

Now there are 37 sets of tees, for diversity

[Rummyfan]

A single-digit handicap is great. I attended the US Open at Pinehurst last month. The thing that impressed me most is that they all hit the ball so far and so accurately. The pros are simply playing a different game.

[Rummyfan]

My father shot his age several times when he was in his 80s. Unfortunately I did not inherit the golf gene lol.

[Rummyfan]

A mulligan is just a do-over, typically limited to once a round. Many charity tournaments let you buy ‘mulligans’, so when you put a ball in the water you can get a do-over. The pros DO NOT do this. Play it as it lies.

[Rummyfan]

I do not know the origin

[Rummyfan]

Yes they were called Bill-I-gans.

[kiryandil]

But every course has a rating so one’s handicap fluctuates a little depending on the difficulty of the course and which tees you’re hitting from.

aka "the slope" of the course.

[Robert DeLong]

No doubt. 🤣

[subterfuge]

Absolutely right. But it is funny when the pros hit horrible shots. It happens but it’s usually not shown on TV.

[stylin19a]

actually, depending how good a golfer is, a handicap index can be a "plus". Which is that much better than the course rating. Tiger Woods:



Here is an article about it
https://thegolfmine.com/plus-handicap-in-golf/

[Varsity Flight]

Nope:

“That’s good”

“Gold tees”

“Play it up” (rough)