How likely is it that a 15 handicapper can shoot rounds that differ by 30 shots within a month? Wondering what people think on here. I personally think it is unlikely-another factor must be involved.  Unless we are talking one round at the muni and the next round at Pebble Beach 

The reason this happens is that playing strange courses for the first time can be an intimidating experience, especially if it is a competition.

It takes time to learn how to approach these games and the realisation that only good course management and quick adjustment to the pace of the greens will provide the result one is looking for.

It also can relate to how the Player got to 15hcp. A guy who has only been playing a few months and his Hcp drops quickly will struggle with consistancy more than a guy who has hovered around 15hcp for a few years.

TheLyth

Nerves would play a massive part in a competition. Play your home course week in week out and know it like the back of your hand. Go to a comp on a strange course and want to do well and it could all go to pot. Try too hard and it makes the situation worse. Experience tells you that you need to relax to play golf well. Tense up and you may as well stay in bed.

 Lyth, I agree. It's relatively easy for a beginner, given he has the basic rudiments to improve at what can look like a phenominal pace but sooner or later that plateau is reached and they then start to struggle like the rest of us