Hi there

I have been using Golfshake to record all of my scores since I started palying in June 2009. It took me a while to understand how my handicap worked and how quickly it reduced (or slowly it increased!).

 Everything had been going fine until yesterday! I had been playing off of 25.4, I played a course yesterday that was par 69 & SSS 69. After shooting a 93, I had a nett score of 68. Therefore, I expected to be cut by 0.4 (1 under SSS). However, I have been cut by 0.8 and I am not quite sure why. 

Can anybody please help me? I am sure it is something simple!

Looking at it, Lee, it appears that Golfshake convert everything to stableford points and as you bettered 36 points by two points then it has taken that as the marker and cut you .08. probably becasue the hole you took seven on was a par 4.

In actual fact your medal score was one under SSS and you should have been cut.04.

If you had taken an 8 on that hole you would have played exactly to your handicap but golfshake will still have cut you.08 cause  they do not count anything over a nett double bogey.

Stableford is a joke competition and should be scrapped in my opinion.

JP - I used to be of the opinion that Stableford was a good idea but since I have been a member of a decent private club and experienced the harsh reality of a medal round, I agree with you 100%.  Stableford does not penalise risky wayward play. I'm not sure if scrapping it all together is a good idea but I know where you are coming from.

David, the point of the game of golf is to try and get round the course in as few strokes as possible. This requires concentration for the whole round.

Stableford, on the other hand is a fun game played for points (Which is fine by me until handicaps are assessed with it) and can be approached in a completely different manner to medal play. After all one can have a bad hole and it cost 2 points.

I am firmly of the opinion that the two cannot be played at the same time as each individual format requires a completely different thinking. As  does matchplay. How on earth can you play matchplay and then at the end of the round say you went round in a certain score when putts have been conceded etc.

Matchplay, now there's a game, I agree its a completely different approach to medal and of the two I would struggle to choose a favourite. Each format requires a completely different mental attitude. Medal is certainly the truest test as far as concentration is concerned.

Indeed it is, David, the only true test, probably why the pros don't play stableford, only medal and matchplay.

My personal favourite is foursomes and would love to see the N v S match with this format together with singles matchplay. Foursomes on the Sunday and singles on the Monday, true ryder cup style.

Four ball better ball is a lottery.

would love to play singles matchplay in the n vs s.i will second you on this jp

Hi John

I dont agree with anything that puts off new players enjoying their game and therefore becoming better, ie, stapleford scores or pay and play courses.

I do however think that the better they become the more they will get what you are trying to say.

Remember that you were a beginner once to !

Your idea of a 2 day North vs South is a truly splendid one. Foursomes then singles matchplay is definately the way forward !!!!!

The only problem with a N v S over 2 days is getting all the players to participate over 2 days. Most can only commit to one days play

Lee,

Upon looking at your round you scored an 8 on the 13th hole which is +4 to par. However, for handicap adjustment it is adjusted to a 7 with your shot for the hole (SI 12)  made it a nett double bogey (a 6 therefore nett +2).

Your adjusted gross score now becomes 92. Take your handicap (25) off this adj gross and you have a nett 67 which gives you a nett differential to SSS 69 of 2.This does mean that you will indeed have a handicap reduction of 0.8 (Cat 4- 2 x 0.4).

Hi Tim,

I too don't agree with anything that puts off a new player from enjoying the game but the game is about how many strokes and not how many points.

I am still a beginner now, learning all the time and what is abundantly clear is that I only wish that I never got old.

John. Is it true the american handicap system discards your best and worst scores of any round. ( to what extent I dont know ) as I heard on a recent golf prog?

Also I like stablford in the sense I pick up if i cant score, saving time. Also dosnt put you in too bad a mind set coming off a hole with 0 points. Rather than muttering to oneself , "Bloody 13 at the eighth" for the next 3 holes. I just love it when you have 4 hackers taking a total of 40 shots on every hole, just in front of you. Unless you are playing medal, PICK UP if you cant score.

Regards CAC handed Geordie.

 I agree entirely that the game is about shots, but that is because i have been playing for 5 years.

I dont strike the ball that differently to a higher handicapper, its just that i am much more consistent. The lower your handicap the fewer bad shots you should hit.

 Higher handicappers often talk about the one nightmare hole per round which spoils their card. Getting your head back together after a double is bad enough for us, imagine what its like getting over an 8 or 9 on your card. One hole being able to spoil a whole round is the sort of thing that puts off new players.

Stroke play is the true way once you get to a certain level, but getting to that level involves the use of Stapleford in my opinion.

What would be the ramifications of raising the maximum handicap?

Amongst my small group (who have to remain nameless!) we allow handicaps up to 36 to allow everyone to play strokeplay and still have a chance.

Works for us. 

I think I had better shut up.

Dave...Does that mean that if I had joined you at your Dartmouth event, I too could have played off 36?

Nope.

But it would have meant that Poor Pete (the straggler of the group) would have been in the running. He's only ever shot under 100 once, and only giving you 18 shots would have given him no chance!!

David, as you're an old woman surely you should play off 36?

Tim..We'll see who the 'Old Woman' is after playing Woodbury on 26th.

That's if you are still up for resting this ghost of yours?

Or that monkey on your shoulder 

Hey behave calling me a "Monkey" Davina

i like the idea of debating the value of stableford, matchplay, strokeplay etc.

my view on all these is that it adds variety to the game, it allows higher handicappers to realise they are improving even if they can't break 100, they find their stableford points gett higher before they lower their scores.  This has to be an advantage so as to keep newbies interested.  

it also educates us on assessing our shot selections for RISK & REWARD.  You only improve by trying new things and learning the hard-way.  In stroke play it is unwise to try something you've not practiced successfully on the practice ground.  In stableford that does not always have the same penalty attached to it if it goes bad.  I find that stableford suits the higher handicapper more than the better lower handicapper.

 i may add more later but dinner is calling so bye

I agree stableford is best suited to the higher handicapper.

There's nothing more disheartning than playing with a high handicapper in stableford & you play to your handicap on 3 or 4 holes while the hh blobs them only for them to go & par a hole where they get 2 shots (4 points) & then par the next hole with a shot (3 points), all of a sudden they are only a point behind / in front.

I think all stableford comps should be split into divisions, I know my club does this for official comps. 

I can't wait for 6th March, our 1st monthly medal. Back tees, 1ft putts that look like 12 footers. Got a tingle down my spine just thinking about it.

John.

i agree entirely with you John.

there are some real bandits out there who never hand in cards on a regular basis and then bang, suddenly a 26 handicapper plays to 12 h'cap.  very annoying, but that will always be possible and your golf club have to reduce these occurences by taking regular cards off members, and as you say 'split comps into 2 divisions' and make it more difficult.  Also apply max h'cap to more comps. like some presently do.

As for myself, on a average day i reckon i can play to 22 H'cap.

On a bad day when my lower back and pelvis is giving me discomfort it depends on how many holes i've played before problems occur, then i either play last few holes or if too many remaining i have to stop.

On an excellent day which i've had a few i have played below 18, but that was when using a Nike driver.  I now only drive with a cheap 5 wood and still play around 22, and i've not had a fit and pain free round for over 1 year now so some high handicappers who play well below their H'cap mark may just be having a exceptional round so at least let them enjoy the moment, as they don't come along that often.