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dregan
13 Posts |
 Posted - 11/07/2009 : 04:13:16
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Are you considered a "scratch golfer" now matter from which set of tees you are playing? If the answer is yes, and you have a 0.0 HDCP from the men's tees, then should you move back to the pro tees? Or would you already be hitting from the pro tees as soon as you get to around a 6 HDCP?
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bobperry22
USA
447 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2009 : 13:20:49
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Someone with more knowledge than me can weigh in, but your handicap index takes into account the slope and rating from the course and tee boxes you play. The rounds you post have a certain slope and rating, based on the numbers assigned to the tee box you played. Your index would take that into play. So when you go to play a particular course or set of tee's - you compare your index number to the USGA chart that pertains to the particular slope and rating of the tees you are going to play (posted somewhere in the clubhouse) to determine what you may actually be from those tees.
Example: If you have a 6.5 index - the slope and rating of a particular set of tees may actually have you as a 7 or 8.
If you have an index of "0.0" - that has already taken into account the various tee boxes you have played. However, if you go to a "tour quality" course and play the back tees, the slope and rating of that set of tees may actually have you as a "3 or 4".
I am sure someone else can give you a better explination. You might go ask your local club pro to explain this further.
Good luck, |
Bob Perry |
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rustyredcab
USA
641 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2009 : 15:32:17
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If I ever get to a 0.0 index, I'll call myself a scratch golfer and my handicap on my 135 slope home course will be zero. I'll even try and get a car tag that says "SCRATCH." Of course, some guy with crabs probably already has that plate. As for your other questions:
"If the answer is yes, and you have a 0.0 HDCP from the men's tees, then should you move back to the pro tees? Or would you already be hitting from the pro tees as soon as you get to around a 6 HDCP?"
Handicaps are whole numbers. Your index is represented to the nearest tenth. So, one would not usually say they had a 0.0 HDCP. Converting index to handicap is takes into account the slope of the course which is based on the tees you play. (Index)(Slope)/113 = handicap. You round to the nearest whole number. Realistically, if your index is 0.0, you will be a zero handicap from any tees you play. Check the math using a 0.1 index and you'll see that you never will play a course hard enough for you to get to a 1 handicap.
For you last question about the tees from which you should be playing, I guess that depends. As a 0.0 index, you should be capable of playing from whatever tees you wish. Which tees you play from may have more to do with enjoying the round and what tees your playing partners are up to playing. Many courses are getting ridiculous with some tees and you will be hard pressed to find a 4-some that can play from their tips. I played Erin Hills a few years ago (look for it as a future US Open course). It is a new course and can be set up to play as long as something like 8300 yards. They do not intend to ever set all the tees back but they can and do on any given hole. So on a 600 yard par 5 that normally plays into the wind, if it is playing downwind, they can set the tees so it plays over 650 yards and requires a 280 carry off the tee just to reach the fairway and carry a hazard. A "good" drive needs to carry 300 yards. If you are a scratch golfer and playing with me, we are not playing those tees. I did play the "pro" tees which were not the "Championship tees. (they were not even set.) The pro tees were way out of my league and cost me 10 strokes from the morning round on the regular men's tees. I played the pro tees because my buddy wanted to and he is a low handicap guy. We played my tees in the morning and his in the afternoon since he wanted to experience the course as it was designed. BTW, the story is that some 100 Wisconsin PGA pros were invited to play from the 8300 yard tips and the winning score was 82 with most of the pros not breaking 100.
My Saturday group has a 7 handicap (5.7 index and Mr Pro Tees) giving strokes to us all the up to our high-guy who is a 22. We play the course at 6580 yards and a 135 slope. There is no carry from those tees that is too long for any of us. There are two sets of tees in front of us and one behind. If the 22 played with all 22's, he'd move up one set of tees. If the 7 played with all 7's, he'd move back. In theory, the index/handicap system should balance things out and make it fair from any tees with any mix of index. Of course, if you move back too far and one of your playing buddies can not clear a hazard off the tee, it could be a long day as e bangs ball after ball into the junk.
Russ |
Build Your Game Camp 2005
2-Day Alumni school 2006 & 2007
5-day Alumni Camp 2008 (The MOEniacs) |
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dregan
13 Posts |
Posted - 11/12/2009 : 04:56:11
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bob and russ - thanks for your replies. obviously, i need to get my terms straight, i.e. handicap & index, etc. When I think more about it, my first goal is to par my local course from the regular men's tees...at least one time! After that, I'll move to the pro tees. I hope to get there within the next 12 months. (You heard it here first...) After that, I'll worry about getting my handicap down to zero and begin booking tee times with my new nickname, "Scratch".
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dfusco
Moderator
USA
379 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2009 : 10:59:26
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One thing I would add is that if you are a 0 handicap from the middle tees, that does not automatically qualify you to hit from the back tees. Like Russ said about certain carry distances may be out of your league. The tees you play should be looked at in terms of how long you are off of them, and what your approach shot would be. If you were scratch from the middle and played the back tees, you may be leaving yourself 180 yard + to reach the green on your second shot instead of 150. Big difference in club selection....
So, my suggestion is to find out how long you hit your driver, look at the score card and see what some of the longer holes play. If you can not reach the green in 2 on a long par 4, you are probably playing the wrong tees, thus turning a "middle tee scratch golfer" into a golfer who may not break 80.
Another way is to find out what the longest par 3 is, and go off of that. If the course has a 250 yard par 3, and you can only drive the ball 220....
Hope this helps.
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One Love, One God, One way. |
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rustyredcab
USA
641 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2009 : 12:21:01
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dfusco is right on. Be sure you consider carry, not ending distance. You may drive the ball 270 all day. But, that 270 yard drive with a lot of roll may not get you over that 240 yard lake.
Russ |
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dregan
13 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2009 : 12:52:45
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dfusco - you wrote a "middle tee scratch golfer" - that leads me to think that a zero handicap does not always = scratch golfer. right? shall we define a "real" scratch golfer as someone with a zero handicap, hits from the pro and/or championship tees, drives average 300 with a carry of 270, uses a 2 iron on 250 yard par 3's.
I've got a lot of work to do! Well, I played 35 holes today - so I'm working hard... |
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Mudcat
Canada
333 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2009 : 14:27:30
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| I have played with a number of "scratch" golfers who may indeed be scratch playing on the one home course they are a member of. However, when they play with me on a tighter course or for that matter a course other than what they have played every day they are far from scratch. |
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Scratch Golfer
