Handicap

[Sputter]

IT use to be if the match in game said " >.2, your handicap went down .2. NOW it goes up .2. the numbers for the match seem right. My handicap went from 5 to 10 while shooting under par.

[dbond1]

Handicaps can be negative (above par) and positive (below par).

Are you sure you aren't just seeing a positive number, which would be working correctly.

So you could go from 2 to +3 by playing well. It might appear your handicap increased, 3 is higher than 2 after all, but you've actually flipped the scale.

And a handicap should only calculate based on the last 20 posted scores, so if you happen to drop a low score and replace it with a higher score it could have a drastic effect on the handicap number.

[fweiser63]

mine is +18, which I never had^^

[Rattner219]

Handicap is supposed to be the number of strokes you would have add to, or subtract from, your running average in order to reach par (72).

If your running average is 68, your handicap would be 72 - 68 = +4

[SpotFord]

If your handicap is positive it means you start that many strokes above par to reach a par score.

[Tom Foolery]

I agree...lol...but wouldn't it make more sense to say if you shoot a 68 average you would have a -4 handicap...and an average of 77 a +5...just sayin'

[Tom Foolery]

"they" always say that golf is a game of opposites

[fweiser63]

Still, I don't have an 18, regardless of whether it's plus or minus. Problem understood?

[Rattner219]

The purpose of a handicap, in case anyone was unsure, is to allow golfers of every skill level to compete against each other on a equal playing field.

Example: After 18 holes ...
Joe (handicap -1) scores 68
Tom (handicap -3) scores 77
Linda (handicap +2) scores 72

Joe doesn't normally shoot 4 under par. His -1 handicap indicates his average score is 1 over par. That he played extraordinarily well this time he's rewarded by taking another stroke away (score + handicap) which is 68-1 for a 67,

Tom's average score is 3 over par (his -3 handicap). He didn't play as well this time, and his handicap adjusted score is 77-3 for a 74.

Linda is normally an ace with a +2 handicap, meaning her average score is a two under par 70. This day she was rather distracted, posting a 72. Her handicap adjusted score would then be 72+2 for a 74.

Handicap works like a grading curve in school. Everyone's score is adjusted toward the mean. If a normally bad player does well, they are rewarded handsomely. If a normally good player does poorly, they are penalized harshly.

[Sputter]

as an update, I JOINED SMERFS AND THEY SAY MY HANDICAP IS MINUS 8.5