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**bestonlinepharmasy2** · 02-02-2011, 08:33 PM

Are you sure this is the proper way to handle handicaps? My understanding is each player gets their strokes and it is not a net difference of handicaps. It would probably work out the same either way, but I believe the correct way is player A gets 15 strokes and player B gets 3. It's explained in Rule 9 of the USGA Rules of Golf, but I got a little confused when reading thru it.

http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Handi...anual/Rule-09/

Actually it doesn't work out the same way if you don't wheel off the lower handicap. If there are 4 players, playing match play, then the lowest cap would play scratch and the others would get the difference between his course handicap and theirs. A group with a 4, 10, 11, and 13 would play scratch, 6, 7, and 9. This is most important in a match so that the players get the strokes on the holes which best balance out their skills. If you give strokes to the lowest handicap, it actually gives him a theoretical advantage on those 4 hardest handicap holes, even though the net difference is the same. I don't know the math behind, it, but that's how it works out.

In stroke play it isn't as important because you simply deduct the handicap strokes from the total after the round is over. They aren't applied to specific holes unless you are playing something like a skins game. Skins is essentially a match type of game within a stroke play round anyway. In that case I would still adjust handicaps off the lowest one.

02-02-2011, 08:33 PM	#8
bestonlinepharmasy2 Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 514 Senior Member	Are you sure this is the proper way to handle handicaps? My understanding is each player gets their strokes and it is not a net difference of handicaps. It would probably work out the same either way, but I believe the correct way is player A gets 15 strokes and player B gets 3. It's explained in Rule 9 of the USGA Rules of Golf, but I got a little confused when reading thru it. http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Handi...anual/Rule-09/ Actually it doesn't work out the same way if you don't wheel off the lower handicap. If there are 4 players, playing match play, then the lowest cap would play scratch and the others would get the difference between his course handicap and theirs. A group with a 4, 10, 11, and 13 would play scratch, 6, 7, and 9. This is most important in a match so that the players get the strokes on the holes which best balance out their skills. If you give strokes to the lowest handicap, it actually gives him a theoretical advantage on those 4 hardest handicap holes, even though the net difference is the same. I don't know the math behind, it, but that's how it works out. In stroke play it isn't as important because you simply deduct the handicap strokes from the total after the round is over. They aren't applied to specific holes unless you are playing something like a skins game. Skins is essentially a match type of game within a stroke play round anyway. In that case I would still adjust handicaps off the lowest one.
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