[incizarry]

If someone wants to play tournaments, they'll get a handicap. If they don't, they won't. Are you sure she wants to play in these tournaments?

I am confident that she does, as she came to me about two weeks ago regarding the tournament we just missed out on. The goal is not to play in + try and WIN tournaments, but more to get involved in them and enjoy the competitive side of the game while enjoying other couple's company. Probably not unlike what the THP Outing 2012 competition will be like.

[kHy87gPC]

I'd just let it happen naturally. Some people don't care all that much about a legit hdcp, yet they still enjoy playing. My first year back I never kept track of my scores at all, now I'm into it because I like stat tracking.

[VQdeochratis]

The main reason I keep a GHIN is for tournaments (I only play 1 or 2 a year) but more importantly, if the opportunity to play in a member/guest at a nice club comes up, I'm ready.

[incizarry]

As the thread title suggests, what do you guys and gals recommend when you try to convince someone to keep a handicap? More notably in this scenario I am trying to get the wife to start keeping one so that we can play in mixed couples tournaments at my home course.

That's at least the first part. The second part is that I would like to see her take the game a bit more seriously and cut down on the foot wedges and 'quitting' on holes. She's got a great swing and has the ability to shoot in the low 40s when everything is going well for her.

Today was her first legit score since playing JV golf in high school and it was a 97 with a trainwreck of an 11 on the last hole. She put three balls OB and kept on hitting off the tee, which is definitely a great first step. Again, just looking for tips about keeping her interested in the scoring aspect of the game.

[mpxricyNimb]

I think a person needs to have enough of a personal interest to keep track of their scores and handicap... If they are not into the game enough, maybe they are just not into it enough...

[tretcheenia]

WOW - 97?

I think she would have a legitimate shot at our club championship - really

Just keep her playing. Get her to play with some other ladies. She'll want to play in events and will NEED a handicap.

Or not - her choice.

[mArVHDO6]

Good luck with that, I have been trying to get my wife to do this for 2 years now. Nothing has worked...

[incizarry]

WOW - 97?

I think she would have a legitimate shot at our club championship - really

Just keep her playing. Get her to play with some other ladies. She'll want to play in events and will NEED a handicap.

Or not - her choice.

That's the bigger reason. I can deal with the foot wedges etc, but we missed out on a really fun tournament this past weekend so I have really been pushing her to get legit in her scoring. Honestly after the round today she did act like she felt really accomplished with both herself and the game. I think scoring just adds a whole new angle to the game and considering how fully capable she is, could make the game more interesting for her to play.

(for the record, if she wasn't toying with par/bogey on every hole she played, I wouldn't be pushing for the handicap)

[incizarry]

Good luck with that, I have been trying to get my wife to do this for 2 years now. Nothing has worked...

haha well maybe this thread can get you the necessary tools to get her going!!

[xtrslots]

I finally got my father to do it this year and now he's entering every score he shoots as soon as he gets home. He's gone from a 25 to a 17 already this year. He just did it because I was really into the game and he wanted to play in tournaments (hopefully) with me.

[compiit]

It is a simple principle of management: To manage something you must measure it.
If she wants to improve it is an easy sell with the handicap index being a measurement of her game then with each update improvement can be demonstrated by this same measurement.

[mArVHDO6]

haha well maybe this thread can get you the necessary tools to get her going!!

I hope so. My Wife is a very talented golfer, but she plays for the sheer enjoyment of the game and being outside. I love playing with her, and would love if she established her handicap. Here's hoping for some good tips.

[incizarry]

I hope so. My Wife is a very talented golfer, but she plays for the sheer enjoyment of the game and being outside. I love playing with her, and would love if she established her handicap. Here's hoping for some good tips.

I spent quite a bit of time explaining how a handicap works to my wife and that seemed to really peak her interest. I think once she gets passed the idea that a handicap should associate with her best scores possible, she'll come around a lot faster and warm to the idea of playing cheat free golf..

[desmond001]

I don't try to convince anyone to keep a handicap, as I do not keep an official one. I am only keeping track on oob so I have some sort of an idea of what mine is. I don't play any tournaments, so there is no need for me to keep one, nor to get others to do so unless they actually need to. Then they already have one!

[fuslkdhfma]

Good luck.

[vNZsk39B]

I don't try to convince anyone to keep a handicap, as I do not keep an official one. I am only keeping track on oob so I have some sort of an idea of what mine is. I don't play any tournaments, so there is no need for me to keep one, nor to get others to do so unless they actually need to. Then they already have one!

+1 I'm exactly the same way. I know how to figure one out and if the mood strikes, I'll calculate one for a given course just to get an idea of where I am, but otherwise I've never felt any need to keep one. If I decided that I'd like to enter tournaments then I'd get an official handicap, but until that happens, I'm fine without one.

[Angeheade]

If someone wants to play tournaments, they'll get a handicap. If they don't, they won't. Are you sure she wants to play in these tournaments?

[xochgtlm]

I never kept a handicap until I wanted to start playing in some of the scrambles with the ladies around here. It's really been fun to watch my handicap change since I started taking lessons. It went down from a 24 to 12, but it's been up and down since. I think it challenges me more to have a grade of sorts. My husband paid for my first year of GHIN handicap at our course and encouraged me to turn them in. That's all it took for me and I post my own online now. Tell her she only enters ESC scores so those 11's on a hole won't hurt her as bad since she only enters whatever her max score is on blow up holes.