New handicap after a lay off

What's peoples opinions about coming back to golf after a lay off and getting a new handicap?

Reason I ask is that last week I played with an Aussie guy, who said he played off 19. He started off, par, par, then on the 3rd a par 5 he was 12 feet away in 2. Giving him the benefit of doubt I assume this won't last and he'll blow up. He ended the front 9 with 21 points with one blob on the card. The back nine wasn't quite as good, 16 points with a further 3 blobs, which was more down to bad luck instead of bad play. However on the 444yard stroke index 1 he was on the green in 2, net 0, have taken a drive and iron. He then informs me that 5 years ago his handicap was 9 but he stopped playing until recently.
I've no idea how he obtained his existing handicap, but to me, you don't just lose your game that quickly to go from 9 to 19.
Another instance was a friend of mine who had eye problems last year, detached retina. He had a 4 month lay off and to compensate for his, at the time, poor eye sight, his handicap went up 4. His eye sight is now back to normal and is winning most weeks.
I've no idea how to avoid instances like this. The 3 card rule is easily open to abuse, and if anything, is an incentive to give up the game for a while.

It does happen and there is a slim chance I'll be putting in cards for a handicap shortly...

Not a lot you can do about the number they give you though.

As handicap is all about consistenecy he looks about right, 37points is about right to what handicap he declared.
His handicap would normall be given off the back tees and I presume you played off the yellows.

In the other instance - I don't think a 4 month layoff justifies 4 shots back! But he should be chopped when he plays comps.

I was victim of this type of thing. One of our juniors came back to the club (as a young member) and submitted his 3 cards. He left off 12, put three cards in and should have been off 18. The negotiations that followed put him off 16. He beat me to the President's Prize (a bogey) by 1 hole. To be fair to him, I should have won the thing outright (only had myself to blame) and he was pretty embarrassed. But his name is on the Honours Board.

Another junior returned at the same time. I played with him when he put in one of his three cards. He played to 8. The committee gave him a 10 handicap. Now I thought that the handicap you should be given should be equivalent to the lowest of the three cards (once a the adjustments back to double bogey have been completed). So how can one returning junior be given a lower handicap that entitled to (albeit too high) and another be given a higher one (clearly also too high)?

People always moan when someone who was previously off a lower handicap beats them... regardless of whether it's by a shot or countback whatever... The fact that they aren't doing it regularly never really registers in the minds of those who have been put into second place however.

LJ

But when that person, by the end of the season, is back to 12 where they should have been...?

an old freind of mine from the junior days just came back to the game last year, joined a private club and put in 3 cards. he informed the match sec that 13 yrs ago he was off 3 but when he gave the game up (10 years ago) he was off 5.2. now in that time he only played a couple of times a year and only socially

par 71 course
3 cards were 79 . 81 . 77 .

he was given a hcap of 4 !!!!

to be fair he now plays to it....but the match sec made sure he wasnt going to get his balls felt !!!

golfermartin wrote:LJ

But when that person, by the end of the season, is back to 12 where they should have been...?

When someone has been away for an extended period they are required to put cards in for a handicap... The fact that they then practice, play and find their game again is irrelevant. The system is what it is... It might not be perfect but there it is. And the fact that he beat you by 1 shot (which you acknowledge as your fault) shows that his initial handicap wasn't far off.

I might have to do this myself shortly (although I really shouldn't)... and if I have to put cards in the chances are I'll get something totally ridiculous. And so be it. I'll be back in Cat 1 within months of anything lower than 8.

But the prolonged layoff and injury... I'll be lucky to break 80 at the minute! It'll cause murder if I do get something high though.

LJ


has your handicap lapsed ?

No. But I'm changing clubs... my last one never bothered to pay the fees to the Essex Union... And I've had too many problems with them to bother sorting it out.

So if the union don't have it on record properly I'll get a new one. Although I'm 99% it'll stay as it is... more's the pity! I'd clean up off 7!

I was under the impression and I maybe wrong here but my old man used to be handicap secretary a few years back so ruling may have changed but I thought if you put 3 cards in for a new handicap no matter how good they were a club couldn't automatically assign a Cat 1 handicap without county permission, can't for life of me remember the reason why though.

If someone is given 19 and they used to be off 12 after a layoff then fas as I'm concerned that's right as they won't have the consistency to repeat 12 but after a season they might so their handicap will balance out. I too had a layoff last year after eye surgery on a damaged optic nerve, I never got a single shot back, if they'd given me 4 back medical dispensation I'd have took full advantage as it was I came back better for the break

LondonJonnyO wrote: But the prolonged layoff and injury... I'll be lucky to break 80 at the minute! It'll cause murder if I do get something high though.

Yippee yay ay coyote <emoticonofsmilingLJinahugecowboyhat>

oldshanker wrote:

LondonJonnyO wrote: But the prolonged layoff and injury... I'll be lucky to break 80 at the minute! It'll cause murder if I do get something high though.

Yippee yay ay coyote <emoticonofsmilingLJinahugecowboyhat>

YippieKayAy Mothe..... Oops. Can't say that.

Come and join my club LJ, even when you put 3 low rounds in they will still give you a 10 handicap! I handed in 70, 71 and 74, then proceeded to win the first comp with 46 stableford points, some were not amused!

goldwolf wrote:Come and join my club LJ, even when you put 3 low rounds in they will still give you a 10 handicap! I handed in 70, 71 and 74, then proceeded to win the first comp with 46 stableford points, some were not amused!

It is mad how they do these things...

i played inconsistently and not very often for years and when i finally settled in fife, got my 3 cards in and was given 17.3. just like your playing partner, i can hit most par 4s in most conditions with a drive and iron but my consistency is another matter. then playing more consistently, i was down to 10.6 in 18 months and have now crept back up to 11.8 (this time through child-driven inconsistency!).

i enjoy playing with someone who's having a blinder for their handicap, having been there. i think everyone has in their quest for a lower handicap and it's great to see them fulfilling some of the potential they know is there and you can see is there. this is an entirely different matter to those who deliberately (somehow) maintain a falsely high handicap.

Mave. The county would be the ones who would assign my handicap if I need to put cards in.

They lost my cards LJ. Conversation went a little like this:

Me to hcap sec: "I've put my 3 cards in but no handicap?"
HS: "We seem to have misplaced them, what did you put in?"
Me: "70, 71 and 74"
HS: "What hcap did you have last time?"
Me: "1"
HS: "How long ago"
Me: "About 4 yrs"
HS: "How does 10 sound?"
Me: "Errrr, great?" (with slight Leslie Nielsen "I don't really know what to say" look on my face )

No actually I was pretty gutted as I wanted a low hcap.

I can only imagine the carnage if I get something like that assigned!

I played 4 holes yesterday to test my leg/foot and see how it holds up... 2 par 4's, a 3 and a 5... The number wasn't spectacular as it was very wet... but there are some very good indications in there.

And the pro who is a guy I've known for a while always considered me a complete bandit off 2 let alone anything higher!

Thought I was right their LJ. Would have loved someone to give me a 10 handicap when I moved. Imagine the looks I'd have got.