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Golf Handicap
What is a Golf Handicap?
A golfer's handicap is intended to show a player's
potential, not his average score, as is the common belief.
The term “Handicap” in golf is an indictor of
a golfer's playing skills in the game.
The lower a golfer's handicap,
the better the golfer is. A 2 handicapper is better than a
10 handicapper who is better than a 20 handicapper.
How does a Golf Handicap work?
For example, you have a golf handicap of 24: If you
played a game on an 18-hole golf course and records a score
of 96 strokes on a par 72 golf course, you have “played
to your handicap” (96 – 24 = 72). The 96 strokes you have
taken is described as your “gross score” and the result of
72 after deduction of your handicap is your “net score”.
In a handicap competition, it is the net score that counts.
In a “scratch” competition, only the gross score is recorded
and handicaps are not taken into account.
All professional
tournaments and top amateur games are scratch competitions. On the other hand, in most (but not all) golf club monthly
medal games, inter-club games and society
events are handicap competitions.
There is a handicapping system computation on the score for
each of the individual's golf games relative to the
difficulty of the golf course.
What is an Official Golf
Handicap?
An official handicap - one that is established
through the auspices of a United States Golf Association
(USGA) affiliated club - is
called a "handicap index". To establish a handicap index, a golfer
needs a minimum of his five most recent scores, plus
the course and slope rating of the courses played.
Once a handicap index is established, it is then
used to determine a course handicap. A course handicap tells a
golfer how many strokes he is allowed to take on a
specific golf course; that is, a course handicap of
14 means the golfer will be able to deduct 14
strokes from his score throughout the round.
Handicap indexes are used so that golfers of
widely different playing abilities can compete
fairly against one another.
Why do golfers need an Official Handicap?
There are generally three reasons why golfers wants a golf
handicap:
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To
measure the golfer's playing skill of the game.
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To have a fair and equitable basis when
playing against other golfers in a competition.
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A handicap certificate is sometimes required to
play golf on a particular golf course.
Where can golfers get an
Official Handicap in Singapore?
An individual will need to join a recognised golf club or an official
handicapping scheme body in order to attain a golf official
handicap.
In Singapore the SGA Golf Club Pte Ltd and in Malaysia the
Malaysian Golf Association allow golfers without a golf
club membership to sit for the Proficiency Certificate (PC)
and handicap practical and theory test. Please contact these organisations for details of the testing centers and the
relevant fees and conditions.
Philip Ang
Asian Golf Centre
Certified & Licensed
USGTF
Master Golf Teaching Professional - USA
Certified Professional Teacher and Trainer - University of
Cambridge UK
Singapore Sport Council - NCAP Level 1, 2 & 3
Singapore WDA-WSQ ACTA Certified Trainer & Assessor
Certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP™) Practitioner -
USA
Certified Professional Clubmaker by GCA (USA)
GCA Winner International Clubmaker of the Year - USA
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