Quote:
Originally Posted by mrkajz44
I suspect most people with self-reported 15 handicaps are not actually a 15. That range of golfer typically does not count or play penalties correctly; does not take stroke and distance for OB, does not drop at the point of entry on a lateral hazard, takes way too many gimmies, breakfast ball on number 1, etc. They probably gain a few strokes if they played it by the book, which they must in a tournament.
I say this as close to a 15 myself, as I know I'm probably not following the rule book perfectly.
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100% true
I'm a 16 playing at a course with serious golfers who tend to be very by the book; and membership really demands it so tournaments etc are handicapped accurately.
When I play with my non member friends at public course they always underestimate how high their index is.
Improve lies all round, move it out a little to get a clean shot instead of blocked in by a tree, mulligan or 2, or 3, very generous gimmies, play OB as a 1 stroke drop where it went out.
No problem with any of this as it moves things along and they're competing against themselves anyway, but I think a lot of people underestimate how hard getting to true single digit or better really is.