Ever wonder how your handicap stacks up against other NCGA members? Look no further.
The following represents a breakdown by handicap range for both NCGA men and women. In order to see where you fall, simply locate the range containing your current Handicap Index. The first number to the right indicates the current percentage of NCGA members whose Handicap Index falls in the same range. The cumulative figure indicates the overall percentile into which you fall.
MEN
Handicap Index
% of
Handicap Index
% of
Range
NCGA
Cumulative
Range
NCGA
Cumulative
+ 0.5 and better
.26%
.3%
17.5 – 18.4
4.54%
64%
+ 0.4 – 0.4
0.80%
1%
18.5 – 19.4
4.21%
69%
0.5 – 1.4
0.69%
2%
19.5 – 20.4
3.91%
72%
1.5 – 2.4
0.94%
3%
20.5 – 21.4
3.49%
76%
2.5 – 3.4
1.22%
4%
21.5 – 22.4
3.27%
79%
3.5 – 4.4
1.48%
5%
22.5 – 23.4
2.93%
82%
4.5 – 5.4
1.90%
7%
23.5 – 24.4
2.65%
85%
5.5 – 6.4
2.46%
10%
24.5 – 25.4
2.31%
87%
6.5 – 7.4
2.92%
13%
25.5 – 26.4
2.03%
89%
7.5 – 8.4
3.43%
16%
26.5 – 27.4
1.77%
90%
8.5 – 9.4
3.84%
20%
27.5 – 28.4
1.46%
92%
9.5 – 10.4
4.39%
24%
28.5 – 29.4
1.30%
94%
10.5 – 11.4
4.70%
29%
29.5 – 30.4
1.13%
95%
11.5 – 12.4
4.95%
34%
30.5 – 31.4
0.94%
96%
12.5 – 13.4
5.19%
39%
31.5 – 32.4
0.80%
97%
13.5 – 14.4
5.43%
45%
32.5 – 33.4
0.61%
97%
14.5 – 15.4
5.24%
50%
33.5 – 34.4
0.55%
98%
15.5 – 16.4
5.18%
55%
34.5 – 35.4
0.42%
98%
16.5 – 17.4
4.81%
60%
35.5 – 36.4
1.90%
100%
WOMEN
Handicap Index
% of
Handicap Index
% of
Range
NCGA
Cumulative
Range
NCGA
Cumulative
+ 0.5 and better
.2%
.2%
19.5 – 20.4
3.1%
24%
+ 0.4 – 0.4
0.30%
0.50%
20.5 – 21.4
2.90%
27%
0.5 – 1.4
0.20%
0.70%
21.5 – 22.4
3.70%
31%
1.5 – 2.4
0.20%
0.90%
22.5 – 23.4
4.00%
35%
2.5 – 3.4
0.30%
1%
23.5 – 24.4
3.90%
39%
3.5 – 4.4
0.30%
2%
24.5 – 25.4
4.10%
43%
4.5 – 5.4
0.30%
2%
25.5 – 26.4
4.00%
47%
5.5 – 6.4
0.50%
2%
26.5 – 27.4
3.80%
51%
6.5 – 7.4
0.50%
3%
27.5 – 28.4
3.70%
55%
7.5 – 8.4
0.50%
3%
28.5 – 29.4
4.10%
59%
8.5 – 9.4
0.60%
4%
29.5 – 30.4
3.60%
62%
9.5 – 10.4
0.90%
5%
30.5 – 31.4
3.80%
66%
10.5 – 11.4
0.90%
6%
31.5 – 32.4
3.50%
70%
11.5 – 12.4
1.20%
7%
32.5 – 33.4
3.10%
73%
12.5 – 13.4
1.30%
8%
33.5 – 34.4
3.00%
76%
13.5 – 14.4
1.50%
10%
34.5 – 35.4
2.80%
78%
14.5 – 15.4
1.60%
11%
35.5 – 36.4
2.70%
81%
15.5 – 16.4
2.10%
13%
36.5 – 37.4
2.30%
83%
16.5 – 17.4
2.10%
16%
37.5 – 38.4
2.00%
85%
17.5 – 18.4
2.50%
18%
38.5 – 39.4
2.00%
87%
18.5 – 19.4
2.90%
21%
39.5 – 40.4
12.60%
100%
What is most striking about these numbers is that they are not striking at all.
The numbers are quite similar to those from 2000 and include median handicaps near the national averages (NCGA medians of 15.5 and 27.0).
But what about the distance explosion that has taken place in the past few years with longer golf balls and high-tech drivers? Surely this has translated into lower handicaps.
Not really. Despite all the talk about launch angles and all the power displays we observe on television each week, the number of strokes that the average “Joe” and “Josephine” are taking has not declined in any great measure. Longer tee shots are not necessarily translating into lower scores. I guess hitting the ball farther can also mean farther left and right of target.
The one area where I do observe some movement is in the lowest handicap ranges. More NCGA members now enjoy low handicaps than they did in 2000. This is consistent with the prevailing view that the better the golfer, the greater the impact of recent technology breakthroughs.
The grim reality for most golfers is that “buying” a better golf game does not appear to be an option anytime soon.
“The grim reality for most golfers is that “buying” a better golf game does not appear to be an option anytime soon.”
The only exception I see out there and I speak with experience seeing how I recently purchased one is a gps such as sky caddie. I would say it has shaved 3 to 5 strokes off my game over the last 3 months or so especially when I hit a bad shot and can’t see the green yet I know exactly what club to hit with using a gps’s.
November 16th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
Seth Bates writes:
GPS won’t make the average golfer better because distance control is not their strength. The golfer can blame a bad shot, short or left, on a bad yardage but it really comes down to mechanics and hitting the center of the clubface. The GPS won’t help you do that will it?
July 6th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Jim Cowan writes:
Seth – thank you for your comment. Despite all the best information, it still comes down to executing the shot. Thanks – Jim Cowan
Paul – Because we are dealing with such a large number of golfers, in the two years that have lapsed since this was printed, you would not see too much of a difference. Thanks for writing in.
Ever wonder how your handicap stacks up against other NCGA members? Look no further.
“The grim reality for most golfers is that “buying” a better golf game does not appear to be an option anytime soon.”
The only exception I see out there and I speak with experience seeing how I recently purchased one is a gps such as sky caddie. I would say it has shaved 3 to 5 strokes off my game over the last 3 months or so especially when I hit a bad shot and can’t see the green yet I know exactly what club to hit with using a gps’s.
November 16th, 2007 at 9:50 pmGPS won’t make the average golfer better because distance control is not their strength. The golfer can blame a bad shot, short or left, on a bad yardage but it really comes down to mechanics and hitting the center of the clubface. The GPS won’t help you do that will it?
July 6th, 2009 at 12:45 pmSeth – thank you for your comment. Despite all the best information, it still comes down to executing the shot. Thanks – Jim Cowan
July 7th, 2009 at 10:22 amAnyone know if this has been updated lately ?
November 2nd, 2009 at 4:32 pmPaul – Because we are dealing with such a large number of golfers, in the two years that have lapsed since this was printed, you would not see too much of a difference. Thanks for writing in.
November 2nd, 2009 at 4:37 pm