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.
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 pm