Comments on: Stroke Hole Allocation Guidelines

By: Jim Cowan

Jim Cowan — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:30:25 +0000

Steve, yep, skins too. Thanks - Jim Cowan

By: steve knadler

steve knadler — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:27:48 +0000

Jim,

Thank you for the above response. Simply put that the lowest handicap goes to zero and the others ALL stroke off him on the hardest holes depending on the net difference of the handicaps. 5,5 and 11 in your example. This works the same way for skins, correct?

Thanks again,

Steve Knadler

p.s. Sorry Scholl, but rules are rules….

By: Jim Cowan

Jim Cowan — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:03:41 +0000

Hi Vic,
Based on the 7, 12, 12, 18 in your first message, you are playing one of your opponents straight up and giving the other 6 pops. Your partner is actually giving you and one opponent 5 pops and is giving 11 strokes to the 18.
The best way to picture this is to grab a scorecard and mark down the Course Handicap of each player next to their name. Next, bring the low handicapper down to a 0 (your partner) and subtract his handicap from the other three. In your first message, this would leave the three of you at a 5, a 5 and an 11. Find the line or column where you enter your own hole-by-hole scores and place a single dot in the box of the 5 top ranked holes. Do the same for your opponent with the same handicap. Do the same for the 11 top ranked holes of the 18. This now represents where the strokes fall in the match. So on the #1 ranked hole that you mentioned, a single dot appears in the box for everyone but your partner. Your scores work out to a par for your partner, you would have a net bogey, your opponents would have a net par and net bogey, the hole is halved . . . way to let your partner down! Had one of your opponents parred the hole, they would have won with a net birdie. I hope this helps - Jim Cowan

By: vic

vic — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 04:39:57 +0000

thank you for the response jim.I think i understand.basically my partner and I have to give the 17 handicapper a stroke on the 6 hardest hole and if the first hole was a 444 par 4 number 1 handicap hole and we all get bogeys ,they win.right?and besides the 6 hardest handicap holes we play straight up.I have an example ?.
example:lets say the number 1 handicap hole .my partner (8)gets par i(12) get double bogey the (12)on the other team gets bogey and the (17)handi gets double.we would win the hole right?which would mean that i never get any strokes ,my partner and i give the 17 handi only strokes on the hardest 6 handicap holes.If my example is a halve because there 12 got bogey.then I am still lost.if we win I understand. thanks again jimbo.

By: Jim Cowan

Jim Cowan — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 22:04:41 +0000

Hi Vic and thank you for your comments,

The are a couple of distinctions here.

When competing in match play, all four golfers are reduced by the Course Handicap of the lowest handicapper, who plays at scratch. In this case, your partner would play to a 0 and you would play to a 5. Your opponents would play to a 5 and 11. All three of you would receive your strokes on the 1-5 and 1-11 ranked holes.

Awarding the strokes on the high ranked holes is far superior to awarding them on the “easier” holes. Suppose you were a 17 playing against an 18. Would you rather give the stroke on the #1 ranked hole (probably a tough par-five) or the #18 ranked hole (probably a short par-three)? If you give the stroke on the easy hole, you probably always lose that hole. If you give it on the tough hole, you have more of a fighting chance to secure a halve. And that is the intent, to award the strokes on the holes where a golfer most needs a stroke to secure a halve, not a win.

In stroke play, the dynamics change a little. The USGA recommends that in a better-ball format (four-ball), only 90% of the Course Handicaps be issued. In such a scenario, your partner would play to a 6, you and one of your opponents would play to an 11 and your other opponent would forfeit two strokes and play to a 16. All of you would receive your full complement of strokes on the 1-6, 1-11 and 1-16 ranked holes.

It may not seem like it at times, but you and your partner should be in the driver’s seat in your match. Because handicaps are based on 96% of the difference between your scores and the ratings, not 100%, lower handicappers actually have a very slight advantage over higher handicappers in matches. Sandbagger aside, the statistics of handicapping favor your team ever-so-slightly.

Thanks again. Jim Cowan

By: vic

vic — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 08:24:49 +0000

oh by the way that is team individual hole match not points

By: vic

vic — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 08:21:04 +0000

o.k this is bugging me!! In a nassau game example:i am a 12 handicap my partner is a 7..the gentlemen that we are playing. one is a 12 handicap and the other is an 18 handicap.my question is why, just because i am on a 7 handicap team ,being I am a 12 ,why.do I have to give the 18 handicapper more then 3 strokes a side????????its really bugging me because we cant win.not to mention the 18 handicapper is a sand bagger but thats besides the point.how come my partner (not me )give the extra strokes.you know because an 18 handicapper can get a snowman the first (par4)hole and me par but I still have to give the same amount of strokes again(no gain on his handi)I NEED TO KNOW THE RULE.I mean really if it was stroke play they would never win.WHY SO UN-BALANCED?:MY SOLUTION:im a 12. give me on the card a stroke on 12 hardest holes my partner gets the hardest 7.(opp) the 18 handicapper would get a stroke a hole and the other 12 gets same as me 12 on the hardest 12.wouldnt that balance out better???? jeez somethings gotta be wrong.anyone help?

By: Jim Cowan

Jim Cowan — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 20:07:48 +0000

Richard Norris,
I apologize for the delay in responding but I was only recently made aware of this new feature within our website. Refer to the About the NCGA section on our homepage. Information on our 2007 Hole in One Sweepstakes is available on the pull-down menu. Thanks Jim Cowan

By: richard norris

richard norris — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 19:10:40 +0000

i made a hole in one at paso robles club and need to fill out anypaper work needed and send it in. where would i do this at