Golf Digest senior writer Alex Myers is on a one-year mission to see how good he can get at golf through daily training, practice and playing. Read more from his “Late Scratch?” series here.
If you know me at all, it’s no secret that my favorite week of the year is the HGGA Championship, AKA my annual buddies golf trip that I’ve been going on for more than a quarter of a century. It’s a yearly opportunity to play a ton of (mostly bad) golf and spend quality time with friends.
But there’s also a lot at stake that week. At least, to us. And that wouldn’t be possible without the World Handicap System.
Our four-day tournament’s format has changed more times than the FedEx Cup Playoffs through the years, but the fire burning within to win our green jacket has never wavered. For us, this is as close to winning the real thing as we’ll ever get. And this type of competition is also one of the best ways to improve your game.
The great equalizer
We had 10 participants in this year’s HGGA Championship in Myrtle Beach with Handicap Indexes ranging from 3.2 to 25.5. But thanks to the World Handicap System, we all played as equals.
That was reflected by six players being within four shots of the lead heading into the final round at Grande Dunes. Throughout the back nine, updates were flying as four players spread across three different groups had a great chance to win. In the end, as defending champion I slipped the green jacket on Tim Quinn, who won by a single shot.
What I particularly love about the World Handicap System as opposed to the one I grew up using is that it updates on a daily basis. So if someone played really well one day, his or her Handicap Index could possibly change ahead of the next round, which would then affect his or her Course Handicap for that day. And, obviously, that could work the other day if someone didn’t play well.
Point is, the system accurately determines what level everyone is playing at, which is why we had such a competitive (net) tournament. Of course, it also helps when everyone’s Handicap Index is on the up and up. Sandbagger sheriff Yip Strickler would be proud.
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And to show just how well the system works, even World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler uses it when he plays against his buddies at home. Although he didn’t seem to be thrilled with all the strokes he’s giving when asked about it at the Tour Championship a couple years ago.
“Depends on the game, but at home I’m typically playing to a plus 7.0,” Scheffler said. “I used to be a plus 5.0. They moved me to a plus 7.0. So now we’ve got guys in the group that are getting like two strokes a hole.”
What other sport has a system that allows regular Joes to compete with the best player on the planet?
The hidden benefit
Any golfer will tell you that a four-footer with even a couple bucks on the line makes that putt feel a lot different. Or a putt to beat a buddy in a grudge match. Your hands start shaking, your heart starts racing and you start thinking about all the things that can go wrong.
But now take those uncomfortable feelings and imagine having them constantly over a four-day period. It’s a grind! I’ve seen and felt what that kind of pressure can do to normal golfers and it’s not pretty. Heck, we’ve seen it’s not always pretty for the best golfers in the world, either.
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It was this reason that I entered a couple of official tournaments—well, qualifiers—this year. Those uncomfortable feelings ramped up even more, and it was tougher than I ever imagined. But the hope is that the more you put yourself in situations like that, the better you will be able to handle them.
Since most official tournaments require you to have a certain Handicap Index to enter, however, sometimes a buddies trip or a member-guest event is the closest thing. So playing any sort of match using Handicap Indexes is a great entry point to start building up your competitive golf résumé.
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“The average golfer needs to put himself in a situation in a practice environment so that he could start to understand his tendencies,” performance coach Jason Goldsmith told Golf Digest. “So then they can say, ‘Oh, OK, this is what it feels like when I start to get under the gun. How am I going to react?’”
How to set up a proper match
Or, if you’re lucky enough to work at Golf Digest, you could test yourself against your colleagues. Such is the case in the Golf Digest Match Play Championship, which has been contested over the past five years.
I’ve made a concerted effort to lower my Handicap Index this year, but if I’m being honest, sometimes it’s nice getting those extra strokes. Such was the case in the first two rounds of this year’s tournament when I had to take on a couple of near-scratch players and won.
Could I have beaten them without the couple strokes on that particular day? Possibly. Did beating a pair of better golfers with something at stake give me more confidence even though I got those couple strokes? Definitely.
Anyway, here’s how it works on the GHIN app using an example from another Golf Digest Match Play match. Because with our fluctuating Handicap Indexes throughout the year, we don’t know how many shots we’re getting/receiving until we get to the course that day. First, click on “Handicap Calculator,” then plug in the course you’re playing and the tees and then add golfers to get screen like this:
In this example, Kevin’s 10.6 Handicap Index went up to a 12.0 Course Handicap and Steve’s went from 12.7 to 14.0. That meant Steve received two shots that day, which is shown under “S.O.” or Shots Off. And if you’re doing stroke play, the GHIN app willshow how many shots everyone in your group is getting based on the person with thelow Course Handicap that day. Easy-peasy.
It’s funny to imagine Scottie Scheffler’s buddies doing the same thing. Although, it didn’t seem like they were doing too well in those friendly matches.
“I typically still will win more often than not,” Scheffler said. “But it’s just fun.”
Sounds like Yip Strickler might want to look into Scheffler’s number, but you get the point. Thanks to the World Handicap System, golfers of all abilities can compete against each other. So next time you play with your buddies, try setting up a proper match. It will probably make your normal game more fun—and you might even become a better competitive golfer in the process.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
