coming down the handicap!!

Was just looking at my friends Handicap on here. he was playing off 22, and hit an 89 working that out he hit 18 over, and one hole a triple bogey. Now I have always worked handicaps out as you only count double bogeys and anything more than that is counted only as a double bogey. So that is playing to 17 very repectable for a 22 handicapper (well 21-7 to be precise).

My Question is on Golfshake he has only be deducted 0.4 of his handicap, now that does not seem right to me I thought that it should be more, cant remember the correct sums but thought that it was 0.3 per shot to a certain handicap then 0.2 then 0.1 for lower handicaps. In my reckoning this should be at least 0.5 at the very least?

 Am I correct on this matter or has it all changed or am I getting the wrong end of the stick from what I was taught.

Many thanks Paul

i haven't played much club golf recently but by my reckoning your friend should be cut by  1.2  (4 x 0.3)shots minimum. i lost out to a friend shooting 52 points before, he played out of his skin and deserved it  but on the day but i would have had to shoot a 64 gross to match him!!!! bloody stableford

Hi Paul,

Surely as beginners are improving they will hit their handicap much more often than 4 times a year?

I started the year playing off 28 (and believe you me I was struggling with that - lol) but after some tips / coaching it is all coming together. I find I play well, stay on the lower handicap for a while and then play well again.

I'm now on 16.5 (playing off 17) and this has only happened this week! Even with this sudden reduction in my handicap, I still managed to score 40 points playing off my new handicap.

Problem is the points are allocated against par but handicaps adjusted by SSS.  A par 72, SSS 68 course will see a player who comes in with 40 pts (net 68) get no cut, regardless of their handicap. 

Hi Paul

for stableford competitions you should really be playing 3/4 of your handicap, you'll be cut strokes but not as much as your friend.  I think stableford is an excellent way of allowing all golfers to compete at a common level becuase if a high handicapper has a nightmare hole it doesn't necessarily rule him out of contention.  that said if you don't play 3/4 handicap your high handicapper has no reason not to go for everything and that gives him a big advantage

7/8ths was the allowance for stableford, not 3/4.

Excellent, I had my eye on an A - Z of golf questions for xmas but it looks like I won't be needing that now!!!