We have a lot of par 3's where I live. I went to play one the other day to start the handicapping process. unfortunately, I was paired up with a group of 3 that play "best ball. So I figured, what the heck? First time out playing and figured I will start next time. 2 older ladies who hit from the green and a gentleman who hit from the gold. I decided to do the neighborly thing and join in on the gold as well. I have downloaded a copy of the scorecard.
My question is this. Should I play from the longer black tees for the handicapping process? I won't let them dictate my play again though. I will inform them I am trying to establish a handicap.
Hi Tom,
Okay,
Your are fixating on an issue that doesn't matter. I play at a lot of different courses during the season other than my home course. What matters is that you play honest by the rules and count all strokes as per the rules and penalties.
When you enter your round scores you enter the course, and tee boxes played from. This all automatically calculated in the GHIN handicap, course slope rating and such.
When I play other courses I look at yardage of the tees and select where I am going to play according to yardage. To be competitive on the course so I am hitting driver and irons and such, not playing from distances from where I have to play driver long iron, fairway wood all the time. My home course and league I have no choice we are assigned tee boxes for flights we are in.
There are times I play from a closer box than normal for the group I may be with but not often.
The point is play (on par 3 course not a big difference) but when you hit regular 18 with par 4's & 5's & 3's, then pick a yardage that with your driver. Your 2nd shot you will be playing an appropriate choice 2nd club. So you get to play long , short and mid irons. The point of getting a handicap is it to truly reflect you game, so when you play it will be close to reflecting your average score when playing against someone with lower or higher handicap. This makes the competition even out so to speak. Because if you have a17 handicap and playing against a 10, you get 7 strokes more than then 10 for the round in stroke play. If it was match play, you would get 7 strokes on the 7 hardest handicapped holes on the course that would figure in on those holes when playing head to head.
You want you handicap to get lower but only because you are playing well.
Make sense?