Handicap scoring

[TrustYourRubber]

Anyone have experience with a handicap scoring system that works?

Here are the details of our league. We play once a week. Generally 20 players or so. There is about a 20 stroke spread between beginner players and the pro players. There are 2-3 courses in our area currently. A few others are in progress).

A couple of our ideas are as follows:

1) Play random doubles for league. Individual play for tournaments strictly. No handicap scoring.

2) Implement a handicap scoring system. A player's average score is their handicap (less whatever the course par is).

3) Implement a handicap scoring system, but instead of it being a 1:1 system, players only receive 80% of their handicap strokes for league play. (As a result, we project that better players will not feel penalized for receiving less help from the handicap system. In addition, we also feel that this will give wiggle room for players to improve their handicap throughout the year without winning league events each week, if that makes any sense at all.)

4) Handicap scoring system, but instead of a 0.8:1 it's now 0.60:1. This offers the advantages listed above, but goes farther with respect to encouraging individual's to improve their scores.

Any and all thoughts are welcome. Seemingly insignificant inputs could be the difference between a successful league season (and one not so successful), because we are all so new to a handicap system.

 

[Guurn]

How about random doubles split. Upper half of ratings abd lower or pro and am.

 

[Cgkdisc]

www.discgolfunited.com A league setup that has worked has both a handicap division and scratch score division. Players can choose to play in either division each week.

 

[zgmc]

Everybody plays against their average. Lets say your average is 50, and you shoot a 45. The difference from your average would be -5. There are 20 players in the league, and your score of -5, ranks 3rd. You get a point for every player that you beat, so you would score 17 points.

 

[Glide]

www.discgolfunited.com A league setup that has worked has both a handicap division and scratch score division. Players can choose to play in either division each week.

I have been running one of DGU's biggest leagues for the past six years. I recommend it.

 

[knettles]

Maybe I'm weird, but I've never understood handicap scoring (I understand how it works, I just don't think it's necessary). There was a point when I started out and really sucked at the game. But my sucking led me to want to improve. And I did. Now I can look at my score and be proud knowing there isn't an asterisk next to it. Personally, I'd feel worse about playing with a handicap than just having a low score. However, this is just my opinion.

Edit: Now that I think about it, I'm not sure I really understand exactly how handicap scoring works. Never used it before so maybe I've got the wrong idea.

 

[spicybird6]

Handicap is lame.

Were all human, everybody should start the same.

If your getting beat a lot, go practice

 

[Kiekko_FIN]

on local weeklies we have 2 prizes. one goes to handicapped winner other goes to best result without handicap.

 

[DavidSauls]

on local weeklies we have 2 prizes. one goes to handicapped winner other goes to best result without handicap.

I like that.

Like some others, I have absolutely no interest in playing handicaps. But I know some folks who do. That would be a compromise that benefits both groups.

 

[shroom]

Handicap is lame.

Were all human, everybody should start the same.

If your getting beat a lot, go practice

I agree but I also dissagree. How are you going to encourage and grow the sport? If people see that they have a chance to compete with a pro (and possibly learn on the way) they are more likely to play.

If someone new shows up and they are put up against someone that can shoot 47 on average and the newbie averages 89. I don't think the new person will have any fun, they won't learn because they will probably be embarassed, and it just may turn them away from the game all together.

But I also agree because you need to make it about playing to your abilities and encouraging players to get better

 

[TrustYourRubber]

I have been running one of DGU's biggest leagues for the past six years. I recommend it.

Okay, I will look into Disc Golf United, and I will try to ask everyone questions about how to use it. Thanks

Also, this is NOT a thread about debating the merit/demerits of a handicap system. I'm only asking for suggestions about how to run one. If you don't have any suggestions about how to run one, then don't post. :thmbup:

 

[John Rock]

I've run a Saturday handicap round for a long time (started in 1996). $3.00 to enter so it's fairly cheap, and the rules of golf are in play but mainly just as a guideline. I experimented with a couple of different systems and settled on an 80% type system. Basically whatever your average is you subtract 50 (the base number for the course - similar to PAR) multiply times 0.8 and that is your handicap. Take it to one or two decimal points to avoid ties. Some will say that system is not good because they have their own system, but so what. At least there is something in place that is consistent and it's known prior to signing up, so yeah, it is fair. Top players in the area are going to be around Zero handicap and newer players range up from there. Keep a calculator in your TD kit and it's pretty simple. The better players are going to have a hard time taking the top spot every week, but there is nothing wrong with taking names and $5 from players who want a little side action just on low score alone.


Yee Haw! Post #1,000!

 

[Cgkdisc]

The main thing not to do with a handicap league is hold back much if any money from entries toward league end awards. What happens when a handicapping league is done well is any kind of final ranking using handicaps will be very close if not exactly the same as if you rank the players based on their raw scores. The key to a good handicapping league is making sure to award players each night they exceed their normal skill level to make it into the prize zone.

 

[John Rock]

I don't run a league type event. Just an every Saturday afternoon round, year round. What comes in that day pays out that day. Top third get paid.

 

[3j0hn]

If you are using multiple courses (or your course has many different configurations), just using average scores for handicaps is not going to work as well as for a single course that doesn't change from week to week. For multiple courses/layouts, DGU is probably the easiest solution. Otherwise you have to determine a custom course difficulty adjustment to usefully weight the averages. It's doable, and fun if you like statistics and spreadsheets, but it's going to be a bit of work and likely no one else in your league will understand the result.

 

[discgman]

We do a weekly handicapp in norcal that is real popular. We take the par for the course and subtract it by their average of three rounds of golf, then multiply it by 90%. We also added last five score moving average to prevent people from "sandbagging" their handicapps. If your doing two courses you would have to figure out a fair par for each course or maybe use 1 or 2 scores per course. We thought about disc u but it costs money and nobody wanted to take it out of course fund.

 

[TrustYourRubber]

We do a weekly handicapp in norcal that is real popular. We take the par for the course and subtract it by their average of three rounds of golf, then multiply it by 90%. We also added last five score moving average to prevent people from "sandbagging" their handicapps. If your doing two courses you would have to figure out a fair par for each course or maybe use 1 or 2 scores per course. We thought about disc u but it costs money and nobody wanted to take it out of course fund.

Okay, I appreciate everyone's input so far. Thank you! Every post is helpful, since the discussion got narrowed to how to run one versus whether we should run one! Thank you! Why this is a great community forum!

 

[hedfan1]

So keep up if you can understand my views and ideas...

On my local course I have seen -13 all the way up to +24 in league play. On our course we have 2 tee boxes that would be considered a par 4 by DGA course par guidline standards.

Say the guy who hits -13 has a 1 to 1 ratio starting them at +13 for the round
All the way to -4 x -1 = 4 so this player has a +4 handicap
-3 x -.9 = 2.7 so this player still has a +3 handicap
shoots +3 x -.9 = -2.7 HC -3
+4 x -.7 = -2.8 HC -3
+7 x -.7 = -4.9 HC -5
+8 x -.65 = -5.2 HC -5
+9 x -.65 = -5.85 HC -6
+10 x -.6 = -6 HC -6
+13 x -.6 = -7.8 HC -8
+24 x -.6 = -14.4 HC -14

If everyone shoots their average that average +3 on up will shoot a zero
+4 player ends with 1 over
+5 avg. = 1 over
+6 = 2
+7 = 2
+8 = 3
+9 = 3
+10 = 4
+11 = 4
+12 = 5
+13 = 5
+24 = 10

This would be good to use as a formula for any course. I think anyway, what are your thoughts?

 

[teemkey]

It's better to use 80% if you shoot better than your average, 40% if you shoot worse. So if a player dogs it one round, it has less effect on his/her handicap.

You can also use a moving window of the most recent two or three rounds. This makes bad rounds drop out quickly.

 

[Timeetyo]

It's better to use 80% if you shoot better than your average, 40% if you shoot worse. So if a player dogs it one round, it has less effect on his/her handicap.

You can also use a moving window of the most recent two or three rounds. This makes bad rounds drop out quickly.

Actually I would think it would do the opposite and encourage someone to game their handicap. If you do it a prior 2 round average - someone could just tank 2 rounds and plan on winning in the third once the handicap is 'up'. If it were to include more rounds - you would have to play poorly and donate for more rounds to build up the handicap before you get the payout.