Hua Hin Golf Gossip

[PET]

Lomu, if you look up (in the USGA) or in the Royal and Ancient Golf rules handicap section, it is not simple. It is based on a very complicated formula that is calculated by the best ten out of the last twenty rounds you have played. The courses also make a difference as they are each rated with two numbers, course rating and slope. Your handicap index is based on your score on a course taking into consideration the difficulty of the course, i.e., course rating and slope... with your history and knowledge of golf, I'm surprised you didn't know this.

In fact, this complicated calculation gives you a handicap index, not a handicap. The handicap index is used with the course rating and slope of each course to arrive at your handicap for that particular course... i.e., your handicap will vary a little depending on the difficulty of the course being played.

HHF yes it is not simple.The USGA system takes the best 10 cards from the last twenty cards. You then divide the sum of those best 10 and multiply by 96% ( i think this is the multiple) and this gives you your handicap. You should take into account what the course SSS is though as against par

For UK, Eire and very many other countries they use CONGU ( Council of National Golf Unions ) and nothing to do with the R & A. I suggest you google congu handicaps and it is all there.

This is a big and quite complicated subject so my comments are trying to help those golfers who have never understood the calculation

I have kept this simple by not going into course slope ratings, which for example are non existent in UK

[lomuamart]

OK. Seems that it's probably just different terminology as I would have referred to something like that as the standard scratch score.
So a course may have a par of 72 but a SSS of 70 and its the lower figure that your handicap is worked out from. So, for instance, if you've got a 10 handicap you need to score 79 - 10 = net 69 before there'll be any adjustment to your handicap. Does that tie in with your course rating and slope?
BTW, there's a lot for me yet to learn about the game. For instance, I played Palm Hills recently and was chatting over a beer or three in the clubhouse afterwards. One of my partners mentioned that you can work out roughly where the pins are on holes 2 - 18 after you've played the first hole. I couldn't understand what he meant until he showed me a scorecard. There are 18 rudimentary green diagrams on it and they're split into 6 sections. If the pin on the first is back right and that area is numbered 4 on the diagram, then all the pins that day will be in section 4. Of course on the third that may be front left. At the third mid right and so on. Apparantly there's a similar sort of pattern at Springfield where if the pin is in the middle third of the green at the first, it'll be in the back third at the second, front third at the third and so on. Don't quote me on that sequence as I have probably got it mixed up but there is one, I think. Duh, that has to help especially on shots where you can't see the base of the pin.
Personally, I just try and hit the greens these days!!
Edit, PET's post and mine crossed as I was composing this. Slope ratings don't exist in the UK which is why I've never heard of them.

[hhfarang]

The better courses here (like Springfield) have both a course rating and a slope... it sounds like your SSS number is the course rating. I even noticed on one of the first official scorecards (after they finally stopped using the temporary paper ones) that the Sea Pines military course has a place on the card marked "rating" and "slope" but they were empty on the card I have. I guess someone official has to come out (probably for a fee) and judge the course to come up with these numbers.

Thanks for the info on the CONGU system and the pin placement scheme. I hadn't heard of either of those before... been playing off and on since age 12 and there's still a lot to learn!

[London Boy]

This is not a bad site to get you going for a handicap
www.golfhandicapcalculator.org

[Phil D]

Can anyone provide details of 2011 Hua Hin Golf festival. Which courses, fees etc. Also are we able to use our Australian golf handicaps in any competitions?

[PET]

Your handicap question is a tricky one. The answer should be of course that the Australian handicap will be accepted, but our experience of Australian handicap[s BEFORE the system change from Congu to the present USGA based, was that playing off the forward tees in Hua Hin gave you a huge advantage and we found that a deduction of 3 shots was about right. However those same persons have returned with their handicaps based upon the new Australian system and all of them seem to have handicaps 3++ greater than before - so you see the problem.

IF your existing handicap is accepted then you should win by ' a street' as they say !!

[buksida]

Can anyone provide details of 2011 Hua Hin Golf festival. Which courses, fees etc.

There is a thread on the golf festival here: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=18184

[Phil D]

Thanks Guru. Long time since I won any golf comp even by a shot let alone by a street! Not sure why the Aus handicaps should be so generous - based on best ten of last 20 rounds - must be something to do with slope rating. Anyway I will bring my handicap with me and see what the organisers have to say

[JW]

Hi Phil D,

I think the reason is that you guys play tougher/longer courses in Oz, where most groups here play the courses at around 6000 - 6300 yards, so you find it easy. Its actually the same for visitors from Phuket, they have really tough courses and find them shorter and easier here.
If you want a hand getting some games with good groups let me know and I can hook you up.

Cheers,

JW

[Phil D]

thanks JW. Your explanation makes sense. My home course is a little under 7000 yards.

Thanks for the offer re groups. There is actually six of us coming in August - three male, three female. Most are competitive golfers but not all. We were thinking of mainly playing 3 or 4 social rounds each week - have to justify bringing our clubs from OZ. A couple of us thought we might try and play one or two Sunday comps. I presume entries and groups would be managed by the various courses for these comps.

Good Golfing

Phil D

[hhfarang]

This notice posted in war-torn Britain in 1940 for golfers with stiff upper lips. You have to admit --- these guys really had guts!

German aircraft from Norway would fly on missions to northern England; because of the icy weather conditions, the barrels of their guns had a small dab of wax to protect them. As they crossed the coast, they would clear their guns by firing a few rounds at the golf courses. Golfers were urged to take cover.

This gives a whole new meaning to the term "local rules".

edit: sorry don't know why it attached twice (can't see it in the preview to remove it)

[dtaai-maai]

^^ I smell a hoax there, hhf!

[lomuamart]

I have a question about club care that I hope someone can help me out with.
Got a good set of steel shafted irons that I do look after to the best of my ability/knowledge. However, having given them a quick dust down this morning, I noticed that they all had got very small spots of rust forming. I emphasise that they're tiny at the moment but "rust never sleeps".
I'm always good with them after playing and they get a clean/wipe down with a dry cloth the next day at the latest. However, last time out, which was a week ago, it rained slightly just as we were finishing. The caddie was quick to get the bag cover on and for once I left them in the spare room until today. It could be that that has started the rust because I havn't noticed it before.
But maybe I've just missed it in the past and it's started becoming noticable now.
What do people do with their clubs if they're not used for 7-10 days? Just leave them in the bag or take them out to give them some air. I'm wondering whether the heat and particularly the humidity is getting to them if left in the bag.
Any suggestions welcome.

[scotland]

hi guys
just a reply to the guy that is asking about , buying selling clubs

i have a ful set at my wifes near hua hin for sale mizuno mp 30 l/h

if you want more detail's give me a pm

im coming out in september can maybe bring clubs out
i think there a lot cheaper to buy here in the uk

[lomuamart]

For all of us struggling golfers, here's the secret:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healt ... -hips.html
I'm not sure about the speed swings mentioned. I've had mine measured twice over the past year and the first occasion had it at about 79 mph, the second around 82. There's no way I swing as fast as a pro and the srticle is saying that the average pro has a speed of 79 mph??