| The golf handicap system is a must if you are | | | | |
| trying to improve your golf game. If you | | | | Considering that golf is suppose to be a |
| have a golf handicap, it gives you the | | | | gentlemen's game, it is very important to |
| ability to play in local tournaments against | | | | post legitimate scores. There also are |
| golfers with better abilities. Any golf | | | | restrictions on how many strokes you can take |
| course worth its salt will offer you the | | | | on any given hole. As an example, if you |
| chance to get a golf handicap. Your golf | | | | have less than a 10 handicap, you cannot turn |
| handicap is a true barometer on your golfing | | | | in a score card that has any score over |
| abilities, as long as you accurately post | | | | double bogey. That is to try and keep |
| your scores. | | | | sanbaggers from inflating their handicap so |
| | | | they can get more strokes when playing in |
| The golf handicap system is a complex formula | | | | golf tournaments. |
| of your average score, along with the | | | | |
| difficulty of the course you are playing, | | | | Once you post enough scores and you have |
| along with a few other bells and whistles | | | | established your golf handicap, you will see |
| that only the USGA can figure out. Every | | | | how hard it is to get a low handicap. It |
| golf course has a course handicap, which | | | | takes more than one round of golf for your |
| determines the number of strokes needed to | | | | handicap to move in either direction. It |
| play that course to the level of a scratch | | | | takes at least 2 or 3 rounds to actually make |
| golfer. | | | | your handicap move, so you don't have to |
| | | | worry if you have a bad day on the course. |
| What all this means to you, is that it helps | | | | If you go in to a slump and can't seem to fix |
| give you a true indication of your golf | | | | what's wrong with your game, your golf |
| ability. If you wanted to play a match | | | | handicap will suffer.. |
| against a scratch golfer, which is someone | | | | |
| with a zero handicap, if you have a 7 | | | | Sandbaggers aside, the golf handicap system |
| handicap, you would receive 7 strokes, one | | | | is is a great way to measure yourself against |
| for each of the first 7 most difficult holes | | | | other golfers. Once you are in the system, |
| on the course. It's like he's spotting you a | | | | you can log in on the internet, and see |
| 7 stroke lead, or a 7 hole lead in match | | | | posted scores for anyone that has a handicap. |
| play. | | | | |