DO HIGH HANDICAPERS HAVE MORE FUN?

[George Pazin]

That's fine, Pat, and I take full blame for being one of the ones fanning the flames. This issue happens to be one I have a gigantic problem with on this site. There are tons of people who love to play the game but simply don't have the time or money to get proficient, so they simply revel in the times they can play and are more than happy shooting 100.

I also believe your experiences may have colored your view, as there is a world of difference between being a 25 and generally shooting around 100 and shooting 130 with multiple tops, slices and penalty shots. There are more than a few folks on this site who confuse the two.

[John Burzynski]

I think that the discussion is good, it points to a GENERAL attitude between high and low handicap players, both on course and on boards like this.


That being said, this discussion is definitely not the be all and end all of golf, and although a spirited discussion, I didn't feel that any of it was aimed personally at anyone.

[Bob_Huntley]

As a younger man and playing off of a reasonably low handicap, I had the distinct feeling that if I had to slap it around in the high eighties and low nineties, I would go fly fishing. God forbid playing with a true hacker.

You know what? If you go to my GHIN you will see that nowadays I do just that, shoot in the nineties. I enjoy the game, still take lessons and still think I am going to improve, admittedly I am delusional.

Last Thursday I had my 79th birthday. The following day I played golf with a lady member, we played the  forward Ladies tees. I shot 78. The shorter distance allowed me to hit irons to greens, a considerable advantage against driver, three wood and short iron that I would normally use. 

Before avowing to give up the game because of high scores, wait twenty or so years and you will change your mind.


Bob

[Paul Stephenson]

No more.  No less.  And should it matter?

We all have fun, regardless of our handicap.  If we didn't, we simply wouldn't play the game anymore and take something else up that we liked better.

The "fun" is in the camaraderie, the competition, the architecture, or wherever else we derive our pleasure.  Heck some people aren't happy unless they're miserable.  

To each their own.  The important part is that we're all here...and we all play.

[Charlie Goerges]

I've read this thread off and on. Has anyone brought up the old saying that golf and sex are the only activities that you can be really bad at, yet still enjoy?

Personally, I've begun playing better and having more fun since I've stopped even thinking about score, and begun to think of each new shot as a chance to do something amazing. In the last 2 years or so that I've been taking this viewpoint, I've shot some nice scores (for me anyway) and I've only had one truly amazing shot. But the outlook has helped me (I believe) to hit many "nearly-amazing" and just plain "good" shots, in situations that I never would have before because I was too upset at myself for the previous shot.

In other words, you can change your outlook on the course. If you aren't having fun now, but would like to, give it a try.

[Peter Pallotta]

Charlie - good post.  I guess you've taken to pausing and asking yourself if death is a dreadful thing because it deprives you of this.  Nice! I pause several times a day too, but only manage to ask myself whether or not I'm hungry....

Peter

[Charlie Goerges]

Charlie - good post.  I guess you've taken to pausing and asking yourself if death is a dreadful thing because it deprives you of this.  Nice! I pause several times a day too, but only manage to ask myself whether or not I'm hungry....

Peter

Yes, if I'd asked that question before I changed my approach, all too often the answer would have been "no" (in other words, death would have been sweet release from the drudgery of my game before my attitude adjustment). Now the answer is almost always "yes"; death would be depriving me of something good in this case.

Of course, I've only really successfully applied the change to the golf course. Now I need to try to apply it to my job, yardwork, cold weather (it's currently -10F), and a host of other things. When it comes to hunger, I can ALWAYS eat.

[Anthony Gray]

Anthony, the answer to your questions is yes.

Higher handicappers have lower expectations of their games.  They also have higher beta/disparities in quality in terms of the shots they hit.  They don't have the expectation of consistency that lower handicappers have, and as a result, when they're not on, they shrug it off better -- because it happens more often.

There also aren't nearly as many scorecard-and-pencil types among the higher handicappers as there are among the low handicap set.  And they don't play tournaments where a few shots here and there are the difference.  I can't tell you how many guys I've known over the years who simply can't have a good time at the 19th when they've shot 78, whereas when they shoot 71, they're the life of the party!

There's a culture among low handicap players that almost prevents them from having fun when they're playing bad.  For the most part, when they're playing bad, they're trained to slow down and grind.  That's probably the least  condusive thing I can think of for having fun.

  For Mac

  Anthony

[Mac Plumart]

Thanks Anthony.

However, I don't think the high handicappers have more fun all the time.

As I mentioned to Garland...my friend who is a +3 to +4 is always composed, classy, and a joy to be with on the course, I've seen him shoot 66 and I've seen him shoot 79.  Totally composed 100% of the time, never curses, never throws a club, is always a total gentleman.  And I've seen 20's act like total asses.

I guess I just don't get why people play if they are angry, miserable, etc.

However, I will read the entire thread to see if I get my answers.

Thanks again!

[Eric Smith]

Also for Mac

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oWeaujOWXc

[Anthony Gray]

  Horrable Caddys have more fun as well as idiot posters.

  Anthony

[Mac Plumart]

 

[Patrick_Mucci]

Anthony,

In the sense that they encounter a more diverse challenge, I think the answer is "yes" where play is repeated.

[JNC Lyon]

I do not know if they have more fun, but low handicappers almost inherently love the game more.  Why?  Because to be low handicappers, they have to put a tremendous time and effort into practicing and playing the game.  It is no coincidence that the golfer with the record for most rounds in a year is scratch.

[Garland Bayley]

Anthony,

In the sense that they encounter a more diverse challenge, I think the answer is "yes" where play is repeated.

I think Patrick has a point here. As a skier, I am more interested in going to more ski areas, because I generally can put myself on a slope where I want to be. I can play the same course over and over again, because I seldom put myself where I want to be.