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How Golf Handicaps Work

Often the beginner golfer has many questions concerning the game of golf. These questions can range from the proper swing technique, to the best way to get out of a sand trap. One of the most common areas of confusion for most golfers lead to the simple question of how do golf handicaps work?

There is little doubt why this particular question is on the mind of most players. It really is one of the most complicated parts of the game of golf. So how do golf handicaps work? In order to understand this question, it's best to look at exactly why the idea of the golf handicap came into play.

The thing to remember is that most golfers simply don't play at the same level of skill. Some one who usually has a score of 75 has a marked advantage over someone with an average score of about 82. Without allowing for a golf handicap, the game of golf wouldn't be much of a challenge for the people with better scores. A golf handicap is a way for those with a lower skill set to play at the same level.

So now that you know why a golf handicap exists, the next question to answer is exactly how do golf handicaps work? For each player, depending on their skill potential, they are given a certain number of strokes that they can take off their score, if needed. In addition, each hole on the golf course has a number of strokes that the average player should use to make it to the goal. At the end of the game, each of the golf players take their raw score, or the number of actually shots, and then subtract the number of allowed strokes to obtain their net score.

When asking the question of how do golf handicaps work, it should be noted that these handicaps are not a reflection of the actual quality of play that the golfer has during the game, but rather what his or her potential play could be. For example, there are two golfers, one thought to be within the top 50% of the players in his division, while the other considered being in the lower half. In this case, the person with that is in the lower potential bracket would have the higher number of strokes allowed. So when a person asks the question of how do golf handicaps work, it is important to determine the potential of the player. This allows for those who play beneath their potential the opportunity to get better the more games they play.

Unfortunately, for the beginning player, there really isn’t a true standard in the world of golf handicaps. Although the Professional Golf Association or PGA does supply a general one, not all clubs or golf courses are required to use it. Instead, many courses, especially private or member only ones, have their own handicap system. The general rules are the same, but the question of how do golf handicaps work is answered with different allowances per hole and stroke amounts.

In closing, determining the answer to the question of how do golf handicaps work, can lead to frustration for the beginning golfer. Instead of learning about all the details right now, the best idea is to just focus on the basics. In the game of golf, each player is allowed to deduct a certain number of strokes from their net score based on their playing potential and the difficulty of the course or hole that they are playing. At the end of the game, the scores are tallied, and the strokes taken off to obtain the net score.

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