What handicap settings should I use if I don't have an official world handicap

I play a lot of 9 hole rounds on a couple of courses and the occasional 18 on one course.

Up to now I've been using local play and entering '12' into the handicap settings as that is typically what I average out at when I play the local 9 hole course, e.g. the par is 27 and I usually get 39 or thereabouts, hence using 12, but I would like to make my handicap settings more accurate.

If I leave the settings on stroke play and turn off handicap, will the watch automatically calculate my handicap based on the downloaded course rating and my last 20 or so rounds there or, do I actually need to enter a number in the handicap settings, if so what should I enter there and do I need to keep changing it for each course I play on?

Just looking for guidance on best practice for those that don't have an official handicap but still like to track these things.

Thanks

Tris

Top Replies

Owen over 2 years ago in reply to Tris +1 verified

If you have played enough rounds played at a given course to know what your average score is relative to Par, you could go to the Pro Shop and look at the Course Rating table - use your score difference…

All Replies

0 8292321 over 2 years ago

You could try one of the online calculators to work out what you handicap would be

www.calculator.net/golf-handicap-calculator.html

0 Tris over 2 years ago in reply to 8292321

Thanks, that link is useful and I'll look into that - looks like one of the better HC calculators out there.

But it doesn't really tell me how this setting works in terms of tracking my score on each course.

1. Am I using the right setting, e.g. local with my HC + if I am playing a 9 hole, do I use the full HC or half the HC, OR do I use my Index with the same question, do I use half the index of my HC for a 9 hole or the full index of my HC?

2. And do I need to change this setting each time I play a different course / or variation of that course, e.g. 9 or 18?

3. Also is this setting implementing legacy handicap or the new world handicap system?

4. Finally, what is happening if I set this setting to Off?

I wish the online Garmin help / manual would expand on these settings to include these points.

0 8292321 over 2 years ago in reply to Tris

You can calculte your course handicap here - https://www.usga.org/course-handicap-calculator.html

1) I don't think it matters if you play 9 or 18 - just put in the local HC for that course.

2) As above

3) No idea

4) No idea

If you really want to know this information 100% then you would be better to pay for the iGolf app. It is only £40/year - https://englandigolf.co.uk/

0 Tris over 2 years ago in reply to 8292321

Thanks again, I'll look into the iGolf app.

0 Owen over 2 years ago in reply to Tris

If you have played enough rounds played at a given course to know what your average score is relative to Par, you could go to the Pro Shop and look at the Course Rating table - use your score difference to Par as the Course Handicap (what you call Local HC) and the table should give you World Handicap Index value - set your watch to use Handicap Scoring and use the Handicap Index you have just assessed yourself with. From that point on your watch will automatically do the adjustment for CH whenever you change courses. If you improve or get worse over a period of time you should be updating the Handicap Index on your watch - that's something those of us with official Handicap Indexes have to do each time our HI changes anyway - the watch does not keep any historical records.

0 Tris over 2 years ago in reply to Owen

Thank you, this is exactly what I was looking for!