What was your first handicap?

[AndyP]

I don't think there's a thread on this, and henno's journey to getting a handicap made me think of it.

What was the handicap you first were given by your club? I can say that I have never received a shot on every hole, because my first handicap (at Nambour GC) was 17.

As many of you know, my lowest since has been 9, and I now play off 11.

[adlo]

18. Highest 19, lowest 14. Have only had a handicap for a few years so no great movement there.

Currently 14.1.

[oldmannoodles]

First handicap was 21 at age 14.
Lowest - 7.
Current - 9.

[Ned]

27

[Eag's]

My first Hcp was 21 way back in 1988 :)

[goughy]

Mine was 24. Twice I think...

[Minor_Threat]

I started on 26 when I was 10..

[Scottt]

I was off 31 when I joined Windsor at age 11 or 12. Got down to 14 by the time I was 14, and when I stopped playing for a few years at 17yo I was off 10, returned to the game at 19/20 I was off 12, got down to 8 and am currently stuck at 9.

I did have a brief interlude when I left my old club in 2005, wasn't a member anywhere for 18 months and was briefly off 13 when I came back in early 2007, but I prefer not to talk about it :lol:

[LarryLong]

I started off 27 as a teenager, and stayed there for years. I was shootng low to mid 90s consistently, but I never played comp rounds because I was always playing footy or cricket. Could have burgled my way to a club championship if I'd wanted to, now that I think of it. :)

[Mayhem]

I got my first handycap about this time last year. 20 back then and have only reduced it to 19 but it is officially 18.5. An above average week will hopefully get me down to 18 this month. I hope.

[peter_rs]

Middle Ridge 23 max 27 low 13.

but I did have a social hcp before that for a year which maxed at 34.

my social hcp was down to 7.

[markTHEblake]

32

my first handicap reduction was 5 strokes when the club reduced the maximum to 27.

[razaar]

18 in 1968 at Warwick Golf Club; was renting a house with the local pro who is still the local pro. Received expert advice on poker, pontoon, the gee gees and betting on anything & everything and drinking of course. Caddied at most pro events in SE Qld and learnt new bad habits which I didn't think was possible.

[Moe Norman]

My first hcp was 10, but it was a 9 hole hcp ;)

When I switched to a new club and turned 15 I got given 20 even though my 9 hole hcp at the old club had dropped to 3. I shot 77 playing off 20 in my third comp and dropped to 5 within 6 months. Got to 3 in grade 12 (17) then didn't play golf for a few years, returned on 5 got to all-time low of 2.8 and then gave the game away for another couple of years.

Returned on 6 about 4 years ago, been down to 5 briefly and now on 8

[Tongueboy]

started on 21 in 1977 got down to 3 for a short while in 1998 and now back to 7.

[dc68]

23..... low of 3 now off 5 headed for 6 with a bullet. -12 today in a v par today. Stiff as a plank. I hate manual labour!!!!!!!!!

[simmsy]

27 at the age of 12 down to 14 when i was 14, now 18!:roll:

[Johnny Canuck]

I never had a handicap unitl I came to this country. I used to shoot in the 70s in Canada, but playing at Kennedy gave me a 13. I wasn't used to the whole links game.

Needless to say, I won the match play championship as soon as I got my handicap.

In the last 3 years I have been sitting between 3.8 and 5.6.

I am a much better golfer than I was in Canada, hands down. Although I used to shoot in the 70s, the courses were way easier. When I went home last year, I was even or under par on them while playing very average (and drunken) golf.

[dwayne]

24

and got to scratch before the kids came

[Courty]

Can't remember if I had a handicap when I went to the junior clinics. After a hiatus I rejoined as an adult member and was given a 19 handicap. From memory it didn't last very long, and I spent a long period in the mid-to-low teens. After a successful B-Grade pennants stint, my game lifted another notch and I dropped into single figures. I got as low as 5 at one point, but have probably averaged around the 7-8 mark for a couple of years now.

[idgolfguy]

26 when I got my first handicap in a WAGL club back in 2000. Didn't get down to 18 till about 3 years ago. Best was ealy this year at 10.6. Currently at 12.6. Will get down to 10 by the end of June and then 8 at the end of the year.

[Johnny Canuck]

26 when I got my first handicap in a WAGL club back in 2000. Didn't get down to 18 till about 3 years ago. Best was ealy this year at 10.6. Currently at 12.6. Will get down to 10 by the end of June and then 8 at the end of the year.

You should be off 8 already you bandit.

[haysey]

Started off 14 in 2002.

[Dotty]

27.
Five years in the 20's.
Twenty years in the 'teens', with lowest being 10 a couple of times.

[AndyP]

Started off 14 in 2002.That's a low start. Did you play a fair bit socially before getting your handicap?

[haysey]

I was a once a year player for years. Decided to get serious and played every couple of days for 12 months prior to getting my handicap.

The whole not wanting to embarrass myself thing:roll:. It took another 6 months before I got anywhere near being able to play to it:cry:

[Grunt]

Started off at 27 stayed there for quite a few years. In about 2005/2006 I finally started to play a little better dropped down to low 20's pretty quickly. After a year in the low 20's I broke through the 18 barrier to get as low as 16.
Now am off 18 more than likely be off 19 again real soon.

[Iain]

About 24 I think.....

[Sydney Hacker]

Mine was 19, in 2006 (aged 32) never bothered getting one until I gave up cricket. Currently off 9.

[Jarro]

I think i was off 17 when i got my first handicap (at Nudgee)

[BrisVegas]

17 at City GC. was off 7 a year later. my lowest has been 3 (briefly) but 4-6 when playing regularly. anchored on 8 these days.

[WBennett]

First handicap was 26 as a 17 year old. After school and work, I played all summer in daylight savings just 9 holes and 5 balls each time, but couldnt play comps. First comp I played had 48 points and was off 18 within a fortnight. Quit golf after fees went from $120pa as an 17 year old junior to $1000 as a 18 year old.

Restarted playing 5 years ago off 18, been down to 10.1, played between 10-13 for the last 4 years...

[moree golfer]

I started with 32 hcap in 2003 and have got it to my lowest ever, presently 15. Spent a fair bit of that time in and around 17-20 as it didn't take long to drop from 32 with a couple of decent rounds.

[JMT]

Joines club and recieved h'cap of 22 a couple of years ago, started playing most Sundays since cricket became Saturday only. Lowest was 10, off 11 at the moment. Little one added to the family, expect to never see 10 again.

[Fishman Dan]

Started at 26. Plateau'd for a while around 17, then 15, now 13 with a low of 12 (11.5?).

Recent plateau is because I'm not playing that often. It's only halting an upward trend!

[pt73]

Started on 22 as a junior, lowest was scratch, now on 5.

[grandmasterb]

15 as a junior the first time i joined the club and managed to get down to 10. After having to quit golf cause of back related injuries i returned 2ish years later and came back on 18.

Got down to 7 and then had to take more time off cause of my back and have now floated around 10 for the last 2ish years (lowest peak was 8 )

[Matt 3 Jab]

started on 23 as a 12 year old and want to go back!!!

[andylo]

18 in 1968 at Warwick Golf Club; was renting a house with the local pro who is still the local pro. Received expert advice on poker, pontoon, the gee gees and betting on anything & everything and drinking of course. Caddied at most pro events in SE Qld and learnt new bad habits which I didn't think was possible.

Raz, your ex-house mate is already gone. Some other bloke working in Warwick GC now.

[kobbsno10]

Still dont have a handicap :neutral:, I've been playing now for the last 4 years so it's bout time I sorted it out, probably playing aroung the 20 mark!

[sms316]

27 as a 9yo. Got out to 30 while I was 10yo. Down to scratch at 15.

I chalk it all up to supreme athletisism (and having **** all else to do in Albury).

[Ned]

Started off 14 in 2002.


That's a low start. Did you play a fair bit socially before getting your handicap?


Lots of potential and natural athletic ability!!!!!!!!!:roll:





and a shyte load of money to buy flash gear and plenty of it!!:razz:

[Julie]

45.......and guess what? Some days I can still play to it.:smt087....:lol::lol:
23 now.

[haysey]

Lots of potential and natural athletic ability!!!!!!!!!:roll:



My body is a temple:-s




and a shyte load of money to buy flash gear and plenty of it!!:razz:


Are you the pot or the kettle8)

[Ned]

Are you the pot or the kettle8)

This is a compliment coming from the Ho of all Ho's:smt038

[Courty]

My body is a temple:-s

It's almost as big as the Taj Mahal. :p

[PeteyD]

27 and the way i played today it should still be there :(

[Flowergirl]

45.......and guess what? Some days I can still play to it.:smt087....:lol::lol:
23 now.


My first handicap was the same as my age at the time. 45!!!
7 years on and I'm off 14 - was on 13 for a week - and yes - that makes me 52:shock:

And yep Julie - I know the feeling. Would love to get 8 for a 2 pointer again. ah - those were the days.:mrgreen:

[squishy]

i think it was 32, i was with a social group that played every sunday morning..

[Waddzy]

Reviving this thread , good to see people who play off singles or even low teens were once off 25+ it gives me a bit of hope... 34 was my first cap given to me end of January this year and currently off 19 now. My aim was for 20 this year.. but now looking at possibly 15 or something along those lines..

[muldude]

Not sure what it was, probably 27 but i do remember playing one of my 1st comps and having +13 and asking "is that a good score ?" i was about 14 or so.

[matty]

23 for my first cap in April 2009 at Terrigal Golf Club. Had been playing a fair bit over the previous 4 months before I got that.
Joined Ozgolf 6 months later. Off 15 by then according to Golflink.

[hocko]

25 in 1985

[peter_rs]

23 8 years ago at middle ridge monthly games
13 now at Nudgee

Shazza
24 8 years ago
14 now at Nudgee

[Ferrins]

13 and my understanding is the challenge of golf is to improve but keep the same handicap.

[timah!]

Probably 27 as a kid way back when...

[GuyIncognito]

22 ---> 23 ---> 5 <--- ten years off ---> 7 now, soon to be 8 then 3 or 4...

[Shortylook]

I got my handicap in October last year 33 and now it's officially 27 so it's heading in the right direction

[Ashes]

Started early last year with 28.6. Not surprisingly won my first comp despite playing ****.

On 18.7 now but hope to be out to 23.7 by October.

[Yossarian]

I started on 25 and also won my first comp. Good times.

[Rodent]

I was a regular social golfer but didn't join a club until the late 1990's when I was about a 30yo. First handicap was 17 but I quickly got down to 12 and occasionally 11. After many years I got down to 10 and when the handicapping system changed I was able to get down as low as 7. Currently 7.9

[Shadesy]

19 in 2010.

Now 10.

Having 2 shots a hole was fun (but wrong)

[Lagerlover]

.... being born without the tackle required to pursue my one true love.... ballet.

followed by the 100m sprint, 10m platform diving, and just for once...a role as "the daddy" in an adult movie.

[Puji]

15.3 in 2010.

6.7 now. Was anchored at 10.6 for a long time.

[BenM]

Can't remember what it was when I first started (as a junior) but probably in the 20s.

When I came back to the game seriously a bit over 2 years ago, 23.

[popper81]

27....

I had never broken 100 in comp & when i finally did I broke 90 as well.... Think I had 45 points. I was grade 7.

[mrbluu]

I'm not sure, I think it was about 17 or something like that about 15years ago. Most of the time I've been off between 10-12 occasionally dipping to single figures and as far out as 13. In the last few years it's been consistently in single figures, but recently has down to as low as 3.9, but it looks to be going back up.

[bergsey]

16, now off 19 ten + years later. I blame getting married and kids !

[Beno]

27 when I started as a kid. Got as low as 3.
They gave me 12 last time I joined. Not sure if I will have to rehandicap this time or if it hasnt been long enough. I was still an actuve member till december just gone

[AndyP]

I'm still glad that I've never had to bear the shame of being given two shots on a hole. I'll retire, if I do.

[Waddzy]

I'm still glad that I've never had to bear the shame of being given two shots on a hole. I'll retire, if I do.

We all start somewhere... I just happened to start with 2 shots on 16 holes... But I definitely needed them struggling to break 110 haha happy to almost only have a shot per hole now but and hoping to be much lower in a few years

[PerryGroves]

I'm still glad that I've never had to bear the shame of being given two shots on a hole. I'll retire, if I do.

Presumably after 34,000 posts you make a knobbish comment like this for a reason, I wouldnt have any idea what it is.

I could it it 150m flat strap at age 13 and they gave me a 24 handicap.

[AndyP]

I have expectations of my own golf game, it's nothing to do with anyone else.

[Waddzy]

I'm still glad that I've never had to bear the shame of being given two shots on a hole. I'll retire, if I do. I have broken the barrier went from 20-17 over the weekend mate. No more shaming.

[PeteyD]

bit different now too waddzy. I think you needed 5 cards in under the old system before you got a handicap.

[Hatchman]

bit different now too waddzy. I think you needed 5 cards in under the old system before you got a handicap.

I think your right in that it was 5 cards by the rules but I know a lot of clubs gave new members a handicap after 3 cards to get them out playing regular.

[AndyP]

I have broken the barrier went from 20-17 over the weekend mate. No more shaming.
Well done. You've gone from useless to crap. I'm somewhere around the bad/chopper range.

[Waddzy]

I had my first handicap given after 3 rounds , the rounds didn't even have to be in a comp .. could be played solo and no signature required.. But I guess they weren't really going to question someone handing in cards 100+. I now actually have the first 3 cards I handed in + the 9 rounds of comp golf which 4 are flagged. I think at 10 another flag comes up between 10-12.. so I will have to or under my cap to keep it there.

[PeteyD]

It is great that you have come into Crap so quickly :D

[LarryLong]

I'm still glad that I've never had to bear the shame of being given two shots on a hole. I'll retire, if I do.

Self-confidence issues kept you away from joining a club when you were learning the game? I bet you were one of those guys who practiced his dance moves in front of a mirror before going to the nightclubs too. :)

I'm proud to say I only just managed to ascend to crap, but I'm not so proud to admit that I might not stay there in the long term. Getting two shots on a hole is only shameful if you birdie it, anyway.

[LeftyHoges]

I'm still glad that I've never had to bear the shame of being given two shots on a hole. I'll retire, if I do.

I swear, sometimes I would kill to go back to the days of two shots a hole. Not much fun sometimes getting two shots per 18.

[popper81]

I swear, sometimes I would kill to go back to the days of two shots a hole. Not much fun sometimes getting two shots per 18.

I agree... soo much.

[Jackson]

Just got my first handicap, 30.
Although after my game yesterday I'm not sure its high enough!

[Boonie]

28 - Lonsdale Golf Club - 1982

[Marto65]

At 16 I was given 23 by the handicapper at Oatlands. I think I hit 4 at 18.

[JADO75]

Started out on 27 hcp eight years ago, never really played before that apart from smashing a borrowed driver at the range & three months later I was off 12 hcp. I've had about 3.5 years off during the last eight years due to broken bones from footy. Only regret is I wish I had of played golf as a young bloke

[IanO]

1982 - handicap 26 got down to 18 then kids and no golf for 15 + years
2008 - Handicap 26, now 12 and still crap. 18 is such a friendly handicap.

[Ned]

First cap at age 20, played off 27.

[Jeffo1123]

First cap January last year of 24. Currently 11.6 (low of 11.5 last week) and hoping to start to push for single figures soon!!

[3Puttpete]

First cap 29.7 at 38. Averaging 1 shot lower a month to 21.8 now. Would like to get to 18 by the time I'm a man (the littles will understand that). Given I don't practice and have had 1 lesson about 6 months ago I'm content. It is what it is.

[dhills2]

23 a few years ago. Low of 14, currently 15. Aiming for 12 by end of year.

[Pencil]

First cap at about 20, off 17 after the 5 cards went in.

[backintheswing]

First handicap was 30 when I was 11. Peaked at scratch at 16, downhill from there. 2 stretches of not playing for 10 years hasn't helped. When I started again at 28, after 10 years of not playing, I got a 9 hcp and went to 2 within the year. Also won the club champs that year.

[Tongueboy]

Started on 21 now on 8. Got to 3 and been like a submarine ever since, rising slowly!

[IamViva]

signed up at age 22 after 2 rounds of 9 holes, and was given 32 for my efforts dropped to 14. had a couple of breaks and am currently off 15 and wont move with my putting the way it is ;)

[davepuppies]

Started off 27 at age 12, got to 9 by age 15, then took it seriously and hit balls twice a day and got to 2 at 18.

Gave the game away at age 19

Took it up again at age 28, given handicap of 18, was back down to 2 within 18 months.

Have lost interest again, and drifted out to 7 I think ( has been over 6 months since I played)


Sensing a theme here! :)