Golfers and handicap numbers

Kindly answer these simple questions to find out where you are as a golf bandit — would you rather be a renown Club champion or a regular winner or club nights and mugs and other club competitions? Would you rather be a single figure golfer, aiming at breaking 80 regularly or are you content terrorising our regular four-ball off your fake 16 handicap?

Following my article on golf cheats recently, I have received a lot of feedback from golfers who reckon that handicap manipulation is not necessarily cheating.

Let me explain — a golf handicap is not an average of your golf performance, it is actually a reflection of your potential, and that is why we often don’t play to our handicaps. You see, just like in life, the number of times we achieve our true potential and surpass the same, are rare.

When you are new to golf, you first aim, I hope, is to break 100 and get a handicap of 28 for men. The next goal is to break 90 and get a handicap of 18; now, you would expect that your next goal would be to break 80 and become a respected single handicap golfer, correct? Apparently not.

Golf is perhaps the only game where the players don’t want to play at their best handicaps; perhaps that statement doesn’t hold true for everyone, but the majority of golfers in the 12 to 20 handicap can easily play off much better handicaps. In my opinion, having been involved in golf handicap systems for years, far too many golfers unfortunately, have no desire to improve their handicaps.

So while they strive to improve their games, sharpening their skills at the range, the putting green and in friendly rounds with their fellow golf bandits, these individuals effectively cheat.

If you play off a handicap of 20 and your true potential is 15, you are cheating. It is far too easy for many golfers to ‘enjoy’ strokes they don’t deserve; however, the right and honourable thing is to strive to play off your best potential as reflected by your handicap.

And, more importantly, the rules of golf require each player to honestly report at every instance when they genuinely feel that their handicap should be lower. This group of golf cheats also includes those who play in Kenya but have their handicaps managed in other countries.

Other golfers who are handicapped in Kenya but play their golf abroad. This pattern is also common with golfers handicapped in clubs away from where they play majority of their golf. Why, you may ask, should a golfer keep his handicap in Nandi Bears or Njoro when he plays most of this golf at Muthaiga or Karen?

The answer is simple, such a golfer desires to play off a handicap much higher than their true potential.

The current handicap management system in Kenya, popularly known as the CONGU system dramatically improved handicap management in Kenya — however, over five years later, the Kenya Golf Union has been unable to link the various club handicap database systems, allowing golf cheats to continue enjoying the fruits of their evil labour.

This weekend, strive to play your best, but more importantly play your best off the correct handicap.