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If you do the handicap workshop on the USGA site, then you will have a better understanding.

Ask Heff, With all the cart girls he has maybe one of them knows?

none of it makes sense to me other than the harder courses part.

I used to be a golf pro that worked with Handicaps and can't tell you why with an average score of 82.8 you would have anything close to a 17 handicap?? Unless you are playing on par 68 with a really low slope and course rating that would raise the score up?? How many scores have you entered for you handicap?

I still think the BCS and USGA are working together!

The quickest answer on your question: the current handicap is just that the current handicap for that cycle based on the trend of lowest 10 scores over last 20 rounds; the average over par is the average over par since he started inputting his scores......could be over a 3 year period..........

Jesse, I don't feel singled out at all...thought it was a fun comparison. All the comments make some good points. The 17.2 is my current handicap index, down from 15.1 earlier in the season. My course handicap for Oak Mallet would be about a 16 playing the same tees. The reason the handicap seems high for the course is I have to shoot at least an 84 to stay even and I didn't always do that. I also had some much harder courses sprinkled in along the way.

Thanks for the comment on my picture. In some ways I would like to say it is my son but I'm happy to say it is my grandson.

Buck, I been playing for most of my life and can still only halfway understand how your handicap is figured. My scoring average is 82 with a handicap of 8.5. The one thing i do understand is that playing harder courses obviously means you can have a higher scoring average with a lower handicap.

No, Jesse... the USGA has people trained in rating courses... they take into account how long a course is (on the scorecard), what the effective playing length is (given normal wind conditions, et cetera), hazards, doglegs, et cetera to come up with two numbers.... a scratch rating and a bogey rating, corresponding ROUGHLY to what the average would be if it was played by people with a scratch (0) handicap and if it was played by people with about a 20 handicap. The slope is NOT to be confused with the bogey rating, it is a function of the difficulty of the bogey rating vis a vis the scratch rating. In other words, the higher the slope, the more punitive it is to a bogey golfer (as defined by the USGA) versus a scratch golfer.

Heck I dont look at that crap, I just play and enter the numbers, so who decides what course's are tougher than others? Is there 1 guy that played every course? If not how can different opinions come up with different rankings? IS THE U.S.G.A. TIED IN WITH THE B.C.S.? WE NEED A GOLF COURSE PLAYOFF! O.K. I'm off my soapbox later! LOL! Offffffffffff to get a beer!

Basically everyone is saying the same thing. His index is showing 17.2 on a course that has a par 70 and a very easy rating/slope. Your index is showing 15.1 but on a tougher course with a higher rating/slope. So you are the better golfer based on the courses played.

You play tougher courses, Jesse. Check to see the slope/rating of your courses compared to Loren's.

Looking at the courses ya'll play his slope/rating is a lot lower than yours so i would say his handicap is high cause the course is easier.

His scores show him playing a par 70 executive course. I has a much easier rating and about 1/2 of the slope of your courses. I suspect something is wrong with the calculation on his handicap. He is posting lots of 9 hole scores so that may be the culprit.

Yes, Look at my stats