'We Often Complain About Scores In The 40s, But Five Years Ago I Scored 50 Points Off A 17 Handicap. An Exceptional Score Can Come Out Of The Blue'

Scoring in club competitions is a contentious issue among amateur golfers, particularly when the format deviates from traditional stroke play.

To further understand the views of the general golfing public, I asked a simple question in an article I posted last week... what is an acceptable winning score in a stableford competition?

One one side, there is the argument that winning a competition off a low handicap is almost impossible due to the scoring power of high-handicappers, with some questioning the effectiveness of the World Handicap System.

On the flip side, others suggest that posting exceptional scores just happens sometimes and it's not because players are cheating - so we should all accept it, congratulate and move on.

With a number of interesting takes shared on this topic, I decided to share a series of them in the hope of finally finding the solution to this on-going debate...

How Do We Solve The 'Acceptable Scoring' In Comps Debate?

My take on this is simple. We shouldn't be questioning the integrity of amateur golfers just because they occasionally post a big score and win a club competition - irrespective of their handicap index.

That, based on some of the previous comments, will certainly be an opinion many disagree with. If so, feel free to drop me a line in the comments box below... but, I'll warn you, I'll need some convincing to change my mind on this.

The point of the game is to improve, play better and ultimately enjoy the ride, so lambasting players for having a fantastic round is a slippery slope that we need to avoid.

If the system works properly, a good score will then lead to a handicap cut. If scoring doesn't continue in this vain, handicaps will increase again. That's the nature of golf, it's volatile.

Nobody cares when I post a score of 24 points in a comp, or 26 the week after, or 25 in each of the three weeks following that, but as soon as I post 41 points I shouldn't be made to feel like my integrity is being questioned.

A simple glance at previous scores, as opposed to a lazy assumption of cheating, would reveal that great rounds occasionally pop up, but very, very rarely.

The problem comes when people intentionally play the system. As my colleague Matt Cradock perfectly puts it... 'if someone's a cheat, they will cheat', so let's find a solution to that problem instead of talking about what score should or shouldn't win.

Following my article last week, I enjoyed reading through your comments and hearing your takes on how to improve the situation. But, could any of the following opinions point the way to the right answer in this particular conversation?

One of the comments that particularly resonated with me, perhaps because I completely agree with its sentiment, was left by Mark De Carteret.

"At my club, we often complain about scores in the 40s (not our own), but five years ago I had a score of 50 off a 17 handicap (a lot of pars, a few bogeys, three birdies and one double-bogey in the round).

"My handicap came in three shots at the time. Under the new system, I'm playing off 13 at that course. I didn't feel that I was playing really well, I think I was just making fewer mistakes.

"From memory, the next best score was around 40. I'm adding this comment to show that an exceptional score can come out of the blue, and when it does, enjoy it".

Good for you, Mark. Quite right too, well done.

A similar stance was taken by user 'T. Robertson', who added, "I normally score 28-38 points in a Stableford Comp off the back tees. I'm 78 and in mid summer was off 17.2 handicap.

"A few months ago in the past captain's annual comp. I scored 48 points and couldn't believe it, neither could my marker who'd never seen me play like that.

"I last had 48 points in 1990 playing off 14 handicap. Thirty five years later I am back to 14 handicap. Funny old game is golf! So having read the article, it proves that flukes do happen, but sadly not often enough".

Not every comment agreed with this perspective, however.

A user named 'Roger A' said, "I don’t bother with competitions anymore. Golf and the cheats has become tiresome, of no pleasure to me, and turned me off the handicap game completely.

"I’m a 10 handicapper - perfectly happy to play off scratch because then I know that I’ll have had to try my best against the course and someone who might be better than me, but he’ll have tried too.

"I don’t mind losing fairly, but there’s too many cheating the system, and cheating us who try to improve and get better."

Some argued that the issue is actually the protection given to the inconsistency of high-handicappers under the current system, as outlined by a user registered as 'NomadGE', who said:

"Exceptional scoring in the mid 40s can happen, but it should be the exception. I once shot 5 under the card, CONGU cut me to 4.8 and I never got anywhere near doing it again. Just one of those days.

"Club handicap committees need to get more engaged if people are regularly scoring 40+. It's not hard to go out with someone to get an idea of their standard.

"Equally, a view of their history to see where the shots are going should be good enough to spot any candidates for intervention".

There was also a very interesting suggestion made by Mick Kean, which I'd like your opinion on (you know what to do, comment in the box below).

"Points should be deducted for a non-scoring hole. No one should win with a non counter on their card. Minus 2pts for non scoring hole".

Imagine a Stableford system where double jeopardy existed on every hole. Points up for grabs for those who play the hole well and points lost for those who struggle to navigate the challenge successfully.

Perhaps thinking outside the box is the way forwards. Some clubs are already taking matters into their own hands when it comes to fixing the system, so don't be shy in coming forward with your solution to a debate the continues to rage on.