Would you rather win some silverware in 2022 or get your handicap down?

Handicap cut

This is an easy debate for me as I’ve never been motivated by trophies. These are not the bitter words of someone who never won much, either, for my 40-odd years of playing haven’t left me entirely empty-handed.

My issue is golf’s handicap system. I’ve never been good enough to seriously contend in scratch competitions – trophies would no doubt have interested me more had I been.

But any trophy in a handicap competition is ultimately only won because of golf’s great neutralising system that stops the best players winning everything. Handicaps are, of course, essential for competitive golf at club level, but it just adds a slightly hollow edge to any victory for me – I only won because I played better than my handicap.

All that’s ever really motivated me is trying to get my handicap as low as possible and achieving something against the odds of a distinctly average swing. Reaching category one then staying there gave me a real feeling of satisfaction and over-achievement.

Now, having been slightly hamstrung by a flattering initial WHS index of 4.1, things are predictably going in the wrong direction as age, a dodgy back and a putting stroke that isn’t quite what it was hamper me more than

I’d care to admit.

But I haven’t given up. The day I do may well be the day my interest in golf begins to wane. Yes, there have been some poor rounds recently, but I have played to handicap in a couple of social rounds where, predictably, I didn’t put in a card! There are lots of good shots in there still, but too many poor ones to score.

But I still believe I can do it, and that is my overriding goal for 2022 – to put at least one card in that sees my handicap heading down rather than up.

Win silverware

The World Handicap System has changed the dynamics on this debate for me. Under the old system, my competitive objective was very much to have my handicap as low as possible. Chipping away at it, avoiding 0.1 increases – that got me out playing the medal every Saturday.

Now, the number beside my name on the club listing is not of such imperative concern. The reason being: it can change far more easily under WHS. It’s still a matter of pride to be as low as possible, but I now know, if I have a nice run of form midseason, I can get my handicap index down quickly. It’s far less daunting.

One reason I’d like to get my hands on some silverware in 2022 is, quite simply, because I haven’t done so for years. I’d like to win something, to be invited to a prizegiving, to fill a trophy with noxious fluids and raise it in celebration with fellow winners. I’d also like to win something to prove to myself and to those I’ve sought to convince over the last couple of years that WHS works.

Last season it seemed the system was still bedding in. Comps were often won by rogue scores from players whose handicaps had not been fully re-set by WHS; by players without sufficient recent scores to properly reflect their current level of play.

I’m hopeful this season more will have begun to enter general play scores and posted enough counting rounds for WHS to work as intended, and that each player’s index will be representative of their ability on any given medal day. When that’s the case, we should all be on a very level playing field in each competition we enter. To win some silverware under those circumstances would be highly satisfying and I’d like to do it.