Conference 7.286::golf

2073.0. "Where do you want your strokes?" by SLICER::ROD (Paradise Awaits!) Wed Mar 20 1996 09:27

    In note 2071.1, the following is part of a discussion on betting:
    
    >that many strokes to the player with a higher handicap. In match play these 
    >number of strokes are used in the holes with higher degree of difficulty, as 
    >defined in the score card (The hole listed with handicap 1 is the most 
    >difficult hole and the 18 is the easiest). So in your example a 6 will give a 
    
    A few years ago (July '85), an article appeared in Golf Digest
    discussing how handicap numbers were assigned to holes.  Historical
    wisdom assigned them by difficulty, most difficult being #1.  The
    article suggested that handicap should be assigned by need.  In other
    words, the #1 hole should be the hole where the higher handicap player
    most needs the stroke to halve the hole with a lower handicap player.
    
    For purposes of calculation, the article suggested that a high handicap
    player is ~18 and above, and a low handicap player is ~9 or less.  The
    average scores for each group are calculated, and the hole with the
    largest differential should be the #1 handicap hole.  
    
    By way of an example, for many years, our #1 handicap hole was a 
    par 3, 200 yd hole.  After calculating average scores, it indeed
    was the most difficult for the low handicapper (+.7).  For the 
    higher handicapper, it ranked about 12th (+1.33).  The differential
    (.63) was actually one of the two lowest.  The hole was difficult
    for everyone, but not necessarily where one should get a stroke.
    The handicap committee understood the concepts, but argued long and
    hard about this hole.  In the end, it was relegated to #16.
    
    In general, the article suggested that the lower handicap holes be
    par 5's, followed by long par 4's, then par 4's and lastly par 3's.
    Our calculations over many years have shown this to be true.  Some 
    other concepts also state that strokes should be received earlier
    in a match rather than later (you wouldn't want 9 or 18 to be your
    #1 or #2 holes).   
    
    The USGA once provided a service called Stroke Hole Allocation by Need,
    where it would do the calculations for you.  I developed a program
    that also does it.  We've used it about 4 times in the last 10 years,
    and it never fails to produce a lively discussion.
    
    What are your thoughts?  Where do you want your strokes?
    
    One last thought, as long as betting was the original topic, the
    proper way to apply handicap, is to play off of the lowest handicap.
    That is, you subtract the lowest handicap of the group doing the 
    betting from everyone else's handicap, and then each player takes
    the strokes where they fall.
    
    
    Rod Rehor
    Minneapolis Sales Support
    

Rod,

Your method (or GD for that matter) seems to be equitable, and I would say 
if there is way to manage this, I would prefer it to a fixed ranking of 
difficulty.

Nevertheless, if I understood correctly, it seems to me that this method may 
require to keep track of scores of particular set of players in order to 
calculate each hole's handicap. Is that correct? Which may then not be 
accurate another groups. To have to calculate each time may not be 
practical. Did I understand correctly?

BTW, What guidelines does the USGA have to establish current hole's 
handicap?

    >Nevertheless, if I understood correctly, it seems to me that this method may 
    >require to keep track of scores of particular set of players in order to 
    >calculate each hole's handicap. Is that correct? Which may then not be 
    >accurate another groups. To have to calculate each time may not be 
    >practical. Did I understand correctly?
    
    The USGA recommends collecting about 300 scorecards from each group
    (low handicappers, high handicappers).  For our club we used scorecards
    from tournaments, men's league, and regular Saturday groups.   We
    collected these over a summer.  Statistically, once you get over a 100
    or 200 scores, the averages don't change very much. It really doesn't
    matter "who" they are, as long as they have an established individual
    handicap.  That puts them into one group or the other. 
    
    >BTW, What guidelines does the USGA have to establish current hole's 
    >handicap?
    
    Other than the Stroke Hole Allocation by Need method recommended by the
    USGA, the handicap assignment for each hole is left completely up to
    the local course (usually the handicap committee) to determine.