- Moderator
- #1
I was working on something last night, but I think it's a bit of a long read. I'm going to simplify my findings so we can have a discussion on the current handicap system and how it accommodates distance gaps. This originated from discussions I've had at my home course where tournament play is anchored on the 6,553 yard tee boxes, which is a solid 500 yards beyond the average golfer Tee it Forward distance.
My opinion: While the present handicap index design is excellent for golfers playing to their tee it forward distance or shorter on courses, the ability for all golfers to move forwards and backwards in distance is flawed.
Realities:
- The Slope Rating logic uses the definitions of scratch golfers (drive the ball 250 yards) and bogey golfers (drive the ball 200 yards) to calculate a number.
- Most courses aren't going to have a slope rating variance more than 20 (125-145) between 6,000 and 7,000 yards
- The handicap system is perfectly viable when allowing two players to compete from familiar (to them) distances against one another
Case Study:
- My home course green tees (6,082 yards) have a slope/rating of 69.5/126
- My home course black tees (6,921 yards) have a slope/rating of 73.9/143
- A 13.7 index player is given 15 strokes from the green tees
- A 13.7 index player is given 17 strokes from the black tees
Tee it Forward would encourage a golfer who drives the ball 235 yards to play the green tees at my course. Assuming this golfer has established their handicap index of 13.7 from their encouraged set of tee boxes, moving to the back tees and adding nearly 900 yards to their round provides them with only two additional strokes in comparison to their regular tees.
- The distance difference is an average of 35 yards on par 3s (163 to 198), 49 yards on par 4s (119 to 169 after drive), and 47 yards on par 5s (241 to 288 after drive).
- Of the 18 holes on the golf course, this golfer would be incapable of reaching the green in regulation on four holes.
The results:
-This golfer will go from hitting short irons into every green to long irons or hybrids on many of the holes. GIR will be impossible on four holes. The gap will be much greater than the allotted two strokes
-The resulting score will be wildly out of their normal scoring average, even when factoring in the differential
My Solution:
- Incorporate a distance metric into the handicap system that allows players to define their driving ability, which in turn adjusts the slope rating to give them the appropriate number of strokes from various distances
-------Understandably, this will get contested, but at the same time, most all golfers who have a handicap also have the ability to measure their drives through rangefinders, GPS units, and shot tracking software (or free apps)
-------Safeguarding against cheating is no different than the current handicap system, where we expect golfers to be honest in their inputs - Also, peers can easily self police this number
- Promote distance learning locations on driving ranges - This includes a line of 10 flags where golfers can hit balls to acknowledge their distance and apply to their handicap (or tee it forward)
What are your thoughts?
My opinion: While the present handicap index design is excellent for golfers playing to their tee it forward distance or shorter on courses, the ability for all golfers to move forwards and backwards in distance is flawed.
Realities:
- The Slope Rating logic uses the definitions of scratch golfers (drive the ball 250 yards) and bogey golfers (drive the ball 200 yards) to calculate a number.
- Most courses aren't going to have a slope rating variance more than 20 (125-145) between 6,000 and 7,000 yards
- The handicap system is perfectly viable when allowing two players to compete from familiar (to them) distances against one another
Case Study:
- My home course green tees (6,082 yards) have a slope/rating of 69.5/126
- My home course black tees (6,921 yards) have a slope/rating of 73.9/143
- A 13.7 index player is given 15 strokes from the green tees
- A 13.7 index player is given 17 strokes from the black tees
Tee it Forward would encourage a golfer who drives the ball 235 yards to play the green tees at my course. Assuming this golfer has established their handicap index of 13.7 from their encouraged set of tee boxes, moving to the back tees and adding nearly 900 yards to their round provides them with only two additional strokes in comparison to their regular tees.
- The distance difference is an average of 35 yards on par 3s (163 to 198), 49 yards on par 4s (119 to 169 after drive), and 47 yards on par 5s (241 to 288 after drive).
- Of the 18 holes on the golf course, this golfer would be incapable of reaching the green in regulation on four holes.
The results:
-This golfer will go from hitting short irons into every green to long irons or hybrids on many of the holes. GIR will be impossible on four holes. The gap will be much greater than the allotted two strokes
-The resulting score will be wildly out of their normal scoring average, even when factoring in the differential
My Solution:
- Incorporate a distance metric into the handicap system that allows players to define their driving ability, which in turn adjusts the slope rating to give them the appropriate number of strokes from various distances
-------Understandably, this will get contested, but at the same time, most all golfers who have a handicap also have the ability to measure their drives through rangefinders, GPS units, and shot tracking software (or free apps)
-------Safeguarding against cheating is no different than the current handicap system, where we expect golfers to be honest in their inputs - Also, peers can easily self police this number
- Promote distance learning locations on driving ranges - This includes a line of 10 flags where golfers can hit balls to acknowledge their distance and apply to their handicap (or tee it forward)
What are your thoughts?