USGA Handicap Quiz

How well do you know what your Course Handicap means to you? Do you know, based upon that number, what you should be shooting today in order to "play to your handicap?" I have a very simple quiz for you to take, and hope this information help you better understand what your handicap means to you.

Question: Player A's course handicap is 20 from the Blue tees. The course is a par-72, the slope is 133, and the course rating is 67.7.

WHAT IS THE EXPECTED SCORE FOR PLAYER A TO "PLAY TO HIS HANDICAP?"

A. 95

B. 88

C. 92

D. 87

Answer: Before I reveal the answer, I would like to say that in my opinion this is the only negative to the USGA Handicap System. The system is VERY GOOD and can provide all players with the opportunity to level the playing field and enjoy good competition regardless of different skill levels and different tees. For example, last year I took a golf trip with my father, my brother-in-law, and a good friend and fellow professional, and all of us were players of different skill levels. Not only that, but we used three sets of tees on the different courses because of our different ablilities. After six rounds of golf, and by using the system correctly, there was only a six-shot difference in the overall NET scores between the highest and the lowest player! Quite incredible if you think about it, but the reliance on the system allowed us to compete equally.

I am sure many of you chose "C" as the correct answer. Why not? If I am a 20 HCP and the par is 72, so I should shoot a 92 (72+20=92). Right? Unfortunately, this is NOT the correct answer, yet most avid golfers I know think this is the answer. The CORRECT ANSWER is "B" or 88. We get this answer by adding the Course Handicap (20) to the Course Rating (67.7) and then rounding up (20+67.7=87.7=88).

As I mentioned above, this is what I feel is the weakness of the system, because the vast majority of players, including the PGA Pros that administer the system, do not understand this concept. I have been speaking and writing to my state golf association as well as the USGA trying to make a change here, and will continue to be a "squeaky wheel" until something is done. Another perfect example of this weakness we can all see quite easily. Next time you are at your course, look to see what your handicap displays from each tee. If I am a 20 from my regular tees, I will likely show up as a 21 from the very back tees. But do I realistically shoot only 1 stroke higher when I move back to the tips? NO WAY, but again this is the common perception of the system. When we factor Course Rating into the equation, we see the real target score and realize that our expected score SHOULD BE 4 or 5 strokes higher. Please understand I am speaking in very general terms here because all courses are different. However, the mis-conception is prevalent and I wish there were a better way.

And I think there is a better way. For those of you interested, click on this link here (Proposal) to view my letter to the USGA with a solution for the problem. I apologize in advance that the math involved may seem confusing, but this letter was directed to the people that administer the system and are thus very familiar with the formula. I plan to re-write the concept in an easier to understand version for all golfers to grab hold of.

One other note - I actively back the overall system and promote to all players the need to get an handicap index. Even if you do not belong anywhere, there are ways to get a USGA Index online. Simply go to a search engine like "Yahoo!" or "Google" and type in "USGA Handicap Index Calculator." There are both fee based and free sites out there, so if you don't have one, try to get one established. It is very easy.

I hope this helps you better understand the purpose of your Course Handicap. Please email me if you have any questions about the system, and I hope it help you understand YOUR game.

Match Play Observation

I, like many of you, watched a good bit of the Accenture Match Play. As has happened in many past years, the top seeds did not make it to the final four. There is absolutely NO QUESTION that both Davis Love III and Geoff Ogilvy are fantastic golfers, and the match was great. But even die-hard golfers like me would still rather see the fireworks of Tiger playing Vijay, Els, or Mickelson instead of what we had. But regardless of my opinion here, I think the consistency of the fact that the top stars rarely make the finals tells us something about each of them.

In order to win the match play event, one needs to win six straight matches against the top players in the world. This has obviously proven to be a difficult task, and frankly has a lot to do with good luck and timing. Ogilvy, for example, was four down to Weir on Friday only to win the final four holes and then beat him on the third playoff hole. Each of his matches except for the final one were decided in a playoff! Tournament champions have come all the way from the lowest seed in the tournament to the highest, and all places in between. In other words, the tournament is anyone's game! The champion will always play well, but HAS TO catch a few breaks at the right time.

The lesson I learn from this is that in the typical 72-hole stroke play events, the best in the world have the time to make up for loose shots here and there. If they get a little sloppy in a round, they have time to get things back in order. HOWEVER, IN 18-HOLE MATCH PLAY SITUATIONS, A POOR STRETCH MOST OFTEN EQUALS THE END OF THEIR EVENT. Just like the rest of us, the very best golfers in the world have their "ups-and-downs." The difference is that they are able to bounce back that much better!

In summary, the thing we all can learn is that THINGS HAPPEN. Our ability to accept this and deal with it enables us to recover and enjoy the game. Playing good golf means dealing with adversity. DON'T EXPECT TO HAVE PROBLEMS, BUT LEARN TO ACCEPT THEM WHEN THEY DO.

The only way to assure you get the top players to make it to the finals is to reduce the size of the field from 64 to 32 to even 16. If we do a little "fuzzy-math" and extrapolate the field down in size (based upon the tournament seedings related to the Official World Rankings), a 32-player field would have had Jim Furyk vs. Michael Campbell and an 16-player field would feature Ernie Els vs. Furyk. Either way, there is no guarantee of two titans facing off. It WILL happen some year, and I hope it does in my lifetime, but it sure proves just how deep is the talent on the PGA Tour. "These guys are good!"