Hi Robert, Been there, done that, even have the T shirt. There are many of us that keep an accurate handicap. We play and practice several time a week. Because of our age, or our ability, we can no longer hit the ball as far as we used to, or we never did drive well, or chip well. or putt well. I have never had the chance to play with a golfer who did all the above badly at the same time. Most low handicappers do not want to give the older players an "unfair" advantage by letting them use the forward tees, where the old guys can play close to scratch, with the scratch guy on the back tees it can be very fair even without strokes. That is why most tournaments today are flighted, so the 1-10 is noy playing against the 22-28. Handicaps do allow us to complete fairly with just about anybody from any tees. Hell Tiger gives some of his older friends strokes! He doesn't think it is unfair. Even if you are a 1 or 2 index I bet you would want strokes if you were playing against someone for money that has a -5 or -7 index. GHIN has a very good system for dealing with Tournament Sandbaggers. Tournament scores are entered with a T and they count twice. They are also listed with a T on your GHIN monthly index card. Your tournament scores are kept for one year, not just 20 rounds & dropped. If they see a pattern of low tournament scores and high regular scores, then they adjust the handicap based on the tournament scores only. They also put a big "R" beside your index to let everybody know you are a sandbagger. You are stuck with this restricted index for 2 years no matter how many rounds of golf you play. This system falls apart when the tournament does not enter the scores from all the "away" golfers. You can personally contact GHINN about a low tourny score that was not turned in by a golfer. They will request that score from the golfer or the tournament course In my younger years (early 60's) when I was a very low handicap, I played college golf, we had handicaps even back then and we were given or had to give strokes based on the index of the guy we were playing against. I never thought it was unfair, of course you have very few college sandbaggers. You are right, there is no other sport that has a handicap system like golf, except bowling, but they do compensate, softball instead of hardball, tag football, older leagues for volleyball and basketball. There is also no other sport that you can continue to play & enjoy, even after you can no longer shoot scratch golf. I suggest you save your e-mail & re-read it when you are 65, or after major knee/back surgery, or when you are no longer a scratch golfer and still want to compete with a fair handicap. George Huson ByGeorge Custom Clubs
--- On Tue, 8/4/09, Robert Devino <[email protected]> wrote: From: Robert Devino <[email protected]> Subject: Re: ShopTalk: Favorite Club for 2009 To: [email protected] Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2009, 10:32 AM How in gods name is it fair to the guy that goes out and practices 2 to three times a week that he has to give strokes to a guy that shows up at the course on tournament day with out having practiced for a month and the guy that put the work in to become a scratch golfer has to give the slacky strokes. Oh but we all can't be scratch golfers its not fair some of us are just not good enough athletes. That's true but still not a real justification for penalizing some because they are. Sincerely, Robert Devino 14252 Delano St. Van Nuys, Ca. 91401 (818) 908-1691 From: Chris Stricker <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, August 4, 2009 3:22:02 AM Subject: Re: ShopTalk: Favorite Club for 2009 #yiv222681117 DIV { MARGIN:0px;} Exactly why I don't play for money. Uptight low handicappers who think we're all equal. ----- Original Message ----- From: Robert Devino To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, August 03, 2009 11:27 PM Subject: Re: ShopTalk: Favorite Club for 2009 When you play for money, you play straight up! None of this handicap thing, you ain't playing the horses now! Sincerely, Robert Devino 14252 Delano St. Van Nuys, Ca. 91401 (818) 908-1691 From: Tom Flanagan <[email protected]> To: shoptalk <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, August 3, 2009 1:29:49 PM Subject: RE: ShopTalk: Favorite Club for 2009 #yiv222681117 .hmmessage P {margin:0px;padding:0px;}#yiv222681117 {font-size:10pt;font-family:Verdana;} Hah! One more thing that occurs to me. I absolutely hate getting hooked up in a tournament or in a money game, regardless of the size of the bet, with a guy whose handicap is calculated after a few rounds of "in the leather", 2 o.b's "gimme a double cuz that's all I can post, no rooties no divots, toss it out of a bunker cuz I can't play bunker shots". What the hell kind of a handicap can the guy possibly have. In a "count 'em all" stroke play tournament that guy is a goner, same with match play. We have guys here sporting 10's and 11's who can't break 90 if you spot them 10m strokes. Vanity handicaps galore. TFlan From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: RE: ShopTalk: Favorite Club for 2009 Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2009 12:53:56 -0400 #yiv222681117 .ExternalClass .EC_shape {} #yiv222681117 .ExternalClass p.EC_MsoNormal, #yiv222681117 .ExternalClass li.EC_MsoNormal, #yiv222681117 .ExternalClass div.EC_MsoNormal {margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:'Times New Roman', 'serif';color:black;}#yiv222681117 .ExternalClass a:link, #yiv222681117 .ExternalClass span.EC_MsoHyperlink {color:blue;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv222681117 .ExternalClass a:visited, #yiv222681117 .ExternalClass span.EC_MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv222681117 .ExternalClass p {margin-right:0in;margin-left:0in;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:'Times New Roman', 'serif';color:black;}#yiv222681117 .ExternalClass pre {margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:'Courier New';color:black;}#yiv222681117 .ExternalClass span.EC_HTMLPreformattedChar {font-family:'Consolas', 'serif';color:black;}#yiv222681117 .ExternalClass span.EC_EmailStyle20 {font-family:'Calibri', 'sans-serif';color:#1F497D;}#yiv222681117 .ExternalClass .EC_MsoChpDefault {font-size:10.0pt;}#yiv222681117 _filtered {}#yiv222681117 .ExternalClass div.EC_Section1 {} Personally I have no problem with casual or recreational golf – in fact, playing in preferred lies events, whether club or league sponsored, can be a lot of fun. I do have a BIG problem with people who can’t form 2 golf-related sentences without including their latest handicap, all the while playing with these casual rules. Saying you play to a ‘USGA’ 5 (or whatever) while ‘rolling it on the fairway’ or playing ‘in the leather’ is probably the biggest lie in golf. From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Tom and Donna Sent: Monday, August 03, 2009 4:31 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: ShopTalk: Favorite Club for 2009 Exactly what I am talking about! Thanks Tom for the reply! TM Tom Flanagan wrote: "Recreational golf" is exactly that. Willie Nelson replied, when asked what par is on his own golf course "hell, par is whatever I want it to be". Tournament, or "serious" golf is one thing, but when a group of guys who play together regularly want to allow preferred lies, 20 clubs, illegal balls or bent rules, how does that affect anyone else? It's their game. We have some "illegal" tournaments here, as do most every club at which I've been a member; "Selective Drives", string tournaments, pari-mutual betting, calcuttas, mandatory skins, "mulligans" - the list is long. Take a look at the large number of tournament formats that are played and sponsored by golf organizations. If you've never played in one you're missing some fun times. I certainly don't approve of cheating - I've been rules chairman, tournament chairman, handicap chairman, president and other offices in a few golf clubs and have always supported the rules. However, having said that, what groups of friends do among themselves during a round of golf has absolutely nothing to do with me, or anyone else for that matter. TFlan > Date: Sun, 2 Aug 2009 05:28:31 -0500 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: ShopTalk: Favorite Club for 2009 > > As a clubmaker and fitter I seldom post on the forum. I am also a player > that enjoys the game rather it is played by the rules of St. Andrews or > a Saturday morning round of laughter, competition, or a pocket change > gambling, it is still golf. Recently some of the senior players at our > club decided to it was time to abide by the gospel of St. Andrews. Gone > are the days of gimmes, best ball, inside the rubber, and just plain > fun. All at once, without notice to the membership, three or four > players, decide that Scottish Rule will rule the game in ALL play > regardless of times passed. What was once an exercise in relaxation has > become an iron fisted restriction on fun and companionship. > > With that said I totally agree and support the rules of golf in every > way when it comes to tournament play. The rules were established so > that the game could retain its integrity through time and sustain its > social following. However there is still room on the course for the > guys that load up on beer and disturb players two fairways away. It is > a game and it will always be just a game so why not let there be room > for just a good time. Tournament play is different and should be > treated that way. The rules of golf are simple, just like another set > of rules for living, not to many to learn, not to many to follow. The > problem is that folks try every way imaginable to bend them for their > own purpose. Just watch a player on TV try to get away with ball > placement during a tournament. > > There are very few postings on this forum that I don't read. I save the > ones that I can learn from and even pass on to others the lessons I > learn from. Keep up the postings gentlemen, you are my teacher. > > Tom Mason > > Marcello Franchi wrote: > > Tom, > > If my email sent a message like I was in any way offended by your > > statements, it was away from my intent and I apologize for that. > > English is not my mother tongue, and probably the tone of my email > > came out harder than I wanted. > > > > Sorry for that and ciao, > > Marcello > > -- > Shoptalk ** Sponsored by the new Aldila Voodoo. > Learn more at http://aldilavoodoo.com/ Get your vacation photos on your phone! Click here. -- Tom Mason Class of 1960 SDI 7-28-2001 Get free photo software from Windows Live Click here.
