Let's Talk About Handicaps ...

After last Friday's event, and recent rounds, the new handicaps (on the old system) are:

Charlie 18
David 36
Harry 14
Kevin 15
Malcolm 22
Mike 16
Richard 15

However, if we can compare this to the CONGU handicaps which I have calculated, for most of us, as follows:

Charlie 16.0
David 28.5
Kevin 14.3
Malcolm 21.1
Mike 15.2
Richard 13.7

Sorry, I haven't worked out Harry's yet, but as you can see there are some differences. Roughly speaking, if we had used this system last week, Charlie and Mike would have both scored 2 fewer points, I would have scored 2 more and David would have scored 7 points less. Malcolm and Richard would have been unchanged.

The benefit of the CONGU is that it is very precise, and Mike would have seen his handicap collapse from 17.9 at the end of May to 15.2 now.

Thoughts?

Summer Top Dog

There was a full complement of golfers stepping out onto the first tee at Tiverton Golf Club last week. And what a magnificent group they looked, dressed in their finery.

The 'better' three ball led off with Richard immediately losing his ball in the long grass. At the turn, scores were close with a 44 and two 46s posted. Meanwhile, bringing up the rear, Charlie and Mike were battling it out for bragging rights, both shooting 43. Given that the event was actually a stableford, it is probably more interesting to know that the point scores after nine holes were Charlie 21, Mike 20, Kevin and David with 16, Harry and Richard on 15, and Malcolm on 12.

The back nine saw Mike maintain his recent consistency with a score of 42 and 21 points, just beating Charlie's 43 and 19 points. Final scores were

Mike 41 (84, 5 pars and a birdie)
Charlie 40 (86, 6 pars and a birdie))
Harry 34 (87, 7 pars)
Kevin 34 (87, 8 pars)
Richard 30 (91, 6 pars)
David 29 (115, 1 par)
Malcolm 29 (98, 2 pars)


So, Mike now has his name on the trophy twice as Top Dog. Meanwhile, the handicap debate heats up .... to be saved for another posting at a later date.

As for prizes, Mike walked away with Bolly, the long drive and the trophy; Malcolm won two shirts and a pair of trousers; Richard the bunker trousers; and Harry the nearest the pin on the twelth. Congratulations to one and all.

Sun Shone, golf didn't

Malcolm and I set off in glorious sunshine. The course was deserted and there was not a puff of wind in the air. Everthing was perfect for a low score.

It didn't happen. Poor putting and poor chipping put paid to any prospect of a decent outcome but I hit a glorious second on the 8th (my last good shot of the round) and Malcolm hit two pars on the 1st and 17th. My only par was on the 6th, the most difficult hole.

Final scores: Malcolm 97 (31 points), Kevin 95 (28 points and the trousers).

So, Malcolm was happy with the loss of the trousers and the prosepect of an improved round tomorrow against Richard. The question is, though, will they be using the old handicap system (Malcolm 21, Richard 16) or the controversial new one proposed (Malcolm 21, Richard 13)?