OT - Do handicaps travel fairly?

[Wayne_Kozun]

One thing that has kind of been alluded to in this thread is that there does appear to be a home course advantage.  So should there be an adjustment for a home round vs an away round?  Or kind of home or away adjustment analogous to the tournament adjustment?  Or is the answer "suck it up, buttercap and play more away rounds".

[Wayne_Kozun]

I'm suggesting that, for instance,  a 15 index player from a low slope course is a much less skilled player than a 15 index player from a high slope course.

This could be tested very easily, could it not?  Create cohorts of 15 index players from high slope and low slope courses.  Then track their scores at other courses and see if they play to their handicaps.

[Ken Moum]

Wayne, I'm more than okay with a home-course advantage.


And I agree that players who never travel get their just desserts.


As long as the system does what it purports to do.

[Ken Moum]

I'm suggesting that, for instance,  a 15 index player from a low slope course is a much less skilled player than a 15 index player from a high slope course.

This could be tested very easily, could it not?  Create cohorts of 15 index players from high slope and low slope courses.  Then track their scores at other courses and see if they play to their handicaps.

Of course it could. The people who have the data just need to see a problem,  which h they appear not to.

[A.G._Crockett]

I'm suggesting that, for instance,  a 15 index player from a low slope course is a much less skilled player than a 15 index player from a high slope course.

This could be tested very easily, could it not?  Create cohorts of 15 index players from high slope and low slope courses.  Then track their scores at other courses and see if they play to their handicaps.

First of all, neither group will play to their handicaps but once every 4 or 5 rounds, regardless of the slope.  If they did, that wouldn’t be their index anymore.  One round is a very small part of the picture.




Secondly, to have a meaningful test, players would have to play at least 20 rounds at each course with very different slopes, and that’s putting aside questions of weather and course conditions.  While I’m sure there are guys out there who play 20 rounds per year at one away course, I don’t think I know any; I certainly don’t, and I play a TON of rounds per year.  How exactly would you get a cohort of guys at a low slope course to play 20 rounds at a high slope course, and vice versa? 

[A.G._Crockett]

I'm suggesting that, for instance,  a 15 index player from a low slope course is a much less skilled player than a 15 index player from a high slope course.

This could be tested very easily, could it not?  Create cohorts of 15 index players from high slope and low slope courses.  Then track their scores at other courses and see if they play to their handicaps.

Of course it could. The people who have the data just need to see a problem,  which h they appear not to.

You assume there is a problem.  I don’t believe that is the case at all.

[John Kavanaugh]

Perhaps they know that no matter the system there will be cheaters, whiners and losers. The winners don’t care either way. That’s why they speak in cartoon talk.

[Sean_A]

I'm suggesting that, for instance,  a 15 index player from a low slope course is a much less skilled player than a 15 index player from a high slope course.

This could be tested very easily, could it not?  Create cohorts of 15 index players from high slope and low slope courses.  Then track their scores at other courses and see if they play to their handicaps.

Of course it could. The people who have the data just need to see a problem,  which h they appear not to.

You assume there is a problem.  I don’t believe that is the case at all.

You have already stated that guys who play it down and by the rules have an advantage because their handicap is accurate. Once we allow less than comp scores to be used, the accuracy goes down. I see this as a problem. Sure, its easily written off by the powers that be because they are more interested in a numbers game than properly accurate handicaps. Its a trade off to appease the Americans. A secondary problem is that the system isn't applied the same way in all countries. It isn't a true world wide system...which was a main excuse to overhaul the UK system.


Ciao

[John Kavanaugh]

The greatest challenge to any amateur golfer is to accept defeat without believing he was cheated. The Trump syndrome.