Regarding the purpose of handicapping, equitable vs. better chance, here's my question to the USGA:
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Rules of Handicapping, Rule 1.1, says (in part) that the system's "purpose is to enhance the enjoyment of the game of golf and to give as many golfers as possible the opportunity to . . . compete, or play a casual round, with anyone else on a fair and equitable basis."
This is vague. Three words stand out: "opportunity," "fair" and "equitable." In general, how do you mean these words in the context of this statement of purpose? Specifically, are the rules intended to give a 20 handicapper an equal opportunity to beat a 4 handicapper in any given match? Stated another way, would you expect that in 100 handicapped matches between the 4 and the 20 to come out 50 for one and 50 for the other, or close to it?
It seems to me that given the mathematical basis of the system there should be a mathematical answer. I recall reading that in a handicapped match of the kind I have described, over the long term the lower handicap player will come out ahead more often than not. I've done a little research on the web just now, but haven't been able to find a clear answer.
To simplify things, consider a two-ball 18 hole match at full handicaps, so that in the example I give above the 4 would give 16 strokes to the 20.
Thanks for any help you can give me.
Here's the USGA answer from Cindy, which I consider to be nonresponsive:
Carl, The World Handicap System does provide the most equitable process for players to compete against each other across the entire handicap spectrum. There are recommended allowances (percentage of a Course Handicap) that should be used in certain formats of play - see Appendix C of the Rules of Handicapping. See also the following FAQ posted on this topic on USGA.org:
Handicap Competitions Q. What are handicap allowances and why are they recommended for various formats of play?
A. A handicap allowance is the percentage of a Course Handicap™ recommended to create equity based on the format of play. Since higher-handicap players typically have more variance in their scores and an increased potential to shoot lower net scores, when full Course Handicaps are used in certain formats, players with lower Course Handicaps are generally at a disadvantage. By taking a percentage of Course Handicap, the higher handicap players are impacted more, which brings the expected scores for all players or teams to a more consistent level. Handicap allowances are mainly applied in team formats, where the combination of players can produce lower scores compared to other teams. Millions of scores and/or simulations were used to determine and validate the handicap allowances used under the WHS™, and the recommendations for each format of play can be found (Appendix C, Rules of Handicapping) Best, Cindy
End of story for me.