The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-08
new GOLF HANDICAP SYSTEM.
SECRETARIES OF METROPOLITiN
CLtBS MIST STtDY 1T UP.
Leighton Calkins Has Figured out the Plan
1t WIN Simplify the Ratings and
Make Them More EquItable-IIow
the Method fIlts Low and High Scores.

Leighton Calkins. chairman Of the handicap
! committee OF the METROPOLITAN Golf Assocla-
/ ton. VIII send out to-day to all clubs in mem
/ bership the handicap sheets upon which to
report the handicaps of their players The
/ lists must be sent in by April l. Every club
Is required 10 base It's handlcaps on par to be
ascertained according to the Official distances.
For example. the par OF holes up to 200 yards
In length Is 2. the par Of holes from 20l TO $50
yards in length sS's from PSI TO 375 yards Il is
4 from $40 TO $50 yards, a.. from i5i 70 500
yards. from sol to $50 yards. ~, and for
longer holes 1t is six strokes Then adding
up the par for each hole gives the total par
for the links
Having ascertaned the par for the links
the next step IL to determine the handicaps
OF all members Of the club based on par The
method Of doing this up to the present time
has been 10 take the exact difference between
the average of a players three best scores
and the par for the course II the par ia IS
and the average OF players three best scores
was Is, he was put at scratch, II his average
was9O he received handicap Of Is.
Mr. Calkins has devised new system OF
determining handicap. which is quite a change
from the above and will be tried this year for
the first time Regarding the theory OF his
system Mr.. Calkns said
The principal feature OF this system Is
that not only is the good player handicapped
because he IL q good player but the bad
player IL also handicapped because be Is
bad player. The reason is this The object
OF handle Gaping is 10 put all players on the
same level. and II an allowance OF n certain
number OF strokes Is to be made TO the less
well. some allowance ought TO be made to
the more shlful PLAYER because he cannot
simply taking the exact difference between
the par and the average OF players
three best scores takes into consideration
only the advantage held by, the good player.
namely his superior skill. II oyerlookS
the advantage held by the bad player. namely
n greater possibility OF Improvement. Theo-
retcaly club handicap list should so be
made up that each player has as good chance
to win as any other but no better. whenever
be readJusted daily IL is evident that the
chances will not really be euual2ed unless
some measure ~ taken OF TelauVe prooh-
well proved by actual results in handicap
events that the scratch player and the PLAYER
with low handicap has not. under the usual
methods OF handicapping as good a chance
II Is believed that this seystem tends 10 make I
the chances OF all PLAYERS more nearly equal
IL viii be seen that instead OF taking tho /
exact difference between par ana the average !
difference is TO represent the handicap only |
for scrat oh men and men with very low handl- !
caps \ man whose average OF three DIST |
of instead Of (which would bo the exact /
difference between so and par 49, because /
one stroke is fair and equitable measure
of bis chances of Improvement az compared |
with a man whose average Of three best
scores IS q and who Is put at scratch;
down from the exact difference between
man is reached who has an average Of o.
he win be given handicap OF FIVE strokes less
nan the difference between his average and
par In other words instead Of receiving
4 handicap Of -. his handicap viii he H. One
has only 10 consider that II this player. whose
average hest score is p7ro-day should play I
fnr "a he mi .
fhnt average by five strokes namely. bring
II down to %. and in the meantime the scratch
man would certainly have very difficult
IAsk In endeavoring TO ollt his average best
score down from 70 to 70i
Ii is this advantage which the poor player
has over the good player which IS taken into
recount according to Mr.. Calkinss system.
By the old method the only advantage con-
,idered was the good players advantage.
namely his superior skill. THIS new plan
or determining handbags Tor the NJ q. A
Committee necessitates no more actual work
or the club handicapper for by the old
)lHn he had TO first ascertain each players
1est score AVERAGE and then subtract par
Jew system he viii have no subtracting
o do. one glance at the handicap table
vii show the proper handicap for each player
The clubs are instructed how 10 prepare an
,hiciai handicap "a BILE.
Each club viii later In the month be re-
luired to state whether lis handlcaps have
,een returned in accordance with this system.
nd II not, the u. e. A. handicap committee
VII revise the list. so as TO bring nll clubs
lbsIflN hilufI ihf ntn tAlNhs WI NtlhAllH
: also chairman Of the New Jersey State
iolf Association handicap committee. and
he same system Is to be used in handlcappng
IS players.
PALM BEACH, Fla. March The profess
ional championship OF south Florida was
layed to-day. amateurs also playing.
hey taking the amount In silver plate
'irst prize. s2On. was Won by George Low
the Baltusrol Golf Club: second prize.
100. by A. II Fem. Palm Beach Golf Club;
bird prize. $50. by Willie Anderson. Apa-
'amis Golf club; fourth prize. $40 By G. |
Cory. amateur fifth and sixth prizes. by j.
orde St Augustine Golf Club and Paul
amateur. Tho scores:
George Low. lso: A. II. Penn. 1876 Willie Ander
IN. lisa, { y Cory, 49, i. Porto, l4s Paul Water
nm. its walter Fovargue, liS. Bernard Nichols.
2: l. a. Hamilton. 1879 John c. Bell. 1853. !. u.
cElwee. 1884, 4. T. Huston, l56 \ II Rev-l l@. ,
ne Mitchell. i57. II r. Rca. i57. T. lockwood.
~ L.. a. Ferguson. i08 {. A. Proctor ~ = Cluet,
10: c. b. Price. III. 4. W. Black. lIs r. y Fish $50
rAIn.c -, nm C.r L. L,