New-York tribune., 1911-12-17

this years committee met with the usual
difficulty in obtaining reports. and We again
make tie request for tho hcnc1t Of ncNtI
Years committee. that all clubs In the as-
SocEdior send i'm their reports prompui
and thus tighten the labors Of the handicap
committee.
In rating the PLAYERS ON the 1871 hsndi-
cap list the committee followed the plan
which has now been in operation for five
years of rating players up 10 and iuclu"-
ing nine strokes only; and as this plan
has proved 80 much more successful tina
the old plan of hardicappng all playe:s
up to eighteen strokes. inclusive. We rec
ommend the continuation OF the present
mcthod In order that this plan may he
/ made SeryiCeahle, however, clubs giNin-
tournaments should always print the hardl-
cap rule on their programmes. ~ ma
ter Of fact most Of the clubs giving handi-
cap tournaments during the last season
did follow this recommenda ton OF the con-
mittco and printed thc rule on their pro
SrammcS This handicap rule requires let
t'rS regarding the unIated PLAYERS; IT -
printed IN fun at the foot Cf the handicap
list.
The handicap list was issued on April
/ !. 1871. II contained 80 names. arranged
alphabetically ard in groups and In pre-
pairing it Ne haG TO consider about III"
names
Although the committee requested in
note at the foot cf the handcap list. that
| clubs report voluntarily throughout Inc
season whenever player shows permanent
! lmnl oNemcnt III form this season not
single club so reported.
From the manner I'm which some Of the
reports were prepared for our use by lotdi
committees IT is evident that two or three
clubs are still basinc their handicaps Tor
their Saturday and holiday competitions on
! boeie or on a scratch" man. II these
| clubs would base such handicdps on paT
| ii would simplify their work when making
their reports To the associations handicap
committee. and would also tend to make
doubt he a convenience To their members
when visiting other courses, a. all but
| few clubs I'm this district now handicap on
| the basis Of par.
/ During the season there were fifteen
/ handicap tournaments held with net scores
as follows: Vt two tournaments the net
scores were exactly at par, at three toWna-
nicutS the net scores We're one stroke over
\ par, at four tournaments the net scores
! were two strokes over par. at one tourna-
mcnt tho net score was seven strokes over
/ were two strokes under par. al one tourna-
ment the net score was four strokes under
| par, and at one tournament the net score
was seven strokes under par.
.AS will he seen from the foregoing. six OF
/ the fifteen tournaments won with net scores
under par. but one only Of these six tourna-
| mentS was won with a handicap assigned
! by the NJ. G. A. handicap committee, that
/ being Won with a net score two strokes
| under par. In all the other cases of tour
| hdments won under pai-three at two
strokes under, one at four strokes under
and one at seven strokes under-thc haDdi-
| caps were assigned 10y the local commit
| tees and the association committee cannot
/ assume any responsibility. The handicap
won four strokes under par and that won
seven strokes under par We're won by mem
bers OF the respective clubs giving thosr
! tournaments. but il the local committee
/ had followed the recommendation made at
| the foot of the handicap list wherein the
association committee suggests that II
! should he the aim of local committees TO
safeguard the chances Of visiting players,
/ IL Is hardly likely that either of those tour
/ naments would have been won with any such
/ low scores. In the tournament won two
strokes under par by competitor who was
only rated on the printed list we find that
/ this player had shown marked Improvement
/ in form before this particular tournament
was held and had his club notified the
/ committee To that effect. as all are re-
Quested TO. his handicap would probably
( have been reduced about two strokes.
/ We find that the "Calkin's System of
! handicapping, adopted by the Metropolitan
! Golf Association seven years ago, is now
invariably used in this district i'm handi-
Gaping tournaments not held under the
auspices of the association and that the net
scores arrived al I'm these special tourna-
ments during the season We're very satis-
factory. In the cases Of the more impor-
tant Of these tournaments we noticed that
one was won with a net score Just under
par two were won with net scores over
par and one was with a net score exactly
at par. In this latter case IL is interesting
to note that there were four ties at u. the
par Of the course over which this partic-
ular tournament was held
We notice that the United states COLI
Association has adopted the par system OF
handicapping and substantially the Metro
politan Golf Association form of report
While they have not adopted the halt
stroke in the table Of par distances this
will not affect the leading Clubs. and per-
haps they will find il helpful another year
to include the half stroke. in order 10 get
better returns from the minor clubs which
are hess familiar with par.
The expenses Of the committee amounted
10 SPA * as shown by the treaSurers re-
port The committee held frequent meet
ings during the earlier months Of the year
to pass on the reports and determine the
ratings. etc. and throughout the year has
attended 10 a great many matters, routine
corresnoudence. etc. Full records have been
kept of The doings Of the committee during
the season and all reports, papers, etc. are