New-York tribune., 1911-12-17
GOLF HANDICAP PROBLEM
PLAYERS Praise Stand Taken by
metropolitan Association.
cALKINS FOR UNIFORMITY
pesolution and Plea for Par Dis
tances and Half Stroke To
Be offered U. S. G. A.

Be offered U. S. G. A.
1fero IS a general feeling among follow
avs golf that tho Metropolitan Golf As
,osatloh is deserving Of praise for the
s,snd it took in the question OF handicap
,,nr At the annual meeting at Shorry's the
e,ser night. Leighton Calkins the man
,-so does things showed beyond doubt that
.hs half stroke was preferable. but. at the
came time. in the interest Of uniformity. he
,,ged 10 have the fraction eliminated.
,tsrebv making tho system exactly the
,aJne as that adopted by the United states
,of Association.
..N&nv arguments pro and CON followed,
s,d among those who took tho floor were
ynals,e : Douglas James L. Taylor. John
p,a. u. =. T.. Erickson. \. H. PogSon.
WYATT Is. Taylor Joseph NJ Byrne and Z.
Wheeler the associations president.
FINALLY. the resolution introduced by CAL
Tins wss adopted after slight amend
,srt I'm other words. the fate of the
r.sc,ion uiIl depend upon the wishes Of the
,arert body If the United states Golf As
.arcre>~ 10 have both systems identical
,bsn the half stroke will become Thing of
,se mast ON the other hand. should the
r-nite3 states Golf Association reply that
sgct sction is unnecessary. then the Metro
,,o1}sn Golf Association system will remain
astiS.
TIE handicap problem was explained
,oAs, clearly by Calkins in his remarks
r-ior t5 tho introducing Of the resolution,
- follows.
# am going TO offer resolution for the
.3ortiou of tho United States Golf Associa-
,ion par distances FOR our handicapping
sut I want first 10 explain the purpose OF
ybA half stroke. which we have found &C
Useful al, this Is not generally understood
d, some sections Of the country, and fol-
rsjs reason only the parent association has
ds.s6ed not 10 use the half stroke. The
J.sraA Sates Golf Association has adopted
iSe Metropolitan system Of handicappin2
On 4ha -hs sis Of par, including the handicaI
table and substantially the same form OF
report. The only difference of any impor'
,ancc IS In relation 10 the half stroke. lr
The par table of distances. and ! am sure
tho United States Golf Association will not
hesitate 10 adopt that feature when IT be-
comes convinced Of the benefits TO be de-
rived from II.
when the Western Golf Association dis
,ardcd the half stroke Il was on the
ground that a hole can't be made IN trac-
.ioral figures. This shows a queer failure
TO understand the purpose OF the nan
,rokr II is not intended 10 appear on
score cards 1t is used only to hsure OUT
rs accurately as possible total par lot
eighteen holes, in fun recognition OF the
fact that many holes are easy or nara
holes at o. or .. Il should not be sup
rosed that true par can ever be arrived
=, bv -ardace alone. A par table OF dls-
tsres. a. only used for a preliminary esu-
mate. such a table is Of no especial value
st prominent clubs. with prominent play
ers amateur or professional, or both. Even
risvers of only moderate skill who know
class colf when they see u. can hgure out
tho mar OF any course by playing over
10 a few times. without assistance from
snv card Of distances. The table IS
offered merely as an aid to minor cIuos
OF gu'. prominence or knoWledee OF
fle game We direct them first TO esti-
mate trc total par by yardagc, and then
mako allowance for ground confgurauon'
.,los vr and down hill. narrow fairway,
rs-co green's and small severity Of hazaros'
e,.. II is solely because the HcNpcrlenCeu
bsndicsrusr is rather helpless IN mahihs
these allowances properly that We nave
offered him tho half strokes as Culdc ana
help
AS distances arc used only for an esu-
mated total par based on yardage alone
il is clear that the closer this mathematics
or arbitrary ,urdaGc estimate can be mace
10 approach the proper par the less thefe
will ne To- do by way Of allowances. Ihe
half stroke serves as a guide TO the mex
rerer,od handicapper in making these al
lovsrce, He knows that this final total
psr should be very close 90 the ydrdase
iar ard hc fixes par at the several holes
dronpus half I'll stroke on an easy hole
and adding one al a difficult hole. with
this u view. while making his allowances.
As the exception often proves the rule
! can illustrate the point by IN extreme
case Suppose three courses. At one, each
hole is - yards long and the total length
is ''ts Yards BY The NJ. c. \. table each
.'' N'I'A nav. N CO... ittif GNU '''~
par (Which is tho only thing wanted for
media Haujicapl is &C, which is approXi-
matelv correct BY the L. > g. A. table
each hole would uo par {, and the total par
would Do q. Suppose on another course
every hole We're - Yards long The total
length would De 800 yards. The L. 5. G.
s par would s.ul ho r. q for each holel.
although this course is nearly twice as long
a. the first The NJ c. y. par would be-
o. Or 90. for each hole. This, again. would
10 about rieht suppose third course and
each hole Vco i-f yards long. The total
.'ngti would hc 1895 yards, eighteen yards
longer than course No. e. but the l.. s.
G. 4 Par would hc for each hole, o. -.
The ~ g.. g. par would De 81, approNi-
ustdy correct
The Metropolitan Golf Association dis
I1nees always bring you Out very close 10
W' proper u1U Tho United States Golf As
tycauYn distances may do so. but may not
H. iner' aIe many holes with bad distances
iH'ielore, the Inexperienced handlcappcr
has safer guide from preliminary csti-
'ele hCured from fractions.
N'Ntfihrie-e We cannot AFFORD 10 stand IN
v' Way M general uniformity which Is
tJIt important than anything else. We
nave been preaching II for years and have
~ 0l' Metropolitan Gof Association sys-
V adopted bN many minor local dssOCi-
s.ons ana uy hundreds Of Individual clubs
.oi 9lD handIcaUpInC IN this country, and
zen Ih Canada and Great Britain. Vh"
,Mep states Golf Association has adopted
r." e'FIfW. and Wr cannot afford 60 be
=, eii- in our backing The half stroke
N" pseiNI. is NOT absolutely essential. as
nam purpose is 80 afOrd a substitute
,yI ,I Naa work W. can rol> ON the United
'''l'N FoIf Association 10 adopt 10 as soon