The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-07

/
| would he the same.
| N he We're not a
member OF his han touN a ,NnrpSoS
d cap committee.
| The reason with him il that he knows
what his rating Is to be from the start
1t does not seem strange TO have those
who are within one or two OF scratch.
or even the golfers who wish 10 have a
chance to play in the amateur cham
pionship. frcttng about the marks given
them. hut the most OF tho trouble comes
from the men VINO are In the twelve TO
eighteen class. These golfers, and their
number is legion. base their handicapping
on match play rounds which they have
with others who are near them In handi-
cap. either above or below, and when
the list is posted and they find that
they are on an equality with men they
have been defeating they register pro-
test. And it sometimes happens, too,
that the man who is beaten does not
refrain from protesting.
The golfers have just described forget
almost to man that the handcappers
base their conclusions almost wholly on
what is don" in actual medal play. or
binary matches rarely furnish enough in
formation TO the committee for them 90
feel assured in changing handicaps after
this manner, and In addition the extra
good score which player may make
may happen but once IN = season and
should not he. nor is II, taken into ac-
count.
There is remedy however. for even
this class OF good naturci grumblors
| would suggest that IN the clubhouse.
where al. may see. a list or the memherS'
names be hung up on tho wall with
spaces after each where may he put
down the low scores OF the golfer lie
l naturally would know his own game
pretty well and so would write down the
figure which most nearly represented his
game AT the start of tho season, after
he had gone round in those figures OF
course. Then as each lower round came
,he figures would be added TO the list.
Iiy the end or the season the sheet would
b" "A bonanza to the hanlicappinE com
mtte.. Some clubs have schemes which
ar" akin to this and the results are houe-
ncial.
The handcappinG committee ought
always 10 have positive standard. The
par figure for the course works ou' in
the majority OF cases hui that is not the
standard to which | refer. | mean that
the quality Of gol' should be held before
th" players Of the game a. all times and
st all places This means that the hauti-
caps should be changed more FIRE ueNt.y
than they are now. aui that the members
should be made to play up to their strokes.
IL is q tine thing 90 raise tie htud!caps
81 some golfers, Tor il makes them play
al. tho harder. No committee ought 10
go back further than two wears IN deter
mining what a player deserves. and
strict adnerenc" TO this system would re
suit IN 4 better standardization - golf
iu the cub
\ word ~ caution might be added when
IL comes to the cutting down ~ Tn" hand,-
raps The mor" winning of a compe'l tipu
should NOT necessarily count in the VUcs-
ton ~ to whether reduction should
. he made but rather what score was
d mi i,sts
weather and what the condition OF the
course. II often happens that a golfer
surprises himself and every one else bv
winning tournament. At once he expects
that his handicap will he reduced aud FREE
uucut.y g. is But IL may he that there
were few good golfers In the event.
that those who did play had am on day.
This would Offset the winning Ia a marked
degree This is why tho match play scores
are ~ no real value I'm the decision ~
haudcappug, for they are generally
approximate II Is the medal rounds which
are important
The mere winning ~ prizes then may
or may not affect the lowering of tho
players handicap and ON the other hand
the fact that a golfer does not win a
medal should not prove hiudrance To tho
+ reduction. \ scratch man makes a =
and a 4 man makes q - and then a 80
and another -. Al the while tho lower
it would he the duty of the committee to
T lower he I man 20 ? or ., although
Ne may never have succeeded in winning
a trophy the net We viii assume having
been captured, as IS usually the case by
"A high handicap player.
And speaking OF ths golfer IL would he
well for the committee to go slow even IN
reducing the marks OF the 90 and %
handicapped golfer These players must
F have one good round some time. and il is
/ certain that the low mark man plays more
. consistently down L. his figure than the
4 other. No golfer with a large handicap
/ should have more than two or AT the
, most three strokes taken Off ~ what we
may be pleased to- call his first offence
Turning now from the mere question rs
! 10 what handicaps should he given To the
members of the clubs it might be profit
/ able 10 inquire into the best way OF play
/ ing match play handicap matches For
+ many years comparatively speaking the
second and third siNterns and as many
/ more a. the numbers require have had
N their contests at match play decided hN
I IN" different players taking three fourth
| ~ the difference I'm their haudicaps and
! then having these strokes come ON certain
/ holes which had been previously settled ON
. before starting out generally I'm the Nrry
/ b. Ginuingof the year. by the handiclpniur
committee, Hut for many reasons this
/ method ~ UNFAIR because Of the element
/ OF what We might term luck. II Otter,
: happens that "A player is conceded fi,,
strokes and this Is given him to even M
his chances ON certain holes OF the rniiud
where extra length or unusual difficulty
I appears. IT by his extra good play mo
golfer wins one of these holes without IN,
, ald OF his handicap then he has lost the
MS" OF one OF his strokes lie will MAY
only up to certain standard in accord
ance WIN ms handicap and his opponent
- nfVsn tlFs1Ns