The sun., 1918-09-29

afternoon game they can figure on how
to improve at the holes where they
wasted q shot, while the emulation OF n
good stroke or score In the morning al
ways is In the mind as the place where
that certain deed occurs Is approached.
A low handicap man would prefer his
score as played on the same day rather
than taking two for II. while the Nifty
five to sixty year golfer..--most OF them
at any rate-would prefer to have the
eighteen hole round a day for two days.
For this reason II is wise to state that
q score such as 1<9 would be all a
scratch golfer would expect for rounds
on successive days. In this field OF
competitors would be men handicapped
at twelve and at six, and more at
twenty-five, But II you are golfer
playing over a course OF average length
and you are in this age division. you
can feel that you are better than the
average IL your true handicap Is under
sixteen. and IL II Is over that figure you
had better take n few lessons in golf
from the professional, or practise that
shot wherein you are weakest for sew
eral hours during the short autumn twi-
light.
II you are in the sixty to sixty-five
class you may add two strokes to the
general average handicapping, and after
asking a man his age you can guess
quite well as to what odds you can
give or expect, provided you know that
your own given handicap Is around the
eighteen figure.
Mr.. Truesdale an Exception.
However, It would be q bit unwise to
lot this be a rule of procedure. for you
might tackle Mr.. Truesdale OF this class.
who gave handicaps all the way to thirty
and finished well up in front, besides
winning the low gross for the field. The
exception in this case has proved the
rule for a couple Of years.
The third class. where the ages Of
players run from So to 20, as we would
naturally expect, jump up a few pegs
and the man who after his name has
the figure 81. may rest assured that he
Is driving and putting OH the same basis
as the majority OF those who take part
In the big events Of the year for seniors,
1t IN difficult to place the golfers over
seventy years. but a perusal of handi-
caps at n dozen clubs and u comparison
with the players In the senior tourna-
ments which are held In several places
throughout the country. show that "a Is
fair number Of strokes to allot. There
are many golfers who can better this
by ten or a dozen strokes. but the gem
eral average OF players throughout the
country would be at or very near the
figure given. These allotments have been
made after due attention has been paid
to tho handicap which the best player
of the lot, Mr.. Truesdale. would receive
from the best golfers OF the land over
an average course--a mark low enough
to honor the years which he confesses.
If any one cares to inquire into the
correctness Of the figures given as a
| standard for age and playing ability
/ am confident that there will be little
deviation. One point which impressed
me In looking over the returns from the
seniors event was the neaTness in scores
Of the selected eighteen holes. There
was in the first three divisions scarcely
any difference worth noting. which
| shows that in n measure II lis the sus-
tanned power OF excellence or its equiv
alent ratio which brings the better
scores. The general average for two
|, rounds in "A higher class may rightly
demand a higher handicap, but for the
selected score there must be a distinct
difference OF half q dozen strokes before
\ selected score is made plainly unfair.
The Groupings.
II were to give n national handi-
cap rating to golfers as a body with
regard to their ages, rating them in five
year divisions. I perhaps would place
the scratch men in the % TO 80 group,
tho handicap three men in the 80 to IS.
the handicap 1--WE men In the 90 to 25. the
handicap seven men in the IS to 40, the
ten men IN the 40 to as, and the twelve
TO fourteen group with the IS to 80
squadron.
Those who might imagine that the
latter group are placed too high must
remember that at this time OF life there
are thousands OF beginners who bring
up the general average surprisingly. The
Same holds partly true with the class
Just below this
A study OF the handicap systems OF
| clubs, States and nations Will settle the
fact, believe, that the match and medal
play cha mpions are steadiest at the ages
| me ntioned above. and that the group
lngs are inclined to be patterned quite
generally after the list given above. ]
have studied the figures OF a hundred
clubs before arriving at this conclusion.
and that seems a sufficient quantity
for the purpose Of investigation.