Handicaps must reflect the correct ability of golfers

In the beginning there was golf, a pastime of the open air: a blowing away of mental cobwebs.

Later came the Rules of Golf, in all their verbose glory, and then the trouble started. Shortly after, came the golf handicap that complicated things even more.

Then somebody decided that things were not bad enough; and so to mar whatever careless rapture of pastime that was left, introduced golf course rating. Now it seems we need to posses a doctorate at golf to run the affairs of a golf club in a proper manner.

This is becoming more evident especially when I learn of the blunders that Golf Committees are making.

This is what was going through my mind this past Sunday when Limuru Country Club was hosting Vet Lab Sports Club for a duel that is part of the Nairobi District league.

My 14-year-old league partner, Alex, and I were straining at the leash, eager to spring forth and vanquish the pair that the opposition was going to put against us. Our golfing abilities and those of our opponents (both in handicap and how we played) were so evenly matched that it took a slight lapse in concentration on the part of our opponents for us to win our match on the last hole.

This got me thinking: Is a scratch golfer from Limuru Country Club the same in golfing abilities as one from Vet Lab Sports Club or any other golf course in Kenya for that matter?

If we took a scratch golfer from Kenya, another one from South Africa and one from USA and put them on a neutral golf course, which one would produce the best round? Do the different handicapping systems adopted by the different countries give the same results when determining playing abilities of golfers?

INITIAL HANDICAP OF 54

Since 2008, Kenyan golfers have been using the CONGU Unified Handicapping System, a system used in the United Kingdom and many other countries that fall under the R&A jurisdiction. Under the CONGU handicapping system, it is now possible for handicap committees to allot initial handicaps of up to 54 for both ladies and gentlemen.

These will be club handicaps and golfers with these handicaps will not be eligible to enter competitions unless the club’s competition committee allows them.

A gentleman who has served as the Chairman of the Kenya Golf Union, and who plays of a very respectable 5 handicap, recently asked me if men are getting weaker. He told that when he started golf, a man did not get a valid handicap if he could not play to handicap 24 or better.

Indeed, in the 1960’s a man did not get a handicap if he could not play to handicap 18. Now men’s competition handicaps start at 28 and the ladies remain unchanged at 36. Another concerned golfer thought that it would take a very long time to complete a competition if we will have people with these extra-ordinary high handicaps.

In my view, the CONGU system has now given a standard method of awarding an initial handicap and this will improve the quality of new golfers allowed to play in a competition.

The method used currently where the club professional assesses the player and decides the initial handicap to award based on his gut feeling is now no longer acceptable. If a new golfer returns 3 cards and his best round is one where he played 120 strokes on a course with a Standard Scratch Score (SSS) of 72, then his initial handicap will be 44.

This player now knows what his playing ability is and can now play several rounds to try and bring it down to 28 after which he will have a competition handicap.

For those who were awarded an undeserved 28 handicap, and cannot play to this handicap, they can choose to have their handicap adjusted to reflect their true playing abilities.

This also applies to those players who are advanced in age and have declining golfing abilities, who do not necessarily want to play in competitions but want a handicap that will reflect their true playing abilities.

This category of players has to give their consent before their handicaps are adjusted.

GOLF COURSE RATING

The team at Kenya Unified Handicapping and Course Rating Committee has rated most golf courses in Kenya. The rating process involves measuring the length, checking the difficulties that the course presents and crunching the numbers to arrive at the Standard Scratch Score (SSS).

This is a measure of the difficulty of a golf course. It is the number of strokes that a scratch golfer (handicap 0 player) is expected to score under normal conditions. The SSS is not to be mistaken with the “Par” of the course. At 6,822 yards, Limuru Country Club is a Par 72 golf course and also has an SSS of 72. On the other hand, Njoro Club has a length of 7,000 yards is a Par 73 and has and SSS of 71.

If one played 80 strokes in both Njoro and Limuru, considering the par of the course, it would appear that he played better in Njoro whereas in actual sense, he played better in Limuru. The SSS is very crucial in administering the true playing ability of a golfer.

When changes are made to golf courses without due consideration to the effect it has to the difficulty of the course, then we shall end having handicaps that are inaccurate.

If the Standard Scratch Score (SSS) of a golf course is not correct, then the handicaps awarded to its members are not a true reflection of their playing abilities.

If the handicaps of a club do not reflect the correct playing ability of its members, then it will be impossible for players from different clubs to compete based on handicaps.

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The author is a Kenya Golf Union Executive