New handicap system: there’s not an app for that, but there should be
It was old home week at the Little River Golf Course last week with the likes of Bob Fish and Tim McLoughlin showing up for a little action. Bob Fish, once upon a time, was the Kathy Shepley of the golf course, the Pro Shop manager. Tim McLoughlin worked on the course and is a former Men’s Club Champion. Both guys were and are good golfers. I had forgotten what a long ball hitter Bob was with this tiny backswing but tremendous follow-through.
Last Wednesday, the duo got together with Scott Deitz, Jack Carlson and Mr. Terry Stratton with John Johansen, Bill Speake and the Golf Notes writer making up the gallery. I don’t remember how it all came out but I do know that on the back nine after bogey on hole 10 Tim finished the round with all pars. Then the next day playing with me, John Johansen and Scott Dietz Tim continued his par streak deep into the front nine and nine is all we played driven off the course with a fierce nor’wester. The ocean was unfishable and for us the course was un-golfable. Bob and his wife now reside in the Arbuckle area with Tim and his wife living in the San Diego region.
As you’ve noticed if you are a golfer and have been to the course lately and have a handicap, the new World Handicap System is now implemented in the Pro Shop computer. Your handicap can change daily and to avoid a line at the computer, Dave Hautala is predicting someone will come up with an app available on smartphones, so the handicap can be accessed anywhere.
It is common that, initially, under the new system, your handicap has changed. I went from an 18 to a 15 and now, because I had a lousy round, I am a 16. In the new system, your handicap will be based on the best eight scores out of your last 20 posts, and will change the next day after you post. The new system will also protect a radical index increase caused by unusual course conditions and won’t radically change when posting that oncein-a-while dream round score.
Apparently there are six world handicap systems, so one of the purposes of the new handicap system is to provide a unifying system making it easy to compete the same way anywhere in the world. But don’t worry the main thing is to keep your head down and swing as hard as you can and everything will be fine or take a lesson from Rick Jefferies and soon you’ll be playing scratch and won’t need a handicap.