Help Handicapping Par 3 Tournament

[oregongolf]

I am running a a mid-size 18 hole game at a local par 3 course next month. It's primarily a whip out game, but there are payouts for both gross and net.

 

The issue I'm running into is that the par 3 course is too short to be officially rated. I've talked to my state association for ideas and they didn't have any real ideas either. The HP at the course suggested 25% and he's still not sure but I'm unsure if it's enough for some of the higher handicaps.

 

For reference, it's a 9 hole course with several different tees and two pins per green. I'll get my pick of course setup, but most holes are between 80-150 yards, with the ability to stretch a couple holes to 200. So we'll play 9 holes twice, from different boxes to different pins.

 

We will have players between +3 and 33. Any ideas?

[augustgolf]

Run a Calloway

[ruca]

What's a whip out?

 

As you've got a gross prize , you've already catered for the low hcp, so leave the rest off full hcp, and have couple flights if you need to

[oregongolf]

What's a whip out?

 

As you've got a gross prize , you've already catered for the low hcp, so leave the rest off full hcp, and have couple flights if you need to

I thought about full handicap too, but we have some guys that are going to get 20+ strokes. I don't know how to keep it equitable for the guys in no man's land for handicaps (like 5-10).

 

It's like skins within your group. Since it's horserace style with lots of players on one hole, it gets kinda crazy. But it's fun.

 

Example: You're playing in a large group of 16 players on one hole. Player 1 has the only birdie on the 1st hole. The other players in the group "whip out" $5 (or whatever denomination you specify beforehand) on the spot to pay. You play this way through all 18 holes, no carryovers. Only the low untied gross score gets paid.

 

I initially thought about Callaway format too, but I can't correctly amend the spreadsheet that I found here.

 

Thanks for the suggestions.

[mark m]

I ran an executive course tournament (2 par 4's and 7 par 3's) for 12 years. We held it the week of our CC. Our Head pro and I got it going as a fun deal (we started with about 30 guys the first year, by year 12, we had 100+ participating). I created my own handicap conversion table which gave a max of 9 (one stroke per hole) - but - later tweaked it to 12 because we were getting more higher handicap players involved and I thought an adjustment was needed based on results. We double cut the greens, rolled 'em, tucked the flags, and handicaps were between +2 and 35. We paid low gross scores, low net scores, had proxies on all par 3's and a long putt and straight drive - and 2 bars set up on the course.

 

Conversion table from 18 hole Index to 9 hole course handicap

 

USGA Index:

0.9 or less = 0

1.0 - 3.0 = 1

3.1 - 5.3 = 2

5.4 - 7.7 = 3

7.8 - 10.2 = 4

10.3 - 12.8 = 5

12.9 - 15.5 = 6

15.6 - 18.3 = 7

18.4 - 21.2 = 8

21.3 or more = 9

 

Later went to

0.9 or less = 0

1.0 - 3.0 = 1

3.1 - 5.3 = 2

5.4 - 7.7 = 3

7.8 - 10.2 = 4

10.3 - 12.8 = 5

12.9 - 15.5 = 6

15.6 - 18.3 = 7

18.4 - 21.2 = 8

21.3 - 24.2 = 9

24.3 - 27.3 = 10

27.4 - 30.5 = 11

30.6 or more = 12

 

Both of the above worked pretty good for us. Hope this helps. Have fun.

 

Our greens were undulating and tough. One of our holes is a 235 yard par 3. So make some adjustments if it's pretty easy.

[rogolf]

What's a whip out?

 

As you've got a gross prize , you've already catered for the low hcp, so leave the rest off full hcp, and have couple flights if you need to

I thought about full handicap too, but we have some guys that are going to get 20+ strokes. I don't know how to keep it equitable for the guys in no man's land for handicaps (like 5-10).

 

It's like skins within your group. Since it's horserace style with lots of players on one hole, it gets kinda crazy. But it's fun.

 

Example: You're playing in a large group of 16 players on one hole. Player 1 has the only birdie on the 1st hole. The other players in the group "whip out" $5 (or whatever denomination you specify beforehand) on the spot to pay. You play this way through all 18 holes, no carryovers. Only the low untied gross score gets paid.

 

I initially thought about Callaway format too, but I can't correctly amend the spreadsheet that I found here.

 

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

Do it by hand.

[YoungJedi]

My idea: don't

 

Any time someone has the opportunity to be lying Zero on the green is just not fair.

 

Especially on holes inside 150? Count me out for playing in that tourney.

 

My rule of thumb when playing for money or prizes, you get 75% of your handicap and no strokes on par 3's.

[Mr. Bean]

I ran an executive course tournament (2 par 4's and 7 par 3's) for 12 years. We held it the week of our CC. Our Head pro and I got it going as a fun deal (we started with about 30 guys the first year, by year 12, we had 100+ participating). I created my own handicap conversion table which gave a max of 9 (one stroke per hole) - but - later tweaked it to 12 because we were getting more higher handicap players involved and I thought an adjustment was needed based on results. We double cut the greens, rolled 'em, tucked the flags, and handicaps were between +2 and 35. We paid low gross scores, low net scores, had proxies on all par 3's and a long putt and straight drive - and 2 bars set up on the course.

 

Conversion table from 18 hole Index to 9 hole course handicap

 

USGA Index:

0.9 or less = 0

1.0 - 3.0 = 1

3.1 - 5.3 = 2

5.4 - 7.7 = 3

7.8 - 10.2 = 4

10.3 - 12.8 = 5

12.9 - 15.5 = 6

15.6 - 18.3 = 7

18.4 - 21.2 = 8

21.3 or more = 9

 

Later went to

0.9 or less = 0

1.0 - 3.0 = 1

3.1 - 5.3 = 2

5.4 - 7.7 = 3

7.8 - 10.2 = 4

10.3 - 12.8 = 5

12.9 - 15.5 = 6

15.6 - 18.3 = 7

18.4 - 21.2 = 8

21.3 - 24.2 = 9

24.3 - 27.3 = 10

27.4 - 30.5 = 11

30.6 or more = 12

 

Both of the above worked pretty good for us. Hope this helps. Have fun.

 

Our greens were undulating and tough. One of our holes is a 235 yard par 3. So make some adjustments if it's pretty easy.

 

I am far from understanding what you are trying to accomplish or what you have explained with all those various formats of play but there is one particular thing I truly wonder.

 

You say that your par3 course is not officially rated. If this is true then you have no handicap table and you cannot possibly use that conversion table as there is nothing to convert.

 

FWIW I do not understand that conversion table in the first place. If a course has been rated then there is a handicap table for that course with indexes for each hole and there is absolutely no need for such a table. And is the course is NOT rated there is nothing to convert.

 

Maybe someone can enlighten me on this one as I obviously do not have the information needed to handle the entire case...

[ruca]

What's a whip out?

 

As you've got a gross prize , you've already catered for the low hcp, so leave the rest off full hcp, and have couple flights if you need to

I thought about full handicap too, but we have some guys that are going to get 20+ strokes. I don't know how to keep it equitable for the guys in no man's land for handicaps (like 5-10).

 

It's like skins within your group. Since it's horserace style with lots of players on one hole, it gets kinda crazy. But it's fun.

 

Example: You're playing in a large group of 16 players on one hole. Player 1 has the only birdie on the 1st hole. The other players in the group "whip out" $5 (or whatever denomination you specify beforehand) on the spot to pay. You play this way through all 18 holes, no carryovers. Only the low untied gross score gets paid.

 

I initially thought about Callaway format too, but I can't correctly amend the spreadsheet that I found here.

 

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

Ok now I have some idea what u mean by whip out, it's not so straightforward. Obv you can't have several players with 2 shots on a hole on the green for -1, when a low hcp will always take at least 1 shot.

But flights ( with hcps) should still work, so lows are only really competing with each other, and highs with each other. You won't need gross prizes then. I can't see any way of estimating how to equate hcps of 30+ with a plus 3 on a par 3 course, so don't bother. At least with flights several players can get a "whip out" each hole

[oregongolf]

I should elaborate that players will be grouped by handicap. 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, etc playing together, mostly for fairness for whipouts.

 

The gross/net game is essentially secondary to the whipout game, but still will matter nonetheless.

 

 

[mark m]

I ran an executive course tournament (2 par 4's and 7 par 3's) for 12 years. We held it the week of our CC. Our Head pro and I got it going as a fun deal (we started with about 30 guys the first year, by year 12, we had 100+ participating). I created my own handicap conversion table which gave a max of 9 (one stroke per hole) - but - later tweaked it to 12 because we were getting more higher handicap players involved and I thought an adjustment was needed based on results. We double cut the greens, rolled 'em, tucked the flags, and handicaps were between +2 and 35. We paid low gross scores, low net scores, had proxies on all par 3's and a long putt and straight drive - and 2 bars set up on the course.

 

Conversion table from 18 hole Index to 9 hole course handicap

 

USGA Index:

0.9 or less = 0

1.0 - 3.0 = 1

3.1 - 5.3 = 2

5.4 - 7.7 = 3

7.8 - 10.2 = 4

10.3 - 12.8 = 5

12.9 - 15.5 = 6

15.6 - 18.3 = 7

18.4 - 21.2 = 8

21.3 or more = 9

 

Later went to

0.9 or less = 0

1.0 - 3.0 = 1

3.1 - 5.3 = 2

5.4 - 7.7 = 3

7.8 - 10.2 = 4

10.3 - 12.8 = 5

12.9 - 15.5 = 6

15.6 - 18.3 = 7

18.4 - 21.2 = 8

21.3 - 24.2 = 9

24.3 - 27.3 = 10

27.4 - 30.5 = 11

30.6 or more = 12

 

Both of the above worked pretty good for us. Hope this helps. Have fun.

 

Our greens were undulating and tough. One of our holes is a 235 yard par 3. So make some adjustments if it's pretty easy.

 

I am far from understanding what you are trying to accomplish or what you have explained with all those various formats of play but there is one particular thing I truly wonder.

 

You say that your par3 course is not officially rated. If this is true then you have no handicap table and you cannot possibly use that conversion table as there is nothing to convert.

 

FWIW I do not understand that conversion table in the first place. If a course has been rated then there is a handicap table for that course with indexes for each hole and there is absolutely no need for such a table. And is the course is NOT rated there is nothing to convert.

 

Maybe someone can enlighten me on this one as I obviously do not have the information needed to handle the entire case...

 

Hi Mr. Bean,

 

In short, the conversion table in my thread is not an official USGA recommended conversion table. In is just something I/we put together by a committee for a tournament on an unrated course in order to use net scores. Over here some clubs have tournaments which do not have recommended USGA handicap allowances (scrambles, shambles, various 4 or 5 man team formats like variable best balls, etc.) and/or the course is not rated, or the course is set-up radically different from the typical set up for which the course rating was calculated. In these circumstances the best you can do when constructing a format is to start the first year with a best guess, keep good records, examine the results of the competition, and make adjustments if necessary. If the tournament is unconventional but well run and considered "fair," it has a good chance of sticking around year after year and becoming part of a schedule of tournaments each season. Tournaments of this kind are considered more on the "fun" side and less serious. You often are not posting scores for these events. For club "majors" or serious tournaments it is best to stick with traditional formats, recommended allowances, and good solid course set-up which match the ratings IMO.

 

I hope that answered your question?

Mark

[Mr. Bean]

I hope that answered your question?

Mark

 

Mark, thank You for a fair effort but no, it did not answer my question. Well, sort of it did...

 

So, this table you presented has nothing to do with the actual rating system, so far so good. Neither has it anything to do with a conversion of rated 18-hole courses into 9-hole results. In fact, it is a table you have used to make your competitions fair, and that is the good thing here and there is no way to underestimate that kind of effort, quite on the contrary!

 

So, in the end I believe You did answer my question and I wish all the best to Your competitions!

[mark m]

I should elaborate that players will be grouped by handicap. 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, etc playing together, mostly for fairness for whipouts.

 

The gross/net game is essentially secondary to the whipout game, but still will matter nonetheless.

 

Oregon,

 

Appendix A of the manual covers this topic:

 

http://www.usga.org/...tml#!rule-14405

 

It says courses need be 3000 yards (1500 for 9 holes) to get rated. Having said that, I found this example which shows a course of 1240 yards - doubled to 2480 for 18 holes - with a rating of 27.5/83 for 9 and 55.0/83 for 18 holes. So perhaps this could provide some guidance?

 

https://www.mngolf.o..._Course_-_Par_3

 

Good luck!

 

EDIT: here is an example if you use an unofficial rating.

Course handicap = Handicap Index X Slope Rating / 113 (round the result)

 

So if your unofficial rating is 27.5/83 for 9 and 55.0/83 for 18:

Player's 18 hole Handicap Index = 12.4 (if constructing a nine hole handicap = 6.2)

9 hole course handicap = 6.2 x 83 / 113 = 4.55 = 5

18 hole CH = 12.4 x 83 / 113 = 9.1 = 9

[gretch]

Where are you playing?

 

Is it open?

[oregongolf]

Where are you playing?

 

Is it open?

 

I'll send you a PM. Open invite though!