BlackDiamondPar5

Well I can share my opinion as to why we're different to elsewhere--- The US is spread out and has an abundance of high quality public golf courses. It's not necessary to join a club in order to play on great courses. Also because we're spread out we're just a bit less communal. As for me personally, I play in a member guest (I'm the guest) and having an index is required. If only comp scores were used for the index the only thing to go by is what I shot last year. It negates the other 35 rounds I've played which would be wrong--- a lot can change from season to season, especially for those of us that don't play for 6 months. I also participate in an annual trip with friends where 16 of us compete for 3 days of team play. As one of the organizers, it's easy for the guys that carry USGA indexes but frankly it's a major PITA to manually maintain an index for the guys that don't. Additionally there have been many instances where a group of us will join up on a weekend morning and decide to throw in $$ for some friendly comp. We literally use the GHIN app on the first tee box to figure out blows for each guy... it's easy and the way it should be. I believe the handicap system should be as inclusive as possible. I say this jest, but maybe the handicap system should be for those of us that use it the way my friends and I do, and those that only play serious comps should play straight up with no handicap

The whole knighting thing is nonsensical. Actually the whole royal family thing is nonsensical.

I LOVE your post. What you describe is the backbone of golf in the USA and probably all of North America.

Blade I respect your honesty and point of view and agree in part. As you pointed out the system is designed to handle scoring anomalies if the posting rules are followed. That's my gripe to anyone of my friends that comes up w/an excuse to not post--- as long as they complied in accordance to the posting rules then post and let the system do the rest. As for the concern about lack of trust. Well that's going to happen whether it be golf, business, taxes, or anything that involves money. Greed is pretty evil at all levels. Any system where there could be a benefit to cheating it will be exploited. The more money to be gained the greater the incentive to cheat. Even w/attestation there will be a way to cheat it. It's also pretty important to acknowledge that most golf in the USA is played on public courses, not private or semi-private clubs. I don't know for a fact, and maybe someone has the data, but I believe most handicaps in the US are not from private or semi-private golf clubs either. I also know for a fact that the vast majority of handicaps in the US do not have any competition T scores, yet for some reason people like me shell out $50/year to keep an index at a public golf course. The notion of formal weekly comps at public courses is a pretty obscure and not how those people like to play----yet that index is critical. It supports their all important socials games with friends, acquittances and often with people they may only see or play with once a year or every couple of years or playing with for the first time. To me these folks are the backbone of golf in the USA and any handicap system should support how people play and use their indexes, not the other way around. With that said, I'd be supportive of a system that provided a competition index and an index for everything outside of formal comp.

Exactly. The handicap system should work in a manner that supports how those that use it play the game. I see it as two types; Formal tournament and general play non tournament. Years ago I did a sample analysis of US golf indexes in the GHIN and found only a very small percentage had any tournament scores, and even those that did only had a couple scores. If using T scores only in the math that's Hardly enough to have a proper handicap that's good for general play. The system we have now works well if you follow the process. That includes posting non tournament and tournament scores, including those that someone thinks won't be used in their handicap calculation. I call people out regularly for not posting and have told friends their index will be adjusted down if they fail to post and I'm running an event. Just follow the GD posting rules! It's not that difficult.

Yeah my error. That's what 3 hours of sleep last night will do to me It's the other way around.

Not sure about a Sandbaggger but as I've told all my friends that use a similar excuse--- That high score you post, while never being part of the 8 used to calculate your index, could still change your 8 scores used in to calculate your index and thus your index would be incorrect. REDACTED BECAUSE I WAS WRONG ---For example you could post a 100 and while that 100 won't be used in your index calculation, you could have a score fall off that WAS being used in your handicap and thus your handicap could go either up or down.

Really nice to hear that he was as kind and pleasant in person as he appeared on TV.

I always thought Tim was a class act. Very sad about his disease and passing so young.

_Dunce specializes in preposterous

Just keep buying the Canuck IPA's from the cart girl till he can't see straight

^^^^ This! Have had the Club Glove Last Bag Collegiate for many years w/Stiff Arm and its been stellar, never a problem. Folds up nicely when not in use. They also have an entire luggage line that looks nice.

Good to hear from your perspective. Is your experience at a private club? Mine comes from public golf and those that might be somewhat less in tune with following proper procedures. Yes I agree hole by hole posting, a great feature of the new GHIN app, is virtually idiot proof but some people don't want that extra effort. But overall the improved GHIN App, which now seems to get regular updates and enhancements, has now made feel that overall benefit of the new is better than the old system.

Soft case is fine if you pack properly. Me, my buddies and family have traveled with clubs in soft bags cumulatively hundreds of times and never had a problem. Remove the driver head, use a stiff arm and pack the bag tightly, especially around the heads. One of my buddies has a hard and soft case. He always uses the soft case. He recently used the hard case when he and his wife were both bringing clubs. He said after the trip he was getting rid of that hard cased monster. A major PITA in the rental car.

I've been HUGE critic of the WHS, simply because I believe it's a solution looking for a problem. I still believe it was completely unnecessary. But with that said, I've also seen some significant upside. From an IT perspective the GHIN application, data/information and security is significantly better. What I don't like is the replacement of ESC with NDB. I knew this would be a problem because I knew people wouldn't do it right. I still see people doing it wrong all the time and this will continue to be a problem.