Oswego HaNdIcAp leagues Thursdays @ 5:30

[JaSoN G.]

I want to start this off as the official post for scores and HaNdIcAp leagues.  I have discussed this with a few people and this will be the format I will be using. For the first 3 weeks we will use PDGA rating as handicaps.  The equation for this is simple,   your rating subtracted by 992 (scratch score) then divided by 13.  I will have a calculator on hand for the first 3 weeks to figure these out.  If you do not have a PDGA rating please use 3 of the most documented scores, for example tag play on sundays, oswego tournament, or Thursday league singles.  If you do not have either rating or documented rounds you will start with a rating of 900 and hc will be based off of that until 3 weeks have been played.

Once we have determined at least 3 weeks Mike K. is going to help me make a excel spread sheet that will automaticaly figure handicaps out.  After every thursday I will post the adjustments to handicaps.  Handicaps will be based on scratch at 46 (on the shorts).  Basically this would be par.  By doing this we eliminate any +or- handicap and everyone is on the same level.  The handicap will be based off 80% of your average.  This may be confusing to some but once we get this going people will understand it.  0 is the lowest handicap, we will never go below that. Scratch for long tees is 51.  Alternates will have to be determined later.

Example: Jason Gordon shoots 46 1st week, 50 the 2nd week, and 49 the 3rd week.  46+50+49=145/3=48,  48 is 2 over scratch, 80% of 2=2 (1.6 actually but rounded up to 2).  My handicap is 2 meaning the next round I shoot 50 I get 2 strokes so my score is 48. 

We will also throw out any abnormal high score to prevent people inflating their handicap.  This will be determined at a later point what a "blow up round" score would set at.  PDGA throws out anything under 100 points of your rating.  Divided by 13 this equals about 8 strokes. 

The cost to play is $5 for the payout, $1 to acepot, and $1 for the raw score, meaning regardless of handicaps if you shoot the best score you win this pot.  In the past, some upper players have been upset to really well and lose to a higher handicap player.  This will reward the best score.  Payout will go to 40%.  I will make up a chart that show payouts.

We also will be running tags.  I may need help with this. 

We will start this Thursday 7/23/2009 @5:30 playing shorts.  The next week is Leagues single night.  After that we will pick back up at 5:30 on 8/6/2009 playing longs.  I mentioned previously alternates and I have every intention of doing these but I want to do only long and short for a few weeks to establish this format.
I do not have any score cards so if anyone can help me with this I would appreciate it.  Not sure where to actually even get them.  Any help will be appreciated.

[Paul Bunyan Jr.]

Jason is all set with cards, clip boards, & pencils.  Great idea Jason!  Have fun tonight!

Christie

[tacimala]

Sounds like a fun idea, hope to make it down there once in a while.

[JaSoN G.]

Ok so everything went pretty good last night.  We had a bit of a few glitches that I would like to address. 

First being cost,  I know everyone is used to the optional side pools (ctp, aces, etc...) that have been very common at FVM leagues.  Almost 95% of the leagues I have played do not have this option.  It is the set cost and nothing else, I would like to set this a rule from here on out.  Handicap leagues is $7 no matter what.  The cost are $5 for pot, $1 for ace, and $1 for best score.  We had a few people last night that didn't pay everthing, so I covered them.  This will be the last week.  Please people it is only $7 and this will make it easier for me to figure out  payouts and ace fund.  Therer is already enough things to figure out, let alone keep 3 side pools of who paid and who didn't

Second was how to get a even distribution of upper and lower divisions on cards.  We kinda went as they came in last night but I would like to see some mix of am and pros on cards.  This way everyone can get to play with better people and get to know others.  Anythoughts on this?

Third was that even though we used handicaps it still leaned to the upper divisions cashing.  I would have liked to see more higher handicap players cashing.  This will even out in time.  It may have seemed bias last night but thats just cause we don't have enough documented rounds. I will look up some tag rounds for the players that came out last night and try to get these hc adjusted.

Fourth was scores on score cards.  This was my fault for not explaing this.  Every player has a handicap that I wrote next to their name on the left.  The problem was that everyone based their scores off par.  So instead of writing scores in the total column on the left people wrote -7 or whatever.  I need to have the actual score written in this column to figure out lowest score.  Then right next to that column the adjusted handicap score would be written.

With that said everything else went fine.  Payouts were easy due to the fact we had the payouts already figured (thanks Mike).  We sent out 6 cards with 3 players for a total of 18 and it seemed to play rather fast. 

Scores for last night:

1 Nate Hoffman       48    HC-6=42   $22.50
1 Tafe Helmer         45    HC-3=42    $22.50
3 Jason Gordon       45     HC-2=43   $15.00
4 Travis Lhotak       49    HC-5=44    $10.00
4 Benton Lindquist   51     HC-7=44   $10.00
6 Aaron Scott         51     HC-6=45    $5.00
7 Joe Pearson         55     HC-10=45   $5.00

John hoffman        47     HC-1=46
Wes Lindquist       64     HC-16=48
Randy Moore Sr.    54     HC-5=49
Tyler Williams         53    HC-4=49
Todd Florence       56     HC-7=49
Kyle Chapman        55     HC-6=49
Chris Gonzalez       55     HC-6=49
Steve Owens jr      56     HC-6=50
Randy Moore jr       52     HC-1=51
Steve Owens         58     HC-8=52
Richard Owens       62     HC-8=54

Low scores were shot by Tafe Helmer and myself shooting 45's.   The raw score pot of $18 was split.

We deicded that ties are just split because it would be unfair to playoff unmatched skill levels against each other.  We also decided if the low score was tied it would be up to the players to play off, ctp , or split it.

BIG thanks to Tyler and anyone else that helped run the tags.  #1 was on the line and I hope to see it around for a while.  We will run tags every handicap league so bring em out. 

[airspuds]

In the past, some upper players have been upset to really well and lose to a higher handicap player.
*-------------------
Why would they be upset ?
In bowling leagues, there are handicap pots.
The 200 bowler has 0  handicap
I have a 155  average with a handicap of 35
if he bowls 200  and i bowl  166 I win
the person  who is upset is upset that they did not play average or above
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Ive seen 80 year old men crush 20 yr old scratch bowlers in the handicap pot

[JaSoN G.]

I actually left the word "shoot" out of that sentence, but I think everyone got the picture.  Anyway back to the point.  Handicap leagues are real big in New England with most courses doing them.  They are always evolving to make it fair so sometimes things are implemented, like lowest score pot. What I meant by that sentence was, for example an open player (with a 0 handicap) shoots really well like -10  then another player that has only been playing for a year has had 3 rounds prior were he shot pretty bad.  Now he has a 20 handicap.  As we all know with practice and time our scores go down.  So now this new player has gotten better and shoots his best score ever of 9 over par...he beats the open player.  It kinda sucks to shoot so well to lose to a 20 handicap, but it happens.  In all actuality that is the goal, if you shoot well regardless of skill  or handicap then you win.  Skill levels always adjust,  it would be easy if everyone always shot the same and never improved, at leat for handicaps.  At least with the lowest score pot then the if you do shoot lights out and lose at least you get something.

[JaSoN G.]

Handicap leagues are back on for tomorrow at 5:30.  We are playing longs at Oswego.  If you don't have a handicap set just come out with your PDGA ratinga nd we will get you set up with one.  If you don't have a rating we will set you at a 900 rating for a generic HC.  $7 to play with $5 to payout, $1 to ace, and $1 to lowest score.

[JaSoN G.]

HaNdIcAp leagues tonight at Oswego.  This will be the first leagues played on the all new concrete tees.  We start @ 5:30 and come on out even if you don't have a HC we will generate one for you.  Tag #1 will be on the line and we had quite a few golds last thursday.  $7 to play...