Handicap Systems For Everyone

Some teaching pros have turned to using the new handicap systems to help their students figure out where to spend their practice time. It also shows if practice is effective on the course where it really matters. Once you start to track drives in fairway, putts, up and downs from the sand, and scoring average on par 3's, you quickly find out the truth about your game - like maybe it's time to leave the driver in the bag. Did the new $500 driver really help you hit it longer consistently. Did the switch to a new ball give you better feel around the green. Is the new Two Ball putter reducing your total putts per round.

For the pro shop, there's even a space to advertise on the custom score cards based on an individual golfer's needs. What if you could advertise a special on size 13 Nikes to your golfers with big feet, or maybe a new sand wedge for someone having trouble getting out of traps. How about if you could track play. Why are so many members playing twilight rounds across town. Maybe you should offer a cheaper twilight rate.

The list goes on for what you can do with a computer and a database in the age of the internet. And why should the USGA try to master something that's not their core expertise. They should stick to determining how the handicap is calculated and then let someone else do it. They can still collect a royalty from every handicapped golfer in existence through licensing agreements. And the game of golf might become a little more honest and a lot more fun.