SCORES FOR ALL GOLF COURSES UNDER REVIEW.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18468, 21 May 1928, Page 14

SCORES FOR ALL GOLF COURSES UNDER REVIEW.

standardising move MADE BY COUNCIL. Knowing the distance, a casual glance at a golf hole and its hazards will enable a first-rank golfer of experience to forthwith give its par, but the average player, round about 16 handicap, has hazy ideas on the subject, perhaps because par is not for himThe New Zealand Golf Council has sent out to all clubs a questionnaire with the object of standardising courses and Mr Redhead, the Rotorua course expert, has generously offered to adjust the results so as to standardise scratch scores for all New Zealand courses. This will enable handicaps on one course to have some relation to handicaps on other courses, which is far from being the position at present. The quality of the course and its natural difficulties play some part in the compilation of its standard par, but a writer has put the method of arriving at it as follows: — Handicapping and Par of Links. Standard par represents the number of strokes in which it is assumed possible for an ordinary scratch player to reach 18 greens plus 36 putts, the fairways being in good order and without wind. Average length, including run of ball, of a teed shot on fiat ground. Table A.

Playing Lengths Standard. Table B. Grade A— Par 3 Par 4. Par 5. Yards. Yards. YardsUp to 230 231 to 440 Over 440. Grade B Up to 220 221 to 420 Over 420 Grade C Up to 210 211 to 405 Over 405 Length Adjustment. Considering the same standard par mav vary considerably in playing length, and adjustmeht is^necessary. The average playing length of a standard par 3 hole is 160yds, second shot at standard par 4 hole is 140yds, third shot at standard 5 hole is 50yds. This resultant table of average playing lengths provides an easy method of making the adjustment between courses. Table C. Par. 3. Par 4. Par 5. Grade A .. 160yds 370yds 4Soyds Grade G .. 360yds 360yds 470yds Grade C . . 160yds 350yds 455yds Compare the playing length of each course under consideration with the average playing length of a hole of the same standard pair, and carry forward the plus or minus difference. The aggregate plus or. minus difference shows whether the course has an excess or a shortage of playing length as compared with the average, and whether an addition must be made to or a deduction taken from the standard par. The following table .shows number of strokes (if any) allotted for such excess or shortage. Table D. Under 150 yards: Nil. From 150 to 349 yards: 1 stroke. From 350 to 600 yards: 2 strokes. From 700 to 1049 yards: 3 strokes. 1050 yards and over: 4 strokes Additional Course Value. Table E. To a course without any special golf difficulties: 1 stroke. Well-laid-out easy links: 2 strokes. Good-class course with variety of golf difficulties: 1 stroke. First-class course such as St Andrew’s: 4 strokes. Accurate Measurement of Course. Accurate Measurement of Course. — From 6ft from back of tee down middle of fairway to centre of green. In the case of a dog-leg hole not a crow-flight measurement from tee to green. With this data to work upon, anyone with a score card in front of him may work out the scratch score of his course. For example, suppose we are working on a grade B course, and have a hole 310yds. Turning to table B, grade B, we find that 310yds conies into section 221 to 420yds and is a par 4 hole. But in table C the average playing length of a grade B par 4 hole is 360yds, and, in consequence, a minus of 50yds must be debited against this hole.

Similarly, on examining a 200vds hole, we- find that according to table B i% is par 3, and following table C has a 40vds excess of standard length.

Taking each of the eighteen holes in turn, we shall find that unless there be holes of exactly 160yds, 360yds and 470vds, there will be either a debit or a credit against these three standard lengths. There will then be a balance of excess or shortage on the standard i par of the course, which we will assume totals 71, and supposing in this case we have a shortage of 3803*ds, then table D states that from 350yds to 699yds we must deduct 2 strokes, which leaves the standard par at 69. Finally, turning to table E, and placing our course under the category of “ well laid out, easy links,” we are entitled to add 2 strokes, and at last we have the scratch score of 71.

It only requires club handicappers to take the scratch score as a basis for their calculations instead of their courses’ fictitious bogeys, and all players 'throughout the Dominion will be allotted handicaps very closely related to the scratch players in the open championships. This will be to the very great advantage of the quality of play, for golfers will not be merely content to halve with Colonel Bogey, who is generally on a G to 8 handicap, but will strive to draw level with General Par on scratch.

Tee shot. 2nd shot. Grade A 210yds 220yds 200yds Grade C 210yds 195vds