Playing solo and posting scores are OK.
Playing solo and posting scores are OK if you move to Canada!
Hi, I’m Mel Sole, Director of Instruction at the Mel Sole Golf School, headquartered at Pawleys Plantation Golf and Country Club in Pawleys Island, SC. We conduct 1, 2 and 3-day golf schools, hourly golf lessons, and senior golf schools—any golf instruction program your heart desires. Give us a call at 800-624-4653 or 843-237-4993. We will be happy to book a commuter school or a package that contains accommodations, golf, and golf school.
A Golf Blog by the Mel Sole Golf School.
Every organization on the planet makes mistakes. That is just life. However, the smart ones, the successful ones, will admit they made a mistake, correct it and move on, not so with the USGA. They definitely made a mistake saying that handicaps could no longer be posted if the golfer plays alone. The Canadian Golf Association has already stated that they are not good with this ruling and will allow all golfers under their jurisdiction to post scores still while playing solo! Well done, eh! Thanks must go to Jerry Tarde of Golf Digest for saying what must be said!
The Pledge.
I pledge allegiance to the Golf Association of the United States of America, and to the public courses for which it stands, one game, unbifurcated, with handicap strokes for all. Or at least I always felt that way until the latest ruling from the USGA disqualified for handicap purposes any rounds recorded alone.
You now can't turn in a score if you play by yourself. Presumably someone must watch you to ensure you're not cheating. Isn't honesty the backbone of the game we all love?
This reminds me of that charming USGA commercial from the 2000 U.S. Open showing a kid playing alone at dusk, making a hole-in-one, jumping up and down, then looking around to see if anybody saw it. Good thing an old greenkeeper on a cart was passing by, or it wouldn't have counted.
The governing body tweeted: "The USGA Handicap System is built on integrity. Peer review being crucial to confirming a player's potential scoring ability."
Sounds like hokum to me.
The Canadian Golf Federation agrees and tweeted back it wasn't going to adopt the USGA change: "Scores made while playing alone will continue to count for handicap purposes." Seems like those Canadians understand how to appreciate every round.
Peer review? We know that's a sham. As one rules expert told me, "The only folks whose handicaps are peer-reviewed are the SOB sandbaggers who win tournaments. Their phony numbers tend to be reviewed as a result of their win."
Further scrutiny reveals golf's dirty little secret: The number of American golfers with handicaps hasn't budged in almost 30 years, and handicaps are an affectation of the rich. Based on about 25 million U.S. golfers, fewer than five million have a USGA Handicap Index. An educated guess is that 80 percent of private-club members and only 10-15 percent of public-course players have a handicap. These numbers are sketchy because the USGA admits it doesn't track them—a colossal failure. Furthermore, in most enterprises, somebody's Key Performance Indicators would be based on growing these numbers.
To read the rest of this tirade by Jerry Tarde (get it?), go here!
Source: Jerry Tarde Golf Digest Mel Sole Golf School.
Pictures: Dom Furore Dan Perry
Thanks for reading - Playing solo and posting scores are OK. (If you live in Canada!)
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