November, 2013
Dear Dr. Divot,
I’m 16 and I play a lot of golf. I tried out for the High School team last year and I even play in some tournaments. My handicap index is 10.3. My problem is that I can’t seem to keep my emotions under control. I get really upset with myself when I miss a shot or when I lose a match. I’m not proud of the way I act sometimes, but I can’t help it…I just want to win so bad.
My mom thinks I should give up tournament golf. What do you think? Furious
Dear Furious,
The Doc understands that you want to be the best you can be, but some days you just don’t have your best game with you. That’s one of the great (and frustrating) things about our game. But you’ve got to learn to get out of your own way. Losing your temper on the course only leads to tension and that, in turn leads to more bad shots.
Some of the greatest players of all-time have gone through rough patches in their games. You rarely see them lose it on the golf course. They have learned a very important lesson, Furious, the only things you can control are your ball, your game and your temper.
There is no cross-checking, no tackling or blocking, and no defense in golf. You never get to hit a shot with your opponent’s ball. In the end, it’s you vs. you.
Jack Nicklaus had more runner-up finishes in majors than his record 18 victories, but he never dodged the media when he lost and he always gave credit to the good play of his fellow competitors. Because he tried his best on every shot he knew that he had given it everything he had on that day.
Annika won 72 times in her career, but I never saw her lose her temper or “go postal” on the course. Her grace and dignity when she lost, as well as the class she showed in victory, are the things the ol’ Doc remembers the most about her great career.
In my day it was Nicklaus, Palmer and Watson; today it’s Tiger, Mickelson and McElroy who are setting the mark for good sportsmanship on the golf course.
And who can forget Rocco (“Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”) Mediate at the 2008 US Open? With everything on the line, after 91 holes going head-to-head with Tiger, he was gracious and magnanimous in defeat. He gave it his best effort. It’s a great lesson, Furious. No matter how bad he wanted to win a major, no matter how great he played…some days the other guy just plays better. Live with it.
I usually don’t get between a boy and his mother in matters like this. But I think you should continue to play in tournaments and to play against the best players you can – including adults. That means you’ll probably lose more than you’ll win, but in the long run, it will make you a better player and – if you overcome your temper – a better person. If you don’t, no one will want to play with you anyway…problem solved!
Here’s the Doc’s prescription for what ails you, Furious (I just wish I had thought of it first). Tape this to your bathroom mirror and read it every day:
Watch your thoughts, they become your words.
Watch your words, they become your actions.
Watch your actions, they become your habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your legacy.
Author unknown
As much as you want to win, it’s not the quality of your golf, it’s the quality of your character that matters most. That’s your legacy.
Work on that temper and stay out of your own way, Furious. You’ll be all right.
Dr. C B Divot
Send questions or comments to drcbdivot@yahoo.com
© Copyright 20013 dhk. All rights reserved
May 2013
Dear Dr. Divot,
I make a point of turning in all of my scores – even nine-holers (and a few I’m not too proud of) – so I know my handicap is accurate. Problem is, some of the guys I play with seem to hone their handicaps to a number they like and then never turn in any score that would change it. What can I do? I’m tired of these guys getting strokes they don’t deserve.
Frustrated
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Can’t say the ol’ Doc can blame you. A USGA handicap should represent your potential as a golfer, it’s not a prediction of what you’ll shoot on any given day, and it sure isn’t a measure of your manhood.
There are two kinds of cheaters, Frustrated, those who keep their handicap artificially low even though they know they can seldom play to it (we call them vanity handicaps), and those who inflate their handicaps so they get more strokes than they deserve. Most people call them “sandbaggers.”
When the bets are settled, the ones with “more vanity than game” end up paying-off most of the time, the sandbaggers collect more often than they should.
I don’t have too much of a problem with the vanity guys, Frustrated, I just try to avoid getting stuck with them as my partner.
I was playing at a famous course in Florida recently… the venue for a PGA Tour stop. Paired with three strangers, I went to the first tee hoping for a pleasant day on a great lay-out, when I saw one of these characters taking a few practice swings on the championship tee.
“What tees are you guys playing?” he asked. The Doc told him he would be on the second tees up (where his age and ability would be challenged, but not overwhelmed). This guy said he was going to play from the tips.
“Oh, really? What’s your handicap?” I asked. He was quick to respond: “Two,” he said before muttering under his breath “… or twenty, some days.”
Well, we got to play with this egomaniac on one of his thirty days! If he lost one ball, he lost a dozen and a half. And it was not fun to watch. Had he been playing by the Rules of Golf he wouldn’t have broken 110. But when he got home, I’ll just bet he told all of his buddies that he “played it from the tips” just like Tiger and Rory did.
The USGA tweaked its procedures a few years ago to insure greater transparency in the handicapping system.
The system is based on the concept of “peer review” – and peer pressure. All scores are accessible at your club, or on-line.
You get a chance to see someone’s potential ability when you play together in club-sponsored events, and you should have access to scoring records of fellow club members so you can be assured that the score they shot is really the score they posted. In most places there’s a computer somewhere in the pro shop or locker room so you can do just that.
I’ll tell you something, I’m no dermatologist, but nothing gets under the Doc’s skin more than peeking at the handicap record of guys I see on the course at least two or three times a week and finding that they haven’t turned in a score for over a month.
What do you look for? If you see a guy who intentionally misses putts near the end of a round, or after the outcome of a hole has already been determined… you might be watching a sandbagger;
If a player who usually shoots in the high 80s in casual rounds shoots 75 in the club championship… you might be looking at a sandbagger;
If you check the computer and see the suspect hasn’t posted a round in the low 80s since the Eisenhower administration, but he keeps collecting cash when the bets are settled… you might check his shoes for sand.
According to Dr. Dean Knuth, the guy who created the current system, scores should follow a bell- shaped curve: more than half of the scores should fall within 3 shots of your handicap. A golfer should better his handicap by three shots only once out of 20 rounds. If you want to learn more about handicapping and the odds of beating your index, go to www.popeofslope.com and see what Dr. Knuth has to say for yourself.
If you see a persistent pattern, Frustrated, talk to the handicap chairperson or head professional at your club or course. They might need to have a little heart-to-heart with these scoundrels.
By the way, if they cheat on their handicaps, you might want to keep a keen eye on them when they hit it into the rough.
Dr. Divot
Send questions or comments to drcbdivot@yahoo.com
© Copyright 2013 dhk. All rights reserved
Dear Dr. Divot,
I have only been a member of my club for a short time. One of the first things people want to know is: “what’s your handicap?” I’ve never had a handicap before, so I’m not sure exactly what to say.
After all the old jokes about my swing and my short game being my biggest handicaps, I’m at a loss. Help me out, Doc. What’s an index and how does a handicap work?
Rookie
Dear Rookie,
Welcome aboard! You are about to graduate to the class of real golfers – people who enjoy the game and post their score every time they play. Your USGA handicap lets men, women, youngsters…even people who play from different tees, compete on a more-or-less equal footing.
After you have turned-in (or posted by computer) at least five scores you’ll receive a USGA handicap index when the next revision period rolls around. It could be something like 23.6.
When you have enough rounds posted, your handicap index will be based on the best 10 of your last 20 scores.
Somewhere in the locker room or pro shop you’ll find a chart that lets you convert your index into your actual course handicap. There should be one for whichever tees you are going to play. And this is a good time for the ol’ Doc to urge you to play from a set of tees that lets you enjoy your round, have a chance to hit greens in regulation, keep up with the group ahead of you and have a good time.
We call that “Playing it forward”. Don’t try to be a hero, Rookie. They put those other tee markers there for a reason.
So from the back tees your 23.6 index could be a 26, from the middle tees a 24 and from the forward markers (where you probably belong, Rookie) maybe a 23. That means to have a fair game with a “scratch” player you should get 23 strokes.
You get a “pop” on every hole and two shots on the five holes rated as the ones where you need the most help against the really good player.
But be careful when making those first tee wagers, Rook. A player should shoot his handicap only about 25 percent of the time. ‘Cause, like I said, your handicap is an average of the best 10 out of your last 20 scores.
Many players think a 23 handicap means they should shoot 95 on their par 72 course every time out. Not true.
It’s pretty complicated, but all you need to know is that handicaps are based on the course rating, not on par. So, if your course is rated 71.1 from your tees, you’ll “shoot your handicap” if you score 94.
So, post every score you shoot, every time you play and enjoy the game, Rookie. An accurate, honest handicap makes this great game fair and fun.
As for the “handicap” of your short game and your swing, the ol’ Doc’s prescription is easy: go see your local PGA Professional. Get on a program of regular lessons and you’ll see that index melt before the end of the season.
Dr. Divot
Send questions or comments to drcbdivot@yahoo.com
© copyright 2013 dhk. All rights reserved
Dear Dr. Divot,
I’ve got two questions for you, Doc. The guys I started playing with “roll” the ball in the fairway. In other words, it’s “winter rules” year ’round. And two of these guys use distance-measuring devices on every shot. One has pictures on a screen and the other measures yardage to the flagstick. Can they turn in these scores for their handicaps?
Curious
Dear Curious,
Give the ol’ Doc a second to make a point. The essence of the game we love is to “Play the course as you find it and play the ball as it lies.” That means you accept the fact that golf is played outdoors in natural surroundings and that perfect conditions cannot be achieved (unless, of course, you play on the PGA Tour). The test is to challenge yourself. Learn to play different shots from the conditions Mother Nature created.
Today’s Golf Course Superintendents do a wonderful job of conditioning our courses so we get maximum enjoyment from the experience. But life ain’t fair, Curious. Sometimes you draw a bad lie…even in the fairway. Unless it’s a situation covered under Rule 25, Play it!
Preferred lies – the correct term for what you guys call “winter rules” – are occasionally employed because of a temporary condition brought on by a run of bad weather or some general condition afflicting the course. The weather might get so bad that it is impossible to get heavy mowing equipment on the course triggering the Committee or the Superintendent to invoke preferred lies for a short period.
If a condition exists on just part of the course, the Superintendent will use Ground Under Repair in those places to protect the course from further damage.
Do you post your score when preferred lies are in effect? Yes.
Although you may run into some guy who thinks he gets a free-pass on posting his score when he shoots a particularly good, or bad, score on a day when preferred lies are in effect, you post every time you play.
As to those laser and GPS based distance measuring devices your buddies have, it is perfectly acceptable to post your scores when these new fangled aides are used… so long as they measure distance only. If the device measures elevation changes, wind direction or “beer breath” – anything but distance – the score is not valid for handicap purposes.
The Doc remembers years ago, when he was a caddie, the big Oak tree on number one was 153 yards to the middle of the green and the little bush on the second was 138. The members thought we were pretty smart, but the truth was “Arkansas Bob” went out one night and stepped off all those yardages. Then he sold them to the rest of us for five bucks apiece!
Most people credit Jack Nicklaus with inventing the yardage book, but never underestimate the business acumen of a professional caddie in need of a drink.
Dr. C.B. Divot
Send questions or comments to drcbdivot@yahoo.com
© copyright 2013 dhk. all rights reserved