The one poster (Loop) stated the handicap system should be representative of actual scores, not a golfer's potential. USGA says just the opposite! (And I agree with USGA on this one.) To be fair to the field... your fellow competitiors... the handicap system MUST indicate the score you have the potential to shoot.
Handicapping has two possible "evils". First is the ego cap. The ego cap is for "braggin' rights". There are those who would only record their best scores so they could brag about their single digit cap. Then is any type of competition would shoot considerably higher because they did not record EVERY score. The other "evil" is sandbagging. Without the ESC adjustment, single digit cappers could easily maintain a double digit cap by making sure the last hole of the day had high enough a score to keep them there. In a competitive round, their potential would be to shoot considerably under what the recorded cap would be. They would leave with their pockets full of stolen cash!!! Hence the ESC.
When I enter a tournament, I don't want to know what my competiton shot in the best round of their life, the worst round of their life, or the round they shot last Saturday. I want to know the score they have the "potential" to shoot! They will competing against me and my potential score. Either one of us can have a good round or a bad round. But, to be on level ground, we MUST know what each has the potential to score.
The dates, I agree, are somewhat ambiguous. The USGA does encompass the entire U.S. which is subject to radically differing climates. With the changing course conditions through the winter months, a large segment of the country's courses would not play close to their USGA rating. So, some dates are pulled from collected data which determine the October 15 to April 1st dates.
If you do not agree with the dates or the ESC, petition the USGA. Until such time the USGA does modify or change their rules, any handicap system that is kept outside of their strict guidelines is simply not a legitimate USGA handicap. In your weekly competition, there should be an agreement between the participants for the time beyond October 15. As a group, agree to continue calculating caps... or as a group... hold the USGA dates. Jayhawk comments the USGA does not set rules for on course wagering. That is correct. That exactly is the reason that the criteria for on course wagering does need agreed upon by those participating before the competition.
Handicapping has two possible "evils". First is the ego cap. The ego cap is for "braggin' rights". There are those who would only record their best scores so they could brag about their single digit cap. Then is any type of competition would shoot considerably higher because they did not record EVERY score. The other "evil" is sandbagging. Without the ESC adjustment, single digit cappers could easily maintain a double digit cap by making sure the last hole of the day had high enough a score to keep them there. In a competitive round, their potential would be to shoot considerably under what the recorded cap would be. They would leave with their pockets full of stolen cash!!! Hence the ESC.
When I enter a tournament, I don't want to know what my competiton shot in the best round of their life, the worst round of their life, or the round they shot last Saturday. I want to know the score they have the "potential" to shoot! They will competing against me and my potential score. Either one of us can have a good round or a bad round. But, to be on level ground, we MUST know what each has the potential to score.
The dates, I agree, are somewhat ambiguous. The USGA does encompass the entire U.S. which is subject to radically differing climates. With the changing course conditions through the winter months, a large segment of the country's courses would not play close to their USGA rating. So, some dates are pulled from collected data which determine the October 15 to April 1st dates.
If you do not agree with the dates or the ESC, petition the USGA. Until such time the USGA does modify or change their rules, any handicap system that is kept outside of their strict guidelines is simply not a legitimate USGA handicap. In your weekly competition, there should be an agreement between the participants for the time beyond October 15. As a group, agree to continue calculating caps... or as a group... hold the USGA dates. Jayhawk comments the USGA does not set rules for on course wagering. That is correct. That exactly is the reason that the criteria for on course wagering does need agreed upon by those participating before the competition.