Ask Linda #38-Posting scores for others

Dear Linda,
I know that when we play an SJGA tournament our scores are posted by SJGA. However, I observed that some scores from team matches were not posted to the slope and rating of the course played, but posted using the home course slope and rating. I'm not sure how this affects the handicap. Could you explain the correct way of posting scores and how this affects our handicaps?
Lulu

Dear Lulu,
When one person assumes the responsibility of posting scores for others (as, for example, a captain does when she posts the match scores for her team), she must take great care in posting the correct information. The date, course rating and slope rating of the course played, ESC® score, and the name of the course played must be carefully recorded.

The problem I noticed last year was that some captains entered the correct course and slope ratings for the course played when the match was at an away course, but accidentally entered the name of their home course in each player’s record. This created some confusion for the Team Match Committee, but did not adversely affect those players’ handicaps. If the correct course and slope rating are entered, then the handicap will be accurate.

I am somewhat dismayed to learn from your question that scores were posted with the slope and rating for the home course when the match was played away. This is an error that needs to be corrected, and that can be accomplished by notifying your club pro (or the person responsible for the GHIN computer at your club). You cannot correct this information yourself – there is a code to enter the program to enable someone to make corrections, and private individuals do not have access to that code.

Each course that you play has a different playing difficulty, and this is reflected in the USGA Course Rating®. A score of 90 at Harbor Pines, for example, where the women’s rating is 68.5/118, is not as exceptional as shooting 90 at Woodcrest, where the rating is 73.4/128. If you enter the rating for Woodcrest, and you actually played the match at Harbor Pines, then your handicap will be too low when it is computed (generally twice a month).

It might be a good idea for a player on every team to volunteer to help the captain enter the scores after each match. It is also the responsibility of each player to review her scores, and to ask the pro to make corrections when they are warranted.

Linda


Copyright © 2008 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.