Golf Club Membership ONLY R659.99pa Aug/Sep 2010 SPECIAL

Dear Golf Member

Below is an excerpt from a letter addressed to (all) clubs regarding the release of new HNA SAGA cards into the SA market – this communique was sent Friday 27 August and (regrettably) spells out the further delay in card issue! These delays fall outside the control of either Tee2Pin or St Cathryn’s GC… we apologise for any inconvenience caused!

PLEASE note that your name will be captured on the database with www.handicaps.co.za – check for your name under “Lookup Golfer” – St Cathryn’s GC. When playing a round you can respectfully ask the cashier at the relevant pro-shop to check your details on the system if there are any queries pertaining to the validity of your membership!

Regards, David Dugmore (Chairman) Tee2Pin GC

New SAGA Affiliation/Handicap Card Rollout

Dear Sir/Madam (St Cathryn’s GC and Tee2pin Golf Club),

The next step in the rollout of the new SAGA Handicap System involves the distribution of new SAGA Affiliation/Handicap Cards.  We would ask you to please verify your membership database and then please notify us by emai (DONE). On receipt of this confirmation email, we will proceed with ordering your new cards. Cards will be ordered on a first come first served basis and will be delivered within approximately 5 weeks of ordering.

If there are any further questions or concerns in this regard, please do not hesitate to contact us on (021) 380 6379. Alternatively you can email your queries to info@handicaps.co.za.

Kind regards,

Justin King

Don’t buy a putter until you’ve had a chance to throw it (I’m testing a few…).

Never try to keep more than 300 separate thoughts in your mind during your swing.

When your shot has to carry over a water hazard, you can either hit one more club or two more balls.

If you’re afraid a full shot might reach the green while the foursome ahead of you is still putting out, you have two options: you can immediately shank a lay-up or you can wait until the green is clear and top a ball halfway there..

The less skilled the player, the more likely he is to share his ideas about the golf swing.

No matter how bad you are playing, it is always possible to play worse.

The inevitable result of any golf lesson is the instant elimination of the one critical unconscious motion that allowed you to compensate for all of your many other errors

Everyone replaces his divot after a perfect approach shot.

A golf match is a test of your skill against your opponents’ luck.

It is surprisingly easy to hole a fifty foot putt . For a 10.

Counting on your opponent to inform you when he breaks a rule is like expecting him to make fun of his own haircut.

Nonchalant putts count the same as chalant putts

It’s not a gimme if you’re still 5 metres away

The shortest distance between any two points on a golf course is a straight line that passes directly through the centre of a very large tree.

You can hit a two acre fairway 10% of the time and a two inch branch 90% of the time.

If you really want to get better at golf, go back and take it up at a much earlier age.

Since bad shots come in groups of three, a fourth bad shot is actually the beginning of the next group of three.

When you look up, causing an awful shot, you will always look down again at exactly the moment when you ought to start watching the ball if you ever want to see it again.

Every time a golfer makes a birdie, he must subsequently make two triple bogeys to restore the fundamental equilibrium of the universe.

If you want to hit a 7 iron as far as Tiger Woods does, simply try to lay up just short of a water hazard.

To calculate the speed of a player’s downswing, multiply the speed of his back-swing by his handicap; I.e., back-swing 20 mph , handicap 15, downswing = 300 mph.

There are two things you can learn by stopping your back-swing at the top and checking the position of your hands: how many hands you have, and which one is wearing the glove.

Hazards attract; fairways repel.

A ball you can see in the rough from 50 yards away is not yours.

If there is a ball on the fringe and a ball in the bunker, your ball is in the bunker. If both balls are in the bunker, yours is in the footprint.

It’s easier to get up at 6:00 AM to play golf than at 10:00 to mow the lawn.

A good drive on the 18th hole has stopped many a golfer from giving up the game.

Golf is the perfect thing to do on Sunday because you always end up having to pray a lot.

A good golf partner is one who’s always slightly worse than you are….

If there’s a storm rolling in, you’ll be having the game of your life.

Golf balls are like eggs. They’re white. They’re sold by the dozen. And you need to buy fresh ones each week.

It’s amazing how a golfer who never helps out around the house will replace his divots, repair his ball marks, and rake his sand traps.

If your opponent has trouble remembering whether he shot a six or a seven, he probably shot an eight (or worse).

It takes longer to learn to be a good golfer than it does to become a brain surgeon. On the other hand, you don’t get to ride around on a cart, drink beer, eat hot dogs and fart, if you are performing Brain Surgery !!!!

Dear Sir/Madam,

Handicaps Network Africa advised all clubs in the communication sent out on the 20^th July, that as from 1^st August, the 72 hour late score penalty would be invoked. Unfortunately many clubs did not inform their members.

Therefore the SAGA have decided to suspend the penalty calculation, and to reverse the penalty scores in the handicap calculations in August.

We would like to re-iterate to all golfers that the penalty calculation is also triggered by late entries of any rounds, not just those that remain open on the handicap system. This includes rounds entered by club managers and their staff.

Reversing the penalty scores on the handicap system is a complicated task and will take at least 1 week to implement. In the meantime Clubs should advise any affected golfers to play off their handicaps as calculated at the end of July, and not the recalculated handicap as reflected on the internet or terminal.

Clubs will be advised a month in advance of the re-introduction of the late score entry penalty system.

Kindest Regards,

Handicaps Network Africa

(1) Handicaps and score history can be viewed on www.handicaps.co.za. Click on Lookup Golfer, then type your name and club name.

(2) Several changes have been implemented with regards to the calculation of handicaps. These changes were detailed in correspondence sent on 21/07/2010 “Handicaps Calculation Overview” and can also be viewed on www.saga.co.za.

Members are advised to familiarise themselves with these changes.

(3) The dispatch of the new SAGA/HNA cards has been delayed until the end of August. Handicaps Network Africa (HNA) apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. The good news is that within a few months players will be able to enter scores via cellphone and the internet – details will be available at a later stage.

Overview and Implementation of approved SAGA Handicap changes

Introduction
Changes to the SAGA Handicap System have been approved by the SAGA in the past three years. Some of these were implemented by NGN, others not. The recent large changes in handicaps experienced by some golfers were due to the premature implementation of the Exceptional Performance test. To ensure that the next monthly run, on 31 July, does not cause similar misunderstandings, this communication describes all the factors that contribute to the computation of handicaps.

The Purpose of a Handicap
As you are aware a handicap is intended to provide a means for players of unequal ability to compete on a more or less even basis. A handicap should reflect the ability of a golfer to play the game, and not the average performance. This means that more focus must be placed on a players good rounds, rather than simply applying a 10 out of 20 formula. The reality is that low-handicap golfers tend to play on – or near their handicap – with their good rounds typically being up to five strokes below their handicap. High-handicap golfers tend to have much larger variations in their scores. A high-handicap golfer may not have many rounds below handicap, but when it occurs the round may be as much as 10 strokes below handicap. All of the elements of the handicap calculation described below are designed to manage these aspects in a balanced fashion.

Bonus for Excellence
This element is similar to that found in the USGA Handicap System, the principle being that a slight degree of additional stretch should be incorporated in a player’s handicap. The factor is 0.96, meaning that the exact handicap (derived from the best 10 scoress) is reduced by 4% for all golfers. This has already been applied for all handicap computations done by the SAGA Handicap System, but will not have been applied at clubs still running the old NGN system: This should be fully implemented from 31 July.

Calculated (or Dynamic) Rating
Because weather conditions, or course setup, can have a dramatic effect on the average net score, we have introduced a calculation that will adjust the course rating from the base Standard Rating (SR). This can be seen in the score records for any player as SR and Course Rating (CR). At present the CR will normally equal the SR, but in future these values may differ. The variance currently allowed from the SR is one below to four above. So a course with a SR of 71 may have CRs varying from 70 to 75. Importantly, these adjustments may only take place a few days after the round is posted, if at all. It is important that each club has the correct values for SR loaded for each tee-colour they have (for example Yellow, White, Blue and Red) as these are used as the starting point for the CR.

Interim Revision
The Interim Rating has been operative since July 2007, but has been suspended in our new system for both June and July, while we assimilate all clubs. The principle is that if your net score is three or more less than the Par of the course being played, then the handicap is immediately recomputed. It does not mean, as per a common misperception, that the handicap will immediately be reduced by one or two strokes.

Validity of Scores
Approved in March 2009, only scores recorded in the previous full 12 calendar months are considered for handicap purposes. Older scoring history will be maintained for players that play infrequently, but the number of valid (or “considered”) scores may reduce below 20. Should this happen the number of rounds used for the handicap calculation gradually reduces from 10 down to one, which happens when a player has just five valid rounds.

Less than Five Valid Scores
There may be circumstances where the player has more than 20 scores available, but less than five of them fulfil the 12 month requirement as above. In this case we cannot compute a handicap as the minimum number of scores needed is five, so the handicap will be converted to “n/a” until such time as the player has at least five valid scores on the system, at which point the player’s handicap will be recalculated and reinstated.

What causes a Handicap Calculation (or recalculation)
Several situations will cause a handicap calculation. They are:

1. The standard monthly handicap run, which is done on the last day of the month, and only considers scores up to and including those played three days before the end of the month. This run is done automatically by the SAGA Handicap System and clubs no longer have (or need) a facility to do this themselves.
2. Interim Revision, described above. This uses all scores currently available, including the one just entered that caused the Interim Revision.
3. When the number of valid scores equals five. We will then automatically compute a handicap; as soon as the minimum number of valid scores is captured on the system (currently five).
4. Number of valid scores below five. Once we detect that only four valid scores are available, we will suspend the handicap until the minimum required is reached.
5. Manually invoked handicap re-computation of a single player’s handicap by a club. This may be necessary where the club has made changes to a player’s scoring history, including the allocation of penalty scores (see below).
6. Where a club has pegged (or frozen) a player’s handicap for any reason and the end date of the pegged handicap has been reached.

Penalty Scores

In order to encourage players to enter their scores promptly, the penalty score concept was introduced in July 2007. In essence a player has a 72-hour window to enter a score for a round played. This window starts at 19:00 on the day played and ends exactly three days later at 19:00. Originally this was designed to allow players some latitude when playing on a Friday or Saturday to enter their score a few days later, perhaps because the terminal previously used was unavailable. We anticipate that the availability of the SAGA Handicap Terminal will be substantially better than the previous system and once this has been proven, we may review the time allowed to enter a score. The rationale is that a player should enter a score immediately, especially if it may decrease a player’s handicap.

The new SAGA Handicap Terminal has been displaying a message that scores entered more than 72 hours after play may/will result in a penalty score allocation. In common with other handicap calculation components this has been suspended for June and July, so all golfers are encouraged to ensure that all outstanding scores, including all those more than a week old, are promptly entered before30 July. From 1 August these will be treated as Penalty Scores.

Exceptional Performance
Detailed analysis has revealed  there are some players whose 10 scores used to compute a handicap are fairly similar with perhaps a three to six variance from best to worst. There are others who exhibit a completely different pattern, with a large variance from best to worst. These tend to be the players who turn in a 45-point Individual Stableford score. The handicap manual includes a section which allows a club to alter the gross scores of players according to a formula applied to Better-ball scores. Those clubs that utilised the facility found that it worked well, but many clubs ignored the facility. The Exceptional Performance test was designed to achieve a similar result to the manual process that clubs can still use, but automate the calculation so that there is a uniform approach across all clubs. It was this test that was prematurely introduced for clubs whose handicaps were computed by us up to and including 9 July. It has been temporarily suspended until 31 July, when a gradually phased-in approach will be implemented, which should result in lesser reductions in handicaps. The Exceptional Performance test examines the second lowest score in a player’s valid set of scores. Where this particular differential is three or more less than a player’s current handicap, then a lesser number of scores is used to compute a handicap. In simple terms a player is allowed to have one really good round in the last 20 and no action is taken. It is when another good round appears and a handicap calculation is triggered that the Exceptional Performance test is performed. Our modelling has revealed that approximately 90% of all golfers will not be affected by the Exceptional Performance test once the complete system is operating properly and all aspects of the Handicap System are fully operational.

Club Discretion Regarding Handicaps
Clubs have always been empowered to adjust a player’s handicap up or down by two strokes, such adjustment to be done for a limited period only. When the system is fully operational from 1 August a club may set a handicap up or down by 25% from the player’s current handicap. When the period set by a club for a particular member ends, the player’s handicap will revert to normal calculation rules. In exceptional circumstances a club may approach the SAGA, who will be able to adjust a player’s handicap outside this defined percentage.

Continuous Improvement
The SAGA continually monitors the performance and effectiveness of the Handicap System on a bi-annual basis. Possible alternative calculation methods are continually assessed and if they have merit and applicability to golfers of all abilities and competitive focus, they are reviewed for possible inclusion.

Issue Date:            20 July 2010
SAGA Handicap Committee

There have been some players that have had handicap reductions exceeding two strokes when handicaps have been calculated by the SAGA Handicap Server from the 1^st July 2010 onward. This was due to an additional test being performed during the handicap computation. The SAGA apologizes for the inconvenience that this may have caused these players.

This additional test, known as the Exceptional Performance calculation, was ratified by the SAGA in March 2009, but it seems that the communication may not have reached all clubs. In light of this the SAGA has decided on the following course of action:

1)      The Exceptional Performance calculation will be temporarily disabled until the 31^st July general run

2)      For any player where the SAGA Handicap Server has computed a reduction of 3 or more strokes, this reduction shall be limited to a maximum of 2. Example: where a player was reduced from 15 to 11, the player’s official SAGA handicap becomes 13, even though the handicap reflected on the terminal and website will still show 11 until we complete the next step.

3)      We will identify all players that have had a reduction of 3 or more in their handicap and, as soon as is practical, re-compute their handicaps so that the website properly reflects only a 2-stroke reduction. We anticipate that this will be completed by the end of next week.

Players should be aware that there are now several factors that influence how a handicap is computed:

A) Introduction of the 0.96 Factor. This means that a normal handicap calculation will take the best 10 differentials out of 20, average them and then multiply by 0.96. Some players may experience handicap reductions even if they have not recently posted any particularly good scores. This is due to the 0.96 factor being applied to an exact handicap accurate to 1 decimal place, and a player’s handicap may previously have been at the bottom of the handicap range, e.g. (13.5 – 14.4) for a 14-handicap player which now becomes 13.5 * 0.96 = 12.96, resulting in a 13 handicap.

B) Scores older than 12 full months are no longer considered for handicap purposes. As an example, until the end of this month, scores older than the 1^st July 2009 would not be used in the handicap calculation. If this results in less than 20 differentials being eligible for inclusion in the handicap calculation, then a lesser number of differentials will be used to compute a handicap.

C) The player simply has a recent collection of reasonable scores, such as might be expected from a new player or one that is returning to form.

D) The Exceptional Performance test, which examines the 2^nd lowest differential that is in a players
scores to count list. If this differential is at least 3 strokes lower than a player’s handicap then a different number of differentials is used, rather than the standard 10. The number ratified by SAGA was 5, which is why some golfer’s handicaps are shown as using only 5 differentials rather than the usual 10.

All of the preceding, taken in any combination are likely to have reduced most golfer’s handicaps by at least one stroke.

Kind regards,

Jan Chrobok

S.A.G.A Handicap Consultant

Tim Clark finally ended eight frustrating years of close calls on the PGA Tour by charging past overnight leader Lee Westwood to win his maiden title at the Players Championship on Sunday.

An electrifying run of five birdies in six holes around the turn put Clark a stroke in front of the chasing pack on a treacherous day for scoring at the TPC Sawgrass.

He coolly parred the last six holes for a flawless five-under-par 67 and a 16-under total of 272 to triumph by one shot in the tournament widely considered the “fifth major” by the players.

1 “Lefty” was a deserved winner

2 Tiger may have found some humility

3 Fred Couples does not wear spiked shoes and does not wear socks

4 Ernie, Trevor and Charl all entertained us with glorious shots

5 Tiger can be under par every round after 5 months away from the professional game

6 The “patrons” are not allowed to run or heckle from the crowd

7 “Tiger, did you mean Bootyism?” was splashed on a banner behind a light aircraft

8 Phil Mickelson had a bogey free final round

9 KJ Choi taught the growling Tiger a lesson in nerves and solid golf

10 The amateur Manassero was outstanding – watch out for this Itallian when he goes pro in a few weeks time!

Saga Letter

Please click on the above link for the latest update on SAGA handicapping.

Read this interesting article about Tiger’s return to Golf

http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/chipshots/