Reply To: How do you get DQ'd playing within your handicap

[Jeffrey Barbas]

Here’s the main problem with the handicap system and the way the World Am sees it. Last year I had an exceptional round during the World Am. And I wasn’t the only one in my flight. And there were several right behind us. They didn’t get touched that day. Me and the other guy were effectively taken out of the competition. They took 11 shots off us for the week after day 1. The next 3 days I shoot my normal numbers. If I shoot another number they deem even close to my handicap, and I wished I did, they would have DQ’d me.
Now, for a lot of us or at least for myself, I play weekend golf. That’s it. When we come to Myrtle Beach early and play every day you should start to play a little better, right? Well, the computer program that the World Am uses doesn’t allow for that. There is no one on the World Am staff that really gives a crap about your of my handicap. The computer does all the figuring for them and spits out anyone that shoots what it deems an exceptional number. What it doesn’t catch is numbers players. Those that know that they need to back off on round so they don’t get adjusted. It’s unfortunate that they try to explain to us, the players that know what real golf is that “it’s impossible for a 5 or 6 handicap to shoot a par round of golf”. Talk about a statement that’s totally erroneous. Last year I had two even par rounds on my handicap card at the same time. My handicap never went lower than a 4.9 during that time. Funny thing was that they were both Myrtle Beach courses that I shot par on. Thistle and Pine Lakes.
Little secret, some of your Myrtle Beach courses aren’t as tough as the courses I play here at home. Why do you think Tiger Woods seemed to win more than anybody here in Ohio. Because we have the toughest courses here. As much as people say they love to play on fast greens, well, not if your chipping most the day or you just aren’t hitting your irons that good. And the putter isn’t always your friend.
Here is the other factor I have to laugh about. I play my courses here at home at around 7,000 yards. You guys put us at 6300 to 6600 yards every year. So if I end up playing better or exceptional is there really any doubt as to why? I didn’t create the handicap system. It’s a pretty flawed system for the most part. If you put a 4 handicap from Pawley’s Plantation vs. a 4 handicap from Possum Trot, I’m pretty sure that they aren’t very equal. Although the handicap system says they should be.