PCC guesses

[Steve Wilkes]

I was making the point that conditions hadn't been the difference on this occasion. But given courses are rated for normal conditions, are you saying that the same group of players would expect to return similar scores if, for example, high winds and hard greens were in play versus more normal conditions?

PCC is only ever going to be a rough guide and can only use the scores recorded that day, I could play the same course two similar days running and shoot 75 and 85 respectively, Who is going to stand on the 18th green and take wind speeds throughout the day, because the strength of wind is very rarely the same morning, afternoon & evening, also I don't think it's possible for each club to advertise to the powers that be the hardness of greens, stimp readings and whether the pin positions are in tricky areas.
A plus or minus of a PCC point only makes a difference of a .1 or .2 difference in Index.

 

[Steven Rules]

I was making the point that conditions hadn't been the difference on this occasion. But given courses are rated for normal conditions, are you saying that the same group of players would expect to return similar scores if, for example, high winds and hard greens were in play versus more normal conditions?

I am saying that playing conditions are irrelevant to the whole discussion. The ONLY factor that is relevant is the spread and level of scores on a particular day versus the spread and level of scores that is normally expected.

People who come on this forum seeking an answer to why PCC was (or wasn't) this or that need to provide score data for the entire field, rather than a weather report. Even armed with that score data, we can only make an (educated?) guess as to how PCC was calculated.

A plus or minus of a PCC point only makes a difference of a .1 or .2 difference in Index.

Spot on! And I'd add that it only makes that much difference if that is one of the player’s eight counting scores in their last twenty rounds. (i.e. there is only a 40% chance it will impact the player’s handicap by 0.1 or 0.2. The other 60% of the time it has no impact on the player’s handicap.)

If one or two shots either way, and its impact on handicap, is important to people, my advice to them is to spend less time reflecting on PCC and more time reflecting on what they can do to change things within their control - like the number of putts missed inside four feet, or the number of three-putts, or failing to get out of a bunker, or the number of penalty strokes incurred during a round, or the number of fluffed chip shots, or the number of shots sprayed into the trees, or.....

 

[rulefan]

I am saying that playing conditions are irrelevant to the whole discussion. The ONLY factor that is relevant is the spread and level of scores on a particular day versus the spread and level of scores that is normally expected.

Spot on! And I'd add that it only makes that much difference if that is one of the player’s eight counting scores in their last twenty rounds.

The Definition of PPC is The statistical calculation that determines if conditions on a day of play differed from normal playing conditions to the extent that they significantly impacted
players’ performance.
Examples of conditions that could impact players’
performance include:
l Course conditions,
l Weather conditions, and
l Course set-up.

CSS says
The calculation of the Competition Scratch Score is a procedure employed on the day of the competition to quantify the influence of course and weather conditions on the scoring ability of the field and regulate adjustments to handicaps accordingly.

The It may be of interest/significance that PCC is based on the expected performance of a standard player of the same Index. Whereas the CSS is based on Categories and did not include Category 4 until 2016.
Does that affect the sensitivity of the calculation I wonder?

 

[mikejohnchapman]

PCC is a bit like a Christmas present from an elderly aunt. Always a surprise and often a disappointment!