Swango1980
Well-known member
I really do think there is a huge amount of arrogance from WHS supporters in regards to Texas Scramble handicaps. Of course, they can simply keep saying the line "WHS uses thousands of scores to provide a fair handicap", yet I'm pretty sure they have absolutely no idea exactly how ANY scores were used and processed to determine these values? It could have been one guy in a room, who as an after thought did some processing and came up with a formula. A few people checked it out, and say it looks reasonable enough, go with it. Then, in a few years after clubs actually use it, they may realise there was at least one, if not more huge oversights when coming up with the initial formula. We just don't know.
However, I must have played in maybe a dozen Scrambles, or more, since WHS began. Yes, not hundreds of thousands, just a dozen or so. However, every one has been won with high handicapped teams (see exception below). And, most of them all 4 were high handicappers. Winning scores have often been better than 20 under par. They are scores that would be impossible for a scratch team to shoot, and basically impossible for most combinations of lowish handicappers. That is, pretty much every single scramble competition I've played, both on my home course and at other courses. And, most of the time (when I've known the winners), it isn't a question that they are bandits and keeping high handicaps purposely. It just seems they get way too many shots in a format where you can have up to 3 terrible shots out of 4 and get away with it.
Exception: At my old club, we were able to get a much more competitive format by drawing teams that has a low seed handicapper, middle seeds and high seeds (i.e. balanced handicap teams). However, by doing that we virtually removed the handicap issue entirely, and most teams played off similar handicaps anyway.
I tend to find it gets even worse in Mixed Formats, where some teams have ladies. This can be course dependent, but at some courses there are many holes were the red tees are miles ahead of the whites. It means a lady can hit it a short distance off the tee, but put a man in the team at a significant advantage for the 2nd shot (compared to a team of 4 men hitting off whites, and even great drives struggling to get to where the lady could get to). I wonder how many millions of scores WHS evaluated to see what the impact of having mixed teams would have?
It seems many others are having similar experiences. Yet, despite the fact WHS is new and might not actually be perfect on the day of its release, there are people that seem to want to blindly, religiously defend it as if there could not possibly be any issue. That golfers who actually use it in practice are just lying, or don't know what they are talking about.
My above thoughts are on the 4-ball format. I've not played in 2-ball scramble so have no opinion on it.
However, I must have played in maybe a dozen Scrambles, or more, since WHS began. Yes, not hundreds of thousands, just a dozen or so. However, every one has been won with high handicapped teams (see exception below). And, most of them all 4 were high handicappers. Winning scores have often been better than 20 under par. They are scores that would be impossible for a scratch team to shoot, and basically impossible for most combinations of lowish handicappers. That is, pretty much every single scramble competition I've played, both on my home course and at other courses. And, most of the time (when I've known the winners), it isn't a question that they are bandits and keeping high handicaps purposely. It just seems they get way too many shots in a format where you can have up to 3 terrible shots out of 4 and get away with it.
Exception: At my old club, we were able to get a much more competitive format by drawing teams that has a low seed handicapper, middle seeds and high seeds (i.e. balanced handicap teams). However, by doing that we virtually removed the handicap issue entirely, and most teams played off similar handicaps anyway.
I tend to find it gets even worse in Mixed Formats, where some teams have ladies. This can be course dependent, but at some courses there are many holes were the red tees are miles ahead of the whites. It means a lady can hit it a short distance off the tee, but put a man in the team at a significant advantage for the 2nd shot (compared to a team of 4 men hitting off whites, and even great drives struggling to get to where the lady could get to). I wonder how many millions of scores WHS evaluated to see what the impact of having mixed teams would have?
It seems many others are having similar experiences. Yet, despite the fact WHS is new and might not actually be perfect on the day of its release, there are people that seem to want to blindly, religiously defend it as if there could not possibly be any issue. That golfers who actually use it in practice are just lying, or don't know what they are talking about.
My above thoughts are on the 4-ball format. I've not played in 2-ball scramble so have no opinion on it.