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I am genuinely interested in the flaws of the USGA handicap system vs. the R&A handicap system. I'll point out a few things:
1. I played on a D-1 college golf scholarship. Not a lot of Europeans I know that had that amount of talent.
2. I took 8 years away from the game before getting back into it this January.
3. I had major surgery back in late October.
The club I am a member at owns 23 courses around the Atlanta area. I've played 15 of them and they are all quality courses that are pretty difficult. Actually the easiest course of them all (IMO) is a Fazio design called 'The Frog' and that has a 142 slope and has been the host of numerous prestigious events. I'm sure Yoda and Luke have played it and can vouch for it.
With that, I play different courses constantly because I have the ability to and I think it helps my game immensely. The past 2 weeks alone I've played 6 different courses. And next week I plan on playing 2 courses I've never played before. So I'm certainly 'taking it on the road.'
Most of my problems with the USGA's rating system is how they rank the handicap holes (almost always rank the par 5's the hardest and the par 3's the easiest, when they should rank them by average score over par in tournaments) and I think the slope rating is usually off. And in my case, most of the courses have had too LOW of a course slope IMO.
I really challenge anybody to go out and play Hamilton Mill in Dacula, GA. It is a tough track. Or Bentwater GC in Acworth, GA. Or Windermere in Cumming, GA. Heron Bay GC in Locust Grove, GA recently held the Atlanta Open there and former Tour player Dewitt Weaver couldn't break 80 there. I shot 76 there about 3 weeks ago (75.3 handicap, 7300 from the tips).
I play them all, from the tips and have scored as low as 67 on these courses and had three consecutive rounds in the 60's not too long ago.
I'm not really offended by the thought of dismissing the US handicap system and thus questioning my ability to a degree. But, I think it's a bit short sighted unless you've played the courses I play and shot scores similar to mine or better than I have.
3JACK
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