Proverbs 18:1 teaches us “Whoever isolates
himself seeks his own desire.” The
USGA has interpreted this to mean “Whoever plays by himself probably seeks to unduly
increase his handicap” and has ruled such scores cannot be posted. This
ruling has not gone without reproach. The Canadian Golf Association has tweeted “scores made while playing
alone will continue to count for handicap purposes.” Jerry Tarde, editor of Golf Digest wrote (2/2016):
Presumably
(the USGA believes) you have to be watched to ensure you are not cheating. Isn’t honesty the backbone of the game we all
love?
I believe Mr. Tarde has failed to make the distinction
between Golf and Handicap Golf. Honesty is
the backbone of Golf. The stories of players disqualifying
themselves for violations only they had seen are numerous and legendary. Handicap
Golf has no similar tales of a competitor refusing a prize because he knew he
had unfairly increased his handicap.
The origin of the handicap system is unknown. One story, and it may be apocryphal, is a serpent
first offered players a handicap system in the guise of an apple. The arguments the serpent made in support of
the handicap system are not known in any detail, but are likely similar to
those advanced by Mr. Tarde:
The
genius of handicapping is that it allows everybody, no matter their ability, to
compete against each other in golf. You
can play matches against (and beat)…Jordan Spieth.
Handicap Golf was
not to be a game of skill, but a game of chance where the odds could be
manipulated by the unethical player. This
was persuasive to many players and they consumed the apple down to its
core. Having tasted this forbidden fruit,
however, they were cast out of the Garden of Golf. They would never again
tread the same ground as Francis Ouimet and Bobby Jones. Instead, they were doomed to journey through
life in the company of nefarious characters who were more than likely to pilfer
their purse as they slept.
The USGA has long recognized man’s moral imperfection and
has taken steps to minimize its impact on Handicap
Golf. It developed penalties for exceptional
tournament performance. It limited the
number of strokes a player can take on a hole to make handicap manipulation
more difficult. It insisted on peer review, and has now made a
minor change by disallowing scores made when playing alone. The
USGA’s recent action is both proper and of little consequence. As many Member/Guests prove, original sin will
always be more powerful than the USGA
Handicap System.
There are two thoughts I want to leave you with. First, it is not the handicap system that is
at fault. Would you blame cars for drunken
drivers or knives for Jack the Ripper?
It is up to you to use the handicap system responsibly and avoid those
who do not. Second, if you are fortunate
enough to play alone some summer evening, think only of the joy this great game
brings—the satisfaction of a solidly hit drive, the thump of well struck bunker
shot, and the God-created beauty that surrounds you. To stress over whether the round can be
posted insults God’s handiwork and demonstrates
a desperate need for therapy. Amen.
