The tournament handicapping uses Poststats Points. These points are completely independent of Virtual Tournament handicaps. They will be updated and printed in early June.

Stop reading unless you would like a detailed understanding of handicapping.

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The handicap system is based on posted scorecards to the website, USGA Slope Rating, and yardage played. The USGA Slope Rating is a number (between 55 and 155) given to each tee box in America by the USGA. The number represents the difficulty to the average bogey golfer. The average USGA Slope Rating in America is 115.

Poststats.com uses total yardage played and USGA Slope Rating to apply a "course bonus" to each tee box in America. These bonus points are used to level the course difficulty and handicap each golfer participating in the Carl Spackler Open. The course bonus is not used at the Carl Spackler Open since all participants are playing the same course.

Each golfer is required to post 4+ scorecards to participate in the Carl Spackler Open. The handicap system and computer will use the last 15 posted scorecards regardless of year to determine a golfer handicap. The handicap system will omit the best scorecard and four worst scorecards from the previous 15 posted scorecards. It will tally the average number of birdies, pars, bogeys, double-bogeys, and triple-bogeys for each golfer. (Eagles are converted to birdies.)

The "personal profile" for each golfer has a date field for health setbacks. This field is used for heart attacks, strokes, broken legs, surgeries, and anytime past scorecards are not a representation of a golfer's skill level. The computer does not use scorecards prior to the date entered.

The goal of the handicap system is for each participant to score 60 points per round with their course bonus. For each golfer, the computer will use averages per round (birdie, par, bogey, double-bogey, triple-bogey) described above and cross check the database of 250 different "sets of points" for a set of points that will position each golfer to score 60 points. (Remember course bonus is not used at the Carl Spackler Open.)

The 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 Carl Spackler Open tournament leaderboards have Top 10's and Top 20's by points. The majority of the Top 10 (65%) participants were C and D players in respects to golf skill each and every year without exception. The chances of one unknown high handicapped golfer dropping 30% of their strokes per hole over a 54-hole period is more than probable.

Poststats.com added "target points" to the handicapping system in the winter of 2007. The computer started raising point targets for the best golfers while still rewarding the high handicappers.

The lower the stroke handicap, the more target points a golfer will receive. Golfers with a stroke handicap of +8 to +11 receive an elevated target to 62 points per round. Participants with a handicap +6 to +8 strokes are bumped to 63 points per round. Handicaps of +6 strokes have target of 64 points and +5 strokes get 65 points. Golfers with a handicap of +2 are targeted at 65 points per round. Jason Ridgeway presently has a negative stroke handicap and receives 67 points.

In addition to golf skill, golfers who play the same course 70 percent of the time will be given an elevated target of 1 point. This change also came in 2007. These "home course" participants will be given 2 points if they play the same course 90 percent of the time. These golfers statistically slip when leaving their home course. The point upgrade allows the entire tournament field to handicapped equally and remove scoring based on extensive course knowledge.

The 2007 and 2008 tournament leaderboards also have Top 10's and Top 20's by total points. Since the point targets were inserted into the handicap system, the Leaderboard majority flipped (70%) from 'C and D players' to 'A and B players' for both events. The system also allowed a 'C player' to win the 2007 event.

Poststats.com added another target increase in the winter of 2009 as a step to decrease Top 10 volatility and reward participants for posting scorecards. Golfers who post 7+ scorecards per year (365 days) including past events registered with Poststats.com will receive an additional target point. Golfers who post 12+ scorecards will receive an elevation of target by 2 points. Jason Ridgeway's point target jumps to 69 points (A player) and Rick Dosky's (D player) point target jumps to 62 points.

The statisical handicapping detail for each golfer is available online. Golfers can visit the homepage and click "HANDICAPS" in the lower menu. Then click on their name.

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4-MAN TEAM HANDICAPPING
The 4-man Scramble is handicapped using Poststats Points. The handicapping allows a team of five preferred partners regardless of skill to compete equally with a team of three preferred partners who experienced a last minute cancellation from their best player.

The computer handicaps a team by first determining the stroke handicap of the best player. As an example, Jason Ridgeway has a 0 handicap. The computer sets his team baseline handicap at 0. The computer then searches the team for its second best player. It uses hundreds of scramble statistics to determine the value of the 2nd best player. As an example, Mike Davis (A player) would contribute 7 strokes. The team baseline handicap is adjusted downward to -7 strokes. The computer searches the team for its third best player. As an example, Chad Long (C player) would contribute 3 strokes. The team baseline handicap adjusts downward to -10 strokes. The computer searches the team for its fourth and possibly fifth best player. It lowers the team stroke handicap to -12 strokes. Each stroke handicap from -22 to +22 have a corresponding set of Poststats Points. The points for the team are set.

The computer handicaps based on general scramble statistics and USGA Stroke Handicap Indexes. It does not handicap using driving distance per player or putting skills of each participant.