Notebook
Winning & Sandbagging
To some degree, the term "sandbagging" always finds its way into any handicapped event. "Sandbagging" by definition is proactively posting higher scores than real, to gain an advantage in a golf tournament. Participants who use the term sandbagging in casual conversation are implying factual knowledge that a fellow golfer is a cheater.
Sandbagging does not occur at the Carl Spackler Open, but prior to the event. A participant who accuses a golfer of sandbagging or circulates rumors of sandbagging is implying he watched or experienced cheating prior to the event and ignored it.
The Carl Spackler Open is not designed to reward a golfer who plays better than his statistical averages. It is designed to recognize a single golfer who has played better than everyone else who are all playing against their statistical averages. To win this event, a golfer would almost certainly post scores that are not believable to anyone including himself. THESE UNBELIEVABLE SCORES BY DEFINITION WILL RESEMBLE SANDBAGGING.
Dress Code
Golf shirts along with bermuda shorts. T-shirts, jogging apparel or denim of any kind is prohibited. Only soft spike golf shoes are allowed on the golf course, practice green, and driving range.
Practice Balls*
Practice Balls are included in the golf trip fee.
DO NOT FORGET
The following is a list that you might want to bring along on the trip. These items will not be provided. 1. Shampoo 2. Golf Clubs 3. Cigars & Cigarettes 4. Sunglasses 5. Ball Retriever 6. Medical Tape, Bandaids, Sunscreen, Chapstick 7. Cash 8. Umbrella 10. Bug Spray or Absorbine Jr. 11. Golf Shoes (soft spikes) 12. Golf Clothes (the course requires proper golf attire. Please review dress code note) 13. Golf Gloves (extra for potential rain) 14. Phone Charger 15. Golf Towels, plenty in case it is wet. 16. Golf Balls 17. Belt 18. Evening Clothes 19. Swimsuit. 20. Mow your lawn. 21. GPS Yardage Finder w/ Power Cord 22. Phone numbers of your ride to/from airport. 23. Powder or Boxer Briefs to guard against chaffing. 24. Watch, bracelet, or chain. 25. Print this entire notebook for the airplane. 26. Toothpaste & Toothbrush. 27. Weigh Travel Bag for 50lb Airport limit. 28. Carl Spackler Open baseball hats. 29. Golden Jacket. 30. Mobile Phone Charger w/ Power Cord 31. Music Speaker
Handicapping
The tournament handicapping uses Poststats Points. These points are completely independent of Virtual Tournament handicaps. They will be set and printed a few days prior to the event.
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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 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.
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. They modified the same target increase in the spring of 2011. Golfers who post scorecards per year (365 days) including past events registered with Poststats.com will receive an additional target point. Point targets will elevate by 1 point for every 4 scorecards posted with a maximum of 5 target points added. Jason Ridgeway's point target jumps to 71 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.
Scoring
The Carl Spackler Open is scored live, however allows both paper scorecard. The mobile website does not require access rights, however mobile scoring does require access. Brian Long and Greg Long can provide access rights to score the tournament.
Greg Garrett, Brian Long, and Greg Long will be managing 8,000 scores. PLEASE CONSIDER THE SCORING TEAM ON YOUR VACATION. Paper scorecards with Mike, Jay, or J.D. are the opposite of clarity. Do not chicken scratch or circle birdies.
Paper scorecards should have a clear unique name, 18 clearly written numbers, and circled scores to indicate holes with long putt made. Turn in both scorecards when totals are identical.
Mobile live scoring changes 50-year old golf behavior. The cell phone does not strap on the golf cart steering wheel so think about the modified behaviors that will result.
1. Comfort. Carry small cell phones in your pocket or find a traditional space in the golf cart.
2. Battery Charge. Come to the golf course with full charge and your Spackler battery charger.
3. Share. Multiple golfers in your foursome can share the job and battery lives.
4. Integrity. Do not score birdies to grab attention with plans to change it later. Long-term integrity is paramount.
Mobile Website
The Carl Spackler Open will no longer manage communications with printing and distributing of paper. The event has an independent mobile website. m.poststats.com. This is the letter m followed by a dot. Then poststats dot com. The username and password are both case sensitive. Many phones auto capitalize the first letter when trying to enter a username. Be careful. BOOKMARK THIS WEBSITE ON YOUR PHONE. YOU WILL FORGET THE WEB ADDRESS.
The mobile website is simplified for the actual 96 hour event. It does not have pictures or news. It contains an address book, Leaderboards, scoring, rules, process, notifications, pairings, tee times, and schedule.
Do not test enter scores prior to actual play, however feel free to get comfortable with the information provided.
Pace of Play
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