Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2017 - 6

FRONT
BY THE NUMBERS
Handicap Tracking
A look at how MGA numbers compare to the rest of the country.
R
eaders of this magazine all have
something in common: a USGA
Handicap Index. In fact, all 66,000
members of the MGA get one as a benefit
of their membership, even if they aren't
currently using it. But for those MGA golfers
who do carry a Handicap Index, there's
a good chance they like to track numbers,
so here are some from 2016 related to the
handicapping program.
Golfers post their scores after playing a
round, and the 10 lowest differentials out
of the most recent 20 scores are used to
determine their Handicap Index, which is
updated on the 1st and 15th of each month.
Those golfers posting scores are in good
company, as 1,292,890 scores were posted
in 2016-which comes out to an average of 19.5 rounds posted
per MGA member.
So, how do you stack up? Do you post more or less rounds
than the average? If you play at one of the following clubs, you
might have posted more rounds, as these clubs recorded some
of the highest numbers of rounds posted in the past golf season:
* Rush Creek GC
* Chaska Town Course
* Braemar GC
* Bunker Hills GC
* Prestwick GC
* Minnesota Valley CC
* Baker National GC
* Edinburgh USA
* Minneapolis GC
* Golden Valley CC
* Indian Hills GC
* Bracketts Crossing CC
* Mendakota CC
* Island View GC
The players who did post the most rounds in 2016 spent plenty
of time on the course. For the men, Larry Olson of Medina
13.7
26.0
Average Handicap Index for
male MGA members
Average Handicap Index for
female MGA members
* BY JOSEPH OBERLE *
G&CC takes the honors with 297
rounds posted, while Shirley Fritz
from Soldier Fields GC in Rochester
was tops for women with 256. While
neither could best the all-timer, Iron
Man John Furin, who posted 679
scores in 2006-at Mesaba CC in
Hibbing-their feats are remarkable.
Perhaps a more interesting question
is how do Minnesota golfers
compare to golfers around the country
when it comes to Handicap Indexes?
The average Handicap Index
for male MGA members is 13.7, while
it is 26.0 for MGA women. For all golf
associations around the country, the
numbers are the same for women, but
slightly higher for the men at 14.2, so we are " above average " like
the mythical Lake Wobegon.
If you would like to see how your own personal Handicap
Index compares to the average numbers of players (men or
women) around the country, the USGA offers that information
on its website, www.usga.org.
For instance, if you are a male playing to a handicap of +1
or better (and if so, why aren't you playing on a tour?), you are
part of 0.92 percent of the golfers in the country. If you are a
35.0-36.4 (the highest handicap listed), you are in a group that
also comprises 0.92 percent of the golfers. Male golfer handicaps
in the 12.0-12.9 range are most common, with a percentage of
5.72 golfers.
Finally, the numbers for the first weekend of golf this season
(April 1-2) were reported at 3,600 scores posted. So, we're off to
a good start for 2017.
43,576
Number of MGA
members who receive
handicap revisions
via email.*
*If you're not receiving your Handicap
Index revision on the 1st and 15th each
month, send an email to info@mngolf.org
39,132
Number of Type C
scores (combining
9-hole rounds)
posted by a
female
in 2016.
6
MINNESOTAGOLFER Summer 2017
116,265 53.82% 50.01%
Number of Type C
scores (combining
9-hole rounds)
posted by a
male in 2016.
The percentage of
male golfers in the
U.S. who post
scores with
indexes below
14.0.
The percentage of
female golfers in the
U.S. who post scores
with indexes below
26.0.
www.mngolf.org
http://www.usga.org http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2017

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