Fluctuations in round-to-round Scoring and Golfers' Handicaps

Abstract

The game of golf involves a variety of skills, so many facets of the game are amenable to improvement. Research results have indicated that certain shot-rnaking skills may be most relevant to scoring success (2). However, in a recent survey polling amateur golfers, results indicated that round-to-round consistency in scoring, rather than specific shot-making skills, was the most popular response to a question concerning the specific aspects of the game that golfers were most interested in improving (1). Yet little is known about the round-to-round scoring consistency as related to gollers of various skill levels. The purpose of this study was to examine consistency in scoring across rounds as this consistency related to specific scoring handicaps. The subjects were current male Professional Golf Association professional golfers and male amateur golfers holding registered Professional Golf Association handicaps. The subjects were grouped into five categories: (a) professionals, (b) 0 to 6 handicappers, (c) 7 to 11 handicappers, (d) 12 to 16 handicappers, and (e) 17 to 21 handicappers. Each group contained 25 subjects. To examine round-to-round scoring consistency among professional golfers, the results of six randomly selected 1988 Professional Golf Association tournaments were examined. The diEferences between each of the top 20 players' lowest and hghest rounds for each of the four-round tournaments were used to calculate a mean difference across tournaments. Mean differences pertaining to the amateurs were determined by averaging the ranges of each group of four consecutive scores across the most recent 24 successive scores. A one-way analysis of variance, used to examine the effects of handicap grouping on fluctuations in round-to-round scoring, indicated no significant differences between groups with alpha set at the .05 level. These results are interpreted as an indication that fluctuations in round-to-round scoring do not vary among professionals through 20 plus handicappers. The point is further supported in the examinations of the maximum ranges associated with each group. The maximum range across four consecutive scores for the professional golfers was 13. Maximum ranges for each of the remaining groups varied from 13 to 16 strokes. In light of these findings, amateur golfers may set unrealistic goals in their attempts to increase round-to-round consistency. The game of golf appears to lead inherently to inconsistency in round-to-round scoring, regardless of skill levels. This realization may help golfers to accept scoring fluctuations as part of the game and not as an indication of skill.