Does the USGA Hate Swinging Singles?

Rounds played alone will no longer count towards a proper handicap.

Jon Rizzi

One month from now, the USGA’s “anchoring ban” goes into effect. Thanks to Rule 14-1b, golfers who have steadied their strokes with their chin, arm or torso will have to relearn how to putt freely.

Expect cases of the yips, fewer gimmes and other pace-of-play impediments to follow.

2013 Masters champion Adam Scott with his anchored long putter (left) and conventional mallet putter (right).

After all, in golf, the rules are the Rules. And Rules are uppercased because if a competitive golfer breaks one, it’s a capital offense.

Occasionally, though, the USGA gets it right.

The organization’s latest raft of amendments includes Rule 6-6d, wherein golfers will no longer be disqualified from tournaments if they unknowingly commit a violation and, failing to penalize themselves, sign an incorrect scorecard. Instead, the golfer gets penalized for the infraction, plus another two strokes.

Tiger Woods took an incorrect drop that wasn't called a penalty until after he completed his round at the 2013 Masters.

Another commonsense change is Rule 18-2b. If you address a ball and some force outside of your control—a zephyr, a sloping hill, an army of ants—moves it, you no longer get penalized.

But the USGA may have tripped on its long putter by changing Section 5-1, which applies to the “Acceptability of Scores” used for handicapping purposes.

According to a statement released last Monday, “To further support the key system premise of peer review, scores made while playing alone will no longer be acceptable for handicap purposes. This change underscores the importance of providing full and accurate information regarding a player’s potential scoring ability, and the ability of other players to form a reasonable basis for supporting or disputing a posted score.”

In other words, if you go out as a single, you’d better make sure the starter pairs you with someone who won’t mind counting your strokes and signing your scorecard.

Although well intentioned, the change has been met with very vocal resistance from golfers who enjoy playing solo and feel their integrity is being questioned.

“Isn’t golf supposed to be a game of honor?” numerous golfers have grumbled.

“Pretty much eliminates any reason for me to pay for a USGA membership,” a golfweek.com reader posted. “Because of my work schedule, it is very difficult to play rounds with others. I play as a single 90 per cent of the time on late weekend twilights….”

“I don't have any friends that play golf, so as a result I play most of my golf by myself, or with strangers who don't care about my score and provide no oversight,” one Colorado AvidGolfer emailed. “The USGA has clearly said they don't trust individuals like me anymore…I've worked hard on my game and have always played with integrity.  My 2.7 index should be evidence of that, but now the USGA has determined I was most likely lying, and it is no longer valid.”

Given the outcry, the Handicap & Course Rating Committee of Golf Canada—the sport’s governing body north of our border—“has voted not to adopt Section 5-1e vi of the USGA Handicap System Manual. Scores made while playing alone will continue to count for handicap purposes.”

Will this bifurcation lead to a stream of conscientious-objector golfers heading one-by-one to play among the moose in Canada?

Not likely. But has to wonder why the USGA would bother taking the idea of “peer review” to such an absurd degree. This “safeguard” against the age-old problem of sandbagging is nothing more than a fig leaf.

It’s a Ruse of a Rule. Sandbaggers will always exist. They play among us—and not always alone. Same holds true for vanity handicappers. We can only hope their illegitimate scores offset each other so the honest people finish ahead.

What do you think?

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