By Kelly Neely, Sr. Dir., Handicapping & Course Rating
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In times like these (who am I kidding – there have never been “times like these”) it’s best to turn inward and ruminate, meditate, muse and ponder. Practice deep breathing and consult your Zen Master. And why not? We have been compelled into occupying a slower, more subdued world where there is time to tap into a deeper wisdom. Due to extended consultation outdoors and being at one with nature and my Zen Master – my German Shepherd, Bodhi – I have learned that the only thing to do now is adjust. Just adjust.

Bodhi’s preferred method of adjusting is to diplomatically modify his list of Things To Chase to include anything that moves in his immediate area – and not just his favorite victim: birds. In my (exceedingly tolerant) effort to glean something positive from his shenanigans, I note that his instinct to respond to whatever the current environment might throw in his path is an important lesson in these times. Dogs naturally live in the moment and adjust. And so must we. Because I truly love a good segue (okay, even a bad one), it comes to mind that the Handicap System has always given players the ability to adjust. If there is any beauty in handicapping – besides the captivating calculations – it is found in its fundamental flexibility.

And never has there been a better time for flexibility.

Little did we know, when our world changed weeks ago, we’d witness creative modifications of golf course maintenance practices that would include inserting a chopped-down pool noodle into a cup liner. Though we all know and love a Superintendent with a wry sense of humor, these and other procedures (no rakes in bunkers, no flagsticks) were smartly done to keep players from touching yet one more surface on the course. If that isn’t adjusting to the new Safety First mantra, I don’t know what is. But in light of these practices, I’ve been bombarded with one question – should I post my scores under these conditions?

In a word, YES. For you naysayers who bristle that this is an affront to the Rules of Golf, I’m here to say that while the Handicap System is aligned with the sacred Rules, it considers one thing above all else: scores.

Scores and their effect on Handicap Indexes, that is.

Many members have chosen to get out in the fresh air and play in the last few weeks and it’s far better to post those scores – even though adjusted – than to have gaping holes in scoring records. Though some are balking that these scores aren’t perfectly accurate, the player’s golf club might have a bigger issue if score posting was restricted now. Losing several weeks of scores would create more uncertainty about the accuracy of a player’s Handicap Index than the Handicap Committee – who has the final authority – reviewing scoring records of any that are in question as a result of this hopefully temporary measure.

So how does the player adjust scores under these circumstances?

Though the pool-noodle scenario (or any other modification to a cup liner – inverted, raised, whatever) is definitely an oddity, there is a provision within the Handicap System the player must use which covers many situations and has been around for years, called Most Likely Score (Rules of Handicapping 3.3).

This allows the player to post their score whenever a hole is started but is not holed out. Normal circumstances that would call for a Most Likely Score adjustment are –

• The result of the hole has already been decided,
• A hole has been conceded in match play,
• A player’s partner has already posted a better score in a Four-Ball format and the player picks up, or
• The player has already reached their Net Double Bogey limit on a specific hole.
   

The player must record for handicap purposes, their Most Likely Score or Net Double Bogey, whichever is lower. The Most Likely Score is comprised of –

• The number of strokes already taken to reach a position on a hole, plus,
• The number of strokes the player would most likely require to complete the hole from that position, plus,
• Any penalty strokes incurred during play of the hole.
   

Guidelines are provided within Rule 3.3 to assist the player in determination of their Most Likely Score –

• If the ball lies on the putting green and is no more than 5 feet from the hole; add one additional stroke.
• If the ball lies between 5 feet and 20 yards from the hole; add 2 or 3 additional strokes, depending on the position of the ball, the difficulty of the green and the ability of the player.
• If the ball lies more than 20 yards from the hole; add 3 or 4 additional strokes, depending on the position of the ball, the difficulty of the green and the ability of the player.
  
  

Important Notes on Most Likely Score –

• There is no limit to the number of Most Likely Scores that can be recorded within a player’s adjusted gross score, provided that the failure to hole out is for a valid reason and not for the purpose of gaining an unfair scoring advantage.
• For players with an established Handicap Index, the Most Likely Score on any hole cannot exceed Net Double Bogey (or Double Bogey Plus) for handicap purposes.
• When a player is initially establishing an Index (it takes 3 scores to get one), the Most Likely Score on any hole cannot exceed par plus 5 strokes.
   

Example of MLS adjustment – In a Four-Ball match-play competition, a player’s partner holes their ball from off the putting green for three. The player’s ball lies 15 feet away from the hole in four strokes and the score for the side cannot be improved. To save time, the player may pick up and record a Most Likely Score for handicap purposes. Based on the guidelines above, the player would record a score of six or seven for handicap purposes (four strokes taken plus two or three additional strokes).

Most Likely Score is just one of three adjustments within Rule 3 – Adjustment of Hole Scores, and the only one in which the player is required to use their best judgment. Note that it’s important to gauge not only the position of the ball, but the difficulty of the green and your own ability. Please feel free to assess these two things realistically and not assume you can drain a 25-footer. Even though you can’t really drain any putts right now.