As you all know, trying to come up with handicaps that are both fair, and offer everyone an equal chance to compete is hard, very hard. But each year we do our best and hope that we got it right.

Here are some numbers from 2020

2020 Actual Scores: (Low / Avg / High)

Cody - 74 / 85 / 96

Bryan - 85 / 94 / 98

Dave - 89 / 94 / 100

Jake - 88/ 95 / 97

Harry - 92 / 97 / 105

Joe - 91 / 100 / 108

Joe Willie - 90 / 100 / 116

Rock - 93 / 100 / 111

Rey - 90 / 102 / 111

Chris - 97 / 104 / 115

Steve - 101 / 104 / 117

Dan - 99 / 109 / 117

Juan - 94 / 109 / 124

Adam - 104 / 110 / 121

Nic - 102 / 115 / 138

Matt - 117 / 124 / 134

Jon - 121 / 127 / 142

We must also take into account our mantra, “Play Better Golf”. While that is easy to say to our more “challenged” golfers, we usually end up penalize a player when they do just that, by raising their handicap.

In 2020, Cody’s handicap went from plus 12 to plus 10 based on his poor performance of 2019. Dave, on the other hand, won 2 Majors and the Race to Big Y (Dubai), and his handicap went up by a stroke in 2020.

For the 2020 season, Cody practiced and played a lot more golf and was then rewarded by shooting in the 70s three times. Cody won the "Fathers & Uncles Invitational," "The American Freedom Open", and the 1st Round of the Fed Up Cup. Cody will now pay for “Playing Better Golf” by watching his handicap skyrocket. The same can be said for others, in both strokes given and strokes taken. Handicapping is a delicate balancing act but that is why we have a Handicap Committee.

I ran the numbers every which way that I could think of: Average Score, Lowest Score, BJG Handicaps, PGA Handicaps, and BJG tracked PGA handicaps. After the smoke cleared and my wife made get off the couch and take a shower, I think I have a good starting point for the 2021 BJG handicap committee to work with.

2021 Draft BJG Handicap

Cody: 14

Dave 6

Brian: 3

Jake: 3

Harry: 3

Joe: 0

Joe Willie: 0

Chris: 0

Rock: 0

Rey: 0

Dan: -6

Juan: -6

Adam: -10

Dustin: -10

Nic: -10

Matt -22

Jon T -25

Some quick reasoning:

1. Cody shot in the 70s three times in 2020.

2. Dave, as one of our staple handicaps, should probably be at 6. Lord knows he can't handle a 7.

3. Bryan and Jake shot in the 80s at least once in 2020 and they all have a mid 90s average score. I think Harry and his 2 iron have found a home with Jake and Bryan. This could be a battle for the 3rd best golfer at BJG.

Chris and Joe have always been our "zero" golfers and are the starting point for plus and minus handicaps. Chris has had a couple of tough years but he has new clubs and he is not going to let a 60 year old man beat him in 2021. I always thought Joe Willie was a zero golfer and he proved that point in 2020.

4. Handicapping Rock and Rey is hard. Rock hits his 5 iron 200 yards and can drive the green on the first hole at Veterans. The same goes for Rey, plus Rey almost never loses a ball. Both have shot in the low 90s. Rock has an average score of 100 in both 2019 and the 2020 season, while Rey has an average of 101. Rock missed the Fed Cup Play Offs because of a scheduling conflict but who knows how far Rock could have made it in The Fed Up Cup. After all, Joe and Dave had some awful scores and somehow made it to the finals. With all of that said, it is hard for me to give Rock or Rey a minus handicap (even though I want to).

5. Dan used to be one of our staples handicaps with a minus 3 handicap but I just don't know if that is true any more. - Dan has won in the past with a minus 3 handicap but I think that was from the yellow tee boxes. Dan had an average score of 107 in 2018, 109 in 2019 and 109 in 2020.

6. Juan is a wild card. He can shot a 94 or a 124. Right now, Juan maybe somewhere between Dan and Adam, but I think giving him the same as Dan is at least a starting point and better than the -3 he had last year.

7. Adam, Nic and Dustin - Adam is probably right where he is supposed to be at -10 and right now, I think that could be a good starting point for Dustin. Nic is another wild card, he can shoot a 102 or a 138. Either way, the competition should be interesting.

8. Matt and Jon - Yes, their handicaps are high but they are high because, right now, they are just not very good.

The problem is always going to be that if you give any player a minus handicap and they take some lessons or practice or play more golf, they are no longer going to need that handicap. Is it easier for Cody to shoot a 69 or for Jon to shoot a 117?

I'm just glad I'm not on the handicap committee. Feel free to send your comments to the Handicap Committee (Chris, Bryan, Joe Willie and Matt), I am positive that they want to hear from each and every one of you.

After my last blog post, Steve generously donated the golf balls that he had won a couple weeks ago. Thank you Steve.

This week's trivia question is: "What year did Arnold Palmer retire from golf?"

Text your answer to only me and, please, don't "ask Jeeves".

Respectfully,

Broken Joe

Commissioner