Frequent PCCs

[reidsou]

At my home course in the 2023 golf season there have been 38 days with a positive Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC). Many are greater than 1. The total strokes adjusted in 121 days of the season so far in 2023 has been 58. 

From my experience, that is a lot. 

Last year there were a total of 22 PCC days the whole season at the same course. The course was re-rated lower at the beginning of this year. Based on the frequency of PCC, I think the slope/rating is too low. 

Any thoughts on this? 

And how would a too low rating affect the members' handicaps? 

 

[boogielicious]

5 hours ago, reidsou said:

At my home course in the 2023 golf season there have been 38 days with a positive Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC). Many are greater than 1. The total strokes adjusted in 121 days of the season so far in 2023 has been 58. 

From my experience, that is a lot. 

Last year there were a total of 22 PCC days the whole season at the same course. The course was re-rated lower at the beginning of this year. Based on the frequency of PCC, I think the slope/rating is too low. 

Any thoughts on this? 

And how would a too low rating affect the members' handicaps? 

 

That seems excessive. I’ve only had one in the last two years. 

[Rulesman]

7 hours ago, reidsou said:

At my home course in the 2023 golf season there have been 38 days with a positive Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC). Many are greater than 1. The total strokes adjusted in 121 days of the season so far in 2023 has been 58. 

From my experience, that is a lot. 

Last year there were a total of 22 PCC days the whole season at the same course. The course was re-rated lower at the beginning of this year. Based on the frequency of PCC, I think the slope/rating is too low. 

Any thoughts on this? 

And how would a too low rating affect the members' handicaps? 

 

Seems a lot when many are reporting no PCCs (in either direction).

If a Rating is reduced handicaps will normally come down. What was the change in rating and slope?

Edited July 1, 2023 by Rulesman

[iacas]

19 minutes ago, Rulesman said:

If a Rating is reduced handicaps will normally come down. What was the change in rating and slope?

They'd go up. If the rating was 73.4/138 and goes to 72.2/131… an 80 was a 5.4 and is now a 6.7.

Which… kinda makes sense that the PCCs are more prevalent, because you have a bunch of people at X handicap shooting X+ scores.

So… it could be one of two (or three) things:

• The rating was correct before and because it's too low, PCCs are being applied because players are getting higher differentials than they should.
• The rating is correct now and it's slowly going to decrease the number of PCCs until the handicaps of the players is more accurate.
• Somewhere in the middle.

I'll echo this:

22 minutes ago, Rulesman said:

What was the change in rating and slope?

What was it before and what is it now?

[reidsou]

21 minutes ago, iacas said:

They'd go up. 

... 

What was it before and what is it now?

Thanks for that answer!

The ratings changed for all tees. For example, from Blue tees the old rating/slope was 69.3/121. As of this year it is 69.2/118. 

White tees last year was 66.9/117. This year 66.7/114. 

Not huge, but perhaps we reached a tipping point? The number of PCC's this year has more than doubled from last year. (22 last year, 38 so far this year. I say only *doubled* because all 22 last year occurred during the first half of the year). 

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, reidsou said:

Not huge, but perhaps we reached a tipping point?

No. That's not anywhere near enough to cause that. That's not how the formula works… you'd see an increase consistent with the size of the change.

2 minutes ago, reidsou said:

The number of PCC's this year has more than doubled from last year. (22 last year, 38 so far this year. I say only *doubled* because all 22 last year occurred during the first half of the year). 

There could be a lot of things. Number of rounds played. Actual conditions of the course (green speeds, rough height). The weather. Hole locations. Maybe they use the actual tee markers instead of having them up pretty often. Etc.

I don't know, because we aren't at your club to know what is different.

Also…

World Handicap System: The controversial Playing Conditions Calculation has been changed

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One of the most maligned parts of the World Handicap System has been altered. Steve Carroll has the details

[reidsou]

8 minutes ago, iacas said:

No. That's not anywhere near enough to cause that. That's not how the formula works… you'd see an increase consistent with the size of the change.

There could be a lot of things. Number of rounds played. Actual conditions of the course (green speeds, rough height). The weather. Hole locations. Maybe they use the actual tee markers instead of having them up pretty often. Etc.

Ok. Thanks!

We have a new head greenskeeper, so I think we can blame it on him! The greens are faster than they used to be and he has chosen some diabolical pin placements. 

A corollary theoretical question: If lowered rating *did* cause differentials to increase, would the effect on handicaps be cancelled out by frequent PCC's? 

 

[iacas]

19 minutes ago, reidsou said:

We have a new head greenskeeper, so I think we can blame it on him! The greens are faster than they used to be and he has chosen some diabolical pin placements.

That might be it.

19 minutes ago, reidsou said:

A corollary theoretical question: If lowered rating *did* cause differentials to increase, would the effect on handicaps be cancelled out by frequent PCC's? 

The ratings barely changed. It's almost not worth mentioning. The PCCs likely outpace the tiny change to the ratings.