From the Fairways: Flaherty and Woods on level terms?

The game of golf has seen immense strides in recent times particularly in the growth of the professional game.

The tournament season for the leading players of the world is now 12 months a year – gone are the days when the European season began at the Masters – this year the European Tour counted the Masters as their 15th Order of Merit qualifying event.

The strength of the game of golf and perhaps its unique charm is that everyone can play with anyone and owing to the handicap system in golf anyone can beat anyone. What is an interesting thought is the introduction of handicaps to professional golfe-rs.

Should Tiger Woods play a tournament on level terms with, say, our own Adrian Flaherty at The Emirates Golf Club? At the elite playing level (referring to the former) all tournaments are based on the best player winning on level terms as is the case in the leading events of the UAE and the region.

Where there is an interesting topic of debate is in the more informal, yet, still competitive area of the game of Pro-ams and social games. They have been a key catalyst at local and international levels in the development of the game enabling us all to play with the game's professionals.

A dilemma that is arising is the participation of the top amateurs in these Pro-ams – more especially those with plus handicaps.

To most golfers the ultimate achievement in the amateur game is the acquisition of a scratch handicap. As the game has developed and standards have improved, the scratch handicap has now been overtaken by the 'plus handicap.'

This handicap is strangely titled as it is technically a minus handicap and strokes are given back to the course. The winner of the 2001 – 2002 UGA Order of Merit Tisse Chandradasa (UGA) boasts a handicap of plus 2 and another friend of Dubai, former Emirates Amateur Champion, Gary Wolstenholme (Eng) has a current handicap of plus 5.

These players when they play in Pro-ams should be giving shots to the course and the playing professionals – whether Tiger Woods or Adrian Flaherty! An option often taken in this situation is to play these plus golfers off a scratch handicap, but again this is not fair to the genuine scratch golfer.

Perhaps the introduction of a properly administered handicap for all professionals complimentary to the current amateur handicap structure would assist.

With all respect to the professional game there is a significant difference in performance amongst the group – some have talents within the game such as merchandising or teaching or repairs and perhaps not just in playing, although they all can get the ball round a course in an acceptable fashion.

Perhaps Tiger is the best player in the world, but I wonder if he can change a grip or give a lesson to a beginner?

These 'professional handicaps' would only apply to the more social areas of the game such as playing in friendly fourballs or Pro-ams but these forms of play should not be ignored.

Failure to address the issue may alienate the professional playing with the amateurs of the game when everyone recognises that the future of the game all over the world is the amateur bodies and the amateur golfer working closer with the professional bodies and the professional golfer.

It must be remembered that all professional golfers begin as amateurs and there is in recent times a small flow back to the amateur ranks.

A standard handicap system is not perhaps on the agenda for the professional game, but it would make interesting comparisons with every person who plays the game and to more equitably allow all players to play together on a level playing surface.

The allocation of these handicaps would certainly create interest at all levels of the game – quite a thought!

Nick Tarratt is the General Manager of the UAE Golf Association (UGA).