August 3, 2001

To: The Boys

Subject: Limitations

For those students of the genre, the movies of Clint Eastwood present an interesting study.  Early in his career, Clint was seen more often than not in movies that had a Western theme.  Then, in the early 70’s we were introduced to Harry Callahan a/k/a Dirty Harry. 

Over a period of 10 years there were five movies in the Dirty Harry series.  Two of my favorites are Magnum Force and Sudden Impact.  In Magnum Force, near the end of the flick, Harry is riding to his apparent demise with villainous Captain Briggs, played by Hal Holbrook.  Briggs has explained to Callahan "that he always felt he was a good man because he had never used his gun.”  Harry responds with the classic, “A good man always knows his limitations.”

In the next movie, Sudden Impact, Callahan is meeting with Black Muslim honcho, Big Ed Mustafa, played by Albert Popwell.  It should be noted that Popwell played the unfortunate doofus (J. J. Wilson) that attempted to rob a bank in the opening scene of Magnum Force.  Recall that he was lying on the sidewalk in front of the bank with a bullet wound to his leg.  Callahan walked up to Wilson as he was trying to grab his weapon.  It was then that Callahan uttered the famous quote, “I know what your thinking, punk, did he fire five or six shots.  Well…to tell the truth, in all this excitement, I don’t know.  But, since this a 44 Magnum revolver, the most powerful handgun ever made, you’ve got to decide if you feel lucky.  Well…do ya feel lucky?… Punk.”  Wilson (A Punk), not feeling lucky, gives up.  However, he says to Callahan “Hey, man…I gots to know.”   Callahan then pulls the trigger to an empty gun.  End of story.

When Callahan meets with Mustafa in Sudden Impact, during the course of their conversation, its Mustafa who utters his own famous quote.  However, due to his ethnic persuasion, he once again says, “A man gots to know his limitations.”  I’m not sure of the connection, but I think it’s critical to my story.

Several individuals that I know have become critical of my work as Chairman of the LVCC Handicap Committee.  In order to state my case, I have to go to the beginning.  I joined LVCC in 1983.  At that time I read with interest the “Chipshots” newsletter for 1983.  Contained in the letter was a note, pasted into the section on Posting Scores For Handicap Purposes.  No doubt written by Golf Chairman, Ivan George it stated:

“Although the handicap is intended to equalize players of different talents, its abuse generates considerable ill will and helpless dismay among the victims.  The deliberate building of an artificially high handicap to create a competitive advantage may be accomplished several ways, most commonly by not posting low scores.  Such a practice is very unfair and certainly questions the integrity of any player who is guilty of such shabby manipulations; SO LET YOUR CONSCIENCE BE YOUR GUIDE.”

Those words and phrases I have underlined have stuck with me for the past 19

golf seasons.  I don’t know why, but I’ve always had an interest in statistics, especially golf statistics.  Handicaps, on the other hand, never really tripped my trigger.  Personally, I am very consistent with my scoring.  I post any and all scores that are eligible.  This year I have shot 71 and 95 in the same week.  I posted them both.  Without hesitation

My foray into handicapping began in 1997.  You will recall that is the year The Boys went to the Peak & Peek Upper course on the Saturday of Member-Guest Weekend.  After the post-mortem, you all went to back to Erie, while I went to Lakeview.  The participants in the Member Guest were just teeing off when I arrived and I enthusiastically observed the playful jocularity that was being bandied about.

For example, During the Friday portion of the MG, Len Wallen had teamed up with Homer Capotis to shoot a net 59.  This led the field into Day 2.  Pat Karle, bless his soul, walked up to Wallen and Capotis with some black bandit masks and handed them over without further comment.  Priceless.  This is another one of those golf moments that will stick with me for a lifetime.

The following day, I happened to be at the club, playing our normal game.  Since the final scores were on display on the board, I started to take the handicaps of specific players and add them back to their net scores.  The total score should have been the score posted by the player subject to adjustment.  One member in particular, who shall remain nameless, had posted a score that was two strokes higher than what he actually shot.  I pointed out this ‘shabby manipulation” to our pro.  I could see that there was some discomfort there.  He thanked me for the info and adjusted the manipulators score.

In 1999, the pro approached me about forming a committee to monitor handicaps at the club.  It seems he was impressed with my ability to sense when something was not right and believe me, something was and is not right with our system.  I had just sold out my interest in the Rathskeller and I was a little skeptical about trying to form a committee and recover from seven years of pain and suffering at that joint.  So, I begged Steve to put me on the committee but have some one else chair the committee.

Unfortunately, nothing much happened and the committee was more or less tabled.  When LVCC jumped into the GHIN system in 2000, Steve and Dave Hewett once again encouraged me to form a committee to monitor handicaps.  The thing about the USGA, West Penn Golf Association and GHIN is that compliance is the operative word in their dictionary.  As a matter of fact there is a 16-point checklist that member clubs must adhere to in order to meet the requirements of the USGA Handicap System.

Most of you know me a good natured, happy go lucky guy, prone to the evils of Coors Light.  However, sensing the importance of my position, I have tried to operate in a way that guarantees that no one would question my credibility as Handicap Chairman.  To be honest, this position has hurt me in ways that cannot be quantified.  Just look at the facts.  During the past two years, certain individuals have fallen under the scrutiny of this committee and because of this, they won’t even say hi to me anymore.  In effect, I am loosing a different type of credibility.  It’s highly unlikely that someone who has been hounded about “shabby manipulations” is going to be calling me to change their house locks or perhaps invite me to their daughters wedding.

This type of animosity hurts the most.  Where is the logic to belonging to a club when you can’t get along with the club members?  So it becomes infuriating when someone accuses me of being overzealous in my inquiries.  Equally upsetting would be comments that suggest I should perhaps move on to another committee or board position.  If those individuals who are disturbed by my work would just examine the facts they would understand that scrutiny is only rendered due to non-compliance.  I look at it this way.  Now that the process has begun, I’m going to have to see it through to the logical conclusion.

For me that conclusion is that with in five years our club will have attained 99% compliance in Handicapping.  Therefore less than five individuals will be under scrutiny at any one time.

Looking back at Ivan George’s missive, he forgot to mention that “the deliberate building of an artificially low handicap to create a non competitive disadvantage may be accomplished in several ways, most notably by not posting high scores.”  I think its safe to say that some of you might now be able to see where this is going.

A man gots to know his limitations.  I pretty much know mine.  My right shoulder, right elbow and left ankle are shot.  My feet and hands are being slowly ravaged by a disease call Charcot-Marie Tooth’s Syndrome.  It is reducing sensitivity in my hands; it causes me to walk with great difficulty.  I never know where my ball is going from shot to shot let alone round to round.  I’m just happy I can still get a club on the ball.  Charlie Brown asked Lucy to “tell her statistics to shut up.”  But statistics don’t lie.  My stroke average this year is 82.7 from the blue tees after 27 rounds.  Last year it was 82.0.  The year before it was 81.5.  I am slowly but surely becoming a hacker.

Anyone can get into a slump.  But limitations are a real part of Our Game.  Golf is hard for most individuals.  Granted there are some for which it comes naturally.  They are lucky.  For others, one aspect of their game gives them fits.  Limitations don’t just exist in the physical sense.  The mind can overcome certain limitations but it can also magnify them.  I don’t have answers to the mystic qualities of golf, all I have is numbers.   The numbers are in black and white.  They form a snapshot.  A moment in time.  That’s what makes posting all of your scores correctly important. 

I’ve said once and I will say it again.  If you are a member of this club and you play golf, you shall post your score.  We can settle for nothing less.  Unfortunately, if we start granting exceptions, before too long everyone will be looking for an exception and no one will be playing by the rules.

I would like to apologize for sending out this letter.  You all deserve to be entertained.  Unfortunately, there are down sides to every situation.  This is one of them.  I’m not anticipating much discourse on this subject.  Too touchy.  I promise this will be my last serious note of the summer.