Version 4.3 August 22, 1994 This is a program to calculate the golf handicap of up to 255 individuals who may have played on up to 255 courses. It provides the ability to add players and courses. These limits could be increased to 64k if desired. It maintains a file of players and a file of courses, plus an individual game file for each player. There is no limit on the number of games, except any imposed by disk space. There is also a file "GOLF.INI" (Formerly Golfdefs) which saves context between runs. The program is easy to use. It is invoked by executing the string golf [hnn] [%nnn] [gnn] [an] [s+|s-] where the square brackets shows the optional parameters. No parameters are required, and the defaults are suitable for most users. Within the brackets are the optional parameters, where the first character gives the type of parameter, and the second gives the value. The defaults are equivalent to the standard USGA handicap rules for local handicaps on 18-hole golf courses. The defaults are equivalent to: golf h18 %96 g20 a3 s- This translates to: Calculate for 18 hole courses. Use 96% of differentials (adjusted gross - rated par) Use best half of last 20 games for handicapping Use "Rule 3" for adjusting gross scores Do NOT use slope in calculating handicaps. The limits on the numerical values are h18, %100, g20, a4. And, of course, the s+ means to USE slope in the calculations, s- to NOT use slope. Of course, if one would like to have a "Universal" handicap, one could use the "s+" option, to take slope into account. If one wishes to use the program for 9-hole courses, then "h9" would be appropriate. Likewise "g12","a1" and "%100" would yield handicaps as suggested by Golf Digest. If ANY of the options are chosen, then it would be advisable to put the calling sequence into a .bat file, to make sure it is always called with the same sequence. If it is to be used in more than one way, then it would be desireable to put the executable file (golf.exe) in a path statement, and set up a sub-directory for each of the different sequences. Then a .bat file for each sequence would include changing to the appropriate directory, and executiing the golf.exe file with the appropriate parameters. For example, you might have: 9hole.bat 18hole.bat cd 9hole cd 18hole golf h9 golf s+ Then executing 9hole would work for a 9-hole league with "standard" handicaps, and 18hole would provide "universal" handicaps for normal 18 hole courses. The Hcp is nn% of the average of the best (lowest) differentials between adjusted gross score and course rated par. The adjusted gross score is the score resulting from reducing the score for any given hole in which a net score of more than a bogie was recorded (1973 rules). The 1993 rules changed this to a maximum of 6 plus hcp/10. The change is incorporated for scores after 1992. The percent nn is = 96 by default. This is intended to reflect the standard usage by the USGA. Golf Digest usually uses 100%. This may be set on entry to the program. What you see when you start up The opening screen shows the "Option Box" together with the values of the parameters being used (whether default or modified), the version number, and the suggestion to read this file. The option is to be used is highlighted and may be selected by "Enter", or modified by use of up or down arrows before selection. The initial option will be to Select Course. Enter will take you the the "Courses Box" which will initially be empty except for the line " Add Course". "Enter" will take you to a script for adding a course, asking for the name of the course, its rated par, slope, and the par for each hole. If you don't want to add a course, you can exit with a left arrow or an alt-x. The default par values for each hole is 4. The up and down arrows may be used to increment or decrement the value, while "Enter" will accept the value. The back-arrow will take you back to the previous hole...useful in case of typos. When the appropriate number of pars (default of 18) has been entered, the total card par will be displayed. If it doesn't match the card, then one or more of the individual pars is probably wrong, so back arrow will get you back to correct it. "Enter" will accept it, and you will be prompted to answer Y or N for adding the course to the course file. The course will become the "Selected" course, and displayed in the course box. At any entry, you may press "Escape" to abort the process and return to the option box. The "Enter" on the acception will return you to the Option box, with the hiline on "Select Golfer". A similar scenario will allow you to enter a new golfer, together with an estimated handicap (Since no scores have been entered for him). Again you will be returned to the option box. From the option box you can go immediately to either the course box or the player box by using the right-arrow or left-arrow respectively (For the side of the option box on which it will appear). Next the high-lined option will be to post a score. The score to be posted will be for the selected golfer on the selected course on the selected date (Default is today). The Posting screen will show the Course name, Player name, Date, and a scorecard. You will see the pars for each hole, and be invited to enter actual scores. These may be entered with the use of the arrow keys as above. The default values, however, are all par. Note that the right arrow may be used in lieu of the enter key, so your fingers may remain on arrow keys throughout. After entering the complete score, you will be prompted for a Y or N for accepting the score, and adding it to the players gamefile. If you accept, it is added, and the new handicap using that score is calculated. You will also notice the display of the adjusted score for each hole...based on the rule in use (USGA 1993 by default). This will return you to the option box with the next high-line set for Analysis. Accepting that option will give you some statistics for the player on that course within the time interval requested of you. The default time interval is from Jan 1 of the current year to the present date. After seeing this display the option box will again be active, with "Quit" being active. This selection will exit the program, with all files being closed. Of course you could change to the option to select or add a player or course. Three options are NOT automatically popped up, since they are rarely used. These include the two "View" options, which allow you to select the order of the displayed entries in the boxes (Golfer or Course) The view boxes also allow you to choose "Print" to print the chosen roster or course list in the selected order. The selected order remains selected for subsequent entries to the golf program (Via a tiny GOLF.INI file, which also preserved the selected golfer and course...which is why you want all the files in the same directory). The last option is "Edit" which will allow you to modify a game file. By default, it will rename the selected gamefile (playrn) to playrn.bak, and then read that file, line by line, displaying each game, and either posting it (Enter), skipping it (Delete), or allowing entry of a new game (on the selected course) with (Insert). If anything goes wrong here, the only recourse is to rename the game file (golfrn.bak) to golfrn. This will restore the previous gamefile. Note that if you have changed the parameters in the calling sequence, then Edit is a technique too re-calculate all handicap calculations for a given golfer. Note that if you have renameed from golfrn.bak to golfrn, that there is still a file (Golfers) that has handicap information, and that is based on the (changed) golfrn that is now lost. The only way to get this correct is to do the edit option again, without changing anything...i.e. just keep the enter key down till it finishes, and exits. This will re-build the record in the golfers file that was messed up. G_file.exe (from G_file.pas) may also be used to edit files. It converts the internal files to text files and back to internal. They may be edited by any text editor in their text form, then re-converted. Also an easy way to see what is in those files. If anyone wants to know what the "anti" handicap reported means, it is the same as a handicap calculation, but using the highest half of the scores, instead of the lowest half. It shows how bad your bad games are! The difference between the handicap and anti-handicap is a measure of the variability in your play. The slope was incorporated in version 4.2. The calculation is the multiplication of the differentials by 113/slope, where 113 represents the "average" slope, and the given slope is for the particular course. The use or non-use of the slope correction is optional, and may be set on entry. The default is NOT to use the slope correction, thus giving a "local" handicap, as opposed to a "universal" handicap. The program shows the last nn differentials , or all differentials, whichever is less (used in actual handicap calculations) with the ones used (Best half) highlighted. A separate highlight shows the midpoint differentials which are the ones that are most likely to be replaced by a new one. The number of differentials to be used is optional, and may be set on entry. The default is 20, which matches the USGA standards. An option to set the number of holes was for the benefit of golfers who want to use 9-hole courses, or for such rarities as the Millwood, Mass course, which has 14 holes! It is constantly under revision, as I think of things I would like to do with it...The next version will include adding some printouts. I would have done it in this version, but my printer is not available at the present time for testing. The adjusted gross scores (Also referred to as Equitable Stroke Control) can be calculated by one of three formulae, or not at all, as set on entry. The rules are: Rule 0 No adjustment. Use the actual strokes played on each hole. Rule 1 The maximum on a given hole is Double Par for that hole. Rule 2 The maximum on a given hole is bogie plus (handicap div 18), plus another stroke for (handicap mod 18) holes. For a handicap of 22, this would mean that the golfer would be allowed 4 triple bogies, and 14 double bogies, since handicap div 18 = 1, and handicap mod 18 = 4. Rule 3 A maximum on ANY hole is 6 + handicap div 10. I.e., for a handicap of 0 - 9, maximum is 6 10 - 19, maximum is 7 20 - 29, maximum is 8 Rule 4 Use Rule 0 if year is earlier than 1973, use rule 2 if year in the range 1973-1992, and use rule 3 for 1993 and beyond. History 3.0 First version to be made available as Shareware. 3.1 Removed 80x87 library functions, saving 12k memory. Corrected return to option box after using left/right arrows. Fixed the monochrome response to look decent. (It was originally written for mono, but changed to color when I got an SVGA monitor). Now its is OK on either. 4.0 Put in the 'View' capabilities to allow the selection of players and courses to be from original lists or by sorted lists of various kinds. (Currently: By original entry, alphabetically, alphabetic by surname or by handicap for player; original entry, alphabetic, or by rated par for courses). 4.1 Set up larger maximum windows, and increased the maximum number of players and courses to 255 each (which could be easily raised higher if that is found desirable. 4.2 Optional inclusion of the "slope" in calculating of handicap. (Not available in earlier versions) Optional choice of number of holes per golf course. This allows the program to be used for 9-hole leagues, and for strange courses like Millwood in Mass. which has 14 holes. Optional choice of number of holes to be used in calculating Handicaps. The default number (20) is USGA standard, while 12 is used by Golf Digest. Optional choice of adjustment of scores by various rules (see above) The default is rule 3, which was used on the version 4.1. Optional choice of Percent to modify differentials. The default is 96% which matches USGA handicaps. 100% matches Golf Digest. Improvement on score entering. Now a back-arrow during the entry of the hole-by-hole scores will back off to previous hole, for correction of erroneous entries (must be done before completing) 4.3 Improvements in entering data. Now a back arrow of any hole-by-hole entry will back off to the previous hole. It may also be used in place of a backspace when entering names of players or courses and a typo has been made. Further, an alt-x during any entry will take one to the "Quit" option, which should be used for exiting the program to properly close all files as currently constituted. The escape key will abort the entry process in the current option. Options were added to print player rosters and course lists. The Analysis now includes display of Best, Worst and Last games. The program was made more robust by using more I/O checking. Finally, an error was found in the summing of the hole-by-hole scores to arrive at the total for the game (Blush!) That was fixed. It was introduced accidentally in version 4.2. If you become a registered user, I will send you the latest update, and will include the source code (in Turbo Pascal). If you have any suggestions, or complaints (Heaven forbid!) I would appreciate a note. I may be reached via Compuserve, (70673,3070), but I confess to not checking the mail there as regularly as I should. Or, you may write to the address below. The program itself is NOT cluttered with reminders, nudges, etc. to send it in, so if you choose not to do it, I will probably never know, and you will not be bothered. If, however, you feel it appropriate to register, I will send you (along with latest version), some of the auxiliary programs I have used in developing this, along with their source codes. There are a number of files that will be generated. GOLF.INI keeps track of the last course and golfer, so that upon program entry,they will become the defaults. COURSES keeps all the courses, along with the pars and the rated par for the course. GOLFERS keeps the list of golfers, together with their last (up to 20) games, and their current handicap. There is also a GOLFRx file for each golfer, which has ALL his games that have been recorded, on any course that he played (And entered in the program, of course). Because of the generated files, the user would be well advised to create a separate directory for the golf programs (Any name will do, but GOLF or GOLFHCP seem like good choices). Then if you ever want to start over, or simply get rid of the whole thing, you can just delete everything in the directory. To run the program, simply copy the executable file to an appropriate (empty?) directory and execute it. It will generate the appropriate default files and await your entry of golf courses, and players. After such entries, it will prompt for hole by hole scores for selected courses and players. On completion of a score, it will compute a handicap for the player. It will use the single score for the first computation and the lowest half (of up to 20 scores) for the rest. It will display the differentials used, with the low half in red, the medians in blue and the high ones in black. You will note the scores per hole will use a similar scheme to show under par, par and over par scores. Shortcuts, and options are shown at the bottom of the screen. These principally include the option of during the entry of data such as names or scores to exit the particular operation. The use of will accept a default value for integer entries. The default values for dates match the current date, while the default for hole-by-hole scores are the pars for the current holes. When entering pars for a new course, the default value is 4. The default value may be accepted (by ) or may be increased (by 1) by a press of up-arrow, or decreased by pressing down-arrow. Registered users will receive a diskette with the latest version, including the Pascal source files, as well as any new utilities that I find useful in generating the program. Thes include things like changing files such as 'courses' from the format prior to 4.2 to the 4.2 format, which now includes the slope rating. Included in the present 4.3 ZIP file is the G_FILES.exe program which can convert the golfers, courses and game files from the random access (for speed and compactness) to text files (for editing?) and back. REGISTRATION FORM Mail to: James W. Butler 90 Appleyard Lane Holliston, MA, 01746-2539 Enclosed is the price of one greens fee ($10.00 minimum) at my Home course of _______________________________________ Name ________________________________________ Street Address ________________________________________ City/State,Zip ________________________________________ When you register, you will receive the latest registered version of Golf.., as well as a few other utilities, along with the Pascal source code. You will be free to use the source in any way, except marketing it without written permission, or without acknowledging the source. Please indicate your preferred type of IBM diskette. Preferred disk type: 5.25" 3.5" High Density, or 2S/DD To help with distribution, we would like to know where you obtained your copy of Golf... Please specify the online service (GEnie, CompuServe, etc.), BBS, shareware distributor, or other source where you obtained your copy of Golf... I obtained Golf__ from ___________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ If you have one, please give your online address (Internet, or CompuServe address). Online address ________________________________________ Thanks for registering Golf..! James W. Butler Compuserve: 70673,3070 Internet: 70673.3070@compuserve.com