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Average score

• texbbqman 17 Posts

  Sat, May 4 2019 1:24 PM

  In calculating a players average score is any consideration (weighting) in the algorithm included for the course and conditions difficulties?  As an example does a score of 65 on Kiawah from the forward tees in benign conditions, greens running 10 have the same impact on a golfers average as 65 on Merion from the back tees with high winds greens running 13??   

• Robert1893 7,664 Posts

  Sat, May 4 2019 3:09 PM

  texbbqman:

  In calculating a players average score is any consideration (weighting) in the algorithm included for the course and conditions difficulties?  As an example does a score of 65 on Kiawah from the forward tees in benign conditions, greens running 10 have the same impact on a golfers average as 65 on Merion from the back tees with high winds greens running 13??

  Difficulty of the course or conditions are not considered. In any ranked round for average, a 65 is a 65, regardless of the conditions. 

• DoctorLarry 4,276 Posts

  Sat, May 4 2019 3:14 PM

  Robert1893:

  texbbqman:

  In calculating a players average score is any consideration (weighting) in the algorithm included for the course and conditions difficulties?  As an example does a score of 65 on Kiawah from the forward tees in benign conditions, greens running 10 have the same impact on a golfers average as 65 on Merion from the back tees with high winds greens running 13??

  Difficulty of the course or conditions are not considered. In any ranked round for average, a 65 is a 65, regardless of the conditions. 

  Exactly.  You may notice that some Country Clubs offer regular tournaments (we call them "red tee" tourneys) with "benign" conditions to allow lowering of member averages.  Mine does not and I find them rather useless since you will not be able to compete outside your CC with most other players at the tiers you achieve this way.  

• alosso 21,034 Posts

  Sat, May 4 2019 9:57 PM

  texbbqman:

  is any consideration (weighting) in the algorithm included for the course and conditions difficulties?

  Nope - it's not a handicap considering things like slope and course rating (which are under USGA license world-wide).

  It's a plain average of scores with the non-linear twist of a limited set of numbers.

  Some CCs take the pain of calculating a handicap of their members for fairer competition though.

• texbbqman 17 Posts

  Tue, Jun 23 2020 9:26 AM

  Still have questions about calculation of average scores.  First, this is not intended to be embarrassing or negative, just informational and give clarity to changes in a players average score. 

  In reading about average score calculation on the WGT website there isn't an algorithm published so players can follow their averages and legitimize changes up or down.  There are some guidelines for players to follow and understand how their averages move over time and rounds played.  The following is one of the published guidelines:

  "Your Average Score will be based on ONLY your best scores, so completing a bad round will not negatively impact your Average Score or Tier."

  I don't think this actually true.  I've played a few hundred rounds in the Tour Legend tier.  Several weeks ago when my average was very close to 57 I played a difficult tournament and shot well above my average.  My average went up immediately to 58.7.  That doesn't seem to sync with the guideline.

  My current average of 58.65 hasn't changed in the past several days.  My last 3 rounds (9 holes) are: 

  06.23.20	Wolf Creek-f9-ez T's-fast G's-low Wind	Front 9	All Players	29
  06.22.20	Rsg-b9-ez T's-fast G's-low Wind	Back 9	All Players	28
  06.22.20	Wolf Creek-f9-ez T's-fast G's-low Wind	Front 9	All Players	28

  It seems impossible those three rounds haven't moved my average 1/100th of a stroke.  To be candid I really enjoy playing on WGT and would play regardless of averages etc,  But I do have to ask what am I missing in the calculation of average scores??

   

• alosso 21,034 Posts

  Tue, Jun 23 2020 11:27 AM

  texbbqman:

  "Your Average Score will be based on ONLY your best scores, so completing a bad round will not negatively impact your Average Score or Tier."

  I don't think this actually true.

  AFAIK, it's true for saturated averages, i.e. after hitting the tier's "magic number", 750 rounds for TLs. Below that number, the average will budge, but the high numbers will be eradicated after saturation. A more precise description would be, "a bad score will not affect tiering up."

  texbbqman:

  I've played a few hundred rounds in the Tour Legend tier.  Several weeks ago when my average was very close to 57 I played a difficult tournament and shot well above my average.  My average went up immediately to 58.7.  That doesn't seem to sync with the guideline.

  It's not in sync with my knowledge, either. I see a 34 + 35 in your recent history. 68 + 70 would affect the average by a combined 24 / <number of scores>, e.g. 24/600 = 0.4, not above 1 as you describe it.

  OTOH, those 28s and 29s translate to 56 + 58 and are very close to the average. From the two 28s, you might get -4/600 = -.007, potentially below the rounding error of the display. And, you may have more than those 600 under your belt.

  texbbqman:

  I do have to ask what am I missing in the calculation of average scores??

  That big jump is a mystery, but averages of Legends and above are difficult to grasp by their look because of the big numbers in the denominator.

• MarchieB 1,525 Posts

  Tue, Jun 23 2020 11:32 AM

  texbbqman, here is a chart of the AVG requirements for tier advancement.

  

  The statement  "Your Average Score will be based on ONLY your best scores, so completing a bad round will not negatively impact your Average Score or Tier." is correct ... BUT it only applies once you have reached saturation. Saturation is equal to the Minimum Ranked Rounds number from the above chart. At you current tier (Tour Legend) this will not apply until you have played 750 RR's as a T.Legend. Until then every score will count in calculating your AVG. Once you have reached the saturation level then only the best 750 scores as a T. Legend are used for the calc. So at that point if you post a really bad score it will not be used for the AVG calc. (assuming that it is higher than the worst score in your 750 best) so because of this it is impossible for your AVG to increase. If it is better than the worst score in the 750 then it will be used in your AVG calc. and the worst score is bumped out, this makes your AVG go down.

  As Alosso explained, scores that are very close to your current AVG will only change your AVG by very minor amounts as the difference is divided out over hundreds of rounds.

  Also looking over your score history, you are very consistently scoring around 28,29, & 30, with the occasional score 1-2 strokes lower or higher. Those scores would not be reflective of a 57 AVG, but are of a 58-59 AVG. Your example of your score moving up from a "near" 57 to 58.7 after just one round just doesn't add up (mathematically) unless it was very early into you having tiered up to T. Legend where there would be very few RR scores to use in the AVG calc.