This is for a nice man who enjoys arguing about handicaps. Player A makes 18 bogies each time he plays. Player B makes 9 pars and 9 doubles each time he plays…when calculated they are both 18 handicaps. But not all 18 handicaps are equal.
If you are a scratch player and playing Player B in a handicapped match, you can easily lose 9&8 if he makes his 9 pars on the first 9 holes. He is capable, as I said, he makes 9 pars and 9 doubles when he plays. Those people are always labeled cheaters.
Why player B is so dangerous in a match is because of his volatility. He makes 9 pars because he has ability. He makes 9 doubles because he’s an idiot. Give him a partner who can keep him from doing stupid stuff, suddenly he has the “ability” to make 12 pars. Or turn some of those doubles into bogies. When chronic bad decisions must pass approval of a partner, suddenly those decisions are scrutinized and altered.
After 25 years of reflecting on matches, the best partners for tournaments are the ones: blessed with ability… though their decision making is a dumpster fire… yet they are willing to listen.
