Course Rating Team Performs well at Calibration Seminar
USGA Western Calibration, Aliso Viejo, CA – March 13 -14,
2015
How does the PWGA rating team keep current with the USGA
changes in the rating system? As many
of you know the rules and handicap systems change every four years and so does
the rating system. It happened this year
for all systems.
Answer: PWGA sends a
team of four to the USGA Calibration Seminar and when they return, PWGA puts on
our own seminars open to all raters.
This year we are collaborating with WGANC.
Four of our more experienced raters attended a very rigorous
and informative seminar at Aliso Viejo Country club on March 13 and 14. The attendees were Bev Blatt (East Bay Area
Chair), Alicia Meiners (Monterey Area Chair), Joyce Bartlett (San Jose Area
Chair), and Kaaren Walsh (Director of Course Rating).
Beforehand, the attendees were required to take an online
calibration test consisting of 30 very challenging questions with emphasis on
the changes to the rating system. Sunday
afternoon of the seminar was devoted to discussion of the test, review of the
changes, and then a 3 hour 5 hole hands on rating. Dinner was at the golf course giving everyone
a chance to mingle and find out how other teams did their rating. There were teams from all over the western
states as well as several foreign countries.
The USGA rating system is slated to go worldwide in 2018. Sunday there were two breakout sessions and then
the on course rating was reviewed.
The
PWGA team scored well which pleased them.
After lunch, there was a short session on the new course rating program. The team worked well together and learned a tremendous
amount. It was well worth the two days.
