The Fairness Test
DO;WOMeN;GOLferS;COMe;uP;SHOrT?
ARTHUR D. LITTLE By
According to the “fairness test” my partner, Jann E. Leeming, and I created, women golfers are
being asked to play courses that are generally more
than 1,000 yards too long for them to reach greens in
regulation.
In a recent posting on our blog, Golf With Women,
we asked the following questions:
•;How;fair;is;a;5,600-yard;course;for;the
average woman?
•;What;would;you;think;if;we;told;you;that;a
5,600-yard;course;would;be;equivalent;to;an
8,400-yard;course;for;the;average;man?
•;How;about;an;11,200-yard;course;for;Matt;Kuchar?
Our contention is that if the average woman
should;play;from;5,600;yards,;the;average;LPGA
player;should;be;playing;a;9,600-yard;course;and
a;good;male;amateur;should;play;a;10,400-yard
course. That’s how the math works if ‘fair’ is defined
as having to hit the same clubs to reach greens in
regulation from their respective tees.
This concept is what we define as the ‘fairness
test.’;Sorry,;Dustin;Johnson,;you;are;at;12,320;yards
based;on;your;average;drive;of;308;yards.
The numbers are pretty simple: the “average
woman;golfer”;hits;her;tee;shot;140;yards.;Hence,
based on the data we collected in our research, the
length of the course that an average woman should
play in order to have the opportunity to reach
greens;in;regulation;is;4,200;yards.;Note;that;this;is
30;times;her;average;drive,;which,;as;it;turns;out,;is
a very good rule of thumb for everyone.
APRIL 2011 n TROONGOLFANDTRAVEL.COM 8
ENTER TO WIN
the best that
Southern Utah
has to offer at
The Inn at Entrada!
that fit players with a wide range of driver swing
speeds;(from;60;to;110-plus;mph);is;critical.;Courses
built;(or;retrofitted);this;way;will;be;more;fun;for;all
and;much;faster;to;play.;The;Old;MacDonald;Course
at Bandon Dunes is one such shining example.
We;neither;realistically;believe;courses;will;be
built;that;are;long;enough;to;‘fit’;players;with;faster-than-average;swing;speeds,;nor;do;we;support;such
an;effort... 7,500;yards;is;plenty;long;enough.
But we do offer this advice for players when
choosing their yardage:
•;Play;a;course;where;the;yardage;is;approximately
30;times;your;average;drive.;If;a;course;is;longer
than this, it will be a lot less enjoyable.
•;If;you;don’t;really;know;how;long;you;hit;your
average drive (most people significantly
overestimate),;use;two;times;your;average;9-iron
yardage. If you are among the great majority
(98;percent);of;golfers,;this;will;be;accurate.
•;If;your;30;times;calculation;results;in;a;number
shorter than the most forward set of tees at the
course;you;are;going;to;play,;read;the;“Move;On
Up” post on our blog to see how to deal with
this situation.
The complete “What’s Fair?” posting, and accompanying graph, as well as other postings, can be found by
visiting golfwithwomen.com.
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