The Second Links Traveler

TrueGolf’s Poppy Williams breaks down handicaps in SL golf

The last time I sat down with TrueGolf, we talked a little bit about how a handicap system was next on their to-do list. This morning, Poppy Williams, developer of the TrueGolf Virtual Golf System, sat down with me to talk about what a handicap is, how it works in Second Life golf, and what it might mean not only for your golf game, but for the way we play golf tournaments in SL.

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Keyli Daltrey: So, starting simple, what is a handicap when it comes to golf?

Poppy Williams: LOL Yes, simple question. Let me try to explain that as simply as possible. A handicap in golf is the amount of extra swings you’re off from being a scratch player. In RL, a scratch player does a par 72 course in exactly 72 swings. We call that zero handicap.

If you need extra swings to do your par 72, then you’re said to have a handicap.

KD: Why do we need handicaps?

PW: You can understand that a scratch player will always win (or place very highly in) a tourney. I mean, it’s not a challenge – you do your round, 72 swings, done. (This means) the handicapped player will have to (give) as much effort, but because of her lesser proficiency, they will never win.

The handicap system…is meant to balance the skill levels of various players so everybody that does their best could…win a tournament.

For example, the scratch player has a handicap of zero. In tournaments, their gross score is their net score: 72-0=72. A player with a five handicap plays 77 (strokes), their (net) score will be calculated 77-5=72. The…handicap is the measure to balance their proficiencies.

KD: So how will handicaps work in Second Life golf?

PW: We’ve seen in SL, much as in RL, that we have brilliant players…in tournaments, you are always able to predict the top five winners. The downside to that is that other people would decline to play a tournament. Why compete if you don’t have a chance of winning?

KD: Can you give me some idea of the mechanics of handicap calculation in Second Life?

PW: The baseline proficiency in SL is not 72 (all pars), but 54 (all birdies). That’s because we see that the majority of golf players easily reach a score under 72, and we hate to work with negative numbers.

So a handicap of zero (Hcp 0) is a full round in 54 swings. Our highest handicap is 18, which means you do do par 72 in 72 swings. The majority of serious golfers are able to reach that goal.

KD: I’m not a scratch golfer, so I need to get a handicap registered. How do I do that?

PW: At Rainbow Valley, Rainbow Hawaii, and at Deer Creek (blue tee only), all cards are prepared for handicap play. By default it’s switched off, but when you want to play for handicap scores, you can switch it on via the scorecard menu.

When you play for handicap, every full round score will be sent to a…Hcp server. This registers your score and, based upon all of the scores you’ve submitted, a handicap will be calculated. If you look at the newest card, you’ll see a little handicap display in the lower left corner showing your current handicap.

BTW, you can also see your handicap on the Hall of Fame boards at every course. This shows your name, your handicap, and the amount of rounds you’ve played to achieve that handicap. When you’ve played five or more handicap rounds, you won’t see a number, but instead see a smiley. (That indicates) your handicap is valid for use in tournaments.

KD: I know the handicap will work with my TrueGolf Tour Pro VGS, but will the handicap system work with every golf system?

PW: Yes, Elite and Fa players can play for handicap, provided they play with a TG score card and score system, and on a course that supports handicap play.

KD: Do you have any plans to include handicaps in upcoming SLPGA tournaments?

PW: That is our main goal. We would like the new SLPGA season to be tournaments with handicaps, but we realize not every course will or can support that. Courses that still use the legacy score system will probably not provide the option to play with handicaps.

As far as Rainbow Valley, Rainbow Hawaii, Deer Creek, and probably Retribution Ridge is concerned, we will all play the next tournaments with handicaps.

KD: That’s really exciting, and I think that will get golfers who might have skipped out on tournaments in the past more interested in competing.

PW: One more thing, getting your handicap is voluntary. You don’t have to play for handicap. I would always recommend it, but you don’t have to. However, if you don’t have a valid handicap during tournaments, you play scratch (hcp 0). So I would really…urge everybody to get their handicaps. You don’t have to do anything different for it.

KD: The last time I interviewed you, I asked about upcoming stuff from TrueGolf and you told me about the development of the Tour Pro set, which was just insanely exciting for me. Is there anything on the drawing board for TG that you can talk about?

PW: LOL, Yes, we’re working on something really major, and there is a good chance it will happen, but I can’t talk about it yet…it’s something unprecedented.

KD: Ooooooooooooooh…that sounds tasty! Okay, when it does happen, we’ll have to sit down for coffee again.

PW: Well, more like champagne. I’m totally excited about it, but let’s first see if it works out.

KD: Last one! Aside from joining the TrueGolf group in world and maybe following a certain Second Life golf blog, what’s the best way to keep up to date with what’s going on with TrueGolf and the TG community?

PW: Well, Keyli, we have an excellent discord server with a steady group. We use this discord server to give valuable information about playing golf and/or using the TG sets, but also we listen to questions and criticism, great ideas, and a laugh here and there. You can reach the discord server via: https://discord.gg/RQZE8dvW and access is free.

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Thanks so much for sparing the time to talk with me, Poppy! I think it’s worth mentioning that even the highest tier golfers have handicaps. Poppy has a one handicap, Lexy Amore has a two, and the extraordinary Becca Ordinary has a six.

I hope y’all will get out and establish your handicaps! Mine is currently seven, and I’m eager to get mine lower than Becca improve! Until next time, Fairways and Greens, everyone!

Keyli

DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE GIVEAWAY!!! Check out the From Casual to Competitive post and leave a comment at the end of it with your Second Life account name! I’m going to pick a winner at random and they’ll win their choice of a Steelhead Golfboard or a L$500 TrueGolf gift card!