This archive report was first published on 10 July 2020.
On February 16, 2019, Sam Ngugi tees off during the Standard Group Golf Tournament at the Eldoret Golf Club. [PHOTO BY KEVIN TUNOI]
The concept of playing a golf match against an imaginary golfer, known as a 'regular bogey man,' dates back to the 1890s. This imaginary opponent, who scored four on long par three's and five on long par four's, led to the term 'bogey.'
Fast forward to 1892, when Mr. Bogey was granted the honorary rank of Colonel in a military golfing facility in the United States. This marked a significant milestone in the history of golf handicapping, as The R&A and the USGA were formulating ways of measuring courses that are commonly used today.
Today, the terms 'scratch' and 'bogey' golfers are widely used. A scratch golfer has a handicap of 0.0, while a bogey golfer plays off a handicap of 20.0 for men and 24.0 for women. However, with the recent resumption of competitive golf in Kenya, it has become apparent that many golfers' handicaps do not reflect their current playing abilities.
According to the USGA, the probability of a golfer with a 14-handicap playing a round that is eight strokes better than the course is once in 1,138 rounds. This means that if a golfer with a 14-handicap plays once a week, they should be able to achieve this feat once in 21 years.
As a result, it is not uncommon to see golfers with low handicaps posting scores that are eight or more shots better than their handicap. However, this is not necessarily a reflection of their skills, but rather a result of their handicaps not being updated to reflect their current abilities.
Should the handicap committees not do their work properly, we may start seeing cases where Colonel Bogey beats the veritable scratch golfer.
