What is it? - Personal GOLF STATS! (PGS) is a specialized "database" program that tracks your golfing performance. PGS keep track of the most recent 200 golf games (with hole by hole scores and putts if desired), and calculates statistics and handicaps based upon those games. This demo version is fully functional except that it does not allow saving data.
Database Structure - Each database can contain up to 50 course templates, 10 golfers, and 200 games per golfer (or as much as memory allows).
Interface - The PGS interface is based upon 4 data windows. The Courses window shows all the course templates sorted alphabetically. The Golfers window shows all the golfers in the database (again sorted alphabetically). The Golfer Data and Scores windows show information and games (sorted chronologically) for any golfer that is selected in the Golfers window. Elements in the Courses, Golfers, and Scores windows are selected by clicking on them or by using the arrow keys. These four windows all have "Close boxes" which will hide that window (remove it from the desktop), not close the database file. This is to enhance operation with MultiFinder™ The windows can be made visible again using the commands in the Windows menu.
Course Templates - Course templates contain the courses name and code (short abbreviation), ratings (used in calculating handicaps), and hole by hole par ratings. Copies of the data stored in these templates are saved with every game. By having templates, game data entry is fast and flexible. For example it is easy to record a game on the "back nine" by changing the course data for that game.
Golfers - Golfers have a name, a home course, and scores. The home course is the course where the golfer plays most of his/her games.
Scores - Golfer's scores contain the date of the game, the golfer's handicap on that date, course data, and score data. The score data can hold the hole by hole scores or the gross and adjusted scores. If desired, putts can be recorded as a game total or on a hole by hole basis. Additionally scores can be entered as a Tournament score which can be used in generating reports. The Scores window shows a three character "select code" indicating with an "H", "D" or "T" whether the score was used in calculating the Handicap, the average Differential, or was entered as a Tournament score. Also shown is the date, the course code, the golfers game handicap at the time of the game and the Gross, Adjusted and Net scores.
Terms and Definitions
====================
Handicaps - PGS can calculate handicaps using three methods. The Slope and Pre-Slope methods are designed to be compatible with the USGA® handicapping methods. The Percent method bases the handicap on a percentage difference between a golfers best adjusted scores and the course ratings. The handicap method is selected using the Handicap Info command in the Function menu.
Differentials - Differentials are the difference between a golfers net score and the course rating. Positive differentials indicate a golfer shoots worse than his/her handicap would suggest. Negative values indicate the golfer shot better than his handicap. PGS calculates game by game differentials and the "average" differential of a golfers best games. Calculation of the average differential is controlled with the Handicap Info command.
Gross Score - The gross score is the actual number of strokes taken in a game. PGS will calculate this from the hole score if entered.
Adjusted Score - The adjusted score is the Gross Score adjusted downward on holes where the gross score is too high relative to the golfer's handicap and the hole par rating. Handicaps are based on the Adjusted Score to stop golfers from intentionally doing poorly on a hole to keep their handicap high. PGS will calculate the Adjusted Score from the hole by hole scores using a method compatible with the USGA® adjustment method. If the hole by hole scores are not entered then you will have to enter the Adjusted Score. You can use the Gross Score if you want.
Net Score - The Net Score is the difference between the Gross Scope and the golfers Handicap. PGS calculates the Net Score for you.
Course Rating - The course rating indicates the difficulty of a course, and will be close to the total par rating of the course. The course rating is used in calculating handicaps, differentials, and adjusted scores.
Slope Rating - The slope rating also indicates the difficulty of a course, and is used when calculating handicaps using the Slope method. The slope rating can vary from 84 to 142 and is typically 113.
9 and 18 Hole Courses and Games - PGS can handle both 9 and 18 hole courses and games, but there are a few things that need to be mentioned.
1 - Only 18 hole games should be used with the Slope and Pre-Slope handicapping methods. These methods were not designed with the inclusion of 9 hole games in mind. If you do use either of these two methods with 9 hole game data, the calculated handicap will be shown in brackets, i.e.. "[23.4]" to indicate it is an approximate handicap.
2 - Using the Percent method of handicapping, 9 hole courses should have one-half the course rating of 18 hole courses, i.e. approximately 36. If the course template selected for the game is for an 18 hole course and only the front or back are played, PGS will halve the course rating for you, but you should check it.
3 - Handicaps and differentials are calculated on an 18 hole basis. An individual's 9 hole handicap or average differential would be half that shown.
Using Personal GOLF STATS!
=========================
Adding data - To add courses or golfers to a database, activate the Courses or Golfers windows and use the Add (or Add many) command in the Function menu. To add golfer's scores first select the appropriate golfer in the Golfers window, then activate the Scores window and use the Add command.
Removing data - To delete data from a database select the course, golfer, or score, and use the Delete command in the Function menu.
Editing or Changing data - To edit data, select the appropriate course, golfer or score and use the Edit command in the Function menu. Alternately you can double click on an element to edit it.
Viewing or Printing Reports - The power of Personal GOLF STATS! is in its ability to show subtle trends in your golfing performance. The reporting capabilities include preview on screen, multiple data presentation formats and extensive statistical analysis. Reports are generated using the Print Selection, Page Setup, and Print commands in the File menu. We suggest you preview the different report formats on the screen (by selecting the View radio button under the Print Mode heading) to get a feel for the data presented in each.
Displaying Graphs - There are 12 different graphs that can be displayed using the items in the Graph Menu. The golfer "Scores, Alot" has 200 scores and provides an interesting subject for testing the graphing capabilities. The Options and Score Selection commands further increase the power of the graphing functions by adding such features as overlay charts showing trends, variance bars showing the minimum, maximum, and average deviation and score selection criteria such as the "Last 10 scores".
Power Features
==============
Configure Command - The Configure command in the file menu allows you to tailor the operation of PGS to your personal taste. Selecting "Remember window positions" would make PGS remember which windows were open and their positions when the database was saved (which you can't do with the Demo version). The "Don't adjust scores" option tells PGS to set the Adjusted Score equal to the Gross Score for new game data. The "Scores/player info together" option will cause PGS to put the data shown in the Player Data window into the top of the Scores window. The "Smart Holes™" option makes PGS automatically advance the cursor after numeric entry in the hole par, hole putts and hole score data entry fields, making it much easier to enter hole by hole data. Finally, the "Open file dialog at start" option tells PGS to present you with the standard file open dialog when the program is started up.
Dialog keys - All of the dialogs used within PGS make maximum use of keyboard entry with command key equivalents for buttons and check boxes. The first capital letter (usually the first letter) in the items descriptive text indicates the command key equivalent. This gives rise to the somewhat odd looking items such as "coUrse(s)" in the Print Selection command.
Beyond the Demo Version
=======================
The purpose of this demo version is to spread the word about Personal GOLF STATS!. You may, and are encouraged to give this to all your friends. If you do, please give them the "Sample Database" and this document. You can not sell this (although who would want to buy it?). Finally, if you like this program, and have a use for it, you can purchase the commercial version, complete with manual, for $79 (plus 6% tax for California residents) by writing or calling:
Creative Computer Resources
135 Verona Ave, Suite G.
Goleta, California 93117
Phone: (805) 968-6247
Note: USGA is a registered trademark of the United States Golf Association and MultiFinder is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
