System and method for analyzing golfer performance

1. A tangible computer readable storage medium including a set of instructions executable by a processor, the set of instructions operable to analyze the performance of a golfer by:

determining a number of greens hit in regulation by the golfer during at least one round of golf;

determining a number of long game strokes taken by the golfer during the at least one round of golf;

determining one of at least a golf course rating difference and a slope rating difference for the course on which the at least one round of golf is played;

calculating a long game efficiency index of the golfer by dividing the determined number of long game strokes by the determined number of greens hit in regulation; and

determining a long game handicap of the golfer based at least in part upon the calculated long game efficiency index, a known relationship between long game handicap versus long game efficiency index, and one of at least the golf course rating difference and the slope rating difference.

2. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the number of greens hit in regulation comprises a number of holes on which the golfer reached a hole's putting surface in at least two strokes less than par for the hole for each hole played during the at least one round of golf.

3. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the number of long game strokes comprises a number of strokes taken or incurred by the golfer from greater than 50 yards from each hole played during the at least one round of golf.

4. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 3 wherein the number of strokes taken or incurred includes strokes taken by the golfer and penalty strokes incurred by the golfer.

5. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein said step of determining a long game handicap of the golfer comprises the step of selecting a long game handicap corresponding to the calculated long game efficiency index from a table relating long game handicaps versus long game efficiency indexes.

6. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein said calculated long game efficiency index is adjusted for relative difficulty of a golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played before said step of determining a long game handicap.

7. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 6 wherein said calculated long game efficiency index is adjusted for relative difficulty of a golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played by performing at least the following steps:

calculating the golf course rating difference by dividing a golf course rating of the golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played by an average golf course rating of a plurality of golf courses used to formulate the known relationship between long game handicap versus long game efficiency index;

calculating the slope rating difference by dividing a slope rating of the golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played by an average slope rating of a plurality of golf courses used to formulate the known relationship between long game handicap versus long game efficiency index;

calculating an adjustment factor by averaging the golf course rating difference and the slope rating difference; and

calculating an adjusted long game efficiency index by dividing the calculated long game efficiency index by the calculated adjustment factor.

8. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 1 further comprising the step of calculating a short game handicap of the golfer by performing at least the following steps:

calculating a Slope Adjusted Differential for the at least one round of golf; and

multiplying the Slope Adjusted Differential by 2 and then subtracting the determined long game handicap.

9. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 8 wherein said step of calculating a Slope Adjusted Differential for the at least one round of golf comprises the steps of:

subtracting a golf course rating of the golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played from a final gross score of the golfer for the at least one round of golf;

multiplying the result of said subtracting step by a hypothetical average slope rating for a plurality of golf courses; and

dividing the result of said multiplying step by a slope rating of the golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played.

10. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 9 wherein the hypothetical average slope rating for a plurality of golf courses comprises a hypothetical average slope rating for all golf courses in the United States.

11. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the determining of the long game handicap of the golfer based at least in part upon the golf course rating difference and the slope rating difference.

12. A tangible computer readable storage medium including a set of instructions executable by a processor, the set of instructions operable to analyze the performance of a golfer by:

determining a number of greens hit in regulation by the golfer during at least one round of golf, the number of greens hit in regulation comprising a number of holes on which the golfer reached a hole's putting surface in at least two strokes less than par for the hole for each hole played during the at least one round of golf;

determining a number of long game strokes taken by the golfer during the at least one round of golf, the number of long game strokes comprising a number of strokes taken or incurred by the golfer from greater than 50 yards from each hole played during the at least one round of golf;

calculating a long game efficiency index of the golfer by dividing the determined number of long game strokes by the determined number of greens hit in regulation;

calculating a golf course rating difference by dividing a golf course rating of the golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played by an average golf course rating of a plurality of golf courses;

calculating a slope rating difference by dividing a slope rating of the golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played by an average slope rating of a plurality of golf courses;

calculating an adjustment factor by averaging the golf course rating difference and the slope rating difference;

calculating an adjusted long game efficiency index by dividing the calculated long game efficiency index by the calculated adjustment factor;

determining a long game handicap of the golfer based at least in part upon the calculated adjusted long game efficiency index by selecting a long game handicap corresponding to the calculated long game efficiency index from a table relating long game handicaps versus long game efficiency indexes;

calculating a Slope Adjusted Differential for the at least one round of golf; and

calculating a short game handicap of the golfer by multiplying the Slope Adjusted Differential by 2 and then subtracting the determined long game handicap.

13. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein the number of strokes taken or incurred includes strokes taken by the golfer and penalty strokes incurred by the golfer.

14. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein the plurality of golf courses upon which the average golf course rating and the average slope rating is based comprise a plurality of golf courses used to formulate the table relating long game handicaps versus long game efficiency indexes.

15. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein said step of calculating a Slope Adjusted Differential for the at least one round of golf comprises the steps of:

subtracting the golf course rating of the golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played from a final gross score of the golfer for the at least one round of golf;

multiplying the result of said subtracting step by a hypothetical average slope rating for a plurality of golf courses; and

dividing the result of said multiplying step by a slope rating of the golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played.

16. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 12 wherein the hypothetical average slope rating for a plurality of golf courses comprises a hypothetical average slope rating for all golf courses in the United States.

17. A system for analyzing performance of a golfer comprising:

a computer;

software executing on said computer for receiving an indication of a number of greens hit in regulation by the golfer during at least one round of golf and an indication of a number of long game strokes taken by the golfer during the at least one round of golf;

software executing on said computer for calculating a long game efficiency index of the golfer by dividing the number of long game strokes by the number of greens hit in regulation;

software executing on said computer for determining at least one of a golf course rating difference and a slope rating difference for the golf course on which the at least one round of gold is played;

software executing on said computer for

determining a long game handicap of the golfer based at least in part upon the calculated long game efficiency index, a stored relationship between long game handicap versus long game efficiency index, and one of at least the golf course rating difference and the slope rating difference; and

software executing on said computer for displaying the determined long game handicap to the user.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the number of greens hit in regulation comprises a number of holes on which the golfer reached a hole's putting surface in at least two strokes less than par for the hole for each hole played during the at least one round of golf.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the number of long game strokes comprises a number of strokes taken or incurred by the golfer from greater than 50 yards from each hole played during the at least one round of golf.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the number of strokes taken or incurred includes strokes taken by the golfer and penalty strokes incurred by the golfer.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the stored relationship between long game handicap versus long game efficiency index comprises a table relating long game handicaps versus long game efficiency indexes accessible by said computer, and wherein said software executing on said computer for determining a long game handicap of the golfer comprises software executing on said computer for selecting a long game handicap corresponding to the calculated long game efficiency index from the table.

22. The system of claim 17 further comprising software executing on said computer for adjusting, before the long game handicap is determined, the calculated long game efficiency index for relative difficulty of a golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said software for adjusting the calculated long game efficiency index comprises:

software executing on said computer for calculating the golf course rating difference by dividing a golf course rating of the golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played by an average golf course rating of a plurality of golf courses used to formulate the known relationship between long game handicap versus long game efficiency index;

software executing on said computer for calculating the slope rating difference by dividing a slope rating of the golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played by an average slope rating of a plurality of golf courses used to formulate the known relationship between long game handicap versus long game efficiency index;

software executing on said computer for calculating an adjustment factor by averaging the golf course rating difference and the slope rating difference; and

software executing on said computer for calculating an adjusted long game efficiency index by dividing the calculated long game efficiency index by the calculated adjustment factor.

24. The system of claim 17 further comprising software executing on said computer for calculating a short game handicap of the golfer, said software for determining a short game handicap of the golfer comprising:

software executing on said computer for calculating a Slope Adjusted Differential for the at least one round of golf; and

software executing on said computer for multiplying the Slope Adjusted Differential by 2 and then subtracting the determined long game handicap.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said software for calculating a Slope Adjusted Differential for the at least one round of golf comprises:

software executing on said computer for subtracting a golf course rating of the golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played from a final gross score of the golfer for the at least one round of golf;

software executing on said computer for multiplying the result obtained by said software for subtracting by a hypothetical average slope rating for a plurality of golf courses; and

software executing on said computer for dividing the result obtained by said software for multiplying by a slope rating of the golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the hypothetical average slope rating for a plurality of golf courses comprises a hypothetical average slope rating for all golf courses in the United States.

27. The system of claim 17 wherein the determining of the long game handicap of the golfer based at least in part upon the golf course rating difference and the slope rating difference.

28. A system for analyzing performance of a golfer comprising:

a computer;

software executing on said computer for receiving an indication of a number of greens hit in regulation by the golfer during at least one round of golf and an indication of a number of long game strokes taken by the golfer during the at least one round of golf, wherein the number of greens hit in regulation comprises a number of holes on which the golfer reached a hole's putting surface in at least two strokes less than par for the hole for each hole played during the at least one round of golf, and wherein the number of long game strokes comprises a number of strokes taken or incurred by the golfer from greater than 50 yards from each hole played during the at least one round of golf;

software executing on said computer for calculating a long game efficiency index of the golfer by dividing the number of long game strokes by the number of greens hit in regulation;

software executing on said computer for calculating a golf course rating difference by dividing a golf course rating of the golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played by an average golf course rating of a plurality of golf courses;

software executing on said computer for calculating a slope rating difference by dividing a slope rating of the golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played by an average slope rating of a plurality of golf courses;

software executing on said computer for calculating an adjustment factor by averaging the golf course rating difference and the slope rating difference;

software executing on said computer for calculating an adjusted long game efficiency index by dividing the calculated long game efficiency index by the calculated adjustment factor;

a table relating long game handicaps versus long game efficiency indexes accessible by said computer;

software executing on said computer for selecting a long game handicap corresponding to the calculated adjusted long game efficiency index from the table;

software executing on said computer for calculating a Slope Adjusted Differential for the at least one round of golf;

software executing on said computer for calculating a short game handicap of the golfer by multiplying the Slope Adjusted Differential by 2 and then subtracting the determined long game handicap; and

software executing on said computer for displaying the selected long game handicap and the determined short game handicap to the user.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the number of strokes taken or incurred includes strokes taken by the golfer and penalty strokes incurred by the golfer.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein the plurality of golf courses upon which the average golf course rating and the average slope rating is based comprise a plurality of golf courses used to formulate the table relating long game handicaps versus long game efficiency indexes.

31. The system of claim 28 wherein said software for calculating a Slope Adjusted Differential for the at least one round of golf comprises:

software executing on said computer for subtracting the golf course rating of the golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played from a final gross score of the golfer for the at least one round of golf;

software executing on said computer for multiplying the result obtained by said software for subtracting by a hypothetical average slope rating for a plurality of golf courses; and

software executing on said computer for dividing the result obtained by said software for multiplying by a slope rating of the golf course on which the at least one round of golf was played.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the hypothetical average slope rating for a plurality of golf courses comprises a hypothetical average slope rating for all golf courses in the United States.

33. A tangible computer readable storage medium including a set of instructions executable by a processor, the set of instructions operable to analyze the performance of a golfer by:

determining a number of greens hit in regulation by the golfer during at least one round of golf;

determining a number of long game strokes taken by the golfer during the at least one round of golf, wherein the number of long game strokes comprises a number of strokes taken or incurred by the golfer from greater than 50 yards from each hole played during the at least one round of golf;

calculating a long game efficiency index of the golfer by dividing the determined number of long game strokes by the determined number of greens hit in regulation; and

determining a long game handicap of the golfer based at least in part upon the calculated long game efficiency index and a known relationship between long game handicap versus long game efficiency index.