Progress and handicap calculator

I have mentioned my calculator/spreadsheet a few times now. Here is its latest entry:

18 Holes	Date	Tees	Course Rating	Slope
Elkins Ranch (Fillmore, CA)	08/14/05	Red	72.7	123

Par	Score	Over Par	Adj Score	Index	CH	Net	Target	PTH?
72	100	28	99	24.9	27	73	100	0

It's a record I keep of all my rounds since I started. I enter in the course information (rating, slope and par), my handicap index that day (it changes almost daily), and my score. The rest of the columns have formulas and calculate for me how many strokes over par I was, what my actual course handicap was, my net score, my target score for the course handicap and how many strokes I played over or under my handicap. It rounds the number off for the display, but my "PTH" (played to handicap) number for the example shown above is actually 0.196460176991152. It would show it in red and with a - sign if it was under my handicap.

To me, this is an indicator of the progress I'm making over time. Of course, statistics are so malleable. If I could measure my competitive spirit that day or my level of focus during tournament rounds, or have it factor in columns for stress levels, distractions or even number of drinks consumed, I might have a more accurate and helpful tool. It might not be a good indicator of anything, but at least I find it interesting.

I'd like to post the actual calculator template so people could copy it if they wanted but I haven't figured out a way to do that on blogger. I doubt the excerpt above will view correctly on all systems, either, but you get the idea.

Next post.