Golf by the Numbers

Numbers are important in golf. Your select specifically numbered clubs to hit numbered balls after deciding on the number of yards to your target. You use informal statistics and probability to make decisions about where to hit and what to hit. Some golfers even record their shot distances on their GPS devices so they get a sense of their trends and patterns. And of course, you use numbers to track your progress, both in terms of scores and handicaps.

So this week I will present an overview of Mens' Night which focuses on numbers.

This past Wednesday there were 28 golfers, 9 of whom won prizes. It was an incredibly windy start to the evening with wind gusts up to 75 km/hr. Skins went on 4 holes including Mike Susinski / Darcy Kowalchuk ($35 on #1 and $20 on #7), Pete Ostash / Jason Gorrell ($51 on #6), and Scott Maynes / Ron Anderson ($20 on #8).

Jamie McCutchin and Brad Benton scored 2's so they split the $42 deuce pot. Blake Hunter was closest to the pin on #5 and Mike Susinski hit it tight on #9.

This season we have had 14 Mens' Nights during which 45 golfers have won over $2000 in prizes. Yet we have not had 1 hole in one...but it feels like it may be coming soon.

Speaking of holes in one, the odds of an amateur making a hole-in-one are 12,500 to 1. The odds of a low handicapper making an ace are 5,000 to 1 while the odds for a professional golfer are 2,500 to 1. If you are a low handicapper and play 1,000 rounds in your life (an average of 25 rounds for 40 years), you have a 20% chance of making at least one hole-in-one.

Well that's it for this week. It's Saturday afternoon and 23 Celcius outside, the wind is only 15 km/hr and there is only a 20% probability of precipitation. I need to get outside. Unfortunately, there seems to be 0 people available to golf.