Customer News / Helpful Hints
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| This part of our website is primarily for our present customers. Here we will keep you informed about company news, product enhancements and the latest product version numbers. The Helpful Hints section includes some reminders and tips about using our products and applying them to your requirements. SportsWare News - February 2008 USGA Handicap System Changes for 2008 The USGA has put in place effective January 1a number of changes to the USGA Handicap System. None of these changes affect the basic calculation of handicaps except for a change in the retention period for 9- holes scores related to their use in 18-hole handicapping. The following summarizes some of the more notable changes:
We refer you to the latest edition of the USGA Handicap System Manual for the details. A new release of our GHM Program that incorporates the applicable changes is now available. Native-Windows Version of GHM A native-Windows version of the GHM Program is now available. This version is a significant improvement versus the former DOS version and is usable on all the latest Windows versions, including Vista. It can be used on a standalone computer or in a network environment. Use the Golf Handicaps Manager link on the Products page for details. Reminder - USGA Handicap System Licensing Program for Clubs The official deadline for obtaining the license required to use the USGA Handicap System was extended to July 1, 2006. If your club has not been licensed we strongly encourage you to do so. Clubs that do not obtain a license are not permitted to issue USGA Handicap Indexes to their players. Information about the licensing procedure is available on the USGA website (www.usga.org). Bag Tag Labels The 8MM Data Tape Labels (2.875" W x .375" H) used the GTM program for Bag Tag Labels are not a commonly available label form in office products stores. The Internet is your best source for these labels. A search for "Data Tape Labels" will yield several companies that sell the labels. One such company's website is at www.InkjetCartridge.com. The Item Number is MLL-3150R. Packaging is 100 sheets with 56 labels per sheet. The cost is approximately $21 plus shipping. (We do not supply the labels because it is more economical for you to obtain them directly from a label company.) Golf Tournament Management (GTM) Program We're very pleased that the native-Windows version of GTM has been very well received by our customers. GTM combines the Pairings and Scoring capabilities of our DOS-based GTP/GTS programs into a single program. All of the features that made GTP/GTS industry leaders remain but the ease, flexibility and speed with which you can accomplish your tournament tasks are greatly enhanced in the Windows environment. See the Tournament Management page for a detailed description and illustrations. There is a $300 Upgrade Charge for current GTP/GTS customers. The price for new customers is $500. (Note: We will continue to provide support for the GTP/GTS programs but we encourage users of those programs to upgrade to the new and better Windows-based GTM Program.) Calling Arkansas and Rhode Island These are now the only two states without a SportsWare customer. We are offering a 20% discount on the first software order from each of these states. Current Product Versions The following are the current version numbers for our products. "W" indicates native-Windows applications. Others are DOS applications that run under Windows. You may order new programs and program upgrades via Phone, Fax or Email. Golf Handicaps Manager (GHM) W1.0 Golf Tournament Management Program (GTM) W3.0 Golf Tournament Pairings (GTP) 6.2 Golf Tournament Scoring (GTS) 9.2 9-Hole Match-Around W2.5 Pari-Mutuel Manager W3.5 Callaway Scorekeeper W2.3 Nassau Round Robin W1.7 Helpful Hints GHM Period Initialization An important user action that is sometimes forgotten is the initialization of your handicap database at the start of a new season. This action gives you the opportunity to reset a number of items for each player: Number of Rounds, Base for Most Improved Golfer, Lowest Round, Dues Paid and Ringer Scores. Don't forget to do Period Initialization at the start of your new season. The feature is accessed via selection from the System Functions Menu. GHM History Database This database contains records for all scores posted by all players. Its primary use is as the base for the Course Analysis feature, a feature that provides meaningful information only if scores are entered on a hole-by-hole basis. Therefore, if your scores are not being entered hole by hole we recommend that you not maintain a History Database. If you do, make sure that you reset it at regular intervals. Some of our customers turn on the History Database periodically when they wish to analyze the Handicap Hole Ratings of their course and require that scores be entered hole by hole for a limited period of time. GTM - Reusable Tournament Slots Up to ten tournaments can be maintained concurrently via the ten "slots" on the Tournament Selection Screen. Each of these slots can be reused for a new tournament. Simply enter a new Tournament Name and proceed to provide information for the new event. Your Player List, new Scoring, etc. will replace the old information automatically, but your Tournament Information will be preserved. Therefore, you don't have to re-specify your Course Definition unless it has changed. However, you should check your Scoring Categories to ensure that they are what you want for the new tournament. GTM Player List Creation GTM provides two ways to create a Player List -- automatically via the Pairings Menu, and on a user- supplied basis via the Preparation Menu. The first method is required if you are doing automated pairings or flights to form player groups. However, if your player groups are preset in terms of who is playing with whom, you may find it easier to prepare your Player List via the fill-in-the-blanks screens provided by the Player List Create option on the Preparation Menu. Don't Lose Your GTM Automated Pairings The sequence for doing automated GTM pairings is to select players from your Master List, optionally add outside players to the generated Tournament Players List, and then choose the automated Groupings and/or Flights options. However, be aware that each time you return to Player Selection or to the Tournament Players List, any previous Groupings/Flights are lost -- the program assumes that you are starting over with a revised set of players. Therefore, if you return to Player Selection or the Tournament Players List, be sure to redo your Groupings/Flights. GTM Player List Updates Once you've formed a Player List via either of the methods described above, you may be faced with the frequent situation of last-minute changes. If these changes are relatively minor and you don't wish to disturb the basic pairings of your entire player field, use the Player List Update selection from the Preparation Menu to make player substitutions, additions and deletions on a group-by-group basis. If the changes are such that you wish to regroup the entire player field, return to the Pairings Menu to modify your Player Selections or Tournament Players List; then redo the automated Groupings/Flights (which will take only a few moments). |