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Flights Formation



When this screen is first presented the only active area is the Type of Flights box in which you make your choice by clicking the Individual Players or Teams option button.  The corresponding area is then activated for information entry.  In addition to entering the Number of Flights you wish to form, you must specify how you want to form flights by clicking the Straight Handicaps or Handicap Ranges option button.

For Straight Handicaps the program sorts the player field in low-to-high Handicap Index (Individual Flights) or Group Handicap (Team Flights) sequence and divides the total number of players by the Number of Flights.  This results in flights of equal size or, if the division does not result in a whole number, some "extra" players/teams.  Use the Unequal Number of Players/Teams area  to specify how you wish to handle any extras - i.e. place them in the Last Flight Number or in a New Flight  (this area is not applicable if you use Handicap Ranges).

For Handicap Ranges the area at the bottom left of the screen is activated for you to specify the Maximum Handicap (Course Handicap) to be used for each flight.  This will likely result in flights of unequal sizes, but will ensure that each flight consists of players/teams of similar ability.  Be sure that your specified ranges cover the range of the player handicaps in the tournament.

There is a significant difference with respect to player grouping between Individual Flights and Team Flights.  

Individual Flights
For Individual Flights you have the option to form player groups before doing flights formation or during flights formation. Select either the Groups Already Formed or Form Groups With Flights option button to make your choice.  If you choose to form groups at the same time flights are formed, enter the number of Group Size you wish to use.

Team Flights
As noted on the screen, for Team Flights you MUST FIRST have formed player groups via the Player Groups Pairing choice on the Pairings Menu.  This is required because Team Flights formation is based on the Team (Player Group) Handicaps that are generated in the pairings process.  If this task has not been performed you can exit the Flights Formation screen via the Cancel button.

When you specify Team Flights you also have the option to form Individual Flights where players have the same flight number as their Team flight.  Use the Indiv. Flights Also checkbox to make your choice.  Leave it unchecked for Team Flights only, or check it for both Team Flights and Individual Flights.

Note the Use Flight Names Versus Numbers checkbox on the left of the screen.  If you check this box you are presented with a form on which to enter names for your flights.  These names are then used instead of flight numbers on scoring results displays and reports.

When you've provided all your specifications click the Process button to have the program do flights formation.  When processing is complete a Print Report button will appear on the screen; clicking this button will produce a screen display of your flighted Player List with an option for a printed report.  You may wish to defer the printed report until after you've assigned Start Times/Tees to your Player list via the Preparation Menu.

Important Note:  Flighting is done on the basis of the Full Handicap Indexes (Individual Flights) or Group Handicaps (Team Flights) of your players.  That is, if you've specified that a percentage of handicaps be used in the tournament, the percentage is not applied for flighting purposes.  (The percentage is used for handicap hole strokes allocation and net scoring but not for flighting.)

Related Topics:
Player Group Pairings