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System Parameters

System Parameters establish how you wish to use the GHM Program, provide information about your home course and outside courses from which your players will enter scores, and enable you to select various options related to your computer system and program features.  Definition of System Parameters should be the first task undertaken by new users of GHM.  The task encompasses the items displayed on the submenus of the System Parameters selection from the System Functions Menu.



The remainder of this Help Topic describes each of these items and includes illustrations of the display screens used to obtain information related to them.

Overall Parameters
The topmost area of this screen is self-explanatory.  The information is used for headings on reports and handicap cards.  Use of a System Authorization Code is optional; if used it must be entered to gain access to the Handicap Maintenance and System Functions areas of the program.  Note that this code is separate from the Authorization/Shutdown Code used with the Player Scores Entry feature.

System Type is self-explanatory.  However, if a computer in a network is the only computer on which GHM is used, you should install the program "locally" on that computer and specify Standalone as the System Type.  See the User Guide for installation information.

Local Handicaps as defined by the USGA Handicap System are those 18-hole Handicap Indexes that exceed 36.4 for Men and 40.4 for Women, and 9-hole Handicap Indexes that exceed 18.2 for Men and 20.2 for Women.  It's your choice of whether or not to allow Handicap Indexes to exceed these limits.  If you allow them, Handicap Indexes greater than the limits are marked with the letter "L" to designate that they are Local Handicaps; if you don't allow them, Handicap Indexes are "maxed out" at the limits.

The Course Name on Scores Yes/No options relate to whether or not you wish to associate a Course Name with posted scores.  Per the USGA Handicap System the use of Course Names with scores is optional for Type 1 and Type 2 golf clubs and mandatory for Type 3 golf clubs (golf clubs without a course).  

Use of the History and Name/Address Databases is optional.  The History Database is separate from the main database and contains all posted scores for all players.  It is primarily useful for performing Course Analysis, but it is meaningful only if scores are entered on a hole-by-hole basis.  It can become quite large and subject to corruption as it grows; therefore, if you are not posting scores hole by hole we recommend that you do not specify that it be used.  If you do use a History Database you should reset it periodically, e.g. at the start of a new season.  The Name/Address Database allows you to maintain address and phone information for your players and is used as the basis for preparing printing listings and address labels from the Reports Menu.

The Printer Parameters area of the screen is used for your selection of various options related to printed reports and handicap cards; these options are self-explanatory.

Home Course Definitions
Home Courses as defined and used by the GHM Program are really "Sets of Tees" and we strongly recommend that each course you define have both a Mens set of tees and a Ladies set of tees.  Such definition allows you to use terms such a Regular Tees, Championship Tees, Senior Tees, etc. as Course Names and accommodate both Men and Ladies under the same Course Name.  For golf courses where there are more Mens sets of tees than Ladies sets of tees you should repeat Ladies' definitions with the extra Mens definitions.  For example, in a common case where there are two sets of tees for Men (White and Blue) and one set of tees for Ladies (Red), you would create two Course Definitions and use the same Ladies definition on both.  You could then use Course Names such as "Mens White / Ladies Red" and "Mens Blue / Ladies Red."  In this case it would not make any difference which course was selected by a lady for score entry.

The Course Definition Screen illustrated below is used to define your courses.  The first time you do definitions you must complete the Number of Courses entry; additional courses can be added at any later time via the Add New Course button (this button is not visible the first time you do course definitions).  The remainder of the screen content you provide is self-explanatory.  When you complete the definition for a course, use the Next Course button to move to the next definition.  The Next and Previous buttons are used to move back and forth among your course definitions.  The Add New Course and Delete Course buttons can be used at any time after your initial course definitions are saved.  When you delete a course the program automatically renumbers the courses that follow the deleted course.  The Clear All Courses button should be used with caution; it deletes all your defined courses with the effect that you must start over with Course Definition.  When you complete all the Course Definitions you wish to provide, click the Save All Courses button to exit and return to the System Functions Menu Screen.  (Note: Do not click Save All Courses for each individual course you define.  The program saves individual course definitions automatically as you move from course to course.)



Note that all your Course Definitions must include 9-Hole Ratings if 9-hole scores are going to be posted to the handicap system.  Note also that the Slope Rating for 9-hole scores are on an 18-hole basis - they are not half of the 18-hole Slope Rating.  If you don't have official 9-Hole Ratings they can be obtained from your governing golf association.

Group Code Name Assignments
If you are going to use GHM's Group Codes feature to define special player groups for separate reporting, this menu item and the illustrated screen allows you to define names for the Group Codes.  The Group Codes feature is described in the Adding New Players Help Topic.

Group Code Names can be changed at any time.  The Utilities submenu of the Handicap Maintenance Menu includes a selection for "clearing" an existing Group Code by removing all players from it.  This gives you the capability to rename the Group Code and use it for another group of players.





Player Entry Feature Parameters
If you are going to use GHM's Player Scores Entry feature for direct player posting of scores, you must define some basic parameters that govern feature use by completing the screen illustrated below.  The first time you access this screen ensure that the Activate Player Entry Feature check box in marked as selected.  Most of the middle section of the screen is self-explanatory but take note of the requirements associated with the Authorization Code, SportsWare ScorePad, and Handicap Card Labels.  A description of Ringer Scores is provided in the Ringer Scores Help Topic.

The Allow Use of Access Codes check box gives you the option of using or not using Access Codes.  This option to not use Access Codes is provided to cover an exception situation where a player can enter an Access Code for another player if the other player does not have an existing code.  However, we recommend that Access Codes be used as the preferred security measure for most situations and that you cover the exception situation by requiring all players to have Access Codes or via communication to your players that they should not assign Access Codes to other players.



Use the Type of Score Entry area of the screen to specify type of scores players will be allowed to post.  Most users choose the "Either" option; some specify Total Scores Only for most of the season but use the Hole-by-Hole Scores Only option for brief time periods in order to collect hole scores for Course Analysis; very few users require hole-by-hole scores on a full-time basis.

Use the Other Player Scores Entry area of the screen to define the "player security" you wish to provide.  Most users choose the Requires ID and Access Code option; it allows players to view other players' handicap information with just the entry of a Player ID but requires the Player Access Code in order to enter a score.  The View Only option is rarely used; it applies where the staff enters all scores and the Player Scores Entry feature is used only as a handicap information system.

Player Entry Bulletin Board
The content of the Bulletin Board area of the main Player Scores Entry screen is provided by selecting the Bulletin Board item from the Player Entry Parameters submenu and completing the following screen.  The Bulletin Board content may be changed as frequently as you wish and we recommend that you change it on a regular basis to keep it fresh.



Outside Courses
In addition to your Home Courses you may define up to 15 Outside Courses for use with the Player Scores Entry feature.  These will typically be local or area courses that your players sometimes play.  The Outside Courses are displayed for selection when Played Another Course is selected during score entry.  Definition of the Outside Courses is accomplished via the following screen.  Note that you may define both 18-hole and 9-hole courses, and provide both Mens and Ladies Ratings for each course you define.



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