For the third time this year (this time Eastern Am Nationals 10/16 and 17) I am looking at unofficial round ratings terribly skewed by the fact that rec and intermediate played different tees than the other divisions yet clearly the rating propagated as if everyone played the same course and layout. The first TD of the year immediately was able to correct it. The Sneaky Pete last month the TD said just wait until the official ratings (which I will be anxious to see 10/26) and for the one just finished I haven't heard back yet. Is this a common problem/issue the first TD who immediately corrected the issue said the interface was very confusing (and she is a full time Apple certified database manager :-) but three times in one year is getting old and while I understand how the skew affects my own score rating it has been heartbreaking for the rec players I have had to try to explain why their "980 round" really is going to be an 830 :-) I am not a TD so just curious if this is a common issue with an easy fix.

There's no problem if everyone plays from the same tees!

There's online Help information for TDs who upload the scores. Here's what it says for setting up separate course layouts when some divisions play different tees or courses in a round. I'm not sure how it can be made more clear if a few TDs don't use the help available?

What do I need to do to generate event ratings?


<DD>To generate accurate ratings for each round, you need to assign the course layouts to each division for each round played. By default, the system assumes a "default layout" with 18 holes. If you have a layout with more or less holes, or if different divisions play a different configuration (e.g., different tees), or if the course is changed (e.g., different basket placements) between rounds, then you need to add the appropriate layouts, and assign the divisions to them. <DD>To create or edit layouts, select Admin from the navigation links at the top of any of the tournament scoring system pages. In the section labeled Rating Course Layouts, edit the default layout, or add new layouts as necessary (you need one for every configuration played in any round). To assign the divisions to the layouts, select the Ratings link, then select the Round you are assigning layouts for. Then, select the layout played by each division for that round in the drop down menu. Click Update to save the course settings. Repeat the process for each round. The round ratings for your tournament will be displayed. Note that these are unofficial ratings, but they give players a good indication of what will eventually be their official rating for each round. On top of that, players like seeing them!





</DD>

There's online Help information for TDs who upload the scores. Here's what it says for setting up separate course layouts when some divisions play different tees or courses in a round. I'm not sure how it can be made more clear if a few TDs don't use the help available?

What do I need to do to generate event ratings?


<DD>To generate accurate ratings for each round, you need to assign the course layouts to each division for each round played. By default, the system assumes a "default layout" with 18 holes. If you have a layout with more or less holes, or if different divisions play a different configuration (e.g., different tees), or if the course is changed (e.g., different basket placements) between rounds, then you need to add the appropriate layouts, and assign the divisions to them. <DD>To create or edit layouts, select Admin from the navigation links at the top of any of the tournament scoring system pages. In the section labeled Rating Course Layouts, edit the default layout, or add new layouts as necessary (you need one for every configuration played in any round). To assign the divisions to the layouts, select the Ratings link, then select the Round you are assigning layouts for. Then, select the layout played by each division for that round in the drop down menu. Click Update to save the course settings. Repeat the process for each round. The round ratings for your tournament will be displayed. Note that these are unofficial ratings, but they give players a good indication of what will eventually be their official rating for each round. On top of that, players like seeing them!
</DD>
I think the problem most TDs run into (at least in my experience helping out a couple TDs that "messed up" the ratings) is finding the Rating Course Layouts area. Yes, the instructions say it's under the Admin link, but pretty much every other task the TD performs in the interface is well labeled in the menu at the top of the page. You click "Upload" to get to the score uploading screen. You click "Ratings" to assign layouts to each division. But to set the individual layouts, you have to click Admin then scroll down the page to get there.

It's not difficult once you're familiar with it, but instructions or not, finding the Rating Course Layouts input is less intuitive than the rest.

The frustrating issue is some TDs don't even understand they will need to do something online to indicate that some divisions played different layouts. That knowledge alone would hopefully lead them to ask for help rather than blindly pasting the scores in there and magically thinking the program would "know" how to do the ratings. But it's really been getting better with people like Josh helping TDs. A continuously decreasing percentage of events have not had the course layouts set properly by the people who upload scores.

During the next year, the interface for uploading scores will finally be updated after 8 years making it easier for TDs to post scores. Plus, the unofficial ratings will stay up there until the official ratings get posted.

Just what I needed. I was able to paste your answer into an email to the TD and they fixed it right up :) Now I'm ready for future assistance.

Excellent. We try to have the answers to help if people ask the questions. I've helped TDs post results on Saturday or Sunday late in the evening several times over the years so they could get their scores and unofficial ratings posted for their players.

Thanks. I'm another TD who found this confusing and got it wrong---though in my case, it only involves one hole with a separate Intermediate tee, so minimal effect on the ratings.

I too find the interface and the TD report to be, in places, confusing....and since I only deal with them once a year, I tend to be freshly confused each year.

During the next year, the interface for uploading scores will finally be updated after 8 years making it easier for TDs to post scores. Plus, the unofficial ratings will stay up there until the official ratings get posted.

Will the new interface allow for a totally online player management system versus using a spreadhseet? Also will it have an open API so I can develop my application to manage tourneys and upload scores, etc.?

Not sure. You'd have to ask Gentry. Good Internet access is still limited at many courses or computers still not used on site during events by many TDs so offline spreadsheets are going to be around indefinitely as the primary process for tournament management.

As a Pro Open player I just finished my 4th tourney of the year and 3 of them had severely skewed unofficial ratings. Quick example is that last year playing the same tournament, same conditions, same course yet easier placements, a 56 was rated at a 1002. This year that same round on the same course with more difficult placements was rated at a 954. The 56 was the 6th best score of the day in all divisions yet only a 954? The easier course on the weekend had a rating differential of 17pts per stroke. I thought the easier the course the less variance between strokes?
Anyway I know it is the TD responsibility for submitting the correct info on pads, layout, divisions, etc... However, obviously something is detracting from the process that is in place to get this correct. Should TD's be passing tests before running tourneys on the correct handling of scores and layouts?
We know at times these issues are corrected once all the official paperwork is submitted but if that is submitted incorrectly and the ratings remain incorrect what solutions are there for the players to get the ratings corrected after they are made official?

Contact me via the Ratings contact link off the PDGA Home page:
http://www.pdga.com/contact?a=sf&contact=Ratings Committee
like hundreds of members have done over the years when they think something was processed incorrectly.

We hope to make the new upload process being developed over the next year more TD friendly and actually guide them into assigning layouts properly such that no scores for their event will be displayed until they at least attempt do so.