Golf Handicapper Golf Handicapper is a combination golf score data base and handicap calculator. It can hold the most recent 20 scores of up to 1000 players. When a player enters a new score, the program automatically calculates their current handicap, their net score for this game, and their handicap for the next game. The program can be used by an individual player, a team of players, or an entire golf club. You run the program by typing GOLF at the DOS prompt. The program will show you a title page and ask you what data file to load. The default file name is GOLF. You would normally just press ENTER to choice this name. There are only two reasons to choose a different name. The first would be if you have over 1000 players and you are creating additional files to hold the extra names. The second would be if you were keeping separate files for separate golf courses. If the program does not find a file with that name on the disk, it assumes that this is a new file. It then creates a file with this name. Actually, it creates two files. One has the extension NAM and contains the player's names. The other has the extension SCR and holds the player's scores. After you input the name of the data file, the program will show you the main menu. This menu has six choices. The first choice is to load a new file. You only use this option if you have several data files and you need to switch between them. The second main menu option is to change file information. This choice leads you to a submenu containing five options. Before the program shows you this submenu, however, it checks to see if the current file contains a rating for the golf course. If it does not, the computer will ask you for the course rating. After you input this rating, the computer will show you the "Change course information" submenu. The first option in the "Change course information" submenu is to change the course rating. You would use this only if you recalculate the rating for your golf course. The second option in the submenu is to add a player. If you select this, the program will tell you what the highest player number already in use is. It will then ask what number to assign to the player you are adding. The default is the lowest number not already in use. This is usually one more than the highest number already in use. However, it can be lower if you have deleted a player from the data base, leaving a "hole" in the player list. In such a case, you would have a choice of filling the hole in the list by choosing the default number or inputting a higher number. After you have input the player's number, the computer will ask you to input the player's name. You can abort inputting a player by just pressing ENTER. If you do input a player's name, the computer will ask you to input the player's most recent 20 scores. Input the scores one at a time, in reverse order. That is, start with the most recent and work backward. If the player has played less than 20 games at this course, just press ENTER alone when you run out of scores. The computer will then go back to the "Change course information" submenu. The next choice in the submenu is to delete a player from the data base. If you choose this option, the computer will ask you to input either the player's name or number. You can abort deleting a player by just pressing ENTER when the computer asks for this information. The fourth choice in the "Change course information" submenu is to correct scores. This allows you to correct the scores of individual players if you discover that you have made a mistake while inputting a player's scores. You might have made such a mistake while adding the player in the first place, or while inputting a new score during a handicap calculation (explained below). When you select this option, the computer will first ask you to input either the name or the number of the player whose scores you wish to correct. After you input this information, the computer will show you all the scores on record for that player. There will be a number beside each score, with the number 1 beside the most recent score. The computer will ask you which score to change. After you input the number beside the score you wish to change, the computer will ask for the new score. When you have input the new score for the player, the computer will show the new record for the player's scores. It will then ask you which score you wish to change. This allows you to correct any number of scores for each player. When you just press ENTER when the computer asks you which score to change, the computer will go back to the "Change course information" submenu. The last choice in the submenu is to exit the submenu and go back to the main menu. The third choice in the main menu is to calculate a player's handicap. When you choose this, the computer will ask you to input the name or number of the player. Once you have input this information, the computer will display the player's current handicap. If the player has not played enough games (a minimum of 10) to calculate a handicap, the computer will tell you this. The computer will then ask for the player's score and what percentage of handicap you are playing. After you answer these questions, the computer will display the player's net score. It will also display the player's handicap for the next game (provided the player has played enough games to calculate one). The computer will then add the player's new score to the data file on disk. If the player already had 20 scores, it will delete the oldest score. The computer will then ask you to press the space bar to continue. After you press the space bar, the computer will ask you to input a name or number for another player. This allows you to calculate handicaps for a long list of players without going through the main menu. To return to the main menu, just press ENTER alone when the computer asks you to input a player's name or number. The fourth option in the main menu is to display data on a player. If you choose this option, the computer will ask you to input a player's name or number. You may also input the word "ALL" (without the quotes), to see the data on all players. The computer will then ask you if you want hard copy. If you press the key, the computer will ask you what printer width you want. This is the number of characters to print before executing a carriage return. This allows you to select a narrow print field to allow you to create wallet sized printouts. After you answer the questions about the hard copy, the computer will output the name, number, current handicap, and scores for the player(s) requested. The ten lowest scores will be marked by an asterisk. They will also appear in blue on the screen if your computer supports color text. You can cancel the output at any time by pressing the Esc key. After showing you the data, the computer will ask you to press the space bar to continue. When you press the space bar, the computer will ask for the name or number of another player. If you do not want the scores of another player displayed, just press the ENTER key. The fifth choice in the main menu is to see and possibly reset the lowest score on record. When you choose this option, the computer displays the name and score of the player with the lowest gross score (before handicap) and the player with the lowest net score. The computer updates these scores each time a player enters a score during a handicap calculation. The idea is to keep a running record of the lowest score for each day (or other time period). When the computer displays these low scores, it asks if you would like to reset the low score record. If you press , the computer clears the low score record so that it can begin keeping track of the lowest score during the next time period. You would normally reset the low score at the beginning of each day. The current lowest scores are saved in the file with the player's scores. This allows the computer to keep track of low scores even if it is turned off or losses power. The last option in the main menu is to end the program. This will return you to DOS. You should always exit the program by returning to the main menu and choosing this option. This insures that the files are properly updated before the program ends. Making menu selections You can select an option from a menu by pressing the number at the top of your keyboard that corresponds to the one beside your choice. You should not press the ENTER key after pressing this number. You can also select an option using the cursor keys and the ENTER key. Pressing either the up or down cursor key will cause the selection bar to appear on the menu. You can then move the selection bar on the menu with the up and down cursor keys. When the selection bar is on the option you want to choose, press the ENTER key to make that selection. Shareware registration fee This program is distributed on the shareware basis. This means that you are permitted to try it for a limited time to see if you find it useful. You are also permitted to copy it and give it away to anyone you like, provided you do not charge more than $10 copying and distribution fee. If you want to continue using it after the trial period (approximately one month is appropriate), you are required to pay for it by sending a $25 registration fee to: David Leithauser 4649 Van Kleeck Drive New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169 The program itself displays a reminder to pay this registration fee. When you send in the fee, you will be sent a copy of the program that does not display this reminder. You will also receive user support (by mail) and notification of new versions, available at a nominal cost. To get hard copy of this manual, position your paper at the top of a sheet of formfeed paper, then turn the printer on. Then type COPY GOLF.TXT PRN at the DOS prompt.