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Bladder Audit –
July 2010 |
nnomads Golf Club
Audit of the 2010 Bladder
July 31st 2010
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Anomalies discovered in Bladder by club audit committee! Club Headquarters,
July 2010: As would be expected, a
number of anomalies were found in the 2010 Bladder and Strike rate when the nnomads
Golf Club audit committee conducted a full audit of the results year to date
2010. And as all members understand, the nnomads Golf Club adheres to a strict set of rules,
policies and procedures that we sometimes
follow. Background: Prompted by
a media release from the Cardinal, in which he suggested that the ball
allocation process for the nnomads Golf Club ‘Bladder’ is inconsistent and open to manipulation
(see Rise of the Zombie
Bananas – Part 1 or for an alternative view see a story by Don Jonson), the club audit
committee felt compelled to prove the Cardinal’s point by conducting a rigorous
and detailed analysis of all weekly competitions and major events since the 1st
of January 2010. Adhering strictly to the published nnomads Golf Club rules
(see club rules), the audit
was based on the following assumptions: ·
There is one prize ball
available per player in each competition. Thus, two players = 2 balls, five
players = five balls, twelve players = 12 balls etc. ·
The winner always gets
two or three balls (unless only 2 players where winner = 1 ball). ·
Every competition must
include at least one NTP (normally on the shortest hole but can be changed
prior to each game). ·
Remaining balls after
winner and NTP allocations are used for additional prizes up to a maximum
of one prize ball available for every
player in each competition (to be decided prior to tee off). ·
Winner balls are worth 3
Bladder points and all other prize balls are worth 2 Bladder points. The
strike rate only includes weekly competitions (where the $2.00 entry fee is
paid) and major events (where the $2.00 entry fee is paid). ·
A weekly competition is
defined as any golf game where the $2.00 entry fee is paid and the players
have a nnomads Golf Club approved handicap (shown in current handicaps or the
Handicapaedia nnomadica or is an
official handicap recognised by the AGU). Weekly competitions can occur at
any location, can involve multiple competitions on the same day and can
involve local (Victorian) and / or interstate and / or international players.
·
New players to the nnomads Golf Club tour must be allocated a nnomads
handicap prior to play (normally based on a minimum of four score cards or an
AGU handicap or a handicap committee decision) which can be reviewed by the
handicap committee at any time until an accepted handicap is established for
that player. Once a handicap is allocated to a player, that player is
eligible to win balls and gain points on the Bladder and Strike rate. Major finding - Cardinal 100% correct: As most members would expect, the audit found the following : ·
Brendoon and Teflon have consistently,
independently and collaboratively, allocated more prize balls than one
ball per player in a number of competitions in 2010. ·
Brendoon and Teflon have consistently,
independently and collaboratively been inconsistent
with the rules for allocating prizes including awarding extra balls for good
performance, awarding extra balls for equal prize getters on some but not all
occasions and allocating balls not won on the day as other prizes (for
example giving a NTP ball that didn’t go off to 2nd place getter).
·
The audit committee
identified that such behaviour has occurred on at least Context of findings: As most
members would remember, the ‘Bladder’ evolved from the ‘Ladder’ which up
until 2005 was the basis of the nnomads Golf Club championship. After
considerable controversy in 2004 (see Rise of the Zombie Bananas
– Part 1 or for an alternative view see a story by Don Jonson) the basis of the
club championship was changed to the present system, an average of best three
major event scores (2005 – 2009) or an average of best four major event scores
(2010). In 2005, the original ‘Ladder’ was discontinued and the ‘Bladder’
became just a record of balls awarded for winners, NTPs and others prizes
handed out on the day of competition, albeit with points loosely associated
with each ball allocated. From 2005 to 2009, topping the ‘Bladder’ at the end
of the year was not recognised in any way and didn’t attract a trophy or
prize. The points awarded on the
Bladder had no value and gained almost no recognition. Hence, the Bladder has
always been irrelevant other than being a record keeping activity (until 2010
– see poor implementation below). Brendoon and Teflon
exonerated: The audit committee found
that the ball allocation behaviour of Brendoon
and Teflon for weekly competitions
since 2005 has been suitably
inconsistent, irrelevant to any form of annual prize giving and purely
followed a policy of ‘breaking even by
giving away ball in prizes to the value paid by competitors on the day
(and a couple more on appropriate occasions like major events). The audit
committee thus exonerates Brendoon and Teflon from any form of corruption or
intentional manipulation of anything of relevance over the 2005 to 2009
period. Poor implementation of Bladder 2010: The audit committee also found there had been an absolute
lack of planning for the 2010 Bladder and Strike rate, due principally to the
fact that it was introduced partway through the year. At the beginning of
2010 the ‘Bladder’ was as described above, purely record keeping,
unrecognised as a prize, and almost irrelevant. However, in February 2010, on
another Yarrambat afternoon, a quorum of members decided to allocate a trophy
for the ‘Bladder’ and ‘Strike rate’ in 2010. The motion was passed on the
spot (see Around the traps
13/2/2010) but nothing further was done about implementation including
any thought about change to the entrenched ball allocation behaviour of the
last five years. The outcome has been some disquiet from members about the
ball allocation system from some aspiring trophy winners, and quite rightly
so! However, the audit committee found there was never any intent by any
member to defraud or manipulate the Bladder or Strike rate results in 2010
(as implied by the Free Press in a recent media release). Conclusions and
recommendations: The audit committee
concluded that the prize ball allocation system is appropriately inconsistent
and exactly in line with club policy over the last five years. It also found
the present prize ball allocation system is likely to frustrate members who
take the Bladder and Strike Rate too seriously. The audit committee concluded
the basis of calculating the Bladder and Strike rate should be changed if a
quorum of members decides it should be changed. The audit committee makes the following recommendations: ·
That a Bladder measurement sub-committee is
formed to develop a points based (rather than ball based) system for the
Bladder which should be introduced at an appropriate time and no later than
January first 2011. The Cardinal was nominated as a likely Chairperson and
Brendoon nominated as likely Deputy Chairperson of that committee. Other
members should be coopted onto the committee as required. Recommendations
from the sub committee should be presented to a quorum of members for
approval and ratification. ·
That a quorum of members
makes decisions about: 1). Whether or not to change
the ball allocation system in 2010 and if so to what. 2). Whether or not to change
any existing club rules (such as the extra ball rule). 3). Whether or not to
introduce any new club rules (such as a minimum number of players for a
weekly competition or a maximum number of balls for each competition or some
other rule)? 4). Whether or not some or
all of the potential adjustments shown in the following table are made to the
2010 Bladder. |
Potential adjustments by Player
Summary of adjustments
by player if all extra balls
and associated points were removed from Bladder and Strike Rate.
|
Summary
of potential Bladder and Strike Rate adjustments |
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|
Player |
Points
that would be deducted from Bladder |
Balls
that would be deducted from strike rate |
|
Mark
V |
7.1
bladder points |
3.6
balls |
|
Fang |
7.1 |
3.6 |
|
Pete |
5.9
bladder points |
2.95
balls |
|
Shanksy |
4.4
bladder points |
2.2
balls |
|
Harry |
4.0
bladder points |
2
balls |
|
Brendan |
3.4
bladder points |
1.7
balls |
|
Steve |
3.7 |
1.8 |
|
Tom |
2.0
bladder points |
1
ball |
|
Steph |
1.5
bladder points |
0.8
balls |
1. Adjustments
made after weekly competition at Yarra Bend July 31st.
Source: detailed
audit notes and summary).
