Bermuda Golf Association have invested in state-of-the-art computer software which they claim will revolutionise the way all local golfers administer their handicaps.

BGA president Bob Legere said yesterday the governing body had become increasingly frustrated with the “fragmented and cumbersome” handicap system currently employed on the Island, which made accessing and collating player information for their various events a painfully laborious process.

Up until now, the eight local courses have tended to use their own handicap systems independently of each other, with players required to enter scores manually on a clubhouse computer.

But under the new GINN system which is owned and operated by the United States Golf Association, Legere explained golfers would soon be able to access the handicap details of both themselves and others on the internet, as well as input scores from the comfort of their home.

“We’ve been looking at this issue for some time because the current system had become a source of great frustration to us,” Legere said.

“Most clubs have been using a system called Handi-Cop which is very outdated and we have been waiting and lobbying the company that owns the software to upgrade it.

“But that just hasn’t happened and we were getting increasingly fed up. Normally after one of our tournaments, one of us has to actually drive up to Port Royal and enter all the scores into the computer, which as you can imagine takes hours.

“So we put some feelers out in the States to other handicap software companies, but then the USGA got in touch with us giving us their permission to use the GINN system — which is the standard system used across the US and really is excellent.

“It didn’t take us long to decide and we now expect it to be operational by the middle of next month. It should work wonders in terms of making the whole process a lot smoother and a whole lot more efficient.

“For any inter-club matches that go on, players will be able to go online and check out their opponents and see what sort of scores they’ve been putting in recently while tournament organisers will have their lives made much easier by this system as well. It’s good for Bermuda golf whichever way you look at it.”

[bul] Meanwhile, preparations for this October’s inaugural World Amateur Strokeplay Championships continue to build up steam, Legere said.

The BGA unveiled their new international competition late last month, which is set to involve up to 40 of the world’s very best male and female amateur players — some of whom could well be household names within a couple of years.

Legere revealed yesterday that several countries had already confirmed they would be sending representatives, while the BGA are on the cusp of confirming a major event sponsor.

Negotiations with the Golf Channel are also ongoing, and though Legere is not convinced they will commit to televising the tournament live, an extended highlights package showcasing Bermuda’s courses and the Island itself remains a strong possibility.

While there is already a bi-annual world amateur team competition — which Bermuda has been involved in for many years — for some reason nobody has ever thought of establishing an individual strokeplay event for the world’s best amateurs.

The famous US and British Amateur tournaments — the former won twice by Tiger Woods in the mid-1990s — are both played under a matchplay format.

The World Amateur Championships are scheduled to take place over three courses, the Mid-Ocean Club, Tucker’s Point and Belmont Hills, in mid-October — only a few weeks before the Grand Slam of Golf is due to get underway at Mid Ocean Club.