The Fair Play Engine

Everyone gets a fair shot. Even your worst mate.

Every card is random. Every score is fair, whether you play off 2 or 32.

Try the maths App coming soon

Josh · off 4 · Tier ACall draw or fade and curve it visibly at your target.1 pt

Dave · off 12 · Tier BCall it and curve it any amount the way you called.1.5 pts

Sam · off 22 · Tier CHit it airborne and keep it in play.2 pts

Matt · off 32 · Tier DHit it off the ground and finish on the fairway or first cut.3 pts

Same card: Name the shape

How it works

The draw stays random. The fairness comes after.

Draw a card.A dare, a challenge, a blessing or a curse. It’s random, so anyone can get anything.

Get your version.The app rewords the challenge for your handicap. A single-figure golfer has to shape it. A 30 handicapper just has to get it airborne and in play.

Score fairly.Easy things pay less for good golfers, and hard things pay more for beginners. Pure fun cards pay the same for everyone.

See the maths.Tap “Why this score?” any time. No black boxes, no arguments.

Try it

Slide the handicap. Watch the card change.

This is the real formula from the app. Pick a card, set a handicap, and see what you’d be asked to do and what it pays. Pure fun cards don’t move at all.

The card

Your handicap 22Engine

Tier CBase 2

Name the shape

Hit it airborne and keep it in play.

2points if done

Base points: 2
Skill weight: 1
Handicap: 22
Multiplier: × 1.11

A worked round

Four mates, one card, the 7th tee.

The group draws “Name the shape” (2 base points, skill weight 1). Each player gets the version for their handicap. If Matt had pulled it off, he’d have banked 3 points, the top of the range, for a shot that suits his level. Josh’s one point reflects that shaping it is routine for him.

A failed challenge scores 0, and no one ever loses points.

JoshOff 4 · Tier ACall draw or fade and curve it visibly at your target.Done1

DaveOff 12 · Tier BCall it and curve it any amount the way you called.Done1.5

SamOff 22 · Tier CHit it airborne and keep it in play.Done2

MattOff 32 · Tier DHit it off the ground and finish on the fairway or first cut.Missed0

Skill weights

Every card knows how much skill it takes.

Each card carries a weight from 0 to 1. The question is simple: would a 30 handicapper pull it off about as often as a scratch golfer? If yes, it’s a 0. If they’d almost never manage it, it’s a 1.

0Pure funTell a golf story, nickname a hole, swap hats, team cheer

0.25Light skillOne eye closed, putt with your wrong hand, call your landing spot

0.5Some abilityHit the fairway, hit the green, up and down, two-club hole

0.75Strong skillInside a flag-length, carry the bunker, hole one from outside 3 metres

1Very skill-basedHit a draw, hit a fade, shape it on command, stop it within 3 m from 150

Guardrails

Fair, open, and impossible to fudge.

Floor and capA card never pays less than half or more than one and a half times its base, so no single card swings a round.

Handicaps are lockedThe organiser locks handicaps before round one. Changing one mid-trip needs the organiser’s OK, and it’s logged.

No handicap? No problemA guest with no handicap plays off 18 until they enter one. Plus handicaps count as 0.

Can’t be gamedNobody picks their own tier, and a failed card scores 0 for everyone. Nobody loses points.

Fair Play questions

Random for everyone. Fair for everyone.

The Fair Play Engine only adjusts game points. It never changes or reports an official handicap.

Does it change my handicap?No. It only adjusts game points and never touches your official handicap.

Can I turn it off?Yes. Your group can switch to flat points, or Half strength, when you set up, in Trip settings, or from the “Why this score?” sheet mid-round.

Can I cheat it?Not usefully. Your handicap is locked before the round and you can’t pick your own tier.

Next chapterThe Studio →Build your own wheels, dice and decks, then spin them on the tee.