ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN LIMA NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 1990
 
 
 
     ^^^^^ The HARRISON SOFTWARE GOLF ANALYZER  
     ^^^^^^^^^^^^reviewed by Charles Good 
     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Lima Ohio User Group 
      
     If you do alot of golfing, you will find this program a
useful addition to your hobby.  It is written entirely in
assembly, and can be easily used by those with only one SSSD
drive without any disk switching.  There is plenty of room
on one SSSD disk for the program and all needed data files.
Although initially configured to boot from DSK1.LOAD, the
Harrison Golf Analyzer can be configured to boot from any
drive, ramdisk, or hard drive.  Once loaded, any screen can
be printed any time by pressing FCTN/7.  Screens are printed
in expanded pica.
      
     First you input data for EACH golf course you use, the
course's name and rating.  The rating is number, obtainable
from the golf course management, that corresponds to how
well a group of really good golfers would do on the course.
You then input the par for each hole. 
      
     Later you enter data for each round of golf you play.
You enter the date, and for each hole enter the total score
and number of puts.  You can also enter a comment for each
round, such as "extra windy", or "rain soaked from the day
before".   When you are satisfied that the round data is
correct you press PROC'D to place the round in memory.  The
computer then calculate your current handicap using the
round you just entered plus the previous 9, as well as the
following information for the just entered round: 
     Par for entire course: 
     Gross score (your actual score): 
     Net score (gross minus handicap): 
     Birdies: 
     Eagles: 
     Total puts: 
     Pars: 
     Bogies: 
     Double Boogies: 
     Total score and puts OUT (first nine holes): 
     Total score and puts IN (last nine holes): 
      
     This information is calculated for each round entered
and saved in a data file.  You can have as many as 360
rounds in a file.  The formula for calculating your current
handicap is "sum of gross scores for the ten most recent
rounds, minus the sum of the ratings for the courses, times
9/10 rounded to the nearest whole number.  If there are
fewer than 10 rounds in a data file the computer will
calculate based only on the data available. 
      
     At any time you can view data analysis in various
formats.  You can specify analysis based on only a single
course, or all courses you play.  You can analyze  data from
a single date, all data between a start and end date, or
analyze the entire data file.  Asking for an analysis of
more than one date gives you these choices: 
     1. Full round display 
     2. Quick summary 
     3. Averages 
     4. Best on hole. 
      
     Full round display shows all your data for every hole
of every round, within the limits you have specified for
dates and courses. 
      
     Quick summary gives you the calculated results for each
round without displaying the individual hole by hole scores. 
      
     Averages gives these data for all rounds within the
course and date limits you specify: 
     Gross score 
     Net score 
     Puts 
     Score IN 
     Score OUT 
     Puts IN 
     Puts OUT 
      
     Best on hole displays the best score you ever made on a
hole by hole basis based on the course and date limits you
specify.  This only works when you specify a specific course
for analysis.  What you get is your "dream round", your best
possible game for that course based on what you have done so
far. 
      
     This software comes with an extensive printed user's
manual which includes many sample screen dumps.  You also
get a sample data file.  Finally, you get a support
telephone number.  It is not toll free, but if you call
evenings you will be talking to the software author himself,
Bruce Harrison.  I really appreciate this sort of voice help
instantly over the phone.  (DIJIT systems, makers of the
AVPC, provide the same service.)  Since I am not a golfer, I
called twice during the preparation of this review in order
to get information about golfing terminology (I didn't know
what IN and OUT meant).    My questions were promptly
answered. 
      
     Price: as of this writing (7/22/90) not yet
established, maybe $8 - $10. 
      
     Available directly from 
     Harrison Software 
     5705 40th Place 
     Hyattsville MD 20781 
     Phone 301-277-3467 
     .PL 1