Most golfers know their handicap, or the number of strokes they typically shoot over par. In handicap tournaments, players can subtract a certain number of strokes from their score according to their handicap. In informal contexts, players can use a mulligan shot to compensate for errors on the course. Many players will take a mulligan when they hit an erratic shot off the first tee.
Function
A player's handicap serves as an indicator of his ability. Players can compare their skill levels by comparing handicaps. A player's handicap indicates the number of strokes he would have to subtract from his average score in order to reach par for the course. For example, a player with a handicap of 10 averages a score of 82 on a par-72 course. Players can track their improvement by continually posting new scores and updating their handicaps. In handicap tournaments, players apply their handicap to their score by subtracting the appropriate number of strokes. A mulligan can also serve to lower a player's score by allowing him to take a second tee shot after hitting a bad first tee shot. Players can only take mulligan shots in informal play, rather than in competition.
Benefits
Both the handicap and the mulligan can make the game of golf more enjoyable for players. According to the USGA handicap manual, the handicap system serves to make golf more enjoyable by allowing players of different skill levels to compete more equally. The mulligan shot makes golf less strictly serious and allows players to recover from a shaky start to a round.
Considerations
Handicaps follow official rules designated by the United States Golf Association. In order to obtain an official USGA handicap, players must post at least five scores to their club's handicap committee. Specific rules apply to the allocation of handicap strokes in tournaments. Mulligans, on the other hand, do not follow any formal rules. If your playing partners will let you take one, you're OK with it, and it won't hold up the pace of play behind you, go ahead.
Expectations
The handicap system relies on the honesty of players to function properly. You must submit each score to your handicap committee to be used in calculating your handicap. If you withhold your best scores or purposely play badly in order to submit high scores, you cheat your fellow players by generating a handicap that does not reflect your true ability. Players must also follow certain basic etiquette when taking mulligans. Use this second stroke only within reason, and avoid taking too many mulligans in one round. Do not deny your playing partners mulligan shots in informal circumstances.
History
No one knows the exact origins of the term "mulligan." The USGA Museum suggests several possible stories behind this now-common word. Many people believe the word originated when a hotelier named David Mulligan hit a bad drive and then impulsively hit a second shot. According to the story, his playing partners called this second shot a "mulligan." In an alternate version of this story, Mr. Mulligan's playing partners allowed him to take a second shot on the first tee because he felt shaky after driving the group down the bumpy road toward the golf club.
The term "handicapping" evolved from a traditional horse racing practice in which jockeys received their odds for a race in a cap. Handicapping has existed in golf in some form since the 17th century, when players or spectators would bet on golf competitions and allow strokes to adjust the odds.
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