Handicap Confusion!!!

Swinging Looney

Hi all!

Recently won my first competition with a 92 gross playing off 19 for a score of 37 points!

Hooray!

I was a little surprised though to see that my handicap is to remain the same. I understood that a score of 36 points was basically playing to your handicap, so I therefore scored 1 shot better overall. Should my handicap have been adjusted by a small amount??

Also managed to break 90 for the first time today with a 89 gross/ 2 under nett. HOORAY! Just a shame my putting was so crappy! 5 three putts so I really should have managed an 84!! Now, if I could only do that in competition.....

Feckin wrecked now though. Tis too warm out there!

WHIP IT!

First of all, great shooting!

Secondly, did the competition you won have any 'winter' rules in play? Like lift, clean and place in the fairway or lift, clean and drop in the rough? If so, you can;t have your handicap cut in these circumstances.

Sandwich

1. Handicaps adjustments are calculated relative to Standard Scratch Score (SSS) - not par. If the SSS was 37 then your handicap would not change at all.

2. Even if SSS was 36 or 35 then your handicap might have been reduced. But by less than a full shot, so your playing handicap would remain the same.

Sandwich

WHIP IT! wrote:

First of all, great shooting!

Secondly, did the competition you won have any 'winter' rules in play? Like lift, clean and place in the fairway or lift, clean and drop in the rough? If so, you can;t have your handicap cut in these circumstances.

Not true I think. Winter rules do not forbid the competition to be a declared a qualifying comp and so a SSS can exist and the round count for handicap adjustments.

billy3sheets

Hmmm. Am inclined to agree with WhipIT here.
Handicaps adjustments are calculated relative to Competition Scratch Score (CSS). Usually this is the same as the SSS but sometimes can be different if scoring is particularly good or bad.
"Winter rules do not forbid the competition to be a declared a qualifying comp and so a SSS can exist and the round count for handicap adjustments." SSS & CSS will exist but the round will NOT count for handicap adjustments. I know this to be true as I had 39pts in July when there was placing & was not cut.
If CSS was 36 and Swinging Looney had 37, then he/she/it should be cut 0.3.
If you are a GUI member, you're scores should be uploaded to www.golfnet.ie. Logon & have a look there. It's quite interesting.

Sandwich

Hmmmmm here too. I had a 39 also a month ago. With placing on the fairway and dropping in the rough. CSS was 35, modified from SSS of 37 due to the scores that day.

I was cut.

PhilipMarlowe

We've had placing/dropping recently in qualifying competitions and the only difference it made for handicapping is that you didn't get any 'point ones' back, you certainly could (and did) get cut.

One Cold Hand

Sandwich wrote:

Hmmmmm here too. I had a 39 also a month ago. With placing on the fairway and dropping in the rough. CSS was 35, modified from SSS of 37 due to the scores that day.

I was cut.

Winter rules in July/ August?

Rather_b_diving

Sandwich wrote:

Hmmmmm here too. I had a 39 also a month ago. With placing on the fairway and dropping in the rough. CSS was 35, modified from SSS of 37 due to the scores that day.

I was cut.

You can't have a qualifying competition if you are allowed drop in the rough. You can have placing on the fairways and it remains a "counting" / "Qualifying" competition but not if the ball was touched in the rough. you could get cut under general play but not as part of a qualifying competition - you also can't get point one back.

Check golfnet it should be QSH (Qualifying Stableford Home) for counting comp. NSH obviously for non counting.

Sandwich

One Cold Hand wrote:

Winter rules in July/ August?

Yes indeed. Been that way most of the summer.

Sandwich

Rather_b_diving wrote:

You can't have a qualifying competition if you are allowed drop in the rough. You can have placing on the fairways and it remains a "counting" / "Qualifying" competition but not if the ball was touched in the rough. you could get cut under general play but not as part of a qualifying competition - you also can't get point one back.

Check golfnet it should be QSH (Qualifying Stableford Home) for counting comp. NSH obviously for non counting.

We must be in breach of the rules so, but yes, competitions were counted as qualifying. In fact the fairways were not too bad and placing was a bit generous some days. Its the rough that was the real problem tho with ball picking up great amounts of mud, and plugging almost guaranteed some weekends.

mtbdude74

For my handicap to change, must I submit cards from my own club only? Can I put in signed cards from other courses as well, and if so, to whom?

scout353

mtbdude74 wrote:

For my handicap to change, must I submit cards from my own club only? Can I put in signed cards from other courses as well, and if so, to whom?

Signed cards from other courses may be submitted to your handicap secretary provided they were in singles comeptitions. Bear in mind too that if you have a good score while playing in a competition at another course the onus is on you to adjust you handicap downwards even before cards are returned.

Foe example if you play off 18 (exact 18.0) and you score 38 points in a competition on saturday at another club and you are playing on Sunday at your own club, you would need to cut yourself - assuming the standard scratch is 36 points you are 2 shots better so you would be cut 2 x 0.3 which is 0.6 so your new exact handicap would be 17.4 so you should be playing off 17 on the Sunday.

The other thing to remember is that with the new GUI swipe cards, you should be swiping in at the "AWAY" course and when you enter your score after your round it would automatically be returned electronically to your club. However given the example above, the computer may not be adjusted by the Sunday so you would need to be aware of the need to cut yourself.

Hope that wasn't too complicated!!

Swinging Looney

I had a look at the results sheet for that competition I won. Only the bottom 3 or 4 entrants had any change to their handicaps and they each had 0.1 added. The lowest stableford score for the last lad was 6 points, with the next up the list at about 16 points I think, and then it went to 20 points and onwards from there.

I am confused as to why someone who scores 6 points has the same 0.1 added to his handicap as the someone who scored 20 points. How does it work??

Equally, I won with 37 points. The competition standard score or whatever it's called was set at 37 points, so no adjustment for me. But the other people who had no handicap adjustment either, scored between 1 and 10 or 12 points less than me. How does it all work!!!!

Golfnet shows it as a qualifying score too by the way....

scout353

In your case, your score was equal to the standard scratch for the competition so you were not cut as you were deemed to have only equalled the par.

For every qualifying competition, you get 0.1 back on your handicap if you fail to reach the standard scratch. There is a buffer zone as well - in your case as a category 3 golfer where your handicap is greater than 12, there is a 3 point buffer zone so if your score is within 3 points of the standard scratch you do not get 0.1 back.

So if a guy has 10 points he gets 0.1 back, same with a guy who shoots 28 points but somebody with 34 points would not get a 0.1 back.

While handicap cuts must occur immediately, all your 0.1's are only adjusted at the start of the month so if you have started August on 18.3 and you get 4 0.1's in the month you will start September on 18.7 and thus play off 19 on September 1.

Hope this helps!

Golf Ninja

Does not matter if you win a comp its all about the standard scratch.

On the board you will see the results of who won the comp but at the bottom of the page you should see S.S 37 points or so.

Anyway well done might be an idea to get an idea what standard scratch is so you know what you have to beat next time.
Golf Ninja

derra

Rather_b_diving wrote: »

You can't have a qualifying competition if you are allowed drop in the rough. You can have placing on the fairways and it remains a "counting" / "Qualifying" competition but not if the ball was touched in the rough. you could get cut under general play but not as part of a qualifying competition - you also can't get point one back.

Is this set in stone by CONGU?
Can anyone direct me to an official link that clarifies this ,i am not doubting it or anything. Just need clarification on it.

G1032

derra wrote: »

Is this set in stone by CONGU?
Can anyone direct me to an official link that clarifies this ,i am not doubting it or anything. Just need clarification on it.

rather_b_diving is correct. I'll try dig out the clarification you seek, but he is correct. can have a qualifying comp with placing on the fairway but can't have one if there is lift, clean and drop in the rough.

Derra
Here is what you're looking for
http://www.congu.com/template2.asp?pid=45&parent=32&parent2=45

derra

ronaldochokes wrote: »

rather_b_diving is correct. I'll try dig out the clarification you seek, but he is correct. can have a qualifying comp with placing on the fairway but can't have one if there is lift, clean and drop in the rough.

Derra
Here is what you're looking for
http://www.congu.com/template2.asp?pid=45&parent=32&parent2=45

Thanks for that , very much appreciated.