Handicaps Changes

Unglika Norse

The changes in handicaps by Congu coming in next year should now up on their website. Big one here is restricting the increase in handicpas over the year

Benicetomonty

Unglika Norse wrote: »

The changes in handicaps by Congu coming in next year should now up on their website. Big one here is restricting the increase in handicpas over the year

Interesting one. Great for cheats at the higher handicap end of the golfing spectrum, less so for the 'low' lads who play all the championships and cant break 90. Youd think there was a more equitable way to deal with both issues but since most of us arent elite or even pretty good, this is probably a necessary move and a positive step.

Boskowski

Were 9 hole qualifying scores always around? Seems strange. Way easier to put a good 9 together than a good 18, isn't it?

lol at

In Ireland Only Clause 4.5(c) ... The maximum increase in handicap permitted in a calendar year will now be one shot above the lowest handicap achieved in that year.

Rikand

Four Ball Better Ball Handicap Allowance: In both stroke play and match play the back marker now concedes strokes to the other 3 players based on 90% of the difference between the full handicaps rather than 75% (3/4) as at present

Not sure how I feel about this.

Taking a fourball with the handicaps below

6, 12, 18, 24

This is how the handicaps look at 75% difference(exact difference in brackets)
0, 5(4.5), 9(9.0), 14(13.5)

This is how the handicaps look at 90% difference(exact difference in brackets)
0, 5(5.4), 11(10.8), 16(16.2)

Giving bandits even more scope to beat me even harder than they did before

Hibrasil

Lance Armstrong clones are alive and well playing the small ball on golf courses all over the country.
The unfortunate thing is it is due to those in charge of the sport not having the b***s to accept their responsibilities.....and like Seb Blatter it is extremely difficult to cull them......(both at club and golfing union level)....and they don't feel the least bit embarrassed by their ineptitude.:o

mike12

Seems a bit odd that the change the max u could go out in handicap from 2 to 1 and then on the other hand they say if u get 7 .1s in a row the committee should look at a handicap increase.

BigChap1759

Benicetomonty wrote: »

Interesting one. Great for cheats at the higher handicap end of the golfing spectrum, less so for the 'low' lads who play all the championships and cant break 90. Youd think there was a more equitable way to deal with both issues but since most of us arent elite or even pretty good, this is probably a necessary move and a positive step.

Surely you have it the wrong way round - low guys will only be able to go up a max of one from their lowest point that year and handicap builders will not be able to build more than one from their lowest point that year - or am I missing something??

Benicetomonty

BigChap1759 wrote: »

Surely you have it the wrong way round - low guys will only be able to go up a max of one from their lowest point that year and handicap builders will not be able to build more than one from their lowest point that year - or am I missing something??

My understanding is since you cant gain more than a shot per year, it will benefit those guys that hold an 'artificially' low handicap and want to preserve it to play in prestigeous events. A guy off '+1' can rack up the .1s and still end the year off scratch, and remain eligible for the East or the West the following year.

This happens a lot more than you might think and this wont help imo. Cant see any problem for the higher handicapper builders, anything that stops bandits saving up for big club comps or team events is good and long overdue. Or maybe Im misreading it myself!

Senna

I though a players handicap cant go up more than one full shot from receiving 0.1's back, but the committee can review after receiving 7 in a row and raise the handicap by more than the one shot if they believe its required.

If that is how it works, I think its brilliant, the bandits wont be able to put in a big win and then work their handicap back up as quickly, but the legitimate player who is off the wrong handicap can go up.

To me, its putting more power in the hands of the hcp secretary.

Hibrasil

Senna wrote: »

To me, its putting more power in the hands of the hcp secretary.

In some cases that will be inevitably prove to be a stupid move....because who is to say that he/she has even a clue about golf.....other than hitting the ball.

Boskowski

Potential minefield for the HC secretary too.

> I got 7 .1s in a row Mr Handicap Secretary, I obviously need an upward adjustment.
< You must be joking, the whole club and their dog knows what you're at.
> Are you saying that I'm cheating?

Keano

Boskowski wrote: »

Potential minefield for the HC secretary too.

> I got 7 .1s in a row Mr Handicap Secretary, I obviously need an upward adjustment.
< You must be joking, the whole club and their dog knows what you're at.
> Are you saying that I'm cheating?

Exactly. Unless they've played with them all those rounds then they are going on hearsay

Letree

Boskowski wrote: »

Potential minefield for the HC secretary too.

> I got 7 .1s in a row Mr Handicap Secretary, I obviously need an upward adjustment.
< You must be joking, the whole club and their dog knows what you're at.
> Are you saying that I'm cheating?

They can say OK 'Mr Known Bandit' here is an extra 0.1 addition

And they can give maybe a full shot back to those they know to genuinely need it.

Kingswood Rover

Hibrasil wrote: »

In some cases that will be inevitably prove to be a stupid move....because who is to say that he/she has even a clue about golf.....other than hitting the ball.

That's why you need to elect a capable fair minded person at your clubs agm, if there is only one candidate who is the cohort mentioned in your post. Stand yourself....if you are not in the aforementioned group of course. Joking aside your point is Valid and really places an onus on clubs getting the best possible person elected (if poss) into the Handicap Sec's position.

Senna

Hibrasil wrote: »

In some cases that will be inevitably prove to be a stupid move....because who is to say that he/she has even a clue about golf.....other than hitting the ball.

In fairness, if that's who they appoint to hcp secretary, then the club deserves to be full of bandits and no rules will ever change that. If this is your own club, then I'd suggest finding another club.

I can only speak about my own club and the committee have been very good at dealing with incorrect handicaps, this now gives them more scope to keep the bandits lower.

AGC

Benicetomonty wrote: »

My understanding is since you cant gain more than a shot per year, it will benefit those guys that hold an 'artificially' low handicap and want to preserve it to play in prestigeous events. A guy off '+1' can rack up the .1s and still end the year off scratch, and remain eligible for the East or the West the following year.

This happens a lot more than you might think and this wont help imo. Cant see any problem for the higher handicapper builders, anything that stops bandits saving up for big club comps or team events is good and long overdue. Or maybe Im misreading it myself!

Spot on. Lads have secured there spot in Championships for another couple of years of playing cat

Russman

Have to say I honestly can't really see the logic of any of the changes.

As pointed out, it could help the low guys stay artificially low and keep getting spots in the big events, and will probably penalise a payer genuinely playing poorly because, lets be honest here, no handicap secretary is realistically going to give shots back after seven 0.1s. Most are volunteers with better things to be doing in their lives than analysing 300 punters they mostly don't know. Plus there's too much hearsay and bar talk involved, particularly when it comes to so called handicap building, which is more or less a complete myth IMHO, granted with a few exceptions.

bobster453

At Last, someone with a bit of sense in CONGU/GUI, about time

TO ALL AFFILIATED GOLF CLUBS

Please distribute this to your members – important changes for 2016 and the handicapping system in Ireland. We will also be publishing more details on these over the coming weeks in an effort to reach as wide an audience as possible ahead of the new year.

STARTS

CHANGES TO CONGU UNIFIED HANDICAPPING SYSTEM

The Council of National Golf Unions Limited (CONGU) today announced that the Unified Handicapping System has been revised.

Changes will take effect on 1 January 2016, with an implementation date for clubs of 1 March 2016.

The new CONGU manual is in the process of being published and is the culmination of a four-year review cycle with the aim of assisting club members to have handicaps which truly reflect their playing ability.

Among the most significant changes in the 2016 edition of the manual are the following:
• Dates – The handicap year will now follow the calendar year,1 January to 31 December, and a player’s handicap will be based on scores returned within that period
• Four Ball Better Ball Handicap Allowance: In both stroke play and match play the back marker now concedes strokes to the other 3 players based on 90% of the difference between the full handicaps rather than 75% (3/4) as at present
• Reinstatement of Handicap Status: The reinstatement of a competition status handicap requires a player to submit 3 qualifying scores (which could be 18 hole competitions,9 hole competitions or Supplementary Scores both home and/or away)
• Continuous Handicap Review: To assist with this process there will now be a computer generated report which highlights those players with 7 consecutive 0.1 increases. Handicap Committees are now recommended to review the performance of such players and to give due consideration to applying a handicap increase where applicable or required.
• Exact Handicaps: In Ireland lowest exact handicap is now restricted to 1.0 stroke increase in a calendar year.

Various other changes have been made and a pre-publication version of the revised manual can be viewed at www.congu.com

Jim McArthur, CONGU Board Chairman, said: “The CONGU Unified Handicapping System does not stand still and, as a result, we again have a number of further refinements to the system reflecting both experience and new evidence.

We continually review the system to encourage participation in both competitive golf and social golf whilst at the same time trying to ensure that the system is fair for players of all abilities.”

ENDS


Thank you for your co-operation in sharing this news.

SHARED BY
Alan Kelly, Communications Manager, Golfing Union of Ireland.

Ronney

You can only go up +1 but if you have 7 .1's in a row your H/C is reviewed.

Does this give scope for more than a 1 shot gain? with a 7 .1's in a row chances are you will have gained a shot

Senna

Yes the committee can increase over the 1 shot per year, that's the way it was explained to me.