14
September 2010
www.insidegolf.com.au NEWS ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Phase 2 of handicapping changes initiated
RichardFellner
LAST month, Golf Australia issued
the ‘Second Package’ of changes to the
Australian Men’s & Women’s Handicap
System.
In short, the new package provides an
overhaul of the four-ball handicapping
regulations; requires each club to have
a handicapping committee; allows non-competition rounds to be included
for handicapping purposes; simplifies
the method for recording a score for
rounds of less than 18 holes; and covers
the inclusion of non-Australian courses
that are USGA rated for handicapping
purpose.
Here are some brief highlights of the
new changes:
All four-ball rounds must be
handicapped
All players in four-ball competitions
will now be required to turn an individual
score for handicap purposes – not just
those players who play well. All players
will be required to record an individual
score on each hole – EVEN IF THEY
PICK UP AND DO NOT HOLE OUT.
For holes started but not completed
(i.e. picked up during a Stableford round,
etc), the new regulation requires the use
of the Most Likely Score. The most likely
score consists of the number of strokes
already taken plus — IN THE PLAYER’S
BEST JUDGMENT — the number
of strokes they would have needed to
complete the hole from that position
more than half the time. This number
of strokes must not exceed two-over nett
par for that hole (i.e. 0 Stableford points).
Use of non-competition scores
When the new handicap system is fully
operational in 2012, it will require the use
of ALL eligible non-competition cards.
So, in the initial phase of this Second
Package of Changes, it is recommended
that clubs allow any eligible non-competition round to count, so long
as the player has nominated — prior
to commencing their round — that
they will be submitting their score for
handicapping. (Each club’s Handicap
Committee can determine how it will
require players to pre-nominate their
round for handicapping, whether via
email, SMS, signup sheet, etc).
Single/Fourball Stableford, and Single/
Fourball Par competitions, as well as
Team Stroke, Stableford, and Par events
where each player plays ONLY their
own ball as it lies (except to account for
preferred lies). Also, scores for rounds
where the player has been disqualified
for a technical Rules breach (e.g. failure
to sign score card) must also be used.
Scores NOT to be used for Handicap
Purposes would include: competitions
where the maximum number of clubs
allowed is less than 14 (or if the types
of clubs are limited, i.e. “irons-only”
comps, etc); rounds of less than 9 holes;
rounds when the player has not played
in accordance with the principles of the
Rules of Golf; or where the player has
played in an event which requires them
to play a ball other than their own ball as
it lies (e.g. ambrose, foursomes), except
to account for preferred lies.
Extending a score for round of 9-17
holes into an 18-hole score
While the most likely score concept
applies to holes started but not completed,
if a player does not play a hole at all, the
score recorded for Handicap Purposes
on that hole must be nett par (e.g two
Stableford points). For example: Due
to rain or darkness, a player with a
handicap of 18 does not play the 16th
(a par- 3), the 17th (a par- 4), and 18th
(a par- 5). For Handicap Purposes, they
should be considered to have had the
following scores for these holes; 16th:
4, 17th: 5, 18th: 6.
Golf Australia recognises that some
clubs may find it difficult to implement
the various changes as quickly as
others. So they are allowing clubs to
implement each component of the
Second Package of Changes as soon
as they are reasonably able, prior to 1
January 2011.
Scores to be used
Scores to be used for Handicap
Purposes include: Single/Fourball Stroke,
To read the entire package in depth,
visit: http://www.golfaustralia.org.
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