Handicaps

In 9-hole competitions, playoff Half your Exact Handicap rounded to the nearest whole number (N.B. when rounding, you round in one step to the nearest whole number). See table of half handicaps below/on notice board.

All players should be familiar with the following extracts from the Standard Scratch Score and Handicapping Scheme.

1. Exact Handicap- A player’s Exact Handicap is his handicap calculated in accordance with the provisions of the scheme, to one decimal place.
2. Playing Handicap -A player’s Playing Handicap is his Exact Handicap calculated to the nearest whole number (0.5 is rounded upwards).
3. Medal Play … conditions prevail during Stroke, Par and Stableford competitions played under full handicap allowance over 18 holes. Medal Play conditions will apply notwithstanding the operation of Preferred Lies (placing on fairways within 6″) during the period 1st October to 30th April.
4. Qualifying Competition … any competition in which Medal Play conditions prevail. Non-qualifying competitions will not affect a player’s handicap, except in the case of General Play Adjustments (“observation”).
5. Competition Standard Scratch is calculated for qualifying competitions by adjusting the course Standard Scratch Score, having taken into account the performance of Category 1, 2 and 3 players.
6. Categories of handicaps and adjustments apply as per the following table. Upwards and downwards adjustments are made based on the net difference between a player’s net score in a qualifying competition Standard Scratch, where the net difference lies outside the relevant buffer zone. Where the net difference lies within the buffer zone, no adjustment will apply.

7. Stableford Points Alternative (Clause 19.8)
The purpose of Clause 19.8 is to reduce the impact of extremely bad scores on a hole in strokeplay Qualifying Competitions that are not representative of a player’s true golf ability. If effect Clause 19.8 reduces a players’ Gross Score on any hole, for Handicapping purposes only, as if the player had scored a “net double bogey” on that hole. For example:

Clause 19.8 adjustments are applied separately to general adjustments, so a player’s exact handicap may be “cut twice” for a given qualifying competition.

8. Powers of the Handicap Committee relating to General Play (Clause 19.1 -“Observation”) “Whenever the handicap committee of a player’s home club considers that a player’s Exact Handicap is too high and does not reflect his current playing ability, the handicap committee must … reduce his Exact Handicap … to the figure it considers appropriate”

“The handicap committee are advised to deal more severely with handicaps for players which it knows their standard of play is improving rather than those who have returned some low scores but whose general playing ability is not improving”

“a single low score is not sufficient evidence alone to justify a General Play reduction”.

In making adjustments under Clause 19, the (Celbridge Elm Hall Handicap Committee will take the following into account:

* A player’s performance in 9 hole competitions.
* How the player has performed in competitions that are nonqualifying due to the operation of the “lift, clean and drop” local rule.
* How the player has performed in other non-qualifying competitions such as match play, fourball etc.
* How frequently the player has returned scores in competitions to or near his handicap.
* If any stroke play competition scores have been unduly affected by one or more particularly bad holes.

Key responsibilities of each player include:

Ensuring that cards that may affect his handicap from open competitions, societies, etc. are advised to the handicap committee. If a player thinks his handicap may be reduced as a result of such scores, he is obliged to reduce his playing handicap, pending a committee decision.

Players who are members of more than one club must nominate one club as their Home Club, at which club their handicap record will be maintained.

Players whose Home Club is a club other than Elm Hall are obliged to ensure that the handicap record in Elm Hall is up to date with regard to their record in their Home Club, and also that scores from Elm Hall competitions are reflected in their Home Club handicap.

Failure by a player to comply with the rules of the scheme may lead to suspension of handicap.

February 2003

Handicap Certificates and other Handicap queries All requests for handicap certificates. and other handicap related queries should be recorded on the pre-printed forms available in the clubhouse, or emailed to elmhall@eircom.net Seven days notice should be allowed for the collection of a handicap certificate.