Members Responsibilities and Handicaps
The glue that helps keep Golf a great (if sometimes frustrating) game to play is that players are expected to “police” themselves in relation to the rules and that close competition is ensured through the Handicap system. After closely fought rounds of golf everybody has the opportunity to win (though nobody wins as often as they think they deserve).
To ensure fair outcomes Members should be familiar with the R&A’s “Player’s Edition of the Rules of Golf “(2019) and the CONGU “Quick Guide for Players”. (The latest versions of these can be downloaded from the relevant organisation’s website)
Handicapping and the Handicap Committee
The World Handicap System exists to ensure that every golfer operates under a single handicap system enabling them to compete fairly on any golf course in the world. In England our Controlling Association is “England Golf” and Burgham Park operates as a Golf Club under their auspices.
[https://englandgolf.org will give you access to lots of other information as well as access to your Handicap Index]
Burgham Park Golf Club must act as the Handicapping Authority for all home members and to do this it appoints a Handicap Committee of at least three persons (the majority of whom must be members). At Burgham at least one of these is from the Seniors Section.
(NB A member is automatically a home member of Burgham unless s{he) is a member of more than one club – in which case one of the clubs must be designated as the home club and will be responsible for the players handicap. Golf scores for an away member will usually be transmitted to the home club at the end of each day).
The Handicap Committee is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Golf Club’s specified obligations and responsibilities under the Rules of Handicapping. These responsibilities include the allocation, review and suspension of handicaps.
The Handicap Committee may review Handicap Indexes at intervals during the year but prior to the 1st March each year must conduct an Annual Review notifying individual members of any changes (usually by email). The general notification of changes to Handicap Indexes will be via the App “Club V1 Members Hub” after specific notification to the member whose Handicap Index is to be revised.
Course and Slope Ratings
Each set of Tees at all Golf Clubs – the Course – has been rated with a Course Rating and a Slope Rating which indicate the relative difficulty of the Course. By referring to this information, which will be available publicly at every Golf Club for the Courses that can be played, and to their individual Handicap Index members (and visitors) will be able to determine their Course Handicap (for General Play) or their Playing Handicap (for Competition).
Handicap Index
You will have a Handicap Index based on an average of the best eight of your last twenty recorded scores. The computer will calculate this for you. Every time you enter a score from a competition run in an Authorised Format your Handicap Index will be updated overnight by the computer system.
(NB an Authorised Format is singles strokeplay, stableford, par/bogey, or maximum score either in General Play or an organised competition. If in General Play the round must be pre-announced as for Handicap purposes).
(NB Some competitions do not qualify to influence your Handicap Index either because of the format played e.g. 4BBB,Texas Scramble etc; or because course conditions are not suitable[usually decided by the Club]. However, scores should still be recorded and records kept so that the Handicap Committee may review a member’s general play).
A Handicap Index is first allocated after a member has recorded the scores from 54 holes of golf, in any combination of 9 or 18 hole rounds played in an Authorised Format and marked by another member during the active season. Thereafter it will be adjusted as scores are added until the 20 scores have been attained.
Once allocated the Handicap Index is adjusted when:-
a/ On completion of rounds in Authorised Formats which have been declared as qualifying for Handicap purposes and after scores have been submitted the computer adjusts Handicap Indexes over night.
b/ When the Handicap Committee has reviewed General Play and the players individual circumstances (e.g. ill health, or after disciplinary action).
A Handicap Index is applicable throughout a golfer’s active playing life. If a golfer has a break from the game, on return the system will allocate a Handicap Index based on past playing history, which will then be adjusted as scores are recorded.
To ensure that Handicap Indexes are up to date, accurate and fair, members must complete and return cards for each round they play. This can be in organised competitions or in General Play provided the player has declared in advance that the Acceptable Score will be used for Handicap purposes.
(NB An Acceptable Score is one which has been achieved when playing in an Authorised Format, in the company of at least one other person, played to the Rules of Golf, on a Course with a current Course Rating and Slope Rating during the active season)
Other Handicaps
In addition to their official handicap members may also, through membership of other golf societies or social groups, have other handicaps allocated to them. These are not relevant to Burgham Park or its Handicap Committee.
During the winter season rounds are designated non-qualifying and scores do not affect a player’s official handicap which remains the same until the Handicap Committee Annual Review.
Competitions at Burgham
Be aware of your Handicap Index, knowing which Course and Tees) are to be played you will be able to check your Course Handicap and convert this to a Playing Handicap for the Competition (e.g. in singles Competitions the Playing Handicap will usually be 95% of your Course Handicap, in 4BBB 85%).
(NB In practice the computer will calculate all of this for you when you sign in).
(Using Apps and Computers – For Competitions at Burgham the PSI Terminal when you sign in should give you your Playing Handicap and this will also be available on the tee sheet on the V1 App. Once you have signed in HDID will calculate your score based on this figure. If you refer to V1, HDID or the MyEG App outside of the competition you need to be aware of which figure you are looking at :- is it your Handicap Index (raw handicap calculated by England Golf as described above) or is it your Course Handicap (your Handicap index calculated for the relative difficulty of the course) and you will need to know the Handicap Allowance for the particular Competition if you want to check your own Playing Handicap (the handicap on which your score in the competition will be calculated.
Competitions at Other Clubs
When playing at another club there will be a chart available (Course Rating/Slope Ratings). Armed with your personal Handicap Index and by referring to the Course/Tees to be played you will be able to check on the chart what your Course Handicap will be and amend this by the appropriate percentage for the format to be played (singles 95%, 4BBB 85%). This information can also be easily found on England Golf’s “MyEG” app.
A record of the score made at another club should be made available to the Handicap Committee by supplying the Seniors Competition Secretary with a copy of the scorecard (or the same details on the appropriate form – See Appendix B).