It’s a vital, and necessary, part of golf club life, but do you know why it’s so important what you’re looking for? We reveal all…
This article is part of GCMA Insights – topical content for golf industry professionals, discussing the things that matter to those who work in golf clubs.
You all know the important role a handicap committee plays in making sure the World Handicap System runs smoothly at your clubs.
One of its central holes is to conduct reviews of the indexes of players. This is most often done annually, when the committee, which must be made up of at least three people, looks at all members in their home clubs.
But did you know the committee can conduct a review at any time – and that members can ask you to look at their handicap and those of other players as well?
So with it being such a key part of club life, let’s take a more detailed look at what it does, the tools clubs can use and how adjustments are made.
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Why conduct an annual handicap review?
It’s explained most succinctly in Appendix D of the Rules of Handicapping. “The handicap review process gives a Handicap Committee the ability to ensure the Handicap Index of a player reflects their demonstrated ability”.
To help committees, they can turn to reports which can identify players who are consistently scoring above or below their ‘expected’ scoring range.
They will also “make a recommended adjustment to the Handicap Index of each player identified, up to a maximum of two strokes”.
That adjustment is applied at the discretion of the committee – they don’t have to comply – and the key, and one of the reasons a handicap committee exists at all rather than having adjustments just made robotically, is that they know their players and how they would normally perform.
For a full list of the criteria that can be considered during the handicap review process, consult Appendix D.
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What if we want to adjust a handicap?
Take a breath first. There are things you need to consider. Was the player injured – either temporarily or permanently – and has that affected their scoring potential? Are they improving or declining? What has their handicap been like before? Do they perform better depending on the format? Are their general play and competition scores different?
If they do decide to go ahead, there are several paths a committee can choose to follow. These include:
- Applying an adjustment to each of the most 20 recent score differentials. This aims to “achieve the chosen handicap index that is determined to better reflect the player’s demonstrated ability”
- Applying it to all scoring differentials if there are fewer than 20
- Freezing a handicap for a “defined” period of time. They can also freeze only against an index moving upwards
- Ensuring the adjustment is at least one stroke up or down
What rights does a player have?
They must be informed and have the chance to respond to the handicap committee. There should also be an appeals procedure if it is requested.
This article is part of GCMA Insights – topical content for golf industry professionals, discussing the things that matter to those who work in golf clubs.
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