A Message from your Handicap Committee

April 2010

The handicap committee has been devoting its efforts to monitoring the posting histories of a random sampling of golfers participating in competitive events such as men’s/ladies’ day, club championships and others. The USGA Handicap System (GHIN) requires that a golfer post all eligible scores to the scoring record for handicap index purposes. The Villages Golf Handicap Committee adheres to this requirement. This does not mean that every round a member plays will result in an eligible score. This article will discuss the posting of scores

First to be considered is the individual hole score on the scorecard. The easy answer to this is that you post the number of strokes you make on a hole plus any penalty strokes. This means all of the strokes. Many times I have heard a player state, “I can only take a 7,” referring to his equitable stroke control (ESC) limit. This limit has no bearing unless the player did not finish the hole for some reason. The stroke control is applied at the posting station after the round, before the score is posted for handicap purposes.

Many still think rounds played in match play, best ball play and the like, where players pick up when they are out of the game or putts are conceded, are not eligible to be posted for handicap purposes. The GHIN rules provide a means to post a score for a hole for handicap purposes even when the players have not completed the hole. In each of these cases the player should post the number of strokes already taken plus the player’s reasonable estimate of the number of strokes most likely needed to complete the hole, up to the player’s stroke control limit. This number should appear on the card preceded by an “X” to indicate that this number is only for handicap purposes.

What is a score that needs to be posted? The answer is, the total strokes taken to complete an eighteen hole round, after you have adjusted the score under the equitable stroke control provision limiting the total strokes you are permitted to post per hole. Any time you complete 13 or more holes, for handicap purposes, you may enter a score for any hole not played equal to par plus any handicap strokes you would be allowed for that hole. If your course handicap is an 18, you would enter par plus one for each hole not played to make an eighteen round score suitable for posting.

When you play nine holes, that score should be posted, after equitable stroke control is applied. In the event that you complete fewer than 13 holes of an eighteen hole round, the score for the nine that you did complete should be posted. When you complete 7 or more holes of a 9 hole round, the posting procedure for the holes not completed is the same as outlined above. The computer will hold these nine hole scores until two are posted, at which time they will be combined to an eighteen hole score and entered into your history. It is easier to post nine hole rounds at the posting stations where the course rating and slope ratings for each nine are entered. To post at home requires that you look up the nine hole ratings to post the score.

The Golf Shops have “The USGA Handicap System, Reference Guide” available to assist you in understand the Handicap System.

Golf has been, and still is, a game of honesty and integrity. This integrity begins with each golfer posting an honest score for every eligible round played. This is the only way to create a level playing field for everyone. This is the responsibility of each golfer.

Jim Annos, Chairman
The Villages Golf Handicap Committee