Email to All Members 100922

This email relates primarily to a DID NOT SCORE NR – which is treated as a net double bogey. A DID NOT PLAY NR is treated as a net par – but this should only be used when to have to give up playing due to injury or bad light etc

Dear Member

As you are all aware the WHS came in to force in December 2020 – which is effectively for us the 2021 season

M&H have unfortunately seen a small number of players submitting scores or score cards in competitions that comprise all 18 holes as zeros or a significant number of zeros and in some cases not submitting a score or score card at all

The WHS replaced your old handicap with a handicap index. This is based on the best 8 or your last 20 scores. In pre WHS an NR would increase your handicap by point 1 (0.1). Under the WHS system each NR hole counts as a net double bogey. Once that score gets in to the best of 8 calculation the players handicap index can go up by a lot more than point one (although there is an overall limit of 5 upward strokes – subject to a fairly complicated calculation).

The advantage of the net double bogey rule is that if you mess up one or maybe 2 holes you can lift your ball and move on without in a busy medal holding up the whole course. You cannot win the competition with a score with a NR but you can play on for handicap purposes and even get your handicap cut – which has happened frequently. In WHS a golfer must enter non zero scores for a minimum of 10 holes out of 18 for a score to be acceptable for handicap purposes.

The disadvantage of this system is that it is open to your colleagues to ‘build a handicap’ – viz a low handicapper manipulating his handicap upwards by up to 5 shots over a relatively short period of time by submitting a succession of NR cards. 18 zero entries will add 36 to a Scratch golfer’s or 46 to a ten handicap golfer round total which will have a significant effect on all other golfers in the competition.

Submitting scores in this format also affects what used to be called Competition Standard Scratch – now the PCC (Playing Conditions calculation). Unlike the Competition Standard Scratch which only affected that competition result, the Playing Conditions Calculation affects every competitor’s individual handicap calculation.

Going forward any score submitted (or not submitted )and not complying with the terms of this email will be treated as a DQ ( Disqualified) and not a NR

Unfortunately, if M&H has to intervene, they require to proceed via RULE 7 of the WHS Rules (the full rules can be found at https://www.randa.org/roh/the-rules-of-handicapping/rule-7

The penalties for ‘misconduct’ under RULE 7 are very severe and Scottish Golf expects us to apply them. This can include applying a penalty score – for example resetting your handicap back to what it was before the succession of NR’s or suspending your handicap index for repeated offences – which would mean that you would not be able to play in any competition at all – including at other clubs. Any penalty score added to a golfer’s record will be visible to any golf club accessing their record such as when moving between clubs. The National Association may also decide to invoke penalty actions.

We therefore require a score to be entered for every hole. A few zeros are acceptable (primarily to keep play going) but not at every hole. The marker has an important role to play in this as well to maintain the integrity for all golfers. The marker must not agree to a score that is either all zeros or has a significant number of zero scores.

If using the screen in the lobby a physical card MUST be submitted as well primarily so that we can check who your marker is.  Following an incident after this email went out Score entry for medals ( but not sign in ) has been disabled on the Club VI/How Did I do App – so again the score must be entered in the lobby along with a card.

For what is expected of you with regard to the WHS system you should read RULE 1.3 and also Appendix A. M&H expect you to comply with both the letter and spirit of these RULES

Per the WHS rules M&H must carry out a review of handicaps at the end of each season. Normally this is a formality but with this being the first season of the WHS M&H will be looking more closely at each players score history particularly those with a significant number of NR’s

Good Golfing

M&H
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