CONGU Unified Handicapping System - 2008
Directions & Decisions of the EGU & EWGA
Any grey highlighted Clause Number will be referenced on Page 90 to determine the Direction/Decision of the relevant Union.
Supplementary Scores & 9-hole competitions
The introduction of these two alternatives to Qualifying Competitions, is intended to accommodate the growing number of members who are unable to play on competition days or have insufficient time available to play 18 holes. This could include young mothers, members working shifts, and Juniors after school hours.
Supplementary Scores
Number of qualifying scores reduced from 10 to 6.
Format: stroke play or stableford.
Stroke play returns are subject to Stableford/nett double bogey adjustment.
Unless an Affiliated Club decides otherwise, scores limited to one return per week.
9-hole Competitions
The nine-hole SSS will be allocated by the County Area Authority who make application to the relevant Union.
Once a ‘nine-hole course’ SSS has been advised, the same nine holes must be used for
9-hole Qualifying Competitions.
Non-qualifying competitions
Competitions cannot be declared ‘non-qualifying’.
Rendering competitions ‘non-qualifying’ by giving only 7/8 allowance or limiting the number of clubs to 13, is contrary to the ‘spirit and integrity’ of the system. Limits on the number of clubs does not refer to traditional 5-club competitions which may continue to be run as ‘non-qualifying’.
Open Competitions must comply with the Mandatory handicap allowances.
Full for singles, ¾ for 4BBB.
No direction for Bowmakers – Clubs may set their own conditions.
Greensome Allowance is recommended and not mandatory.
Handicap Committee
The members of the handicap committee need not be current members of the Club Committee. Continuity is important in order that the required knowledge of, and expertise in, the UHS is retained.
Now that men and ladies operate to the same handicapping system, it is recommended that both genders be represented on a joint Handicap Committee.
Separate CSS calculations for ‘Home and Away' players in Opens.
Home advantage is recognised as an influencing factor in most forms of sporting contest.
It is hoped that in calculating a separate CSS, the imbalance in scoring performance related to home advantage/away advantage, will be substantially reduced with more visiting players returning nett scores to their Buffer Zone or better.
However, a separate CSS may only be calculated when the number of ‘Home’ and ‘Away’ competitors, in Categories 1, 2, 3 and [4], are each twenty or more.
Annual Review/General Play Adjustments
A computer-generated report will be produced to assist the Handicap Committee. This will flag any players to be considered for handicap revision.
Handicap Certificates
Handicap Certificates dated the previous year are deemed to be ‘out of date’
It was recommended by ELGA that Handicap Secretaries produce Handicap Certificates for all players at the beginning of the year.
If computer records of handicaps are kept by the Home Club, Certificates must be printed from
