Responsibilities Of The Player

The following is an extract from the CONGU Handicap Manual, and sets out the responsibilities of all golfers in relation to their handicaps.

Players should make themselves familiar with their responsibilities:

Section 8 – Responsibilities of the Player

The UHS is based on the premise that a player will endeavour to make the best score he can at each hole in every qualifying round he plays and will report all such rounds for handicap purposes.

Any player who fails to carry out any of the responsibilities imposed by the UHS is not entitled to a CONGU Handicap.

The player must:

8.1 – Have one Exact Handicap only which must be allotted and adjusted by his Home Club and produce, if so required, a current, validated CONGU® Handicap Certificate and/or valid CDH ID Number.

The Playing Handicap calculated from this Exact Handicap shall apply elsewhere including other clubs of which the player is a Member.

8.2 – If he is a Member of more than one Affiliated Club, select one as his Home Club and notify that club and the others of his choice and supply each away club his Home Club CDH ID Number.

In Ireland, a player’s Home Club is the club at which a Member plays most Qualifying Competitions.

8.3 – Not change his Home Club except by giving advance notice of the change which can take effect only at the end of a calendar year unless he has ceased to be a Member of his Home Club or both clubs agree to the change taking place at an earlier date.

8.4 – Report to his Home Club the names of all other Affiliated Clubs of which he is, becomes, or ceases to be, a Member and report to all other Affiliated Clubs of which he is a Member:

(a)    The name of his Home Club and any changes of Home Club and

(b)   His Home Club CDH ID Number, and

(c)    Alterations to his Playing Handicap made by his Home Club.

8.5 – Prior to playing in any competition ascertain whether all appropriate reductions to Playing Handicap have been made or alternatively comply with the responsibilities set out in Clause 20.

8.6 – Before commencing play on the day of a Qualifying Competition ensure that his entry has been registered in the competition record, manually or by computer in the manner required by the club or Committee in charge of the competition.

A player who fails to enter a Qualifying Competition in the required manner is deemed to have neither a score for the competition nor a score for handicap purposes.

8.7 – Enter his current Playing Handicap on all cards returned in a Qualifying Competition even though the event may not be a handicap competition. This is required for the calculation of a Competition Scratch Score.

8.8 – Ensure that all competition cards in Qualifying Competitions, whether or not complete, are returned to the organising Committee, and make such computer entries as may be required – see Decisions, Dec. (m) and Dec. (n).

8.9 – When competing away from his Home Club produce, on request, a current CONGU® Handicap Certificate authenticated by his Home Club and/or a valid CDH ID Number.

8. 10 – Report to his Home Club as soon as practicable all Qualifying Scores (including ‘No Returns’ and Disqualified Scores – see Appendix P) returned away from his Home Club advising the Home Club of the date of the Qualifying Competition, the venue, Standard Scratch Score and the Competition Scratch Score together with the following:

(a)    After a Stroke Play Qualifying Competition, the gross score returned and any Stableford/Nett Double Bogey Adjustment applicable. See Clause 19.1 and the example referenced 19.1 /1. The Home Club may require a copy of the scorecard to be returned to support the adjustment.

(b)   After a Par/Bogey Qualifying Competition, the Par of the course and the score versus Par.

(c)    After a Stableford Qualifying Competition, the Par of the course and the number of points scored.

In Ireland, see also Clause 8.12(b).

Note 1: Players are reminded that failure to report all Qualifying Scores returned away from their Home Clubs (including ‘No Returns’ and Disqualified Scores – see Appendix P) as required by the UHS could lead to the suspension of offending players’ handicaps under the provisions of Clause 24.

Note 2: In the event of a Qualifying Competition being declared abandoned or scores returned being determined by the provisions of Clause 8 to be for Reduction Only, the player must report the information required by Clause 8.10 to his Home Club.

Note 3: The fact that scores recorded by players competing in competitions away from their Home Club may be reported to their Home Club by the competition organisers, or through a Centralised  Database of Handicaps (CDH), does not remove the responsibility of individual players to ensure that all relevant scores are recorded in their Player Handicap Record.

8.11 – Authorise, if so requested, his Home Club to provide the Union with such information as his Union shall reasonably require to maintain a National Handicap Database and also sign any relevant document which may be required to comply with or satisfy Data Protection legislation.

8.12 – Provide to his Home Club information regarding scores in Non Qualifying Competitions if so directed by a Union – see Clause 4.5(b)

In Ireland, players and clubs must report to Home Clubs:

(a)    All Qualifying Scores together with the relevant Competition Scratch Score.

(b)   All Non-Qualifying Scores from Team and Society Golf played over a course for which the Union has allotted a Standard Scratch Score together with notification of the relevant SSS.

Players should be aware of the significance of the Stableford/Nett Double Bogey Adjustment. This adjustment allows a player who has a ‘bad’ score on a hole(s) or does not complete a hole(s), for any reason, to continue to record a score on subsequent holes for handicap purposes. This sustains the golfing interest and at the same time provides valuable handicap information. See Clause 19.