Three important questions answered by the team at Handicaps Network Africa…
Q: What is the time limit for the entering of scores?
A: All scores must be submitted as soon as possible after the round has been played and before the next round is played. If a score has not been entered within 72 hours from completion of the round then the system will allocate a penalty to the score entered by the player. The period of 72 hours is taken from 9pm on the day of play to 9pm three days later. The system will show a N/A handicap index if there are two scores that have not been entered.
Please note that the onus is on the players to make sure that their scores are recorded successfully. They can check by visiting their ‘Handicap Record Sheet’. If a score doesn’t show here, then it hasn’t been entered successfully, and it will have to be resubmitted.
Q: How does the course’s Slope rating make things fairer?
A: The Slope of the course is calculated by comparing how hard the course plays for a higher-handicapped golfer when compared to a scratch golfer. So, if the course has a Slope higher than 113, then the course handicap will be relatively higher for a high-handicapped golfer than a lower-handicapped golfer. For example, if the white tees are harder than the blue tees, a high-handicapper may play the whitetTees off a handicap of 28 and the blue tees off 24. (He gets four more shots for the harder course). The low handicap player may play the white tees off 4 and the blue tees off 3. (He only gets one shot more for the harder course).
Q: I’m tired of seeing the same winners at my club every week. How is the handicap system set up to curb handicap manipulation?
A: Cheating is a concern, but it is important to understand that the handicap system is not designed to, nor can it ever, stop cheating. The only people who can stop the cheats are the clubs and their fellow club members, who must take disciplinary action.
The South African handicapping system is based on that of the USGA and is aimed at the majority of golfers, who are honest. It would be excessive to change the entire system to try and eliminate cheating by a small minority of golfers.
A key way to combat cheating is for clubs to open all rounds on the system when players check in. This ensures that all players have to enter scores, or face a penalty. The scores of all players with a handicap are available for everyone to see on the system. Peer review is a critical element in reducing handicap manipulation, as anyone can check on a suspected cheat to see what score was entered.
