| The handicap basically allows people of
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| | hole played much easier (or harder!) than
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| very different golfing ability to compete
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| | its stroke index would indicate. One
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| with each other. Other sports do have a
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| | thing you can guarantee the stroke index
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| handicap system, but nowhere does it work
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| | 1 hole has been given that status for a
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| as effectively as in the game of golf.
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| | very good reason!
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| Lets take an example of a 9 handicap
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| | Qualifying competitions
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| player meeting a 16 handicapper in a
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| | These are normally club competitions
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| Matchplay singles match. They would take
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| | which qualify for handicap adjustment
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| the difference between their handicaps 7
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| | purposes. These is a complex area and not
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| and apply the (a three quarter) of
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| | for these pages! Purely as an example, a
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| difference principle if their club uses
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| | competition may be declared non
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| this rather than the full difference
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| | qualifying if it is played when many
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| (equals 5.25) rounded to the nearest
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| | temporary greens are in use, affecting
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| full number (Equals 5). The 16 handicap
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| | the overall length of the course.
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| player would get an extra stroke over his
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| | Standard Scratch Score (SSS)
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| opponent at the first 5 stroke index
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| | This is a fixed number agreed by the Club
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| numbered holes on the course.
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| | with the ruling bodies. This is the score
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| Handicaps are administered by the Golf
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| | it would be expected a scratch golfer
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| Clubs themselves, according to rules laid
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| | would go round in. This can differ from
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| down by their responsible national union.
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| | the course par by anything up to plus3 to
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| Officially, there is no other way,
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| | minus 3 of the course par. It is this
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| despite the claims of a number of bodies
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| | number which is used for handicap
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| to being able to award official handicaps
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| | adjustment, rather than the par of the
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| (except where low handicaps are
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| | course.
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| administered by a regional body rather
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| | Competition Scratch Score
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| than a club)
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| | This is arrived at as a result of
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| Most golf clubs have a committee
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| | calculations on the day of a competition,
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| (council) member responsible for this. A
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| | taking into account the degree of
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| players handicap can be varied upwards or
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| | difficulty (climactic conditions) size of
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| downwards as a result of his/her
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| | field and generally how the different
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| performance in qualifying competition.
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| | handicap categories performed. If this is
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| The committee also has the right under
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| | different to the SSS, it replaces it for
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| the rules of golf (rule 19b) to make
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| | that day
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| merit adjustments to a members handicap.
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| | Qualifying score
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| Handicaps fall into 4 categories for men
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| | Any score, including a no return returned
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| and 6 for ladies, as follows:
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| | in a qualifying competition
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| Category Handicap range
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| | Net differential
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| 1 0 5
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| | Is the difference plus or minus between
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| 2 6 12
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| | the nett score returned by a player in a
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| 3 13 20
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| | qualifying competition and the
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| 4 21 28
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| | competition scratch score
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| 5 29 40
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| | Buffer Zone
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| 6 41 45
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| | Adjustments. Changes to handicaps are
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| Clubs often have names rather than
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| | made in accordance with a set of rules
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| category numbers for the different
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| | administered by the national regional
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| levels, ranging from the Gold/silver etc
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| | authority. For simplicitys sake, a
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| to the Tigers and Rabbits and the like.
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| | players handicap may increase or decrease
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| Stroke Index
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| | by a tenth of a point for every full shot
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| All golf clubs are required to publish a
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| | that player is above or below the CSS
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| HANDICAP STROKE TABLE, indicating the
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| | multiplied by the number of their
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| order of holes at which handicap strokes
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| | category. So a 10 handicap player
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| are to be given or received. This always
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| | (category 2) coming in 3 below the CSS
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| appears on the course scorecard under the
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| | would expect to see his handicap reduced
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| heading stroke index. This is a list of
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| | by 3 multiplied by 0.2 shots equals 0.6.
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| numbers from 1 to 18 where handicap
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| | There is a so called buffer zone which
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| strokes are taken. The lower numbers
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| | prevents handicaps increasing quite so
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| indicate a higher degree of difficulty,
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| | directly. Again, the category number is
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| hence a person receiving, for example, 9
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| | used, but this time as a whole number,
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| strokes, either in a handicap competition
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| | and this is applied before any
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| or from a playing opponent, would receive
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| | adjustments are made. So a score of 3
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| an extra stroke at each of the holes with
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| | over CSS for our 10 handicapper (category
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| a Stroke Index from 1 to 9 inclusive.
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| | 2) would result in an increase in
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| The degree of difficulty is a relative
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| | handicap of just 0.1.
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| term, as the Club Committee is requested
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| | Exact v Playing handicap
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| to observe a number of recommendations
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| | It will be immediately apparent that
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| when setting the stroke index such as
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| | there is no point moving handicaps up and
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| balancing the numbers between the two
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| | down by the odd decimal place if there is
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| nines of an 18 hole course. This is
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| | no record kept of other than round
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| especially noticeable if you visit a
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| | numbers. Every player has an exact
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| course which has 3 or more nines which
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| | handicap as well as a playing one. The
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| can be played in different combinations
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| | playing one is simply the rounded whole
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| allowance must be made for the balancing
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| | number of the exact one. Thus 8.4 equals
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| and other factors, when wondering why a
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| | 8, 8.
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