HGS Interpretation of Golfing Handicap Rules

 

 

Playing Handicaps in HGS Events

In each round of the HGS President's Cup individual Stableford competition, each player will play off 95% of their Course Handicap (defined as 'Handicap Index' x 'Slope Rating' of the course played / 113, and then rounded to the nearest integer). In addition, the member's HGS Handicap Adjustment on the day of the event will then be applied. This is defined as the member's 'Playing Handicap' for that course at that event.

In the Knockout Competition, involving singles matchplay, the Playing Handicap will be the difference in the full Course Handicaps of the players from the lowest handicap.

In the inter-society matches, which are usually played as fourball matchplay, the Playing Handicap will be the difference in 90% of their Course Handicaps from the lowest handicap (NB sometimes the 90% is waived on the day).

For HGS trips, the Playing Handicap will be 95% of the member's Course Handicap for individual Stablefords and the difference in 90% of their Course Handicaps from the lowest handicap for fourball matchplay.

HGS Adjusted Handicaps

Players use their latest WHS Handicap Index in every HGS event to calculate the Course Handicap and resulting Playing Handicap as described above.

For the President's Cup rounds, however, an additional HGS Handicap Adjustment will be applied to recognise members' performances at previous HGS President's Cup events according to the following rules:

  • player’s HGS Handicap Adjustment will be reduced by 3 for a 1st place

  • player’s HGS Handicap Adjustment will be reduced by 2 for a 2nd place

  • player’s HGS Handicap Adjustment will be reduced by 1 for a 3rd place

Guest players' results are ignored when calculating 1st/2nd/3rd places for HGS Handicap Adjustment purposes.

At the end of each HGS President's Cup event, (prior to the changes being made to the Handicap Adjustments mentioned above due to the results of that event), every player who attended the event and played with a negative Handicap Adjustment will have 1 added back to his HGS Handicap Adjustment.

 

 

Active and Inactive Handicaps

Members will either have a WHS Handicap Index or not, depending whether they have submitted sufficient cards into their club's handicap systems or have registered with iGolf.

The vast majority of HGS members will therefore have an official Handicap Index which is maintained through their continued formal submission of scorecards. Members' Handicap Indexes ar updated regularly on the HGS website through the Friends facility on the MyEG app.

Members are able to submit scorecards for handicap purposes at an HGS event if they have pre-registered on the MyEG app.

Any HGS member who is not a member of a golf club or iGolf (or who has not submitted sufficient numbers of cards to have an active handicap index) will be assigned a Handicap Index by HGS, which will be maintained by the HGS Committee based upon the member's performances in HGS events (see below).

Competitive HGS-Administered Handicaps
(CHAHs, previously Rule 7.b)

The HGS Committee has always reserved the right to make a suitable, annual, adjustment to the informal handicap of any member who does not have the opportunity to keep their handicap current by entering club competitions, and who is clearly performing differently to their informal  handicap in HGS events (the old Rule 7b!).

Since 2020 a 'Competitive HGS-Administered Handicap' (CHAH) has been maintained on a regular basis by the HGS Committee based upon recent HGS performances for those members without an active WHS Handicap Index. Handicap Indexes are assigned across the full approved men's handicap range (currently 0-54) as we aim to ensure that members stay competitive for all HGS competitions, including the team competitions.