Bogey Comps and Differentials for Handicapping

[cliveb]

There have been other threads about this issue: "Score Differential in Bogey Comp" in The Lounge, and "WHS and par/bogey comps" in Rules of Golf, but both threads descended into philosphical discussions about whether bogey comps should be qualifiers, advice to make sure you hole out as if it were a stableford, etc.

I tried reopening the thread in The Lounge about this, but of the various rules experts, only rulefan contributed. I'm guessing that perhaps the other rules experts might not ever look in The Lounge, so I'm asking it again here.

I am looking for a definitive answer to whether I have understood the rules correctly...

Rule 21.3b(2) states:
If Hole Is Completed Without Holing Out. If the player does not hole out under the Rules, the scorecard must show either no score or any score that results in the hole being lost.

Furthermore:
Exception – No Penalty If No Effect on Result of Hole: If the player returns a scorecard with a hole score lower than the actual score but this does not affect whether the hole was won, lost or tied, there is no penalty under Rule 3.3b.

And also:
To help pace of play, players are encouraged to stop playing a hole when their score exceeds the fixed score (as they have lost the hole).

So: the rules both encourage you not to hole out when you could have scored a net single bogey, and state that if you don't hole out, you're allowed to record a net single bogey.
Presumably when that score is uploaded to the handicapping authority (eg. England Golf), the differential will be calculated based on those net single bogey scores.
Have I interpreted this correctly? Can you really do this?

As far as I can tell it looks like you can, but I get the gut feeling that I must have missed something - it seems a bit dodgy that someone who has completely blown up on a hole can be rewarded with a net single bogey for handicapping purposes when had they been playing medal or stableford, they'd get a net double bogey.

Once again: please, no debates about whether this makes sense, I just want to know if it's allowed under the rules.

 

[wjemather]

From CONGU's guidance on the Rules of Handicapping:

"In Bogey format, if a player fails to hole out once the hole is ‘lost’ they will be credited with a Nett Double Bogey. For handicap purposes, the player should continue to play until they either hole out or their Nett Score (with reference to their Course Handicap) will be higher than a Nett Double Bogey."

Additionally, if a player routinely fails to hole out before reaching nett double bogey, then they could be seen not to be attempting to make the best score possible for handicapping (one of their responsibilities) and the score could be deemed unacceptable as a result.

 

[Colin L]

There you are, Clive. You certainly brought your query to the right place.

 

[cliveb]

From CONGU's guidance on the Rules of Handicapping:

"In Bogey format, if a player fails to hole out once the hole is ‘lost’ they will be credited with a Nett Double Bogey. For handicap purposes, the player should continue to play until they either hole out or their Nett Score (with reference to their Course Handicap) will be higher than a Nett Double Bogey."

Additionally, if a player routinely fails to hole out before reaching nett double bogey, then they could be seen not to be attempting to make the best score possible for handicapping (one of their responsibilities) and the score could be deemed unacceptable as a result.

Thanks for clarifying things.

So it would appear that the recommendation in rule 21.3b to pick up as soon as the hole is lost is at odds with CONGU's guidance.

 

[wjemather]

Thanks for clarifying things.

So it would appear that the recommendation in rule 21.3b to pick up as soon as the hole is lost is at odds with CONGU's guidance.

One is the Rules of Golf, the other is the Rules of Handicapping.

I expect MLS (a mechanism within WHS that enables acceptable scores to be submitted in formats where holing out is not required) could be applied to Bogey/Par formats which would then allow for picking up, but CONGU have not (yet) adopted it.