Changes following a Handicap Review, Sanctioning by Authorized Association.

[YandaB]

After a Handicap Review, we are ready to tell a player the outcome and once we have their response, action a change to their handicap. What is confusing us is this part of Section 7.1a:

Any adjustment to a player’s Handicap Index resulting from a handicap review must:
o Be sanctioned or ratified by the Authorized Association. The Authorized Association has discretion to restrict this requirement only for players above, below or within a specified handicap range.

For England Golf, can anyone point me to what the requirement is? I cannot find any "above, below" or range specified so does that mean all changes must be ratified by EG? That seems overkill so I must be missing something?

Thanks for any help.

 

[woofers]

I can’t see any specific guidance regarding this sanctioning and ratification requirement in the EG documents either.
I think your Authorised Association will be the County Union, perhaps they will have some requirement that players with an index of x or below (elite players?) need their approval before any changes are made.

edited in italics

 

[rosecott]

After a Handicap Review, we are ready to tell a player the outcome and once we have their response, action a change to their handicap. What is confusing us is this part of Section 7.1a:

Any adjustment to a player’s Handicap Index resulting from a handicap review must:
o Be sanctioned or ratified by the Authorized Association. The Authorized Association has discretion to restrict this requirement only for players above, below or within a specified handicap range.

For England Golf, can anyone point me to what the requirement is? I cannot find any "above, below" or range specified so does that mean all changes must be ratified by EG? That seems overkill so I must be missing something?

Thanks for any help.

From the England Golf Annual Review guidance:

"When a player is flagged, the decision as to whether to apply any adjustments remains at the discretion of the Handicap Committee, taking into consideration any other knowledge the Committee has relating to the player's demonstrated ability."

"Players must be informed should any adjustment be made by the committee; this should be done in writing and player given the right to appeal the decision made by the committee. Appeals sit on 3 levels – • Club Review – Should a player question the decision; the club should offer the player the opportunity to discuss the decision with the committee. • County Appeal – Should the player wish to appeal the decision following discussions with the club, this must be done via the County Union/Association. • England Golf Appeal – Appeals to England Golf will only be considered once the Club and County have made their decision. The outcome of this appeal is final.

 

[woofers]

The EG Annual Review guidance document (Oct 21) states that adjustments should be applied as described in rule 7.1, it doesn’t appear to offer any help regarding the sanctioning and ratification by the Authorised Association requirement. I would suggest an enquiry to the County Union to which the club is affiliated to would clarify this.

 

[rulefan]

The EG Annual Review guidance document (Oct 21) states that adjustments should be applied as described in rule 7.1, it doesn’t appear to offer any help regarding the sanctioning and ratification by the Authorised Association requirement. I would suggest an enquiry to the County Union to which the club is affiliated to would clarify this.

Doesn't post #3 give sufficient guidance?

 

[woofers]

Doesn't post #3 give sufficient guidance?

I don’t think so. Post #3 is mostly about an appeals process.
EG guidance states that adjustments should be applied as described in rule 7.1.
Under that rule is 7.1a (my bold)
Any adjustment to a player’s Handicap Index resulting from a handicap review must:
o Be sanctioned or ratified by the Authorized Association. The Authorized Association has discretion to restrict this requirement only for players above, below or within a specified handicap range.

I think the OP is trying to establish if all adjustments need to be sanctioned by the Authorised Authority (unlikely in my view) or if there is a requirement pertaining to certain handicap ranges, what those ranges are, (e.g the old Cat 1 players).
In answer to the OP I have suggested an enquiry to the County Union would clarify the matter, (they may have relaxed the requirement totally), however if you believe no sanctioning by an Authorised Association is needed in any circumstances please advise so.

 

[rulefan]

My reading is that only if the player appeals a Club Review does it get escalated to the County.
In effect, if the player and club are happy there is no need to involve anyone else.
Setting a limit of +/- x couldn't cover all situations. Could a teenager come down by 4 or 14 shots in a review period?

 

[YandaB]

I don’t think so. Post #3 is mostly about an appeals process.
EG guidance states that adjustments should be applied as described in rule 7.1.
Under that rule is 7.1a (my bold)
Any adjustment to a player’s Handicap Index resulting from a handicap review must:
o Be sanctioned or ratified by the Authorized Association. The Authorized Association has discretion to restrict this requirement only for players above, below or within a specified handicap range.

I think the OP is trying to establish if all adjustments need to be sanctioned by the Authorised Authority (unlikely in my view) or if there is a requirement pertaining to certain handicap ranges, what those ranges are, (e.g the old Cat 1 players).
In answer to the OP I have suggested an enquiry to the County Union would clarify the matter, (they may have relaxed the requirement totally), however if you believe no sanctioning by an Authorised Association is needed in any circumstances please advise so.

That was exactly my issue. Though today I have gone to the R&A site and the problem paragraph is not there. Looking again on the EG site, their link to a pdf of the Rules of handicapping still has it. Can I assume therefore that EG have missed publishing an update since 17/12/20 ? There is no date/issue number in the Web pages on the R&A site but they must surely be the definitive version?

 

[rulefan]

That was exactly my issue. Though today I have gone to the R&A site and the problem paragraph is not there. Looking again on the EG site, their link to a pdf of the Rules of handicapping still has it. Can I assume therefore that EG have missed publishing an update since 17/12/20 ? There is no date/issue number in the Web pages on the R&A site but they must surely be the definitive version?

The R&A delegate the authority to the National Association (ie EG)

 

[rosecott]

The R&A delegate the authority to the National Association (ie EG)

And "the National Association (ie EG)" has mandated responsibility to Club Handicap Committees as stated in the Annual Review guidance.

 

[rulefan]

And "the National Association (ie EG)" has mandated responsibility to Club Handicap Committees as stated in the Annual Review guidance.

Indeed

 

[YandaB]

The R&A delegate the authority to the National Association (ie EG)

The Rules of Handicapping on the EG site refer to: https://static.whsplatform.englandg...nloads/whs/rules-of-handicapping-17-12-20.pdf That document is an R&A / USGA branded document. I believe that should either point directly to the R&A or at least to a later version of a pdf. I also take the CONGU guidance document linked to by EG as their delegated choices within WHS: https://static.whsplatform.englandg...s/whs/guidance_handicapping_advice_240122.pdf which does not comment on 7.1a (nor does a different link to the same document https://static.whsplatform.englandgolf.org/clubs/1000-1/uploads/whs/handicapping advice.pdf)

I have now find a clarification document https://static.whsplatform.englandg...ns on the rules of handicapping_july 2022.pdf but that doesn't help either.

IMHO the EG site needs a little update to be consistent and with clearer statements on what their delegated choices are exactly.

And "the National Association (ie EG)" has mandated responsibility to Club Handicap Committees as stated in the Annual Review guidance.

Thank you, it was not an annual review but we will follow the same adjustment process.

 

[woofers]

I think we will probably have to "agree to disagree" but we can probably agree that the procedures as documented aren't as clear or consistent as we would like them.
Here's the guidance document on the EG website, with the "Applying an Adjustment" on page 3 clearly referring to Rule 7.1
https://static.whsplatform.englandg...wnloads/whs/handicap-review-guidance-2021.pdf
Here's the current Rules of Handicapping document on the EG website, have a look at Rule 7.1 on pages 70 through 72, in particular the top of page 72 and the first bullet point
https://static.whsplatform.englandg...nloads/whs/rules-of-handicapping-17-12-20.pdf
I can't make the connection from Rule 7.1 to "only if a player appeals"...

Despite all of this I do agree that the committee should go ahead and make the adjustments as they see fit under the guidelines without having to refer to a "higher authority", it's just that Rule 7.1 appears poorly drafted.

 

[jim8flog]

Having not read the whole thread in depth but are you being confused by

The Authorized Association has discretion to restrict this requirement only for players above, below or within a specified handicap range.

The Area Authority Controls the handicap of all players below the specified handicap levels for certain players (from memory) scratch or better for men and 2 or better for ladies. A club can only administer changes to those players with the area authority's agreement.

 

[rulefan]

The Area Authority Controls the handicap of all players below the specified handicap levels for certain players (from memory) scratch or better for men and 2 or better for ladies. A club can only administer changes to those players with the area authority's agreement.

I haven't seen that requirement in any recent publications. Was that from CONGU?

 

[jim8flog]

I haven't seen that requirement in any recent publications. Was that from CONGU?

It was in the original briefings.

 

[rulefan]

It was in the original briefings.

Not at the one I attended.
Was it in writing?

 

[jim8flog]

Not at the one I attended.
Was it in writing?

It is something that has cropped up in this forum before so I cannot be the only one who knows this.

Sadly a lot of the briefing material is no longer available online and I cannot find it in what is available.

 

[D-S]

I seem to recall something re players at scratch or below but can’t find any notes.
It would be surprising though if a club could cut a +4 to +6 at an annual review without authorisation.

 

[rulefan]

I have spoken to our County Handicap Advisor who says he has seen/heard nothing that requires or indicates that any reference needs to be made to the county or EG unless the player appeals.