Combined Handicap

[Haydn]

HI, new to the forum.
I have a question that I hope somebody can help with. I played in a greensome pairs competition last week. My handicap is 18 and my playing partner plays off 22, the rules were that the combined handicap should be 50% of the two handicaps but to a max of 18. We played of 18 and wrote this on the card.
Had a call from the secretary over the weekend to say that although our nett 65 was the best score we were disqualified for not entering our individual handicaps on the card. We had just written 18 in the handicap box as this was our combined shot allowance. I thought that the individual handicaps were not relevant as apart from the drives only one ball is used in that format.


Can any body advise on the ruling here

Cheers

 

[RGDave]

What an interesting one.

I'm not great with all these things, I tend to just take advice before filling in the card.

i.m.o.

18 + 22 means a combined of 20. If you were playing off 50%, then your h'cap allowance on the card should have read 10.

There are some games when you'd get 20 shots....but not this by the sounds of it.

If you wrote 18 and it should have been 10, then unfortunately, you wrote the wrong number in, even if you did so in good faith.

50% of your combined would be 20, of course, but as you take the best drive, full h'cap would be unusual.

My best guess is it should have been 50% of "combined aggregate"

Good post.

 

[Haydn]

HI thanks for reply. The problem isn't with the figure, 18 was the correct handicap-50% of 40 is 20 but 18 was the max.
We were disqualified for not entering our individual hcaps on the card, we just put the 18 on.

 

[RGDave]

OK, I'm with you now. So you got 20 shots but the max was 18.

I can only guess (again!) therefore if your cards are the same as mine, you'd need to write your 1) name 2) your h'cap and then 3) only "18" in the Strokes received box.

Oh, and the comp name, the date, maybe the time and the tees used......nightmare

All sounds a bit tricky....bad luck....

 

[RGDave]

PS....are you Hay-den or High-den.....cricketer or composer?

PPS...I've just pulled a card out....I'm not sure I'd know what to do with the card if someone handed me one....would I just fill in player A as your score?

 

[Haydn]

Hi, I am Haydn as per the cricketer, live on the Welsh Borders hence the spelling. The card was used for both players, one name in A and another in B, .

a lot of golfers that I have spoken to think that we were very hard done by as the individual handicaps were not relevant for that comp

 

[backwoodsman]

Here's an original thought...

Why not ask the secretary what you should have written on the card. And why?

 

[Haydn]

He told me that I should have written my individual handicap, and so should have my partner. My argument is that it was a pairs event so I wrote the handicap that we were playing off as a pair.

 

[viscount17]

seems harsh, especially as not only are you off 50% handicaps, you're also limited to 18.

so who won, not one of his mates by any chance?

 

[bobmac]

Absolutely pathetic in my opinion.
When I used to work ina pro shop, it was my job to fill in score cards with names, handicaps and shots received etc.
I would understand if you had put down the wrong scores or nobody had signed the card but that is just petty minded golf club committee police who are more important than 'normal members' and like to show off how clever they are.
You say it was the secretary who called you. How did he get involved?

 

[USER1999]

My view is it is the golfers responsibility to write down the correct score, but it is the administrators responsibilty to administer the handicap. As long as your name is on the card, and it is your card, then they can't d/q you.

 

[bobmac]

Just checked the decisions of the rules 6/2b and it clearly states both handicaps should be recorded by the players, otherwise DQ
Daft.
Mark Roe and Jesper Parnevik...daft

 

[Earl]

You have to write your handicaps down because you can can be DQ for playing off wrong handicap. It comes back to the rules book once more, it has been mentioned before you need to read them through.

 

[JustOne]

Absolutely pathetic in my opinion.
When I used to work ina pro shop, it was my job to fill in score cards with names, handicaps and shots received etc.
I would understand if you had put down the wrong scores or nobody had signed the card but that is just petty minded golf club committee police who are more important than 'normal members' and like to show off how clever they are.

You alright Bob? Want me to phone an ambulance?

 

[StuartD]

Just checked the decisions of the rules 6/2b and it clearly states both handicaps should be recorded by the players, otherwise DQ
Daft.
Mark Roe and Jesper Parnevik...daft

Looking at the rule book i think Bob is correct..but don't think its that clear tbh

Rule 6/2b. Stroke Play
In any round of a handicap competition, the competitor must ensure that his handicap is recorded on his score card before it is returned to the Committee. If no handicap is recorded on his score card before it is returned (Rule 6-6b), or if the recorded handicap is higher than that to
which he is entitled and this affects the number of strokes received, he is disqualified from the handicap competition; otherwise, the score stands.

Definition of Competitor from the rule book is

A “competitor’’ is a player in a stroke play competition. A “fellowcompetitor’’ is any person with whom the competitor plays. Neither is partner of the other.
In stroke play foursome and four-ball competitions, where the context so admits, the word “competitor’’ or “fellow-competitor’’ includes his partner.


Very tough on you in my opinion

 

[funkyfred]

In a effort not to cause any more problems and I'm not really sure about these kind of things, but isn't Greensomes 3/8 of the combined h/c total?

 

[freddielong]

In a effort not to cause any more problems and I'm not really sure about these kind of things, but isn't Greensomes 3/8 of the combined h/c total?

Comittee can set handicap allowance as they wish - this is a tough one but it is a lesson learned for the future, it is in the rule book so it is your own fault and DQ was the only option. I don't think enough people know the rules nowdays, if you had taken the time to read the book you would not be in this position.

 

[CrapHacker]

I don't think enough people know the rules nowdays, if you had taken the time to read the book you would not be in this position.

Dunno about that. It's only a little book, but there's a lot of stuff in it.

Take this rule. I've just sat down and read it three times to make sure it sticks. If I had the whole book in front of me, and I was trying to learn the rules, to do that would take me months and maybe a brain transplant or two.

In reality I'd scan the book and get a gist of what's what, and learn the depth over time.

This rule wouldn't have hit my radar as being mega important.

I can see it's what the rules say, but I'm with Bob on this one.

 

[freddielong]

I don't think enough people know the rules nowdays, if you had taken the time to read the book you would not be in this position.

Dunno about that. It's only a little book, but there's a lot of stuff in it.

Take this rule. I've just sat down and read it three times to make sure it sticks. If I had the whole book in front of me, and I was trying to learn the rules, to do that would take me months and maybe a brain transplant or two.

In reality I'd scan the book and get a gist of what's what, and learn the depth over time.

This rule wouldn't have hit my radar as being mega important.

I can see it's what the rules say, but I'm with Bob on this one.

I know what you are saying (not interesting) but if they had looked at the little book, or even asked someone what they needed to do before they handed in their card, they would have won and not been DQ'd, by not knowing it is only you that misses out.

 

[bobmac]

It's in the decisions book, not the rule book.
But surely common sense should prevail.
What advantage have they gained? None.
Did they play the correct course? Yes
Did they play to the correct handicap? Yes
Did they have the best score? Yes
Did they win? No.
What a great way to encourage people to enter more competitions.