DQ'd from Competition under rule 3.3b

[Grydvs]

My club's scorecards have 2 boxes for a player's handicap - one is "H'Cap Index", the other "Course H'Cap". In a recent Stableford competition, I only filled in the course handicap box with my playing handicap for the competition but was disqualified. I would've came first in my division and won a prize. Despite being disqualified, my handicap was reduced as a result of my score and further reduced because of exceptional play.
Is this fair?

 

[Deleted member 15717]

Yes

 

[Colin L]

Deleted on the grounds that I got it wrong.

 

[rosecott]

Just for clarification, you entered your Playing Handicap into the Course Handicap box. If so, you must have entered a figure equal to or lower than the CH, depending on your handicap level. This should not lead to DQ but your PH should have been considered as your CH for competition purposes. Any handicap reduction has nothing to do with that as the gross scores are applied to your CH.

 

[Crow]

As rosecott says, as long as you didn't enter a figure higher than your course handicap your card should count, see below from the R&A website.
Unless of this changed with the 2019 update and you're now required to put your actual course handicap and if you put something lower then it's a DQ. (I never bothered to keep up to date after the 2019 changes as I thought several of them were ridiculous)

But see the note about National Associations, you don't say where you're based so it may be that you're in a country that has other requirements.

 

[rulefan]

My club's scorecards have 2 boxes for a player's handicap - one is "H'Cap Index", the other "Course H'Cap". In a recent Stableford competition, I only filled in the course handicap box with my playing handicap for the competition but was disqualified. I would've came first in my division and won a prize. Despite being disqualified, my handicap was reduced as a result of my score and further reduced because of exceptional play.
Is this fair?

You should not have been DQd

3.3 Scoring in Handicap Competition.
You are responsible for making sure that your handicap is shown on your scorecard. If you return a scorecard without the right handicap:

• If the handicap on your scorecard is too high and this affects the number of strokes you get, or no handicap is shown, you are disqualified from the handicap competition.
• If the handicap on your scorecard is too low, there is no penalty and your net score stands using the lower handicap.

 

[wjemather]

My club's scorecards have 2 boxes for a player's handicap - one is "H'Cap Index", the other "Course H'Cap". In a recent Stableford competition, I only filled in the course handicap box with my playing handicap for the competition but was disqualified. I would've came first in my division and won a prize. Despite being disqualified, my handicap was reduced as a result of my score and further reduced because of exceptional play.
Is this fair?

In your case, unless you have done something to make it clear that you have not written your Course Handicap on your scorecard (e.g. written playing handicap next to it), per #4 and #6, it should have been accepted as your Course Handicap but too low. Therefore, the DQ was incorrect and your score should have counted using the lower handicap.

As for handicapping, DQ penalties that do not affect the resultant score commonly do not prevent the score from being acceptable, and so they must be entered as normal. For example, if you had correctly been DQed for a handicap too high or no handicap, your scores would have remained acceptable for handicapping.

 

[bobmac]

Yes

You are a required to put your course handicap on your card and so the DQ is correct.

This should not lead to DQ but your PH should have been considered as your CH for competition purposes.

As rosecott says, as long as you didn't enter a figure higher than your course handicap your card should count, see below from the R&A website.

You should not have been DQd

Therefore, the DQ was incorrect and your score should have counted using the lower handicap.

That's that sorted then

 

[Slab]

That's that sorted then

Yeah I've often wished with the rules threads that the eventual succinct/complete reply could have the black header banner above each post turned green or blue etc to denote its the correct response to the OP query

 

[bobmac]

Yeah I've often wished with the rules threads that the eventual succinct/complete reply could have the black header banner above each post turned green or blue etc to denote its the correct response to the OP query

I've always likened the rules threads to religions.
They can't all be right but they could all be wrong.

 

[Colin L]

Just for clarification, you entered your Playing Handicap into the Course Handicap box. If so, you must have entered a figure equal to or lower than the CH, depending on your handicap level. This should not lead to DQ but your PH should have been considered as your CH for competition purposes. Any handicap reduction has nothing to do with that as the gross scores are applied to your CH.

Apologies for overlooking this point. Your playing handicap is bound to be no greater than your course handicap and rosecott is right to point out - more politely than I deserved - that it should not have been a DQ. I have deleted the offending post.

 

[Colin L]

That's that sorted then

Simples. I made a mistake...... and that's sorted now.

 

[Jason.H]

Lesson learned, double check the card it’s just as important as the golf.

 

[nickjdavis]

Must admit....for the life of me, I am still at a loss as to why players are compelled to write anything on their cards in terms of handicap.

If you consider that players are not responsible for adding up their score or recording their stableford points....what's the point of putting a handicap on the card?

 

[rosecott]

Must admit....for the life of me, I am still at a loss as to why players are compelled to write anything on their cards in terms of handicap.

If you consider that players are not responsible for adding up their score or recording their stableford points....what's the point of putting a handicap on the card?

Inclined to agree - perhaps time for that rule to be binned.

 

[rulie]

Seems to me that would be like signing a cheque with no amount identified. The player has very few responsibilities with respect to his or her scorecard, and what is there now is fine.

 

[Foxholer]

At one club, a 'sticky' for th scorecard was produced on registration, so nothing for the player to do other than sign and return.

 

[rulie]

At one club, a 'sticky' for th scorecard was produced on registration, so nothing for the player to do other than sign and return.

Hmm, I didn't see "nanny" in the Committee responsibilities?

 

[Foxholer]

Hmm, I didn't see "nanny" in the Committee responsibilities?

Nothing 'nanny-ish' about it. They had one of those things called a computer (and printer) that did the work. Made life easier for everybody!

 

[Colin L]

A referee's job includes trying to help players avoid breaching rules. I see the committee's job as including doing what can be done to help players avoid a DQ. With the prevalence of computer scoring, it doesn't matter what the player puts on his card, the system will use his correct playing handicap.