EG App Issues

[Springveldt]

The only guidance I can find regarding how to obtain / maintain a handicap using igolf instead of club membership is from here:

https://www.englandigolf.co.uk/your-official-whs-index/

The things I'm unsure of are the 'marker verification'.. is that just having a playing partner attest your score or something else?

Also, I signed up for igolf with a mate and we are both in the process of getting our first handicap. We've been confirming each others scores but if we both don't yet have a handicap, does that count?

Would appear to be a major stumbling block if you need someone with an official handicap to verify all your scores. How are you and your mate meant to get a handicap then? Does not having a handicap mean you aren’t trustworthy?

Under WHS you are encouraged to enter all your scores but when I go back up to Scotland and play with my brother and mates I don’t as the only way for me to enter a score then is to take a card back down to hand into my club which is stupid. Yes, it’s England golf but you should still be able to enter a course outside England as all the courses and ratings are in the R&A database now.

 

[Old Skier]

Would appear to be a major stumbling block if you need someone with an official handicap to verify all your scores. How are you and your mate meant to get a handicap then? Does not having a handicap mean you aren’t trustworthy?

Under WHS you are encouraged to enter all your scores but when I go back up to Scotland and play with my brother and mates I don’t as the only way for me to enter a score then is to take a card back down to hand into my club which is stupid. Yes, it’s England golf but you should still be able to enter a course outside England as all the courses and ratings are in the R&A database now.

Doesn’t actually say that the person needs an official handicap, they just need to be registered (a member of the IG scheme or club affiliated)

 

[DannyOT]

I'll get some more rounds under my belt and see how it pans out.

 

[DannyOT]

Coincidentally I've just had the igolf September newsletter via email and it contained a video within that shows their '10 steps to submitting a score' via the MyEG app.

It says that your playing partner on the day, who was added prior to starting the round, will automatically be asked to verify your score.

It still doesn't clarify whether or not asking someone who wasn't present on the scorecard to verify is legitimate, or if its an unintentional byproduct of the app.

 

[wjemather]

Coincidentally I've just had the igolf September newsletter via email and it contained a video within that shows their '10 steps to submitting a score' via the MyEG app.

It says that your playing partner on the day, who was added prior to starting the round, will automatically be asked to verify your score.

It still doesn't clarify whether or not asking someone who wasn't present on the scorecard to verify is legitimate, or if its an unintentional byproduct of the app.

That would be because it doesn't need clarifying. Per the rules of handicapping (and all associated guidance and procedures), the person verifying the score must have been present to witness the round.

 

[NearHull]

Rules of Golf 3.3 b

Scoring in Stroke Play
The player’s score is kept on his or her scorecard by the marker, who is either identified by the Committee or chosen by the player in a way approved by the Committee.
The player must use the same marker for the entire round, unless the Committee approves a change either before or after it happens.
(1) Marker’s Responsibility: Entering and Certifying Hole Scores on Scorecard. After each hole during the round, the marker should confirm with the player the number of strokes on that hole (including strokes made and penalty strokes) and enter that gross score on the scorecard.
When the round has ended:

• The marker must certify the hole scores on the scorecard.
• If the player had more than one marker, each marker must certify the scores for those holes where he or she was the marker.

The inference is that the marker has to be present.

 

[PJ87]

I'll be in the minority here for sure

However I played with my friend few weeks ago. I played the best round of my life. Within the rules of golf entirely.. putted out. Pens taken etc etc , no gimmies, mulligans

He signed my card at the end

He doesn't have the golf England app

However I pre arranged with a friend who does have it to sign my card providing I sent him a picture of the signed card...

Personally I would have felt wrong that round not on my handicap as it really lowered my handicap

So if I had not entered it id enter a comp with more shots that I deserve which is worse imo

No doubt they will clamp down on this aspect soon.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

I'll be in the minority here for sure

However I played with my friend few weeks ago. I played the best round of my life. Within the rules of golf entirely.. putted out. Pens taken etc etc , no gimmies, mulligans

He signed my card at the end

He doesn't have the golf England app

However I pre arranged with a friend who does have it to sign my card providing I sent him a picture of the signed card...

Personally I would have felt wrong that round not on my handicap as it really lowered my handicap

So if I had not entered it id enter a comp with more shots that I deserve which is worse imo

No doubt they will clamp down on this aspect soon.

Wouldn't worry about it, the way its going to head in the near future is us all having fake handicaps like the majority of Americans we see playing over here.

 

[DannyOT]

I'll be in the minority here for sure

However I played with my friend few weeks ago. I played the best round of my life. Within the rules of golf entirely.. putted out. Pens taken etc etc , no gimmies, mulligans

He signed my card at the end

He doesn't have the golf England app

However I pre arranged with a friend who does have it to sign my card providing I sent him a picture of the signed card...

Personally I would have felt wrong that round not on my handicap as it really lowered my handicap

So if I had not entered it id enter a comp with more shots that I deserve which is worse imo

No doubt they will clamp down on this aspect soon.

I'm with you. If I've played a round under qualifying conditions and it was a handicap lowering score, I'd feel bad not submitting it.

There's no advantage to be gained from me lowering my handicap. My only aim from the igolf app is to have a handicap that is a true reflection of my game and I want to be as close to scratch as possible.

There's also the issue on the MyEG app that if you create a scorecard and then don't submit the score, they email you to understand why and if it persists they can apply penalties.

 

[DeanoMK]

Just to confirm that there's no geo-location check for those attesting the scorecards, only for those that are submitting.

 

[jim8flog]

Which rule?

I do it, not everyone I play with has the app and it saves the pro shop manually putting in the card.

see post #21 third bullet point in particular

 

[rosecott]

I'm with you. If I've played a round under qualifying conditions and it was a handicap lowering score, I'd feel bad not submitting it.

There's no advantage to be gained from me lowering my handicap. My only aim from the igolf app is to have a handicap that is a true reflection of my game and I want to be as close to scratch as possible.

There's also the issue on the MyEG app that if you create a scorecard and then don't submit the score, they email you to understand why and if it persists they can apply penalties.

Why would you not submit a score, having pre-registered your round?

 

[DannyOT]

Why would you not submit a score, having pre-registered your round?

Well unless I'm missing something, if I use the app to register and record a solo round, I can either submit the score and get it verified or not fully submit it. If its not signed by someone else, surely it looks like I've intentionally not got it verified / submitted it for hcp purposes ?

(unless there's an option to submit scores that are non counting from the get go?)

 

[DanFST]

Why would you not submit a score, having pre-registered your round?

I think the thinking is that you should need approval by someone on the round. If no one has the app after you start it, you shouldn't submit.

I have submitted anyway as you don't need to even put in a playing partner. The way i see it, anyone can cheat regardless. I would have happily stayed at 20hc like i did last year winning every comp I entered, but I want a HC that is true.

 

[Banchory Buddha]

Well unless I'm missing something, if I use the app to register and record a solo round, I can either submit the score and get it verified or not fully submit it. If its not signed by someone else, surely it looks like I've intentionally not got it verified / submitted it for hcp purposes ?

(unless there's an option to submit scores that are non counting from the get go?)

Yes you're missing something, you CANNOT submit a solo round. If you're not playing with someone who is acting as your marker (they don't need to be submitting a card themselves), then the round is not valid for handicapping purposes.

 

[SammmeBee]

Yes you're missing something, you CANNOT submit a solo round. If you're not playing with someone who is acting as your marker (they don't need to be submitting a card themselves), then the round is not valid for handicapping purposes.

There is nothing stopping you from doing this…..

 

[ger147]

There is nothing stopping you from doing this…..

The rules do, in the same way as there is nothing to physically stop you from taking 7 shots on a hole and writing a 4 on your card for that hole, but you can't do that as it's against the rules.

 

[DanFST]

The rules do, in the same way as there is nothing to physically stop you from taking 7 shots on a hole and writing a 4 on your card for that hole, but you can't do that as it's against the rules.

But that ruins the integrity of the game.

Getting to someone mark a round played to the rules, does not.

 

[SammmeBee]

The rules do, in the same way as there is nothing to physically stop you from taking 7 shots on a hole and writing a 4 on your card for that hole, but you can't do that as it's against the rules.

Neither is driving over the speed limit but it happens!

 

[Golfnut1957]

The rules do, in the same way as there is nothing to physically stop you from taking 7 shots on a hole and writing a 4 on your card for that hole, but you can't do that as it's against the rules.

If someone falsifies a score, uses a leather wedge or never ever loses a ball then people would have a right to feel aggrieved. However, if someone uses a loophole to submit a genuine score because they don't have the accepted means of doing so available to them, then it seems hard to fault them.
The cheats and handicap bandits are going to do their thing regardless. The honest golfer who just wants to reduce his handicap shouldn't be ostracised for doing so.
If EG think it is such a big problem surely the solution is just to tweek the app so that the marker has to be GPS located at the appropriate venue when they verify the score.