Inactive - 3 comps rule..?

[shabbanero]

Hi,

My club told me this year that my handicap was inactive. They said I need to get 3 cards in, and that suplementary cards count. So I played 2 comps, and put a suplementary card in, and believed I was now eligible for comps. I'd had this confirmed by the assistant pro and the acting handicap secretary.

I happened to win the medal at the weekend, but have now been told that the club have a 'local rule' which means that the suplementary card didn't count, and that I wasn't eligible.

I feel that this is pretty harsh, and wondered if they're acting correctly, or not?

Thanks v much

 

[d2cko]

I was under the impression that the 3 cards had to be in qualifying competitions within the last 12 months.

Saying that, the club should stick by what they told you initially. You've been hard done by but only because they messed up by telling you you could stick a supplementary card in!

 

[duncan mackie]

which club? I ask because there are different rules across the golf unions. however, the general principle is that after having completed the 3 cards (which would definitely include supplementals) your handicap is active again - what handicap and the effect of the cards would depend on the above question!

Then, as to any Local Rule, this will be in the club rules, maybe CoC (Conditions of competition) and will of course be written down for you to check.

 

[rosecott]

In terms of handicaps, Supplementaries carry exactly the same weight as competing in a qualifier.

 

[shabbanero]

Thanks for getting back to me. Its a club in Nottinghamshire. I'll ask to see this local rule I think.

 

[duncan mackie]

Thanks for getting back to me. Its a club in Nottinghamshire. I'll ask to see this local rule I think.

in this case your previous exact handicap would be adjusted to the 3 cards in the same way as if you had played competitions and the result would be your new, active, handicap.

Look forward to hearing what you find out - such issues are, quite frankly, undermining the system as a whole IMO

 

[Region3]

As others have said, the 3 cards (including the supplemental) should make your handicap active again, but there may be a club rule (as there is at ours) that in order to be eligible to win a competition, you must have played in 3 handicap qualifying competitions in the previous 12 months.

 

[chrisd]

I think that it's even more unfair on you, as you actually have a handicap and were only making it active again, as opposed to a new handicap and then going out and blitzing a comp which some clubs have various rules to stop.

 

[Losttheplot]

As others have said, the 3 cards (including the supplemental) should make your handicap active again, but there may be a club rule (as there is at ours) that in order to be eligible to win a competition, you must have played in 3 handicap qualifying competitions in the previous 12 months.

I think the ruling that you have to play 3 competitions after you've already done 3 cards for your handicap before your 'allowed' to win one is quite harsh.
I know personally that I struggle to make it to a lot of competitions due to work and family commitments and I bet I'm not the only one in this position so thank god it's not like this at my new club.

I handed my 3 cards in, got my handicap fully active n all and I can enter comps and compete knowing if I was to win it wouldn't be taken from me.

 

[woody69]

Why would a club behave in such a way? What do they have to gain by telling you this? Surely it is in their interests to keep you, the member happy otherwise you'd take your business elsewhere? Very odd.

 

[North Mimms]

I assume that since you can't win these comps, since your hcp is inactive, you shouldn't pay an entry fee.
Is that the case?

 

[duncan mackie]

Why would a club behave in such a way? What do they have to gain by telling you this? Surely it is in their interests to keep you, the member happy otherwise you'd take your business elsewhere? Very odd.

whilst there is some scope for a little confusion here, on the basis of what's been posted I agree.

the scope is around historic qualification for club major/trophy events - long before active/inactive came in. many clubs had a rule that a club member had to have played in a number of club events (frequently 3) in the previous 12 months in order to be eligible for such events as Captains Day etc - in many ways it was the club pre-empting the concept of an active, up to date, handicap.

when the new system bought in active/in-active there was a consideration of whether to drop any previous rules and just go with active handicaps; some clubs did, many didn't. personally I think such rules are appropriate for a number of reasons in this context - but I can see the other side of the coin.

however, to require someone to have played in 3 Q comps in order to compete in any level of Q comp seems to me to be going far to far - and I'm not even sure I understand the why either! we, and some others I understand, go the other way completely, and you can play and win a normal comp with an inactive handicap Given that there's no actual requirement to compete in any competions to retain an active handicap this seems more logical to us.

 

[shabbanero]

Hi, thanks for the responses and the advice everyone.

I spoke with a couple of the guys on the committee and apparently the rule about playing 3 comps is written down, and I was just mis-advised previously regarding the suplementary card. So nothing I can do except try to win the next one.

Thanks again.