An issue has arisen at our place in recent weeks regarding members playing events with inactive handicaps, and I'm curious regarding the stance at other clubs.
Whilst we allow members to play in competitions if they have an inactive handicap, they are ineligible to win any prizes. Seems fair enough.
Last Saturday was the first knockout round in our Winter League. Our format is five rounds of BB stableford, with the best four rounds to count. The best sixteen pairs qualify for knockout.
It transpires that, having successfully made it through the BB stages, BOTH players in one of the top 16 pairs now have inactive handicaps. Despite that, they were allowed to play and won through to the last 8.
One of the defeated pair is a mate of mine and he was furious. He had actually told his opponents prior to starting that they should not be playing. His stance, and I agree, is that if they could commit to a minimum of five rounds of BB, how is it that they could not play three handicap qualifiers in the last year?
My view is very simplistic. If someone plays regular golf throughout the year, and does not make the effort to play three qualifiers to maintain an active handicap, then there is something underhand going on if they are then able to commit to several rounds in a short period. If they aren't available for club competitions then there is no reason they can't play supplementary rounds.
I have told my playing partner if we draw this pair in the last 8 I will refuse to play them. The hope is that it will force our Committee, who are ditherers at the best of times, to take a stance.
I'm curious to know everyone's individual views, and whether their clubs would have allowed this situation to arise.
Whilst we allow members to play in competitions if they have an inactive handicap, they are ineligible to win any prizes. Seems fair enough.
Last Saturday was the first knockout round in our Winter League. Our format is five rounds of BB stableford, with the best four rounds to count. The best sixteen pairs qualify for knockout.
It transpires that, having successfully made it through the BB stages, BOTH players in one of the top 16 pairs now have inactive handicaps. Despite that, they were allowed to play and won through to the last 8.
One of the defeated pair is a mate of mine and he was furious. He had actually told his opponents prior to starting that they should not be playing. His stance, and I agree, is that if they could commit to a minimum of five rounds of BB, how is it that they could not play three handicap qualifiers in the last year?
My view is very simplistic. If someone plays regular golf throughout the year, and does not make the effort to play three qualifiers to maintain an active handicap, then there is something underhand going on if they are then able to commit to several rounds in a short period. If they aren't available for club competitions then there is no reason they can't play supplementary rounds.
I have told my playing partner if we draw this pair in the last 8 I will refuse to play them. The hope is that it will force our Committee, who are ditherers at the best of times, to take a stance.
I'm curious to know everyone's individual views, and whether their clubs would have allowed this situation to arise.
