Nomads to get official handicaps

[Doh]

Most opens I know require a CHD number to be able to enter them so will nomads have to join the appropriate national governing administrator.

 

[JT.]

I presume by active handicap you mean have a WHS handicap the term active has other connotations.

Yes a WHS handicap, clearly with some safeguards around numbers of submitted rounds (I.e. a running average per month over a rolling 12 months or a minimum submission over a 12 month period to maintain)

 

[Old Skier]

Most opens I know require a CHD number to be able to enter them so will nomads have to join the appropriate national governing administrator.

Run by EG

 

[IanM]

I know. Let's follow up encouraging non competition cards to count for handicap, by allowing handicaps subject to even less scrutiny than they are now.

It doesn't actually matter as serious stuff is off scratch... but it might reduce participation in Handicap Opens more than it does Club Membership.

Clubs will allow entries from non members with Central handicaps, but will they be eligible for prizes?

 

[Old Skier]

Along with club prizes you could do, best visiting club, best nomad.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Lest we get confused this is about the sport governing bodies making some more money. They have seen their income dropping due to reducing membership and this will be a nice little earner.

 

[fundy]

Lest we get confused this is about the sport governing bodies making some more money. They have seen their income dropping due to reducing membership and this will be a nice little earner.

Maybe in your opinion, maybe they are actually able to see that it will benefit a lot of golfers. Just because most club members are against it and worried about what it may mean doesnt mean its a bad thing or a money grab

If it was that surely it would be far easier just to put the affiliation fees up!

 

[JT.]

I know. Let's follow up encouraging non competition cards to count for handicap, by allowing handicaps subject to even less scrutiny than they are now.

It doesn't actually matter as serious stuff is off scratch... but it might reduce participation in Handicap Opens more than it does Club Membership.

Clubs will allow entries from non members with Central handicaps, but will they be eligible for prizes?

A good point, but the reason I and many others play in opens is because you normally get breakfast, 18 holes and a meal afterwards for about the cost of a standard green fee. A value for money way of playing different golf courses by anyone’s estimation.

Strangely enough the only prize I’ve ever won in an open was for best nomad at The NCG Top 100 Open at Sherwood Forest this year (A series which allows nomads, although they can’t compete for the main prizes) - I won playing off what had been my official CONGU handicap 2 or 3 months previously and scoring 33 points! (Prize was a zoom laser rangefinder ?) Ironically had I been allowed to play for the main prizes I wouldn’t have won anything!

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Maybe in your opinion, maybe they are actually able to see that it will benefit a lot of golfers. Just because most club members are against it and worried about what it may mean doesnt mean its a bad thing or a money grab

If it was that surely it would be far easier just to put the affiliation fees up!

Evidence from Scotland suggests it difficult to increase the fees to make up the shortfall. Better to spread the base.

 

[rosecott]

Lest we get confused this is about the sport governing bodies making some more money. They have seen their income dropping due to reducing membership and this will be a nice little earner.

I'm not sure why you are saying this. We have to take at face value that R&A has told the National Associations that they must make provision for nomad handicaps or the R&A would step in and do it.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

I know. Let's follow up encouraging non competition cards to count for handicap, by allowing handicaps subject to even less scrutiny than they are now.

It doesn't actually matter as serious stuff is off scratch... but it might reduce participation in Handicap Opens more than it does Club Membership.

Clubs will allow entries from non members with Central handicaps, but will they be eligible for prizes?

True but the entry criteria is based on handicap index. With the scrapping of supplementary score restrictions it's now possible for a + handicap to be obtained without ever playing a competitive strokeplay event.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

I'm not sure why you are saying this. We have to take at face value that R&A has told the National Associations that they must make provision for nomad handicaps or the R&A would step in and do it.

England Golf rejected this concept 12 months or so ago. If they didn't believe it then, what's changed?

You are right the R&A have bounced them into this but if they had a fundamental objection they could refuse to participate. By not doing so they will see this as a way of providing a significant increase in income for only minor modification of the My England Golf app to allow score entry.

I'm not a luddite and understand things change - I'm just disappointed that the introduction of the WHS framework and decisions such as this one have fundamentally undermined the basic concept of our game which is the ability of people to play against each other on a level (ish) playing field.

The direction of travel is to allow people to have a handicap based very loosely on their ability and more on their desired competitive position, which is a change and one we will have to get used to.

I just fear for some club's existance and things like open tournaments which many people currently enjoy.

 

[ScienceBoy]

This will certainly open up options for a small subsection of golfers.

It really only appeals to two groups. Firstly to those who have a club membership but only for the purpose of needing a handicap to enter competitions away from their home club. I doubt this is a large section of golfers so won’t hurt club membership hugely but will be quantifiable for sure.

The second are those who want to play in competitions but can’t afford a club membership.

I don’t see memberships ending in droves, I don’t see clubs going under because of this but I do foresee a challenge for clubs going forward, it is another option to compete with and they will have to react or a market will appear and someone else will make money from it I am sure.

 

[PJ87]

Imo every golfer should get a handicap .. if they offer free insurance like they do for us that will get a lot of customers who use insurance etc

My mate was very happy when I told him he plays all over England but doesn't have handicap doesn't want to play just one course all time .. spends more than a membership elsewhere for sure .. infact we compared once I play as much for half cost

 

[rulefan]

We have to take at face value that R&A has told the National Associations that they must make provision for nomad handicaps or the R&A would step in and do it.

I'm not sure how the R&A would enforce this if clubs in England (or elsewhere for that matter) found that is was affecting their income. If all clubs followed an EG lead and wouldn't allow nomads to play Qs on their course and not enter opens, how would nomads get handicaps. Would the R&A simply deny EG or a club the right to operate the WHS?

In practice IMO it will do very little for anyone and everyone.

 

[Junior]

So in the poll thread there is a large majority of golfers who won't leave their clubs to take up nomad membership.

My first thought was thatmembers would leave, and it was a bad thing, but now I'm thinking it might attract people to the game, generate revenue for clubs and also make clubs do more to entice and retain members.

As for the banditry, the people who do this already exist and are most likely members of municipal courses. At least this way there may be an increased focus on how to tackle it.

 

[HampshireHog]

I can’t see it will be viewed exactly the same as club handicap. But I see it a positive move.

Great for those who play regularly and can use EG to track their performance and their mates to get a handicap. Also great for those who join a club and it doesn’t require them to put in x number of cards to get a handicap that reflects their abilities.

 

[Old Skier]

Maybe in your opinion, maybe they are actually able to see that it will benefit a lot of golfers. Just because most club members are against it and worried about what it may mean doesnt mean its a bad thing or a money grab

If it was that surely it would be far easier just to put the affiliation fees up!

They have been forced down this route by the R&A who would have taken it on if EG hadn’t.

 

[rulefan]

Just a thought. If the R&A took it on they would have to acquire the specific software to collect scores and update the WHS directly from the player's app. This being on a phone, as presumably, non-club members would not have access to PC competition or general play score management facilities. This no doubt would have to be worldwide as the R&A could not discriminate by country. At present there are multiple nationally based WHS databases which don't yet communicate with each other. So each country would have to have its own app.
I appreciate that the US already seem to cope with this sort of situation but they only have one WHS database to interface with.

At present, clubs bear the costs of the WHS. Presumably, 'nomads' would pay the R&A directly.
If EG (and the other national unions) take it on, they could simply set up a "club" called 'The Nomadic Golf Club'. The subscriptions to which would pay for the extra staff member needed to act as Handicap Secretary for these hundreds (thousands?) of Members.

Incidentally, some of us will remember the EGU's (as was) Associate Member scheme that lasted all of a couple of years.
PD. Was that an 'average' handicap system?

 

[howbow88]

Just to clear up...

If I took this option, then would I just add my scorecards from playing with my mates (maybe to the app?) and my handicap index will be updated accordingly?