Non Qualifiers.

[Beechwood070552]

I am wondering if any other Clubs are running Non Qualifying Competitions? My understanding was that all Singles Competitions are effectively Qualifiers as the scores are registered against your Handicap Index. It seems at my Club some Members don't want the "pressure" of having to submit a card every time they ply. My answer to them is dont enter Competitions. Interested to hear any views on the subject,

 

[Lord Tyrion]

We run non qualifying comps from when the clocks go back to when they go forward again. In effect, all of winter. As your other members put it, non pressure golf. Always Stableford.

I remember from other similar threads that quite a few other places do the same.

 

[Beechwood070552]

Ok I assume you pay an entry fee for the NQ Competition and any winning scores over 36 points are not recorded against a Players Handicap? So, under the new WHS are you saying that your Handicap Index is effectively frozen for the Winter? I don't think the Intent was to have a Winter and Summer Handicap.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

It effectively becomes a sweep rather a qualifier. In past years you have a summer and a winter handicap. Come winter your handicap can go up or down as normal depending on your scores but come April it goes back to where you were when we changed. We have only just started up again and the weather closed the course last week so I don't know if they have changed the set up this year. I have not heard anything to suggest they have and they would normally email the members if that was the case. It is quite a change to how they run the comps so I would have expected it.

I have not heard anyone demanding winter qualifiers, we are used to playing this way, so unless the club is specifically told to change I see no reason why they would alter things. Members are happy with it.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I am wondering if any other Clubs are running Non Qualifying Competitions? My understanding was that all Singles Competitions are effectively Qualifiers as the scores are registered against your Handicap Index. It seems at my Club some Members don't want the "pressure" of having to submit a card every time they ply. My answer to them is dont enter Competitions. Interested to hear any views on the subject,

We had an extensive discussion on here on this topic a couple of months back...linked to such as friendly comps/roll-ups etc

My view changed. I was like your members who didn't want the pressure of having a card in hand every time they play in a club comp - they don't but that's not the point I'll make.

My thinking changed when I realised that the whole 'Qualifying Round' thing has changed - I just had to change my thinking.

Previously every time I had a card in my hand the result of that round mattered to the that extent that it could have an immediate impact on my handicap. Under then I got cut, Over the buffer I went up. And so there was always that pressure. Maybe I didn't want to go Up/Down - whichever, whatever.

However - new system. Best 8 from 20. Now all I think is that when I do a card in a 'qualifying' comp it is just a card for a round that I fling into a pot with 19 other cards...

If it turns out to be better than my worst of the 8 then my HI will improve a little (mostly a very little). Otherwise it'll not make any difference. In time it might. But by then I'll have forgotten about the round.

With this thinking the importance of having a card in hand and it 'counting' diminishes as the impact of any one card is diluted. And quite frankly I am not going to bother checking my best 8 from previous 19 before every round and go out to play knowing what my 8th best is. After the round my card will just be chucked into my pot - it'll become just one of twenty - and what will be will be.

 

[wjemather]

I am wondering if any other Clubs are running Non Qualifying Competitions? My understanding was that all Singles Competitions are effectively Qualifiers as the scores are registered against your Handicap Index. It seems at my Club some Members don't want the "pressure" of having to submit a card every time they ply. My answer to them is dont enter Competitions. Interested to hear any views on the subject,

The rules of handicapping, and CONGU's guidance, make it clear that all scores from competitions using an approved format and held on a rated course must be submitted for handicapping.
So in old money, all such competitions must be regarded as "qualifiers".
There is also no such thing as "winter handicaps" under WHS.

 

[jim8flog]

Virtually all of our winter competitions are optional and are qualifiers if the course conditions allow it i.e. there are no more than 2 temporary greens.

When it comes to winter golf a lot of courses have Local Rules that make them non qualifying e.g. lift ball off the fairway and place in the first cut
Plus there are a lot of courses that change the set up ie. winter tees and greens and the changed course has not been given any ratings.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Does preferred lies impact? We have them throughout winter.

 

[backwoodsman]

Does preferred lies impact? We have them throughout winter.

Only impacts if its extended beyond the areas permitted by the local rule. We're thinking of bringing it in to cover the whole of the general area - which would put things outside of Qualifying

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Only impacts if its extended beyond the areas permitted by the local rule. We're thinking of bringing it in to cover the whole of the general area - which would put things outside of Qualifying

I think that must be the clincher for us. I think the phrase they use is pick and place through the green. I might be wrong about the phrase but that would give us the reason to be NQ.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Most of our members are simply happy given the wet conditions to play social rounds and concede a few putts to make it a N/Q. We still have qualifying conditions off the yellows so plenty of opportunity to put cards in and players still have the option to put a supplementary in if they so desire

 

[jim8flog]

I think that must be the clincher for us. I think the phrase they use is pick and place through the green. I might be wrong about the phrase but that would give us the reason to be NQ.

About time they changed the wording, it changed Jan 2019

The wording would not really change the status as long as it restricts it areas cut to fairway height or less

Extract of the new LR E-3

"When a player's ball lies in a part of the general area cut to fairway height or less [or identify a specific area such as 'on the fairway of the 6th hole'], the player may take free relief once by placing the original ball or another ball in and playing it from this relief area:

 

[Vikingman]

We have always played lift and place through the green (general area) non qualifers through the winter.

Being relatively new to the handicapping/comps side of things and having read the WHS data which seemed pretty keen on playing as many qualifying comps as possible I took it up with my local county association.

The feedback I had was if you are lifting outside closely mown areas, for it to be a qualifying competition the ball must be placed back in exactly the same spot. Not lifted and placed six inches away.

However I was also told, "use common sense". Ask yourself "Should you really be playing qualifiers if the course is not in the best of condition"

 

[rulefan]

Swingit got it right. People were afraid of their handicap going up as a result of a bad card. But now bad scores are very unlikely to have any effect unless the best 8 were ages ago.
Further, unless conditions are dreadful and it is impossible to play even with the CONGU dispensations why shouldn't scores be used for handicap purposes. Golf is an all seasons game - so handicaps should be also.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

We didn’t used to have qualifiers in winter. But now, if it’s an individual competition, it’s a qualifier.
So not many people actually enter them.

 

[rulefan]

We didn’t used to have qualifiers in winter. But now, if it’s an individual competition, it’s a qualifier.
So not many people actually enter them.

Only those who are not Vanity handicappers presumably.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Only those who are not Vanity handicappers presumably.

Those that just enjoy getting out for a friendly knock, preferably a bit of matchplay, when the course is boggy and light is short.

Our winter league is always 4BBB or AmAms etc

 

[backwoodsman]

Only impacts if its extended beyond the areas permitted by the local rule. We're thinking of bringing it in to cover the whole of the general area - which would put things outside of Qualifying

I'd add that we're only thinking of it to protect the course - its an unfortunate consequence that it affects qualifying status (which we'd prefer to keep if we could).

 

[rulefan]

I'd add that we're only thinking of it to protect the course - its an unfortunate consequence that it affects qualifying status (which we'd prefer to keep if we could).

Why not go for mats? We introduced them a few years ago. Only one or two members still object but all other objectors have been converted.

 

[greenone]

Non qualifiers & winter handicaps though the winter as the course isn't rated off the winter tees. Doesn't make much difference to me but some shorter hitters complain it plays too long at this time of the year.