Official Society Handicaps

[LCVreg]

With the continueing decline of membership in clubs, and the fact that more and more players are wanting social and society golf, isn't it about time that the powers that be (Congu) start looking at allowing properly organised Golf Societies to operate the official handicap scheme exactly as per clubs. By properly organised I mean having the same type of officials, the same rules, the same software, and be members also of the "home" county union, paying also the same fees. This I am sure would be a win win situation and would stop the decline in the number of people playing due usually to the outlandish sums that are asked for to join a club - thoughts Gents (oh now we are all the same, Ladies!)

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Why would a society need "official HC" if they are just playing in societies as opposed to qualfiying comps ?

Isn't the whole idea about being in a society to play relaxed golf in a friendly environment on courses new to the people as opposed to adding on the extra weight of the HC being official

Also it allows organisers to try different types of games etc

The societies I play in most if not all are already members of a club anyway with other societies being a one off day.

I personally don't see the need - either social and society or official and competitive ?

 

[KenL]

I say no! We need to keep people as members of clubs. The game, as we know it, would soon die off without club members.

Society golf is for fun & bandits!

 

[LCVreg]

There are more bandits in clubs than in properly organised societies!

 

[patricks148]

I say no! We need to keep people as members of clubs. The game, as we know it, would soon die off without club members.

Society golf is for fun & bandits!

we don't have many if any Society's up here, most people who play golf are club members around here.

not sure its a good idea, would be another nail in the coffin of golf clubs elsewhere i would imagine.

 

[LCVreg]

Love the area, but sadly, not representative of the majority of golfers

 

[LCVreg]

The old bugbear, you are not a "real golfer" if you do not have an official handicap - Victorian values that I for one am trying to change

 

[Deleted member 15344]

There are more bandits in clubs than in properly organised societies!

What's a properly organised society as opposed to your average normal run of the mill society ?

Why does a society need to official HC if not playing in HC qualfiying comps

 

[LCVreg]

A lot including running the same systems as clubs - all society meetings would be handicap qualifiers - and there would be a 100% take up by members unlike the average 35% that club competitions attract

 

[Old Skier]

With the continueing decline of membership in clubs, and the fact that more and more players are wanting social and society golf, isn't it about time that the powers that be (Congu) start looking at allowing properly organised Golf Societies to operate the official handicap scheme exactly as per clubs.

You mean like ------------- being in a golf club

 

[Hobbit]

There are more bandits in clubs than in properly organised societies!

Rubbish!

I ran a society for several years that operated a proper handicapping system. It was impossible for the handicaps to truly reflect the players ability as comps/meets weren't as frequent as golf club competitions. Players might play every week, seeing the ability improve or decline, but a once a month card for handicapping purposes just doesn't work. It's not the players fault, it's purely down to how often cards are put before the society sec.

Personally, I stopped playing society golf as pretty much every outing I'd need to shoot at least a course record to stand a chance of a prize.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

A lot including running the same systems as clubs - all society meetings would be handicap qualifiers - and there would be a 100% take up by members unlike the average 35% that club competitions attract

Why would someone play in a society meeting and have it as a HC qualifier ? that takes away the whole idea of is being a Society.

Make Society meets qualifiers and societies would disappear.

Again why does a society need to have officials HC and the meets qualifiers ?

 

[LCVreg]

Yep, but with the added attraction of playing many clubs, off whites, and all official, and still paying EGU and County fees, - One club membership is not everyones cup of tee, and the old adage of having to join a club to get an official handicap is dying very quickly!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Yep, but with the added attraction of playing many clubs, off whites, and all official, and still paying EGU and County fees, - One club membership is not everyones cup of tee, and the old adage of having to join a club to get an official handicap is dying very quickly!

It's not dying at all - you can only have an official HC being a member of an affiliated club - that hasn't changed so how is it dying ? EGU and Congu won't change that at all.

Surely it's up to the clubs to decide what tees you play off not the society and I don't expect many clubs will allow any society to play qualifying comps on their course

 

[fundy]

I can see the sense of this for a small portion of societies (and the likelihoood would be that some got created if this was possible), I dont think it would be suitable for how many current societies are run.

It would work where you had a group of guys who didnt want to be tied to one club but still wanted to play competitively and have an official handicap to allow them to enter open comps etc

Would have an initial negative effect on certainly some clubs (not that that on its own makes it wrong)

 

[LCVreg]

You obviously have not seen the official figures over the past two years - so what is wrong with an affiliated society offering handicaps? - One society that I run has played over 350 events since 1988 @ 15 per year, averaging 25 per meeting, and I can assure you that the members handicaps are a darn site more accurate that their club handicaps. And its all types of clubs, we play, which has included St andrews New & Old, Sillouth, RND, Saunton, Wentworth, Canmberley Heath, West Hill, Broadstone, remedy Oak.................shall I go on?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

You obviously have not seen the official figures over the past two years - so what is wrong with an affiliated society offering handicaps? - One society that I run has played over 350 events since 1988 @ 15 per year, averaging 25 per meeting, and I can assure you that the members handicaps are a darn site more accurate that their club handicaps. And its all types of clubs, we play, which has included St andrews New & Old, Sillouth, RND, Saunton, Wentworth, Canmberley Heath, West Hill, Broadstone, remedy Oak.................shall I go on?

What official figures are they - you said "old adage of joining a club to gain an official HC is dying" - how is it "dying" when it's the only way to gain a HC ?

Excellent list of courses - I have played them both in socities and opens and enjoyed them - your point being ?

Why does the HC need to be "official" if you society are just playing society meets and the HC is "more accurate" - why the need to make it official ? Does a member need an official HC to join your society ?

 

[fundy]

What official figures are they - you said "old adage of joining a club to gain an official HC is dying" - how is it "dying" when it's the only way to gain a HC ?

Excellent list of courses - I have played them both in socities and opens and enjoyed them - your point being ?

Why does the HC need to be "official" if you society are just playing society meets and the HC is "more accurate" - why the need to make it official ? Does a member need an official HC to join your society ?

You could very easily reverse the question Phil and ask why is the only way to get an official handicap to be a full time member of a club? Theres definitely a lot of golfers out there who arent members of a club but that would like an alternative (and potentially cheaper) way of having and maintaining an official handicap, able to enter national comps, matchplays, opens etc

 

[Deleted member 15344]

You could very easily reverse the question Phil and ask why is the only way to get an official handicap to be a full time member of a club? Theres definitely a lot of golfers out there who arent members of a club but that would like an alternative (and potentially cheaper) way of having and maintaining an official handicap, able to enter national comps, matchplays, opens etc

Because the golf club is where the future stars get nurtured - the golf clubs are the life and breath of the game. The clubs need members and regular people paying to keep them alive and to keep the game alive in th country. There are lots of cheap ways to play golf and join a club cheaply to gain an official HC.

The EGU and other governing bodies are never going to put something in place that could and IMO would damage the game of golf. If someone wants to enter opens and national comps then the entry criteria is there for a reason.

 

[Oxfordcomma]

I can assure you that the members handicaps are a darn site more accurate that their club handicaps.

I'm interested in that bit - if the members' society Hcaps are more accurate, are you applying deeper cuts for winning and also letting people rise more quickly? I've played with groups before that will chop a couple of shots off a playing handicap for coming first, hitting 40 pts, etc.

I can see where you're coming from but I don't see what you're gaining here. If you're applying the same criteria as CONGU to your handicap changes, but your society handicaps are more accurate, then you've surely got some members protecting their club (official) handicaps? Or, if you're applying different rules to get them more accurate, you lose that if you're allowed to affiliate?