Running Handicap Committees

[NearHull]

I am expecting to Chair our Handicap Committee next year. I have been playing for over 25 years and have been a member at four clubs where I have been involved in various levels of organising groups/committees. However, until now, I have not been directly involved in Handicap management.
I have followed the WHS implementation keenly and have helped out with ratings. I have read the EG pages on Handicap Committees amongst others. I am starting off by rewriting the Competition T & Cs particularly wrt the impacts from WHS.
I would appreciate any advice from experienced members.

 

[Captainron]

From many years if posts on here it looks like the normal way of doing it is to run it like it’s your own little kingdom. You’re answerable to nobody and your word is law!

Go get ‘em champ

 

[jim8flog]

One of the hardest things I found with a committee of 5 members was finding a day and time to suit all.

It is not important that all members are au fait with the Rules of Handicapping so long as one or two are.

We aim for a spectrum of members - chair appointed by the captain's committee, one from men's seniors one from the ladies one from a younger grouping (hard to get had to settle on a 49 year old) and someone responsible for club admin.

Funny enough it was from rewriting the club handbook on all matters competition, course procedures and LRs that I ended up on the committee.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

From many years if posts on here it looks like the normal way of doing it is to run it like it’s your own little kingdom. You’re answerable to nobody and your word is law!

Go get ‘em champ

What are the laws on ivory to build that tower??

Thankless task and really appreciative of the time and effort people put in at clubs up and down the country. Hopefully a few helpers would ease the burden but be prepared to be sort out by members every time you step forth at the club

 

[Yorkshire Hacker]

Remind me please fellow forum members.....is it a requirement of WHS to have a handicap committee?
I ask, because we haven't had one for quite some years.
I think the answer is a resounding "yes", and on that basis, I will be sending a fairly forthright e-mail to our Director of Golf, when I hear your responses.

 

[rulefan]

We have very tight structure.
The General Manager (a Member) is C'ee chair and 'Men's Sec'. A lady (nominated by ladies' section) is 'Ladies Sec'. Both do the relevant technical admin. Setting up and publishing all competition details etc.
The pro runs men's comps on the day, collects and manages cards (or electronic scoring now).
Lady Captain and/or Ladies' Sec manage comps on the day.
I am responsible for Rules and Handicap issues unless they are non-contentious, when the pro (very rules savvy) deals with them on the run.
I, the GM and another man (co-opted for the purpose) do the Annual Review. The two ladies and a co-opted lady do theirs.
We meet once a month - on Zoom currently.

 

[rulefan]

Remind me please fellow forum members.....is it a requirement of WHS to have a handicap committee?
I ask, because we haven't had one for quite some years.
I think the answer is a resounding "yes", and on that basis, I will be sending a fairly forthright e-mail to our Director of Golf, when I hear your responses.

Yes. It is detailed in Appendix A of the Rules of Handicapping. In addition to that, I'm pretty sure the CONGU requirements still hold good.

 

[sunshine]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is a handicap committee and what is its purpose?

 

[Old Skier]

I am expecting to Chair our Handicap Committee next year. I have been playing for over 25 years and have been a member at four clubs where I have been involved in various levels of organising groups/committees. However, until now, I have not been directly involved in Handicap management.
I have followed the WHS implementation keenly and have helped out with ratings. I have read the EG pages on Handicap Committees amongst others. I am starting off by rewriting the Competition T & Cs particularly wrt the impacts from WHS.
I would appreciate any advice from experienced members.

Been doing this for a number of years and if there is any advise you need it is not to be afraid to delegate. Taking on the tasks of rewriting T&Cs should be done in conjunction with the whole team and the various sections.

When it comes to reviews of handicaps make sure its done with ALL the committee you have at your disposal. Have to disagree with @rulefan allowing sections do their own thing as it leads to a non standard approach IMO and clubs need to use what works for them.

Rule Number 1: You will get somethings wrong
Rule Number 2: Don't worry about it there will always be someone who knows better - but most probably wont put themselves in the firing line and join a committee.

 

[Old Skier]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is a handicap committee and what is its purpose?

To be abused by the playing membership who all know better. Are you a club member, you should know who yours are, have a chat with them, some time come out of the tower to receive a bribe from someone to skew their HC

 

[jim8flog]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is a handicap committee and what is its purpose?

The purpose of the Handicap Committee is to ensure the club abides by the Rules of Handicapping which part of the condition to be an affiliated club.

They carry out all handicap reviews - Annual Review (which is mandatory), player requested reviews (also mandatory with the WHS), check when others complain about a particular players handicap ( I have never changed anybody's handicap on that basis) monitor newly handicapped players not needed so much with the WHS .

 

[sunshine]

The purpose of the Handicap Committee is to ensure the club abides by the Rules of Handicapping which part of the condition to be an affiliated club.

They carry out all handicap reviews - Annual Review (which is mandatory), player requested reviews (also mandatory with the WHS), check when others complain about a particular players handicap ( I have never changed anybody's handicap on that basis) monitor newly handicapped players not needed so much with the WHS .

Thanks. I assume the scoring software highlights most of this? (apart from the human element of dealing with moaners etc!)

 

[Liverbirdie]

Remind me please fellow forum members.....is it a requirement of WHS to have a handicap committee?
I ask, because we haven't had one for quite some years.
I think the answer is a resounding "yes", and on that basis, I will be sending a fairly forthright e-mail to our Director of Golf, when I hear your responses.

TBH most are still called handicap committees, but they are mainly a competitions committee, with a small part of it handicaps nowadays.

 

[jim8flog]

TBH most are still called handicap committees, but they are mainly a competitions committee, with a small part of it handicaps nowadays.

We are very much like that.

 

[jim8flog]

Thanks. I assume the scoring software highlights most of this? (apart from the human element of dealing with moaners etc!)

Prior to the WHS the annual review had software generated recommendations. The committees function was to review the recommendation approve, increase decrease or decline.

Prior to the WHS we also carried out a Continuous Review. This was a list of players with 7 0.1 increases in a row.

 

[rulefan]

When it comes to reviews of handicaps make sure its done with ALL the committee you have at your disposal. Have to disagree with @rulefan allowing sections do their own thing as it leads to a non standard approach IMO and clubs need to use what works for them.

In my 20 year experience of being variously a member, sec or chair of a H&C committee I have never found it really worthwhile having mixed gender review teams. We have found that the AR itself is pretty good at spotting potential targets. But a team member of the opposite gender virtually never made a significant contribution to a review of an individual player as they rarely had any experience of their play. With any handicap review, knowledge of the player is paramount.

I agree with others, that handicapping is becoming a smaller element of the work and believe that WHS (once the bugs are sorted) will reduce it further.
But explaining slope will be the biggest task

 

[jim8flog]

. With any handicap review, knowledge of the player is paramount.

Not exactly possible with a membership of nearly 800. We very much have to be guided by a players handicap record rather than personal knowledge.

We always have a lady on the committee because they generally have good knowledge of the lady players because we do not have a great many lady members in comparison to the men.