Stroke Indexes - authority to change them?

[backwoodsman]

What authority or approval, if any, does a club needs to change stroke indexes around? Can they just do it or do they need County approval or something? Reason is that we've had one hole taken out of play for major works and it's been replaced for the duration by a new, albeit temporary hole. Course has been re-measured, and we have a revised (and approved) Course Rating and Slope Rating - so we can still have qualifiers. The issue is that the hole taken out is Stroke Index 1 - one of the longest, and one of the hardest par 4s - and has been replaced by what is now the shortest, and by far easiest, par 3. Just seems a nonsense that it retains the status of SI 1. General concensus is that it would have been better to have shuffled round a couple of the SI's on the temporary card. Its a bit of a nonsense hole on which to give or receive a shot in a match.

(Ps: I'm aware of the guidelines on allocating SI's - it's not that that's in question - just whether the Club could have changed SI's had it so wanted)

 

[rulefan]

SIs are entirely down to the Club to decide. The County is not involved. It is not part of the Rating procedure.

 

[backwoodsman]

SIs are entirely down to the Club to decide. The County is not involved. It is not part of the Rating procedure.

Ta. I thought that's what the answer would be.
Is that actually written anywhere? (Ok, I know I'm asking for proof of something that likely doesn't exist ...) Reason for asking is that (I've heard) the club have said it was 'too difficult' and they 'couldn't do it without approval' and I was reasonably sure that approval wouldn't be necessary.

 

[rulefan]

I'm afraid it is as you thought. As it doesn't say anywhere that you can't, then you may.
However it certainly isn't in the Course Rating Manual.

 

[wjemather]

The guidance given in the WHS manual recommends using the hole ratings from the rating process, although obtaining this information can be like pulling teeth. However, England Golf provides a recommendation service (form download) - I don't know if other unions do the same.

And once changed, the course setup would also need updating on the WHS system.

 

[backwoodsman]

The guidance given in the WHS manual recommends using the hole ratings from the rating process, although obtaining this information can be like pulling teeth. However, England Golf provides a recommendation service (form download) - I don't know if other unions do the same.

And once changed, the course setup would also need updating on the WHS system.

Ah...
It may be this that's the issue? As it would also need to be changed back when the proper hole comes back into play. I guess they might have thought it too much of a faff to bother?

 

[wjemather]

Ah...
It may be this that's the issue? As it would also need to be changed back when the proper hole comes back into play. I guess they might have thought it too much of a faff to bother?

And don't forget changing scorecards and signage.

 

[backwoodsman]

And don't forget changing scorecards and signage.

The scorecards have all been changed anyway.

It was changing the scorecards (and printing nice new ones) that made everyone wonder why a couple of SI's weren't switched. Holes 7 & 8 were SI's 7 & 1 respectively. Would have been easy enough to print cards where holes 7 & 8 were SI's 1 & 7 respectively for the temporary arrangement. (OK, the signage at the tees would have been slightly more awkward, but still easy enough to put a temporary alteration on).