The EGA did WHAT?

I know - I know ... I should probably have posted in the handicap or rules section, but I think this has broader impact.


Starting january 1st 2008, the EGA handicap system allows handicaps to be adjusted over 9 holes of play all the way to handicap 18,4 (previously 36).

Why this change?

To get to 18,4 from my current 22 hcp, I would have to play 18 holes on my home course in appx 85 shots. That's 9 shots better than my best round.

But if I look at my rounds in the 2007 season and split them into rounds of 9 holes instead of 18, I have rounds up to 25 points, and over the season, I would have reached that 18,4 handicap mark.

In tournament play - over 18 holes - I would then be given fewer strokes, leaving me without a chance of playing to my handicap (and winning). That sucks.

Even worse, handicap levels are often used to restrict access to courses for a diversity of reasons - one being the number of members in the club v. the numbers of players on the course.

Now - let me just make this one thing clear - I'm ALL FOR letting people play. Everybody starts out a beginner, and only improve by actually playing the game. So I don't mind beginners on the course at all.

But in Denmark, golf as a sport has really taken off these last 5-10 years, and the courses are PACKED with 4-balls all day long. I'm sure everybody here have experienced those days, where 18 holes is a 5 hour pleasure because the course is completely congested. There really ARE valid reasons for putting handicap restrictions on course play.

Now - some might argue, that these new regulations will move a lot of people OFF the 18-hole courses and onto the - often empty - 9-hole courses. I'll argue that no such thing will happen.

At my club, we have both an 18-hole course and a 9-hole course (actually 3 9-hole layouts that we shuffle into one 18 and one 9), and NOBODY plays the 9-hole course. NOBODY. Not even people with 37+ handicaps. They all wait for the parts of the week where they are allowed to play the 18-hole course and jam a billion people in there.

My guess is, that what will happen will be high-handicappers playing the 18-hole course as 2x9, quickly dropping below the handicap restriction and jamming the course all week.

Hello 6-hour rounds!

Is this really what we want?


Alternatively, every handicap restriction in the world must be adjusted to the new handicap levels. Non-european courses will be swarming with european people with a registered handicap way lower than the local player with the same handicap (rated over 18 holes), and non-european players will find it hard to play in europe due to some pretty agressive handicap restrictions.

Does this really make sense?

__________________
//Mox
2008 bag:
Mizuno MX-500 460cc 10.5* Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 stiff. (about to be replaced by MP-600 10,5* UST Proforce V2 stiff)
Mizuno F-50 3w 15* Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 stiff.
Wilson Deep Red 5w 18* Graphalloy Fatshaft stiff
Cleveland HALO 3i hybrid 22* graphite regular
Mizuno MP-60e forged 5i-PW True Temper Dynamic gold R300 steel
Mizuno MP Black OX raw haze 50/6 GW, 54/9 SW, 58/10 LW
Heavy Putter B3-M
Titleist NXT Extreme

I think you might be over reacting Mox; the link and PDF on the web page give more details.

9 Hole Qualifying Competitions - English Golf Union

The idea is to allow time pressed people expecially in winter maintain their handicap in 9 hole competition rounds played at their EGU affililiiated (Congu) club.

From what I've read there's no way you can pick your best 9 out of 18 for handicap purposes (i.e. adding a good 9 25 points to to a neutral 18 to make 43 and dropping the rubbish 9 point back 9) and certainly no compulsion to play 9-holers in the first place.

In any case I'd place a small wager that only a very very small minority of high handicappers would get that 25 points over 9 on a consistent basis faced with playing only 9 - that's why we are high cappers - so I doubt if handicaps would plummet.

As a matter of interest, and I expect this just displays my ignorance of handicapping, I can see why a best round of 94 would give you a 22 hcap but why would 85 only take you down to 18 not 13?

In the end this change requires clubs,. no put it another way, allows clubs to run a limited number of 9 hole qualifying comps and I'm not sure that many would be bothered.

__________________
I firmly believe that we should try to experience all that life affords, except, perhaps, bestiality and of course Morris Dancing.

Sorry - but that is not what I'm talking about.

You are referring to the EGU - I'm talking about the EGA - The European Golf Association and the new EGA handicapping regulations, found here.

To be exact, it's section 17 in the document.

17.3 (iii) states that 9-hole scores are qulifying scores for handicapping for all other categories but 1 & 2, and that the national associations can choose to make 9-hole scores ineligible at their own discretion, but in the EGA regulation, categories 3, 4 and 5 can adjust handicaps based on 9-hole scores.

That means, that above handicap 18,4 you can play an 18-hole course as the combination of 2 9-hole courses, as long as the Slope and Course Rating of each 9-hole course are known.

Of course, that also means, that if you score more than 18 stableford on the front 9, you have to adjust your handicap accordingly before playing the back 9.

So, no - you can't pick your best 9 out of 18, but you CAN pick your front 9 or back 9, without submitting your 18-hole score.



Regarding the scores, the handicap is not a 1-to-1 adjustment below handicap 36, so if you shoot 85 from a 22 handicap, and that results in, say, 44 stableford points, your handicap will not drop by 8 points, but by 8 times a factor of regulation relating to your handicap category. That factor at hcp 22 is 0,4 - so 8 x 0,4 (total of 3,2) is how much you'll be adjusted.

__________________
//Mox
2008 bag:
Mizuno MX-500 460cc 10.5* Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 stiff. (about to be replaced by MP-600 10,5* UST Proforce V2 stiff)
Mizuno F-50 3w 15* Fujikura Tour Platform 26.3 stiff.
Wilson Deep Red 5w 18* Graphalloy Fatshaft stiff
Cleveland HALO 3i hybrid 22* graphite regular
Mizuno MP-60e forged 5i-PW True Temper Dynamic gold R300 steel
Mizuno MP Black OX raw haze 50/6 GW, 54/9 SW, 58/10 LW
Heavy Putter B3-M
Titleist NXT Extreme

Better put my reading glasses on next time

Fair enough it does look a bit daft.

And thanks for the hcap explanation.