CONGU UHS

CONGU Unified Handicapping System

Fundamental Principles

The Unified Handicapping System is based on three fundamental premises:

• Every player will endeavour to make the best score he/she can at each hole in every qualifying round he plays and will report all such rounds for handicap purposes.

• Every golf club or handicapping authority will, whenever possible run Stroke Play competitions as qualifying competitions for handicap purposes, calculating a Competition Scratch Score (CSS) and making all handicap adjustments strictly in accordance with the CONGU Unified Handicapping System.

• Every player will return a sufficient number of qualifying scores to provide reasonable evidence of his/her current ability.

Background and History of Handicapping within GB&I

To reference a brief history of the governance of handicapping within GB&I amateur golf, and the current Handicapping Authorities please see the Related Documents.

How to obtain an official CONGU® Handicap

For details on how you can obtain an official CONGU® Handicap, please see the Related Documents.

Nine-Hole Qualifying Competitions

Addressing today’s changing business, family and social lifestyles that restrict many players from maintaining a handicap reflective of their current golfing ability, the 2008-2011 CONGU Unified Handicapping System introduces Nine-Hole Qualifying Competitions to take account of these modern day pressures. For details on how these competitions operate, please see the Related Documents.

Stableford / Nett Double Bogey Handicap Adjustments

An adjustment that limits the maximum score that can be recorded for handicapping purposes at any given hole. Please see the Related Documents for details of the intent of this adjustment and how it operates in practice.

Events in which Competitors play from different sets of tees

Many composite forms of golf are played today – mixed gender competitions, adult and junior, member and senior member etc. Please see the Related Documentsfor an outline on how to establish a fair and equitable basis for all competitors to compete against one another, when playing from different sets of tees.

Handicap Adjustments in relation to Disqualified Scores

Under certain conditions, Disqualified scores may still be acceptable for handicap adjustment purposes. For details on when handicap adjustments are and are not applicable please see the Related Documents.

Handicaps for Juniors

The CONGU Unified Handicapping System recognises the need to encourage and incentivise junior members’ active participation in the game of golf and to measure their progression within the game, particularly in a player’s early years. A series of recommendations have therefore been incorporated into the 2008-2011 CONGU Unified Handicapping System relating to handicaps for juniors that have been designed to encourage early development within the game. Please see the Related Documents for details.

Handicap Allowances

To access handicap allowances for various formats of the game, please see the Related Documents.

Stroke Indices

Rule of Golf 33-4 requires Golf Club Committees to “publish a table indicating the order of holes at which handicap strokes are to be given or received.” Please see the Related Documents for a list of the recommended principles aimed at providing a consistent application of stroke indices across Scottish golf.