Handicap Committee Notice to Members

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Golf Canada requires that a Member Club, which uses the Golf Canada Handicap System, must have a formal Handicap Committee. The Niakwa Handicap Committee is comprised of the Club Captain (chair), the S&C Committee Chair, the Ladies Sports Captain, the Past Club Captain and the Head Professional. The Committee is required, by Golf Canada, to send a Notice to Members at the start of each season. Issues of importance for 2020 Include: Read More>>

  1. World Handicap System

Effective January 8, 2020, Golf Canada officially adopted the new World Handicapping System which is administered by the USGA and the R&A. The main new features, with which Members should be familiar, include:

  • The Maximum Hole Score is now Net Double Bogey, calculated as:
    • Par for the hole + 2 strokes + Any handicap stroke(s) a player receives on the hole

A USGA ‘Net Double Bogey Explainer’ can be found at https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/videos/2020/04/01/play-the-course-org-usga-v0-1-6146355281001.html

  • The Handicap Index Calculation is now based on your 8 best games of the last 20. This is changed from your 10 best games. As a result, you should see a small decrease in your handicap at the start of the season. As you enter scores using the new Maximum Hole Score method, your handicap should return to where it was at the end of last year, if your level of play is the same.
  • A Playing Conditions Calculator is automatically applied on a daily basis. On a given day if significantly fewer players than anticipated attained their expected score, conditions are determined to be harder than normal. Similarly, if significantly more players than anticipated attained their expected score, conditions are determined to be easier than normal. The handicap system will automatically adjust all scores for the day by -1.0, 0.0, +1.0, +2.0, or +3.0.
  • Entering Scores During Covid -19 Restrictions

Games being played under the current Covid-19 restrictions are deemed to be played under the rules of golf and therefore, if a Member is maintaining a valid handicap, all scores should be entered into the Golf Canada Handicap System. Scores can be entered online at http://kiosk.rcganetwork.org/Default.aspx . If you don’t have a computer, or are having trouble entering your scores please contact the Pro Shop and they’ll be happy to enter your score for you.

  • Winter Scores

All away scores from games played during winter vacation must be entered into the Handicap System. The Pro Shop will be happy to assist members entering away scores in the Handicap System.

  • Temporary Rules

Due to Covid -19 restrictions two temporary Local Rules are in effect:

  • Bunkers are temporarily deemed to be part of the general area of the course. Footprints and divots can be treated as ‘abnormal course conditions’ i.e. ‘ground under repair’. Players may lift their ball from disturbed areas, find their nearest point of relief, and drop within 1 club length, no closer to the hole.
  • Ball Identification should be done under a temporary Preferred Lies rule. To identify a ball and confirm it is yours, you may move the ball with your club and replace it, also with your club, in a relief area not more than six inches from the reference point (which is where the ball was originally located). Do not touch a ball with your hand unless you have positively identified that it is yours.
  • Flag sticks will have foam pool noodle material around them so that the ball will not fall to the bottom of the cup. As a result, the ball is not holed out per the Rules of Golf. The USGA and Golf Canada have implemented a temporary measure under which a round played under these conditions will still be acceptable for handicapping using the most likely score guidelines under Rule 3.3 of the Rules of Handicapping. https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/Handicap/Rules-of-Handicapping_USGA_Final.pdf
  • Hole 15 Out of Play

Hole 15 will be out of play early in the season and Hole 8B will be used. While your score on 8B is recorded to complete your round, for handicapping purposes you score on 15 is recorded as a Net Par regardless of what your score was on 8B. Net Par is defined as Par + Any handicap strokes a player receives on a hole. Hole 15 is the number 12 handicap hole for Men. Players with a Course Handicap of 11 or less would record a par 4 while players with a Course Handicap of 12 to 29 would record a par plus one 5. A player with a 30 handicap would record a par plus two 6. The calculation for Ladies is similar, except that Hole 15 is the number 14 handicap hole.

There are a number of changes to the World Handicapping System which have not been covered above. The entire Rules of Handicapping Manual is available online at either the USGA or the Golf Canada website.

https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/Handicap/Rules-of-Handicapping_USGA_Final.pdf

For more information on the temporary local rules at Niakwa, please contact the Pro shop or any member of the Handicap Committee.

Sincerely,

Niakwa Handicap Committee

Robert Sproule, Club Captain (Chair)

Anne Marie Healey, Social and Competition Chair

Nancy Porth, Ladies Sports Captain

Don Cook, Past Club Captain

Terry Reilly, Pro Shop Manager

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