CONGU changes 2016 – final decisions
Wednesday 17th June 2015
All Changes take effect from 1 st January 2016
Manual – It was agreed that a shorter booklet containing the principle changes would be produced to be used as an addendum to the existing Manual. This revision would be limited to 2016-2017. The Manual still to be produced electronically including the CSS tables.
Calendar year to be adopted – 1 Jan to 31 Dec.
Initial Handicaps – to be allocated in line with Annual Handicap Review formula/algorithm.
Handicap Category Boundaries – It was agreed that no change would be made to the existing handicap category boundaries. However a new `Club Handicap` will be introduced for clubs who wish to allocate a handicap higher than 28/36 for use in club run events. This handicap will only be valid at the player’s home club and cannot be used in opens etc.
Preferred Lies – Each National Union to have discretion to adopt a preferred lie period within their jurisdiction. England Golf will remain as 1 st October to 31 st May, preferred lies outside this period must be authorised by your County Union/Association.
CSS Calculation for men – to include Cat. 4 players in the same manner as Ladies CSS calculation.
Qualifying Nine Hole Scores.
- A score returned better than, or within, BZ will have 18 points added to create an 18 hole score.
- A score returned outside BZ will be doubled
- 9-Hole Scores will be included in the ESR process.
Continuous handicap Review – Introduction of a process to flag players with 7 consecutive 0.1 handicap increases so that Handicap Committees can review and apply an immediate handicap increase if required.
4 ball better ball Handicap allowance – to be increased from ¾ to 90%.
Competition Status
a. Re-allocation of ‘c’ status handicap will require scorecards for 54 holes, in any
permutation of 9 and 18-hole scores.
b. All Unions/Associations to use ‘c’ Competition Handicap Status from 1 Jan 2016.
c. Reactivation of ‘c’ status Handicap after handicap lost – if a player with a ‘c’
Competition Handicap leaves club membership but re-joins within a period of 12
months his handicap will be re-instated as ‘c’.
Supplementary Scores
a. May be returned at all GB&I clubs of which a player is a member.
b. Acceptable over 9-holes (Handicap Categories 2 and above).
c. Unlimited for handicaps 28/36 to 54
Exceptional Scoring Reductions (ESRs)
a. Table has been amended to reduce severity of reductions.
b. ESRs will only be applied based on a pair of exceptional scores (ES).
Eg. ES1 + ES2 = ERS1, ES3 + ES4 = ESR2