Qualifying Competitions and Supplementary Scores

When the scores from any Qualifying Competition or Supplementary Score are entered into the computer the actual gross scores for all the completed holes should be input. The software will calculate the adjusted score for those holes not completed. In no circumstances should ‘no score’ (i.e. zero) be entered for every hole.

In practice, handicapping software will allow a zero to be entered against every hole after a competition, with players sometimes using this as either a lazy way of returning a bad score, or as a way to disguise just how bad the score was.

In most Qualifying Strokeplay competitions there will be a few players who will not hole out on every hole. Whilst disqualified from the competition, their scores are still valid for handicapping purposes. The software calculates a nett double bogey gross score for any such holes omitted. In some circumstances, handicap reductions or playing within the Buffer Zone can occur. In Stableford, Par/Bogey and Maximum Score competitions players are not disqualified when they pick up on a hole; indeed that is encouraged once the outcome of the hole has been decided. Nevertheless it is just as important that all completed holes are properly recorded so that the correct gross differential is calculated by the software.

For a bad score, however, while the practice of entering a zero against all holes has no impact on the CONGU handicap calculation, under the averaging approach of the World Handicap System (‘WHS”) such a practice may have an adverse impact on the calculation of the new Handicap Index.

Consider the following scenario: A player of handicap 10 had 10 net bogeys, 6 net pars and picked up on two holes (neither of which he received a stroke) for which the computer records an NDB. The CSS was 72 so he scored a gross 96 (Gross Differential of 24) for handicap purposes. If, however, “no score” were entered for each hole the resulting gross score would be 118 (Gross Differential of 46)..

In both cases the increases to a CONGU Handicap would be 0.1.

However, the WHS will use the best 8 out of the last 20 calculated Gross Differentials. For the player in the example above, a Gross Differential of 24 could be within the best 8 of the last 20 scores but it is highly likely that the Gross Differential of 46 will be one of the discarded scores. The calculated handicap may therefore be directly affected.

Transition from the CONGU Handicapping System to WHS will use scores returned by players in 2019 (and possibly earlier for some players) so it is important that clubs take action now to eradicate this practice and educate players on the significance of ensuring that scores are entered accurately into the computer.

Whilst clubs may not impose any penalty under the Rules of Golf for incorrectly entering scores into the computer, Committees may impose a disciplinary sanction, such as under a Code of Conduct, for players who repeatedly fail to comply with such a requirement (see Committee Procedures 5A(5) and CONGU® Decision 1(m)). CONGU® strongly recommends that Committees consider such sanctions

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