Handicap Information and Certification

Handicap Information

Every SNEWGA member is required to have a USGA handicap to participate in tournaments.  Members are expected to post all scores according to the USGA Handicap System.  We’ve provided some basic handicap information on this page.  Additional information can be obtained at www.usga.org under Rules and Handicapping.

SNEWGA TOURNAMENT SCORECARD AND POSTING POLICY

All players are expected to complete the competition which they start. Acceptable reasons for withdrawal during a competition are physical injury, illness, or emergency.

    Poor play is not an acceptable reason for withdrawal.

A player who withdraws without an acceptable reason or without notifying the tournament coordinator or the course Pro Shop will be subject to suspension from future SNEWGA competitions.  If a player is aware of a possibility of withdrawal (e.g. injury) before the day of the event, she should notify the tournament coordinator as soon as possible.

All players who start a round must return a scorecard personally to the Pro Shop even if they are officially withdrawing. Players who withdraw also must sign and attest that the hole by hole scores are correct for the fellow-competitor's scorecard they were keeping and return that card to the fellow-competitor or another marker in the group before leaving the course. Players who do not follow this policy will be subject to suspension from future SNEWGA competitions.

The scores posted for incomplete rounds due to withdrawal are to be calculated as described in Section 5-2b of the USGA Handicapping Manual:

 “If 13 or more holes are played, the player must post an 18-hole score. If 7 to 12 holes are played, the player must post a nine-hole score. In either case, scores for unplayed holes must be recorded as par plus any handicap strokes that the player is entitled to receive on the unplayed holes.”

The SNEWGA Handicap Chair will verify all players have posted. Players must post within 48 hours of a tournament’s completion.

Any player who does not return an official scorecard, or who repeatedly does not post her scores, or repeatedly posts incorrectly, will be subject to suspension from future SNEWGA competitions.

General Posting Policy

Post all scores from all rounds played, whether or not you turned in a scorecard for the round. This includes all rounds played on a golf course that is "in season". CT golf courses are "in season" from April to November. Courses in other states have different seasonal months, for example, courses in Florida are "in season" for 12 months of the year.  When playing out of state, ask in the pro shop if the course is "in season".

For rounds where you play at least 13 holes, post an 18-hole score using par + any handicap strokes allotted to a hole to determine your score on any holes you did not play.  You do not take your maximum allowed for any holes you didn’t play.

For rounds where you play at least 7 holes, post a 9-hole score, again using par + any handicap strokes allotted to a hole to determine your score on any holes you didn’t play.

For holes where you have “picked up,” post the score that you most likely would have gotten had you continued to play the hole, i.e., consider your score to the point where you picked up and add to that the number of strokes it typically would haven taken you to get the ball to the hole from there.  Be sure to apply Equitable Stroke Control to that hole’s score, if necessary.

Equitable Stroke Control (ESC)

Equitable Stroke Control is a downward adjustment of individual hole scores, for handicap purposes, in order to make handicaps more representative of a player’s potential ability.  ESC sets a maximum number that a player can post on any one hole depending on the player’s course handicap.  ESC is used only when an actual or most likely score exceeds the player’s maximum number based on the table below.

 

Tournament Scores -  SNEWGA Events to be posted as Tournaments

INVITATIONALS:
A(way), Post all eligible rounds as an Away score (or Home, if applicable). Invitationals shall not be Posted as Tournament (T) scores.
– Invitationals are not significant in the traditions, schedules, formats, and membership of SNEWGA.
– Similar to “weekly play” in our individual golf leagues.
– USGA guidance suggests that Invitationals should not be posted with a 'T'

MAJORS: (Member/Member, Pro Lady, Memorial, Team Day, Seniors, Individuals, SS/Legends)
T, Post all rounds as a Tournament.
– Majors are significant in the traditions, schedules, formats, and membership of SNEWGA. Held every year with the same format, have cups awarded.

ASSOCIATION MATCHES and MEMBER/GUEST:
T, Post all rounds as a Tournament.
– Examples of inter-club competition scores that may be posted as tournament scores when they meet the above conditions are: competitions restricted by age, member-guest competitions, team matches, qualifying rounds for city, state, and national competitions, and competitions conducted by golf associations.

SPRING CUP:
T, Post all eligible rounds as a Tournament.

PRESIDENTS (fka Fall) CUP:
T, Post all eligible rounds (alternate shot format can’t be posted) as a Tournament.

for more guidelines posting Tournament "T" scores click here

Where to Post

You can post your scores at your local club, an “away” club or on line via www.ghin.com.

When to Post

You should post your score immediately after the round.  However, barring that feasibility, all scores must be posted within 48 hours of being played.  Repeated failure to post in a timely manner will subject the player to having a penalty score posted.  A “penalty score” is a score posted by the Handicap Committee for a player who does not post a score or otherwise does not observe the spirit of the USGA Handicap System.

Making Corrections

If there are any mistakes on your record, please contact the Handicap Committee at your club

Handicap Certification

All Clubs in Connecticut must be Handicap Certified by CSGA to be licensed to provide handicaps.  Certification is mandatory.

The CSGA will be certifying clubs, at the direction of the USGA. Those who are interested in information about Handicap Certification, refer to the CSGA. The web site is www.csgalinks.org , email info@csgalinks.org or call at 860-257-4171.

Certification classes are given via USGA online seminar which can be found at: www.usga.org/HDCPLicClubSeminar/index.asp