Category: Match & Handicap

Pace of Play

Club Competitions – Pace of Play

 A four ball’s position on the course was the only guide Match & Handicap had on their pace of play, but this can be influenced by individual circumstances.  E.g. the playing handicaps, the number of members in a group, playing above handicap and searching for lost balls.

At the monthly meeting on Monday 4th June 2018 the Council accepted Match & Handicaps proposed Pace of Play timings based on R&A Guidelines.  A group can now be monitored on both their position on the course and against the pace of play timings.

As a guide a four ball is expected to have completed the first nine holes within 2 hours 7 minutes and complete their round within 4 hours and 10 minutes.  The hole is completed when the last member of the group putts out and the flag is placed into the hole.

Out of Position

Groups who are out of position on the course are asked to speed up their play; keeping in mind the Club encourages all members to play ready golf when safe to do so and/or call the group behind through at the earliest possible opportunity.

Behind Time & Out of Position

Groups who are out of position on the course and behind the published timing per hole are expected to speed up their play.  If they are unable to close the gap they MUST call the group behind through at the earliest possible opportunity. If you fail to do so you must report to M&H at the earliest possible opportunity the reason for delay.

Groups who are not called through are asked to report the issue to Match & Handicap who will investigate the matter the following week and if required assign a representative to monitor the group with the power to:

  1. Advise the group it is behind the pace of play and give them the opportunity to speed up.
  2. Impose a two-shot penalty if the gap is not closed.
  3. Disqualify the group from the competition should the problem persist through-out the round.

Members who are repeatedly out of position and behind the pace of play timing will be referred to Council for further action which could include loss of tee time.

Supplementary Scores

From the 1st April 2017 members, will be able to return 10 supplementary scores in a calendar year. To return a supplementary score members are required to:

  • Sign In to the ‘Supplementary Round’ using the sign in button on the touch screen before commencing to start their round
  • Play 18 Holes of Golf from either the White or Blue tees with another MEMBER of the Golf Club and have them sign the card at the end of the round.
  • The Rules of Golf as always will apply.
  • Enter the score onto the computer; making sure you select the right course:
    • Greenacres 2015 if round is played from the White Tees
    • Greenacres Blue 2015 if round is played from the Blue Tees
  • Place the score card into the Match & Handicap slot

Note: Only one supplementary round can be return a week and only 10 rounds can be played in a calendar year.

 

Introduction from CONGU Rules

The UHS is based on the expectation that every player will return a sufficient number of scores to provide reasonable evidence of his current ability. To operate in the intended manner, the UHS requires information i.e. the return of Qualifying Scores to produce handicaps that reasonably reflect current ability.

Although golf club Committees and administrators may consider that in the course of a playing season they organise an adequate number of competitions to provide ample opportunity for Members to participate, investigation has confirmed that a substantial number of Members do not return sufficient scores in the period between Annual Reviews to maintain a handicap that reasonably reflects their current ability. This may in part be due to:

  • Work or family commitments preventing participation in competitions
  • Difficulty in obtaining an acceptable starting time on competition days in clubs with a large playing membership.
  • A declining desire to play regular competitive golf.

Supplementary Scores provide players in the above situations and the like an alternative format in which to submit scores for handicap purposes and augment the often sparse information derived from competition play. They can provide more evidence of playing ability for a wider range of players so making handicapping more equitable and golf under handicap conditions more meaningful for all concerned.

A Member may return a Supplementary Score for handicapping purposes in compliance with the following conditions:

  • Shall apply to all Handicap Categories.
  • A Supplementary Score may only be returned at the Home Club of the player.
  • An acceptable score for Supplementary Score purposes is any authenticated score over 18 holes under Competition Play Conditions over a Measured Course in compliance with the conditions listed in this clause.
  • The format may be Stroke Play or Stableford
  • Up to a maximum of ten Supplementary Scores may be returned annually.

Ready Golf

“Ready golf” is a commonly used term which indicates that players should play when they are ready to do so, rather than adhering strictly to the “farthest from the hole plays first” stipulation in the Rules of Golf.

“Ready golf” is not appropriate in match play due to the strategy involved between opponents and the need to have a set method for determining which player plays first. However, in stroke play formats it is only the act of agreeing to play out of turn to give one of the players an advantage that is prohibited. On this basis, it is permissible for administrators to encourage “ready golf” in stroke play, and there is strong evidence to suggest that playing “ready golf” does improve the pace of play. For example, in a survey of Australian golf clubs conducted by Golf Australia, 94% of clubs that had promoted “ready golf” to their members enjoyed some degree of success in improving pace of play, with 25% stating that they had achieved ‘satisfying success’.

When “ready golf” is being encouraged, players have to act sensibly to ensure that playing out of turn does not endanger other players.

“Ready golf” should not be confused with being ready to play, which is covered in the Player Behaviour section of this Manual.

The term “ready golf” has been adopted by many as a catch-all phrase for a number of actions that separately and collectively can improve pace of play. There is no official definition of the term, but examples of “ready golf” in action are:

  • Hitting a shot when safe to do so if a player farther away faces a challenging shot and is taking time to assess their options
  • Shorter hitters playing first from the tee or fairway if longer hitters have to wait
  • Hitting a tee shot if the person with the honour is delayed in being ready to play
  • Hitting a shot before helping someone to look for a lost ball
  • Putting out even if it means standing close to someone else’s line
  • Hitting a shot if a person who has just played from a greenside bunker is still farthest from the hole but is delayed due to raking the bunker
  • When a player’s ball has gone over the back of a green, any player closer to the hole but chipping from the front of the green should play while the other player is having to walk to their ball and assess their shot
  • Marking scores upon immediate arrival at the next tee, except that the first player to tee off marks their card immediately after teeing off