Golf Handicaps - The system briefly explained
It goes too far to explain the entire EGA handicap system and Stableford calculations, so we briefly describe how the system works and how the Cha-Am Golf Club applies this system.
If you have an EGA handicap, this is your 'exact handicap'. Normally your exact handicap has to be adjusted to the difficultly of the Golf course you are playing. This is your so-called 'playing handicap' for that course.
Because in Thailand most courses don't publish their slope ratings, Cha-Am Golf Club only uses your exact handicap. After your round of golf, the Stableford points you have gained will be calculated.
These Stableford points, along with your exact handicap, define the new handicap that you will get. In the Handicap calculator you use your last exact handicap and the Stableford points you scored. Your new handicap will automatically be processed.
Since not everyone plays always stable (e.g. by wind, lack of concentration, fatigue, etc…) there is a handicap for each 'buffer zone' in which your Stableford score may deviate from the score that you would have if you would play according to your handicap on that course. If the achieved Stableford score fall within this zone, your handicap will not change.
As a player with a high handicap (i.e. towards 36) scores often slightly more unstable than a player with a lower handicap (anything towards a single handicap), the deviation he is allowed before the exact handicap changes, is bigger. Besides that the handicap for players with a high handicap changes faster than that for a player with a low handicap. The buffer zones and the change that a handicap makes after processing the qualifying card, depends on the 'handicap category' in which one sits.
If you have an EGA handicap, this is your 'exact handicap'. Normally your exact handicap has to be adjusted to the difficultly of the Golf course you are playing. This is your so-called 'playing handicap' for that course.
Because in Thailand most courses don't publish their slope ratings, Cha-Am Golf Club only uses your exact handicap. After your round of golf, the Stableford points you have gained will be calculated.
These Stableford points, along with your exact handicap, define the new handicap that you will get. In the Handicap calculator you use your last exact handicap and the Stableford points you scored. Your new handicap will automatically be processed.
Since not everyone plays always stable (e.g. by wind, lack of concentration, fatigue, etc…) there is a handicap for each 'buffer zone' in which your Stableford score may deviate from the score that you would have if you would play according to your handicap on that course. If the achieved Stableford score fall within this zone, your handicap will not change.
As a player with a high handicap (i.e. towards 36) scores often slightly more unstable than a player with a lower handicap (anything towards a single handicap), the deviation he is allowed before the exact handicap changes, is bigger. Besides that the handicap for players with a high handicap changes faster than that for a player with a low handicap. The buffer zones and the change that a handicap makes after processing the qualifying card, depends on the 'handicap category' in which one sits.
Table and calculation examples
Below is the table containing the buffer and increase or decrease per handicap category. Based on column 2, the exact handicap, you determine your handicap category.
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If a player makes a qualifying score on 9 holes, he has to add 18 Stableford points to his score to calculate his total qualifying score for that round. Persons with a handicap of 11.4 or lower are not allowed to do qualifying rounds on 9 holes.
If a player makes a qualifying score that falls in the buffer zone that is applicable to him, his exact handicap will not change (Art. 21.3).
If a player gets a Stableford score of less than his current buffer zone, his exact handicap will increase by 0.1 points (handicap category 1 - 4) or 0.2 points (handicap category 5) (Art. 21.4).
Example 1a (9holes):
A player with an exact handicap of 15.2 playes 9 holes and has a qualifying score of 16 Stableford points. He then adds 18 Stableford points to his score and thus has a total of 34 points. According to the buffers for 9 holes, he falls outside the buffer of his handicap category. His exact handicap is raised by factor 0.1 to 15.3.
If a player makes a score of 37 Stableford points or more, his exact handicap will be reduced by the reduction factor according to his handicap category times the Stableford points over 36 (Art. 21.5).
Example 1b (18holes):
A player with an exact handicap of 11.2 makes a qualifying score of 29 Stableford points. His exact handicap is then increased to 11.3. He then makes a qualifying score of 42 Stableford points. His exact handicap is now reduced with 6 x 0.2 = 1.2. His new exact handicap is 10.1.
If the exact handicap of a player has to be reduced with so many points that the boundary to a lower handicap category is exceeded, then the factor of the lower category is used (Art. 21.6).
Example 2:
A player with an exact handicap of 19.1 makes a qualifying score of 42 Stableford points. His exact handicap is now reduces as follows:
19.1 – (2 x 0.4) = 19.1 – 0.8 = 18.3
18.3 – (4 x 0.3) = 18.3 – 1.2 = 17.1
The exact handicap of a player can never be raised above 36.0 (Art. 21.8).
A player must, before a match, make sure that his exact handicap is fully updated. The player is responsible for setting his EGA playing handicap (Art. 21.10).
If a player makes a qualifying score that falls in the buffer zone that is applicable to him, his exact handicap will not change (Art. 21.3).
If a player gets a Stableford score of less than his current buffer zone, his exact handicap will increase by 0.1 points (handicap category 1 - 4) or 0.2 points (handicap category 5) (Art. 21.4).
Example 1a (9holes):
A player with an exact handicap of 15.2 playes 9 holes and has a qualifying score of 16 Stableford points. He then adds 18 Stableford points to his score and thus has a total of 34 points. According to the buffers for 9 holes, he falls outside the buffer of his handicap category. His exact handicap is raised by factor 0.1 to 15.3.
If a player makes a score of 37 Stableford points or more, his exact handicap will be reduced by the reduction factor according to his handicap category times the Stableford points over 36 (Art. 21.5).
Example 1b (18holes):
A player with an exact handicap of 11.2 makes a qualifying score of 29 Stableford points. His exact handicap is then increased to 11.3. He then makes a qualifying score of 42 Stableford points. His exact handicap is now reduced with 6 x 0.2 = 1.2. His new exact handicap is 10.1.
If the exact handicap of a player has to be reduced with so many points that the boundary to a lower handicap category is exceeded, then the factor of the lower category is used (Art. 21.6).
Example 2:
A player with an exact handicap of 19.1 makes a qualifying score of 42 Stableford points. His exact handicap is now reduces as follows:
19.1 – (2 x 0.4) = 19.1 – 0.8 = 18.3
18.3 – (4 x 0.3) = 18.3 – 1.2 = 17.1
The exact handicap of a player can never be raised above 36.0 (Art. 21.8).
A player must, before a match, make sure that his exact handicap is fully updated. The player is responsible for setting his EGA playing handicap (Art. 21.10).