Within the USGA Handicap System Manual’s 124 pages and 17 sections, you’ll find formulas, rules, procedures and charts. But the most important element of the system is the group of folks you find studying the manual – the club’s Handicap Committee.

The Handicap System is much more than all the text and number crunching; the human element is essential in safeguarding amateur golf’s code of honor.

Do you know who your Handicap Chairs / Committee Members are?

As a player carrying a Handicap Index, it’s vital that you know the individuals who are required to oversee the Handicap System at your club, and what their purpose and policies are. The Handicap Committee, who goes through the OGA’s process to become Certified and Licensed so your club can administer the system properly, is accountable for ensuring the game is played on a fair and equitable basis.

A club employee can serve on the Committee, but the Handicap Chair must be a member of the club. This puts the onus of vouching for handicaps squarely where it belongs – on fellow members. Peer review is more appropriate and effective (involving no conflict of interest) than Pro review every time!

Because golf is a game of honor and players are expected to call penalties on themselves, we are all a part of “protecting the field”. Your handicap belongs to everyone in your club and vice versa. So important is this code that even a hint of dishonesty can shed uncomfortable light on an individual. While some players might find it easy to call others out on a Rules of Golf infraction, those same players would have a harder time questioning whether a round was posted correctly for handicap purposes, or posted at all. Your Handicap Committee will tell you that – in truth – the Handicap System is a set of rules and not merely guidelines. All players carrying handicaps must be challenged to uphold it.

Do you know what the powers and responsibilities of your Handicap Committee are?

Some would find it surprising that penalty scores can be added for those not posting scores, and the Committee can do this without notifying the player. Did you know your Committee has the obligation to see that everyone in the club has a Handicap Index that represents the players’ best performance? They can modify an Index upward or downward for a myriad of reasons. They can even completely revoke a player’s Index, because – and here’s another surprising statement – no player actually has an inherent right to a handicap. 

Coupled with safeguarding handicaps, another important responsibility of the Committee is that of education – even members who have been playing golf for many years may be easily confused by the complexities of the Handicap System and need assistance. Many times handicap education involves not just learning something you’ve never heard before; it’s actually letting go of falsehoods.

While all of this sounds serious and you might question – isn’t golf supposed to be fun? – you can rest assured that fairness is what allows the fun to happen. With a strong Handicap Committee in place, you can enter tournaments and have a great time knowing that you’ve been provided the opportunity to compete on a level playing field.  

Questions? Contact our Handicapping Department.