BA Golf Handicap Section Rules

1. Handicap Allocation

Members wishing to obtain a section handicap :

  • If you are currently a member of another golf club, you must submit your club handicap certificate. Your initial section handicap will be set to be the same as your club handicap.
  • If you have been a past member of another golf club or society, you should submit three signed scored cards and advise the handicap secretary of your past handicap record. The latter may be taken into account by the handicap secretary when allocating a section handicap.
  • If you have never been a member of another golf club, you should submit three signed score cards.

2. Section Handicap Adjustment – an overview

Handicaps are adjusted using a software program called Handicapmaster. Results for all rounds of golf, whether a Medal or Stableford competition, are converted into Stableford points.  The Handicapmaster program automatically calculates a Competition Scratch Score (CSS) taking into account a number of factors including the Standard Scratch Score (SSS) of the course being played. The CSS can be calculated in a number of ways. Where there are a large number of players, the average of the top third scores is most commonly used. Where there are only a few players, it is sometimes better to use the Par of the course.

When self regulating the CSS should always be taken as 36 Stableford points or the nett par of the course played.

Handicap reductions are calculated by as follows :

00 - 05    0.1 Stroke reduction for each point above CSS
06 - 12   0.2 Stroke reduction for each point above CSS
13 - 20      0.3 Stroke reduction for each point above CSS
21 - 28       0.4 Stroke reduction for each point above CSS
29 or above   0.5 Stroke reduction for each point above CSS

Where a players score is below the CSS, an allowance known as a buffer zone is applied dependant on handicap. If the players score is within the buffer zone, no handicap change is made, otherwise the handicap is increased by 0.1.

Handicap buffer zones are as follows : 

00 - 05    1 Stroke below CSS
06 - 12   2 Stroke below CSS
13 - 20      3 Stroke below CSS
21 - 28       4 Stroke below CSS
29 or above   5 Stroke below CSS

3. When your  home Club and section handicap differ

For members of another golf club, it is normal that your section and club handicap may differ over time, because you are playing different courses and working with different scoring systems and rules/best practise. This difference will obviously vary by handicap with the difference normally increasing with the higher handicap.  If a member’s home club playing handicap differs significantly from their BA section playing handicap, then the member must advise the handicap secretary to agree if any handicap adjustment is required.  The maximum difference which will be considered for the BA golf section is 3 strokes, unless there are mitigating circumstances.

4. Handicaps when playing at your home club or in competitions

When members compete at their home club, regardless of the competition (day meetings, medals, matches), they will use their home club handicap.

When competing in competition or matches with/against non-members of the section, members can use their home club handicap. If no home club handicap exists,  then the member will play off his/her section handicap.

5. General play handicap reductions

Where the handicap secretary or the committee considers that a players handicap does not reflect his or her current playing ability, the handicap secretary is empowered to reduce the players section handicap to a figure it feels appropriate. Such reductions shall take into account all known information on the players ability.