golfrsa handicapping rules for men and women file7.5 exceptional performance calculation 14 7.6...

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GOLFRSAHANDICAPPINGRULESFORMENANDWOMENEffectivefrom3September2018TABLEOFCONTENTSPART1 PURPOSEANDDEFINITIONS Section1 4COPYRIGHT 4Section2 4PURPOSE 42.1EssenceoftheSystem 42.2Purpose 4Section3 5DEFINITIONS 5PART2 HANDICAPPING Section4 11ELEMENTSOFTHESYSTEM 11Section5 11SCORESACCEPTABLE 115.1AllScores 115.2AdjustedGrossScore 115.3MaximumScoreonanyhole 115.4UnfinishedHoles,ConcededStrokes 115.5RecordingaScoreforIncompleteholes 125.6Scoresonallcourses 125.7Scoresnotacceptable 125.8DisqualificationnotAffectingGross 12Section6 12HANDICAPDIFFERENTIALS 126.1CalculationofDifferentials 126.2PlusHandicapDifferential 136.3MinusHandicapDifferential 13Section7 13HOWTOCOMPUTEAHANDICAPINDEX 137.1Periodofvalidity 137.2ValidDifferentials 137.3ConsideredDifferentials 137.4HandicapIndexFormula 137.5Exceptionalperformancecalculation 147.6MaximumHandicapIndexPermitted 147.7LimitsforProfessionalandlowhandicapgolfers 14Section8 15SCORINGRECORDS 158.1Scores 15

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8.2Nine-HoleScoreEntry 158.3IncompleteRounds 158.4Nine-HoleScoresand72HourPenalty 168.5InformationRequired 168.6Timelimitonenteringscores 168.7PenaltyScores 168.8HowtoEnterScores 168.9HandicapIndexCalculations 178.10ElectronicDataProcessing 178.11ScoresusedtocomputeaHandicapIndex 178.12PlayerbelongingtoMoreThanOneClub 178.13PlayerChanginghisnominatedhandicapClub 178.14RecordsofResignedMembers 178.15CourseRatingandSlopeRatingonScoreCards 178.16InternationalScores17Section9 18HANDICAPREVISIONS 189.1FrequencyofRevisions 189.2HandicapIncreasesandDecreases 199.3Handicaptobeused 19Section10 19ALLOCATIONOFHANDICAPSTROKES 1910.1Principles;PossibleValuetoRecipient 1910.2AllocationofstrokesforPlushandicapplayers 2010.3UseofAlternateTeesinClubCompetitions 2010.4Nine-holeCourses 20Section11 21HANDICAPALLOWANCES 2111.1General 2111.2MatchPlay 2111.3StrokePlay 2211.4TotalScoresofPartners(Aggregate) 2211.5OptionalReductionsinPlayers’HcpsforBBandAllianceCompetitions 2211.6PlayerswithoutSouthAfricanhandicaps 2311.7ForeignVisitorswithaHandicapIndex 2311.8ForeignVisitorsfromNeighouringCountriesontheHNAsystem 2311.9ForeignVisitorswithoutaHandicapIndex 2311.10ForeignPlayerswithGolfRSAHandicapIndex23Section12 24HANDICAPCONTROLS 2412.1General 2412.2ControlsintheSystem 2412.3ResponsibilitiesofHandicappingCommittee 2412.4ExceptionalPerformance 25

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PART3 COURSERATINGS Section13 26PURPOSE,BASISANDRESPONSIBILITY 2613.1PurposeofCourseRatings 2613.2BasisofCourseRatings 2613.3ResponsibilityforAssessmentofCourseRatings 2613.4ResponsibilityofClubs 26Section14 26METHODOFASSESSMENTOFCOURSESTANDARDRATING 2614.1USGACourseRatingSystem 2614.2MinimumlengthforaCourseRating 26Section15 27MEASUREMENTS 2715.1StartingPoint;PermanentTeeMarkers 2715.2HowtoMeasure 2715.3CertificateofMeasurement 2715.4MorethanOneSetofTees 2715.5ColoursofPermanentandmovableTeeMarkers 2715.6Nine-HoleCourses 27NOTE1:Throughoutthismanual,theuseofthemasculineappliesequallytothefeminine.NOTE2:TheattentionofclubsisdrawntoSection14and15,whichrequiresthattheoverallplacementoftheteemarkersandpinsshouldbesuchthatthecoursealwaysplaysascloseaspossibletotheAveragePlayingLengthonwhichtheCourseRatingisassessed.SEPTEMBER2018HANDICAPRULECHANGESThe2018GolfRSAHandicapRulesManualhasbeenchangedwherenecessarytogiveeffecttotheadoptionoftheUSGACourseRatingSystem,includingSlope.NootherchangeshavebeenmadetotheHandicapRulesinoperationupuntil3September2018.

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Part1PURPOSEANDDEFINITIONSSection1COPYRIGHTThesystemdetailedhereislicensedforusebyGolfRSAandisthepropertyofboththeSouthAfricanGolfAssociation(SAGA)andWomensGolfSouthAfrica(WGSA).ItisusedtodeterminetheHandicapIndexforAmateurgolfersandclubprofessionalsasdefinedinSection7.AuthorisationtousethissystemisautomaticallygrantedtoallUnionsaffiliatedtoGolfRSAandthroughtheseUnionstotheirmemberclubs.AdisaffiliatedUnionorClubanditsmembersarenotentitledtocontinueusingthissystem.AHandicapIndexcalculatedaccordingtotheGolfRSAHandicapRules,isacentrallycomputednationalhandicappingsystemcontrolledandmanagedbyHandicapsNetworkAfrica(Pty)LtddulyauthorisedbyGolfRSA.Itisknownasan“GolfRSAHandicapIndex”.Anyotherhandicapcomputationusinganyothermeans,maynotusetheterm“GolfRSAHandicapIndex”.Section2PURPOSE2.1EssenceoftheSystemTheaimoftheGolfRSAHandicapSystemistoallowgolfersofdifferingabilitiestocompeteagainstoneanother.GolfRSApresentsthisHandicapSystemintheconvictionthat,whenfaithfullyoperated,itresultsinanequitableHandicapIndexnomatterwheregolfersliveandplay.TheSystemisbasedontheassumptionthateveryplayerwillendeavourtomakethebestscoretheycanateachholeinevery18-holeor9-holeroundthattheyplayandthattheywillreportsuchroundforHandicapIndexpurposes,regardlessofwheretheroundisplayed.2.2PurposeThepurposeofthesystemisto:a)ProvideafairHandicapIndexforallgolfers.b)Reflecttheplayer’sinherentability(potential)aswellastheirrecentscoringtrends.c)AdjusttheirHandicapIndexastheirscoringabilitychanges.d)Disregardfreakhighscoresthatbearlittlerelationtotheplayer’snormalability.e)EstablishaHandicapIndexforallgolf,fromchampionshipeligibilitytoinformalgames.f)AssistthehandicappertoidentifyplayerswhoseHandicapIndexdoesnotproperlyreflecttheirplayingability.

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Section3DEFINITIONS3.1AltitudeFactorAltitudeabovesealevelisoneofthefactorsinfluencingCourseRatings.3.2BogeyGolferAmale"BogeyGolfer"isaplayerwhohasaCourseHandicapofapproximately20onacourseofstandarddifficulty.Hecanhitteeshotsanaverageof183metresandcanreacha338-metreholeintwoshotsatsealevel.AfemaleBogeyGolferisaplayerwhohasaCourseHandicapofapproximately24onacourseofstandarddifficulty.Shecanhitteeshotsanaverageof137metresandreacha256-metreholeintwoshots.3.3BogeyRatingA"BogeyRating"istheUSGA'smarkoftheevaluationoftheplayingdifficultyofacoursefortheBogeyGolferundernormalcourseandweatherconditions.Itisbasedondistance,effectiveplayinglength,andotherobstaclestotheextentthattheyaffectthescoringabilityoftheBogeyGolfer.3.4CourseHandicapA”CourseHandicap”isthenumberofhandicapstrokesaplayerreceivesfromaparticularsetofteesatthecoursebeingplayed.ToconvertaHandicapIndextoaCourseHandicap,aplayerusestheirHandicapIndextolookupontheCourseHandicapConversionTableavailableattheirclub,ontheclubterminal,orHNAphoneapp,tofindtheirappropriateCourseHandicap.EachsetofratedteeswillhaveadifferentCourseHandicapConversionTableformenandwomenbasedonitsSlopeRatingandCourseRatingandadjustmenttoPar.Itistheplayer'sresponsibilitytodeterminethecorrectCourseHandicap,andtoknowtheholesatwhichhandicapstrokesaretobegivenorreceived.(SeesampleCourseHandicapConversionTableinsection3.5.)Aplayer'sCourseHandicapisdeterminedbymultiplyingaHandicapIndexbytheSlopeRatingofthecourseplayedbeforedividingitby113andthenaddingtheCourseRatinganddeductingtheParofthecourse.Theresultingfigureisroundedofftothenearestwholenumber(.5ormoreisroundedupward).CourseHandicap=HandicapIndexXSlopeRatingoftheCourse/113+(CourseRating-Par)3.5CourseHandicapConversionTableA"CourseHandicapConversionTable"isachartthatconvertsaHandicapIndextoaCourseHandicapbasedontheSlopeRatingforaspecificsetofteesandtheadjustmenttoPar.

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CourseHandicapConversionTableExample:

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3.6CompetitionMatchPlayAClub,League,ProvincialorNationalMatchPlayCompetition.3.7ExceptionalScoreAn“ExceptionalScore”ishighlightedontheplayersscoringrecordswhentheparticulardifferentialis3ormorestrokesbelowtheirHandicapIndexatthetimetheroundwasplayed.3.8GrossScoreA“GrossScore”isthesumofthescoresachievedoneachholeplayed.3.9AdjustedGrossScoreAn“AdjustedGrossScore”isaplayer’sGrossScoreadjustedaspertheGolfRSAHandicapSystemprocedureforunfinishedholes,concededstrokes,holesnotplayedornotplayedundertheRulesofGolforadjustedmaximumscoreonanyholeasdetailedinsection5.3.3.10HandicapIndexA"HandicapIndex"istheUSGA'sservicemarkusedtoindicateameasurementofaplayer'spotentialabilityonacourseofstandardplayingdifficulty.Itisexpressedasanumbertakentoonedecimalplace(e.g.10.4)andisusedforconversiontoaCourseHandicap.AplayeriseligibleforanofficialGolfRSAHandicapIndexprovidedtheyaremembersofaclubaffiliatedtoGolfRSAandtheirrelevantProvincialUnion,andhavepaidtheannualaffiliation-andhandicapfee.Additionally,theplayershallbeabletobeidentifiedthroughthemembershipprofileenteredontheGolfRSAHandicapSystembytheclubwhichshallincludehisorheridentitynumberorpassportnumber.Theplayer’sidentityorpassportnumberwillonlybeaccessibletotheplayer’snominatedhandicapclubandtheplayer.3.11HandicapAllowanceA"HandicapAllowance"isthepercentageoftheCourseHandicaprecommendedforahandicapcompetition.Allowancesvaryfordifferentformsofcompetitionandaredesignedtoproduceequitablecompetitions.AHandicapAllowanceisaddedordeductedfromtheplayer’sCourseHandicapdependingonthecompetitionorganisersdirective,butshouldnotbetakenintoaccountwhensubmittingAdjustedGrossScoresintotheGolfRSAHandicapSystem.3.12HandicapCommitteeA“HandicapCommittee”isagroupofatleasttwo,preferablythree,membersofaGolfClubCommittee,whoareresponsibleforthemonitoringandrevisionofallhandicapsatthatclub.Oneindividualmayperformthenormalfunctionsofahandicapper,butincaseswherehandicapadjustments,outsidethestandardcalculationsofthissystem,aretobeappliedtoanindividual,theHandicapCommitteeshouldmakesuchadjustments.3.13HandicapDifferentialA“HandicapDifferential”isthedifferencebetweenaplayer’sAdjustedGrossScoreandtheCourseRatingoftheteefromwhichtheplayerplayed,multipliedby113/SlopeRating.3.14HandicapIndexFreezeFunctionThe“HandicapIndexFreezeFunction”isavailabletoallclubsontheclubadministrationinterface.Itprovidesclubswiththeabilitytoadjustamember’sHandicapIndexeitherupordownby90%ofitsvalueforamaximumperiodof90days.

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3.15HandicapStrokeHoleA“HandicapStrokeHole”isaholeatwhichaplayerappliesahandicapstroke(orstrokes)totheirGrossScoreforthatholetodetermineaNetScoreforthehole.Theorderinwhichhandicapstrokes(from1to18)areallocatedtotheholesofthecourseshouldbeshownonthescorecard.(Seesection10).3.16JuniorGolfersGolfersuptotheageof13areclassifiedas“JuniorGolfers”.JuniorGolfersarehandicappedoffthosecolourcourses(tees)ratedfortheirgender.3.17AveragePlayingLength“AveragePlayingLength”isanumberderivedfromthetotalofthelengthsofeachhole.Suchlengthismeasuredhorizontally(airline)fromthePermanentTeeMarkers,downthecentreofthearchitectedflowofthehole,tothecentreofthegreenandisexpressedinmetres.TheAveragePlayingLengthisrecordedonthescorecardasthelengthofthecolourcourseforeachsetoftees.3.18MostLikelyScoreA“MostLikelyScore”isthescoreaplayerwouldmostlikelyhaveachievediftheystartedtheholebutdidnotcompletethehole,orifaplayerconcededastroke.Thisshouldbecalculatedastothenumberofstrokesalreadytakenplusthenumberofstrokestheplayerwasmostlikelytohaveachievedmorethan50%ofthetime.3.19NetScoreA“NetScore”isaplayer’sscoreaftertheirGrossScorehasbeenadjustedbytheirCourseHandicap.3.20NoReturn(N/R)AnN/Rmustbeenteredinthesystemwherearoundwasnotacceptableforhandicappurposesasdetailedinsection5.7ofthismanual.3.21Par“Par”isthescorethataScratchGolferwouldbeexpectedtomakeforagivenhole.ThefollowingaretherecommendedrangesforallocatingPartoeachhole:ForMen:Holesof225metresandunder:Par3Holesof226–450metres:Par4Holesof451metresandover:Par5ForWomen:Holesof201metresandunder:Par3Holesof202–366metres:Par4Holesof367metresandover:Par5Thesefiguresareforsea-levelcourses.Asthealtitudeincreases,thesevaluesshouldbeincreasedby0.6%foreach100mthatthecourseexceeds500mabovesea-level.InthiswaythelengthoftheholeswillbeinproportiontotheincreaseinAveragePlayingLength.3.22PenaltyScoresPlayershave72hoursinwhichtoenterascoreafterthecompletionoftheirround.Anyscoresreturnedafterthis72-hourperiodwillresultina“PenaltyScore”beingallocatedtotheplayer’sprofile.(Seesections8.6and8.7)

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3.23PlayingHandicapA“PlayingHandicap”isonewheretheCourseHandicaphasbeenadjustedupordownbytheapplicationofaCompetitionAllowancebythecompetitionauthority.ThePlayingHandicapshallonlybeusedforthecompetitionscores.TheCourseHandicapmustbeusedwhencalculatinganAdjustedGrossScore.3.24ProfessionalGolfersandGolferswithoutAmateurStatusA“ProfessionalTourPlayer”isdefinedasamemberofanyrecognisedprofessionaltour,beitinternational,localorseniortour.GolferswhohaveforfeitedtheiramateurstatusbywayofcontraventionoftheR&ARulesofAmateurStatusmaynotreceiveanofficialHandicapIndexuntilsuchtimeasreinstatementhasbeengranted.Clubprofessionals,partofwhosedutyistoplaygolfwithclubmembers,maybehandicappedbytheclubtowhichtheyareattached,andsuchplayersareobligedtoabidebytheregulationscontainedherein.(Seesection7.7.)3.25SlopeRatingA"SlopeRating"istheUSGA'smarkthatindicatesthemeasurementoftherelativedifficultyofacourseforplayerswhoarenotScratchGolferscomparedtotheUSGACourseRating(e.g.comparedtothedifficultyofacourseforScratchGolfers).ASlopeRatingiscomputedfromthedifferencebetweentheBogeyRatingandtheUSGACourseRating.ThelowestSlopeRatingis55andthehighestis155.AgolfcourseofstandardplayingdifficultyhasaSlopeRatingof113.3.26RatingAdjustmentFactors“RatingAdjustmentFactors”arecourseconditionswhichinfluencerating.Theseincludeelevationchanges,hazards,trees,out-of-bounds,widthoffairways,sizeandshapeofgreens,aswellasthepresenceofdoglegsandblindteesorapproachshots.3.27PermanentTeeMarkerA“PermanentTeeMarker”isapermanentindicatorofthestartingpointfromwhicheachholeismeasuredtodeterminethelengthofthehole,andshouldbeplacedatthesideoftheteeinapositionasstipulatedintheguidelinesoftheUSGACourseRatingSystemmanual.Suchmarkersmustbefirmlyaffixedandmaynotbemovable.Allmarkersforaparticularsetoftees(course)musthavethesamecolour:yellow,white,blue,redetc.3.28ScratchGolferA“ScratchGolfer”isaplayerwhocanplaytotheCourseRatingfromanysetoftees.Forhandicappingpurposes,itisdefinedasaplayerwithaHandicapIndexof0.0.AmaleScratchGolfer,forratingpurposes,canhitteeshotsanaverageof229metresandcanreacha430-metreholeintwoshotsatsealevel.AfemaleScratchGolfer,forratingpurposes,canhitteeshotsanaverageof192metresandcanreacha366-metreholeintwoshotsatsealevel.3.29GolfRSAHandicapSystemThe“GolfRSAHandicapSystem”comprisestheproceduraldefinitionsdefinedinthisdocumentcoupledwithaTechnicalSpecificationthatdefinesthealgorithmsandparametersrequiredtocontrolandmanagethepropercomputationofGolfRSAHandicapIndex.ThetwocomponentstakentogetherformthebasisoftheimplementationoftheGolfRSAHandicapServer,whichmaintains

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scoringrecordsandHandicapIndexchangehistoryforallgolfersthathavebeenissuedwithaGolfRSAHandicapIndexCard3.30CourseRating(CR)A"USGACourseRating"istheUSGA’smarkthatindicatestheevaluationoftheplayingdifficultyofacourseforaScratchGolferundernormalcourseandweatherconditions.Itisexpressedasstrokestakentoonedecimalplace,andisbasedonmetresandotherobstaclestotheextentthattheyaffectthescoringabilityofaScratchGolfer.

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Part2

HANDICAPPINGSection4ELEMENTSOFTHESYSTEMTheSystemrequires:4.1Complete,accuratescoringrecordsofallplayers.4.2CourseRatingsandSlopeRatings,whichareuniform.(Seesection13.)4.3PeerandClubreviewtoensureallscoresareenteredandaccurate.

Section5SCORESACCEPTABLE5.1AllscoresScoresmustbeenteredontheGolfRSAHandicappingSystemforall18-holeand9-holeroundsexceptforroundsnotacceptableasdetailedinsection5.7.5.2AdjustedGrossScoreForhandicappurposes,anAdjustedGrossscoremustbesubmittedtotheGolfRSAHandicapSystem.AnAdjustedGrossScoreisobtainedbyapplyingthebelowrulestoadjustingthescoreachievedoneachhole.5.3MaximumscoreonanyholeThemaximumscoreonaholeforCourseHandicapsupto18is2overPar.Whereaplayerhastwohandicapstrokesonahole,themaximumscoreallowedontheholeis3overPar.Whereaplayerhas3handicapstrokesonahole,themaximumscoreallowedontheholewouldbe4overPar.Playersshould,wherepossible,completeeveryholeregardlessoftheirpartner’sortheiropposition’sscore.Whereaplayerdoesnotcompleteahole,theyshouldrecordtheirMostLikelyScore.(Seesection3.18)WhereaplayerisunsureofhowtoadjusttheGrossscoreoneachhole,theplayermayenterthescoresachievedoneachholeusingtheGolfRSAHandicapTerminal,function“Hole-by-Hole”scoring,andthesystemwilladjusttheplayer’sactualscoretothemaximumallowedperhole,basedonthestrokeallocationperhole,asenteredonthesystembytheclub,togiveatotalAdjustedGrossScorefortheround.5.4UnfinishedHoles,ConcededStrokesAplayerwhostartsbutdoesnotfinishaholeorisconcededastrokemustrecordtheMostLikelyScoretheywouldhaveachieved.Thenumberofstrokesmostlikelytohavebeenachievedshouldnotexceedthemaximumallowedoneachholeasdetailedinsection5.3above.

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5.5Recordingascoreforincompleteholes5.5.1Rule1oftheRulesofGolfspecifies:“TheGameofGolfconsistsofplayingaballfromtheteeinggroundintotheholebyastrokeorsuccessivestrokesinaccordancewiththeRules”.NoscorecanbereturnedinindividualstrokeplayunlessthisRuleisfollowed.5.5.2Informsofplayinwhichcompletionofeveryholeisnotessential,itissometimeshelpfulandspeedsupplayforaplayertodiscontinueplayonaholeperhapsbecauseofalostballorforsomeothervalidreason.Competitionsshouldbescheduledtopermitcompletionofallholesbyeverycompetitorwheneverpossible,asitisstronglyrecommendedthatholesandroundsbecompletedtoprovidemaximuminformationontheplayer’sability.However,whenaholeisnotcompletedforanyvalidreason,theplayershall,forhandicappurposesonly,returnascorefortheholeinaccordancewiththeformulainsection5.3above.5.5.3Undernocircumstancesshallthisprovisionbeusedtocontrolhandicapsartificially.Ifitshouldbeusedforsuchpurposes,theplayer’sHandicapIndexmaybeadjustedarbitrarilyundersection9.2.3.5.6ScoresonallcoursesScoresonallcourses,athomeandaway,mustbereportedbytheplayer,togetherwiththeCourseRatingandSlopeRatingofthecourse.ThisincludesroundsplayedoutsideSouthernAfrica,whereterminologymayuseRatingorCSSinsteadofCourseRating.5.7ScoresnotacceptableScoresmadeunderthefollowingconditionsarenotacceptableforhandicappurposesandshouldnotbeenteredinanyformintheplayer’sscoringrecord:a)Whenthescorecannotberatifiedbyaplayingpartnerorcompetitorb)Whenthetypesornumberofclubsarelimited(asinacompetitioninwhichonlyironclubsareallowed)c)Whentheroundplayedincludestheuseof“Mulligans”d)CompetitionMatchPlayRoundse)Whenmorethanoneballisusedatatime.f)WhenthecourseplayedisnotofficiallyratedincludingwhenacourseissetupmuchlongerorshorterthantheAveragePlayingLengthwhentheratingofthecoursewasdeterminedg)Whentheplayerusesnon-conformingclubs,ballsortees,orwithrespecttoRule14-3(RulesofGolf)whereanartificialdeviceisusedintheexecutionofstrokeorwhenequipmentisusedinanunusualmannerduringtheexecutionofastroke.5.8DisqualificationnotAffectingGrossIfacompetitorisdisqualifiedonhisNetScoreforplayingwithaHandicapIndexhigherthanhisactualHandicapIndex,orforanadministrationerrororforfailingtorecordapenaltystroke,hisAdjustedGrossScoremustneverthelessberecordedforhandicappurposes.

Section6HANDICAPDIFFERENTIALS6.1CalculationofDifferentialsADifferentialiscomputedfromfourelements:AdjustedGrossScore,USGACourseRating,SlopeRating,and113(theSlopeRatingofacourseofstandarddifficulty).TodeterminetheDifferential,subtracttheUSGACourseRatingfromtheAdjustedGrossScore,multiplythedifferenceby113,and

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dividetheresultingnumberbytheSlopeRating.Roundthefinalnumbertothenearesttenth(onedecimal).Differential=(AdjustedGrossScore-USGACourseRating)x113/SlopeRating6.2PlusHandicapDifferentialWhentheAdjustedGrossScoreishigherthantheUSGACourseRating,theDifferentialisapositivenumber.ThefollowingisanexamplefordeterminingaDifferentialusinganAdjustedGrossScoreof95madeonacoursewithaUSGACourseRatingof71.5andaSlopeRatingof125:AdjustedGrossScore-USGACourseRating: 95-71.5=23.5DifferencexStandardSlopeRating: 23.5x113=2655.5Result/SlopeRating: 2655.5/125=21.24Differential(rounded): 21.26.3MinusHandicapDifferentialWhentheAdjustedGrossScoreislowerthantheUSGACourseRating,theDifferentialisanegativenumber.ThefollowingisanexamplefordeterminingaDifferentialusinganAdjustedGrossScoreof69madeonacoursewithaUSGACourseRatingof71.5andaSlopeRatingof125:AdjustedGrossScore-USGACourseRating: 69-71.5=-2.5DifferencexStandardSlopeRating: -2.5x113=-282.5Result/SlopeRating: -282.5/125=-2.26Differential(rounded): -2.3

Section7HOWTOCOMPUTEAHANDICAPINDEX7.1PeriodofvalidityAllscoresremainvalidinaplayer’shandicaprecordregardlessofwhentheywerecompleted.7.2ValidDifferentialsAllroundsenteredwithAdjustedGrossorHole-by-holescoresaretreatedasdifferentialsthatcanbeusedforthecomputationofaGolfRSAHandicapIndex.AllroundspostedasaNoReturn,orthoseflaggedbythesystemas“Autoclosed”willnotcountasvaliddifferentials.7.3ConsideredDifferentialsWheneveraHandicapIndexiscomputedorre-computedbytheGolfRSAHandicapSystem,thedifferentialsconsideredforinclusioninthatcomputationwillbeindicatedinadifferentcolour(currentlyred).Thosedifferentialsactuallyusedinthecalculationwillbeunderlinedaswell.7.4HandicapIndexFormulaTheHandicapIndexformulaisbasedonthebestDifferential(s)inaplayer'sscoringrecord.Ifaplayer'sscoringrecordcontains20scores,thebest10Differentialsofthemostrecent20areusedtocalculatetheHandicapIndex.Asthenumberofscoresinthescoringrecorddecreases,thepercentageofscoresusedinascoringrecorddecreasesfromthemaximumofthebest50percent.Ifthescoringrecordcontains9or10scores,onlythebestthreescores(30to33percent)inthescoringrecordwillbeused.Thus,the

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accuracyofaplayer'sHandicapIndexisdirectlyproportionaltothenumberofacceptablescoresposted.AHandicapIndexmustnotbeissuedtoaplayerwhohasreturnedfewerthanfiveacceptablescores.TheHandicapIndexcomputationwillbemanagedbytheGolfRSAHandicapServer.Thoseplayerswishingtoperformanapproximatecheckmaydosoasfollows:Step1:UsethetablebelowtodeterminethenumberofDifferential(s)touse:

Step2:SelectthenumberofdifferentialsfromtheabovetableStep3:AveragethesetoobtainanintermediateHandicapIndexaccuratetoonedecimalplace.Step4:ApplytheBonusofExcellence(currently0.96)factorapplicabletotheintermediateHandicapIndextoonedecimalplace.ThisresultisknownastheplayersHandicapIndex.HandicapIndex=AverageofthelowestvaliddifferentialsX0.967.5ExceptionalperformancecalculationWhereaplayerhastwoormoreExceptionalScoresamongtheirlast20rounds,theplayer’sHandicapIndexwillbecalculatedusingthelowest8differentials,insteadofthelowest10.Aplayer’sHandicapIndexwillbeimmediatelyrecalculatedwhenasecondExceptionalScoreisenteredonthesystem,andforanyadditionalExceptionalScoresforaslongasthereare2ormoreintheirlast20scores.(Seesection12.4.1)7.6MaximumHandicapIndexPermittedThemaximumhandicapspermittedbytheGolfRSAHandicapSystemareasfollows:Men –36HandicapIndexWomen –36HandicapIndex7.7Limitsforprofessionalandlowhandicapgolfersa)ProfessionalTourPlayers(asdefinedinsection3.24)havea+6HandicapIndexandusetheCourseHandicapConversionTabletodeterminetheCourseHandicapapplicabletothecourse(setoftees)whencompetingwithamateursinacompetitionwheretheclubconcernedhaspermittedtheprofessional’sparticipation.

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Wheresuchplayersaremembersofclubsandtheyoccasionallyplayattheirhomeclub,theclubmayapplytoGolfRSAtohaveaHandicapIndexallocatedtosuchplayers.b)ClubProfessionalsareonlypermittedtoplayofftheirofficiallycomputedGolfRSAHandicapIndexattheirhomecluborincompetitionsatotherclubswiththepermissionofthatclub’sorganisingcommittee.c)PrizesforGrossScore,longestdriveornearestthepincompetitionsmaynotbeawardedtoeitherProfessionalTourPlayersorClubProfessionals.d)MaleamateurgolfersmayhaveaminimumHandicapIndexof+5.Anyreductionbelow+3mustbereviewedbytheHomeUnion.TheUnionmay,atitsdiscretionallowaHandicapIndexof+4or+5,orsettheHandicapIndextoahighervalue.Theallowableincreasewillnormallybelimitedto2strokesfromthecomputedHandicapIndex.FemaleamateurgolfersmayhaveaminimumHandicapIndexof+1intermsoftheGolfRSAHandicapSystem.

Section8SCORINGRECORDS8.1ScoresScoresshouldbeenteredeverytimeaplayerplays9holesormore.Thescoresshouldbeenteredonthesamedayusingoneofthefollowingscoreentryoptions:a)TheHNAhandicapterminalattheclub.b)OnthefreeHNAHandicapsapp.c)Thewww.handicaps.co.zawebsitewhenlogginginusingtheSAPlayerIDandPINasreflectedontheGolfRSAhandicapcard.TheSAPlayerIDandPINmaybeamendedandshortenedbythegolferonthesystemafterloggingonthefirsttime.d)Havingthescoreenteredbytheplayer’shomeclub.Fairhandicappingdependsuponfull,accurateinformationofaplayer’sabilityasreflectedbytheirscores.Allgolfersinterestedinfairplayshouldmakesurethatalltheirscoresandthoseoftheirplayingpartnersareenteredonthesystemonthesamedaytheroundwasplayed.ShouldaplayerfailtoreturnascoreonthehandicapsystemheshallhaveaPenaltyScoreappliedinaccordancewithsection8.7.Shouldaplayerpersistinthispractice,disciplinarymeasuresasdescribedinthisHandicappingManualshouldbeapplied.8.2Nine-HoleScoreEntryNine-holeAdjustedGrossScoresaretobeenteredontheGolfRSAHandicapSystemwhere9ormoreholes(seesection8.3forincompleterounds)havebeencompleted.Thesystemwillusetheplayer’sAdjustedGrossScoreforthe9holesplayedandthenaddParforthesecondnine,plushalftheplayer’sCourseHandicaproundeddown,togivean18-holeAdjustedGrossScore.ThisAdjustedGrossScorewillthenbeconvertedintoaDifferentialusingtheformulaasdetailedinsection6.8.3IncompleteRoundsIfaplayercompletes13ormoreholes,theplayermustpostan18-holescore.Ifmorethan9butlessthan13holesareplayed,theplayermustpostanine-holescore.ScoresforunplayedholesmustberecordedasParplusanyhandicapstrokesthattheplayerisentitledtoreceiveontheunplayedholes.

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Example:AplayerwithaCourseHandicapof24stopsplayingafter16holesbecauseoflightning.Hole17isaPar3andisstrokeindexis18onthecoursescorecard.Theplayerwillrecord3(Par)plus1handicapstrokeforagross4onhole17.Hole18isaPar4andisstrokeindexis6onthecoursecard.Theplayerwillrecord4(Par)plus2handicapstrokesfora6onhole18.8.4Nine-HoleScoresand72HourPenaltyNine-holescoresenteredonthesystemarenotconsideredwhencalculatingExceptionalScores(seesection12.4)buttheywillresultinalatescoreentryPenalty,ifthescoreisenteredmorethan72hours(seesection8.6)afterthe9holeshasbeencompleted.8.5InformationRequiredThefollowinginformationshouldbeenteredontheGolfRSAHandicapTerminal(oralternative)aftereachround:a)Nameofthecourseplayedb)Colouroftee,whichtheterminalwillpromptfor(unlesstheroundwasopenedontheselectedcolourcourseinwhichcasetheplayercanonlyenterthescore).c)Dateplayedd)WhetherroundplayedwasAMorPMe)An18or9-HoleAdjustedGrossScoreorHole-by-holescoreAfellowcompetitorshouldbeabletoverifyallscoresreturned.8.6TimelimitonenteringscoresAscoreshouldbereturnedonthesamedayastheroundwasplayedbutnolaterthan72hoursaftercompletionofaround.Theperiodof72hoursistakenfrom21:00onthedayofplayto21:00threedayslater.Scoresnotreturnedduringthisperiod,willresultinaPenaltyScore,computedaspersection8.7,beingenteredontheplayer’sbehalf.Suchscoresarenottobedeletedormodifiedbytheplayer’shomeclub,unlessexceptionalcircumstanceswarrantsuchaction.Aplayerisobligedtoenterascoreonthesystembeforeanotherroundisplayed.8.7PenaltyScoresAPenaltyScoreisthelowestdifferentialoftheplayer’slast20recordedscores,orsuchpenaltyastheclubhandicappermaydecide,basedonthecircumstancesaroundthefailureoftheplayertoenterthescore.Wherethelateenteredscoreisequaltoorlowerthanthelowestoftheplayer’slast20differentials,thesystemwillallocate1PenaltystrokeforHandicapIndexesofbelow4.0,and20%oftheplayer’sHandicapIndexforHandicapIndexesof4.0andabovetoamaximumof4strokes,andemailthedetailstotheclubforthehandicappertoreviewandadjustwherenecessary.8.8HowtoEnterScoresScoresmaybeenteredontheGolfRSAHandicapterminalsituatedatmostclubs.AlternativelyaplayercanenterascoreontheHNAInternetsitewww.handicaps.co.zabyloggingonwiththeirSAPlayerIDandPINasreflectedontheirGolfRSAHandicapcard.PlayerscanalsoentertheirscoresonthefreeHNAHandicapsapporbygivingthescoretotheirclubadministrator.8.9HandicapIndexCalculationsHandicapIndexeswillbeautomaticallycomputedfrom10PMeachday.PlayersareadvisedtoconfirmtheirHandicapIndexesoneithertheclubterminal,www.handicaps.co.zawebsite,ortheHNAHandicapApppriortoeachround,asHandicapIndexesmayhavebeenadjustedovernightorduetoanexceptionalperformancetrigger.

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8.10ElectronicDataProcessingAlthoughacomputercalculatesmostHandicapIndexes,theHandicapCommitteeisresponsibleforvalidatingthatallcomputedHandicapIndexesareaproperreflectionoftheirmember’sabilities.8.11ScoresusedtocomputeaHandicapIndexWhereaninterimrevisionorPenaltyScoreallocationcausesaplayer’sHandicapIndextoberecomputed,allscoresuptoandincludingtheonethatcausedthere-calculationwillbeusedtocomputeaplayer’snewHandicapIndex.8.12PlayerbelongingtoMoreThanOneCluba)AplayermayonlyreceiveaHandicapIndexatoneclubnominatedbythem,atwhichtheyhavefullplayingprivilegesandisanaffiliatedmemberofeithertheSAGAorWGSA.b)Theplayershallreturnallscores,achievedatanycourse,togetherwiththeCourseRating,SlopeRatingandPar,shouldthecoursenotbelistedontheGolfRSAHandicapSystemanddates.(Seesection8.1)8.13PlayerchanginghisnominatedhandicapclubWhenaplayerchangestheclubwhichtheynominatesastheirhandicapclub,theyshouldfirstrequestthenewclubtoregistertherequestonthehandicapsystemandthenensuretheirpreviousclubapprovesthetransfer.Onceapproved,theplayer’sfullhandicapprofileandhistorywillbeautomaticallytransferredbythesystem.8.14RecordsofResignedMembersRecordsofresignedmembersarestoredontheGolfRSAHandicapSystemdatabase.Theserecordsareavailable,onrequest,totheformermember’snewclub.TheHandicapIndexofaresignedmemberremainsvalidonlyuntilthenextrevisiondateattheclubthatissuedit,exceptasprovidedforinsection8.13.8.15CourseRatingandSlopeRatingonScoreCardsTheCourseRatingandSlopeRatingforeachteeshouldbeprintedprominentlyontheclubs’scorecards.8.16InternationalScoresScoresrecordedatcoursesoutsideofSouthAfricamustbeenteredintotheGolfRSAHandicapSystemprovidedthegolfcourseplayedhasanofficialUSGACourseRating.WherethereisaUSGACourseRatingbutnoSlopeRating(CONGUcourses),aSlopeRatingof113shouldbeentered.

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Section9HANDICAPREVISIONS9.1FrequencyofRevisions9.1.1KeepuptodateInordertobeequitable,HandicapIndexesmustalwaysbekeptuptodate,andarereviseddailyat4am.Althoughplayersareallowed72hoursaftercompletingaroundtorecordascore,thisperiodshouldnotbeusedtodelayscoreentrywhentheclubterminalisoperational.Clubsareencouragedtomakeitaconditionoftheircompetitionsthatallscoresshouldhavebeenenteredattheendofaroundandpriortothestartofanyfurtherround.Whenapreviousday’sscoreisonlyenteredthefollowingmorning,theplayershouldbeallowedtoplayoffhiscurrentHandicapIndexasreflectedonthesystemunlesssuchscorewasasecondExceptionalScoreandresultedinanimmediaterecalculationofthepayersHandicapIndex.Whereaterminalisoffline,theplayershouldplayoffhislastcomputedHandicapIndexasreflectedontheofflineterminaloronthehandicapsystemwhenviewedontheinternetorviatheHNAHandicapsapp.Oncetheterminalgoesbackonline,allenteredscoreswillbereflectedintheplayer’sHandicapIndexandthesystemwillcalculatetheplayer’sHandicapIndexat4am.HandicappingCommitteesshould,however,usediscretiontopreventunduefluctuatingofHandicapIndexes.9.2HandicapIndexIncreasesandDecreases9.2.1StandardSystemAppliesSubjecttosection9.2.4below,aHandicapIndexshallbechangedonlyaswarrantedbythestandardcomputationsysteminthisrulesmanual.HandicapIndexincreasesanddecreasesarenotlimited,howeveranyHandicapIndexthatincreasesbymorethantwostrokesinamonthwillbeforwardedtotheclubHandicapCommitteeforreview.9.2.2UnusualSituationsAnincreaseshallnotbegrantedarbitrarilybecauseaplayeristemporarilyoffhisgameorhasdiscontinuedplay.However,anexceptionmaybemadefortemporarydisability.Suchincreaseshouldbelimitedtoamaximumof2strokesor20%oftheplayer’slastcomputedHandicapIndex,whicheveristhelarger.TheclubcanimplementthisadjustmentbymakinguseoftheHandicapIndexFreezeFunctionavailableontheGolfRSAHandicapSystem.Example:a5HandicapIndexmaybeincreasedto7anda20HandicapIndexincreasedto24.Thereisnolimitontheamountaclubmaychoosetoreduceaplayer’sHandicapIndexby.9.2.3ArbitraryPenaltyAHandicapIndexmustbeearned.NoplayerhasaninherentrighttoaHandicapIndexwithoutprovidingfullevidenceofhisorherability.AHandicapIndexmaybearbitrarilyreducedorincreasediftheplayerdoesnotsubmitalltheirscoresorotherwisedoesnotobservethespiritoftheGolfRSAHandicapSystem.TheCommitteeinchargeshouldbeempoweredtodeterminetheamountofadjustment.Inanextremecaseofaplayer’snon-cooperation,withdrawaloftheHandicapIndexissuggested.TheGolfRSAHandicapSystemwilldisplaytheallowablechoiceofHandicapIndexesforagivenplayershouldtheclubneedtoinvoketheHandicapIndexFreezeFunction.

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9.2.4EmulationAplayer’sHandicapIndexwillberecalculated,emulated,inthecaseofanyscoresdatedpriortothemostrecentHandicapIndexcalculationbeingeitherenteredordeletedintheirprofile.ThisrecalculationwillonlyrecalculatetheirHandicapIndexuptothedateofthelastcalculationasperthecalculationtriggersinthissection.9.3HandicapIndextobeuseda)ChangesduringTournamentAplayerisrequiredtousetheHandicapIndexineffectatcommencementofthefirstroundofamultiple-roundtournament.ThisshouldbeappliedbytheorganisingcommitteeforallClubChampionship,ProvincialandNationalTournaments.Forothermultiple-roundevents,theorganisingcommitteemayallowHandicapIndexchangesthathaveoccurredduringthetournamenttobeappliedtorelevantrounds.b)ForEligibilityPurposesWhenaHandicapIndexisaneligibilityrequirementforadmissionintoatournament,aplayer’seligibilityfromaHandicapIndexstandpointshoulddependontheirHandicapIndexineffectonthedatethathisentryisfiled.

Section10ALLOCATIONOFHANDICAPSTROKES10.1Principles;PossibleValuetoRecipientAhandicapstrokeis,bynature,anequaliserandshouldbeavailableonaholewhereitismostlikelytobeneeded.Inallocatingtheorderofhandicapstrokestothe18holesofagolfcourse,considerationshouldbegiventothelikelihoodofthestrokesbeingofusedasequaliserstotheplayersreceivingthem.Toaccomplishthis,thefollowingisrecommended:a)OddStrokestofirstnineandEvenStrokesonsecondNine.Assigntheodd-numberedstrokestotheholesonthefirstnineandtheeven-numberedstrokestotheholesonthesecondnine.Thisequalisesasnearlyaspossiblethedistributionofhandicapstrokesovertheentire18holes,makingmatchesmoreequitableandhelpingintheplayingoffofmatchesendinginties.Incaseswherethesecondnineisdecidedlymoredifficultthanthefirstnine,considerationmaybegiventoallocatingoddnumberedstrokestothesecondnine.b)BasisofallocationAllocatethefirststroketotheholeonthefirstnineonwhichthehigher-handicappedplayermostneedsastrokeasanequaliserandthesecondstroketotheholeonthesecondnineonwhichthehigher-handicappedplayermostneedsastrokeasanequaliser.Continuealternatinginthismannerforthefull18holes.Strokesshouldbeevenlydistributedacrossthe18holes.Eachnineshouldbedividedintothreesegmentsofthreeand,ontheninewheretheunevenstrokesareallocatedeachsegment’sstrokesshouldaddto27andfortheninewhereevenstrokesareallocated,eachsegmentshouldaddto30.Itisunderstoodthat,basedonthedistributionofholesonagolfcourse,theexactnumberof27or30cannotalwaysbeachievedandasmallvarianceisthereforeacceptable.

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Itisfeltthatthehigher-handicappedplayermostneedsstrokesasequalisersondifficultPar-5holes,followedinsequencebydifficultPar-4s,otherPar-5s,otherPar-4s,andfinallyPar-3s.AnexceptionallydifficultPar-3mightwarrantbeingallocatedastrokebeforeanexceptionallyeasyPar-4orPar-5.c)ImportanceofearlystrokesWhenallocatingthefirsthandicapstroke,considerationshouldbegiventoitsprobableusefulnessinmatchesbetweenplayersofpracticallyequalability,suchasthoseinvolvingscratchand1-handicapplayers,10-and11-handicapplayers,or29-and30-handicapplayers.Itisinsuchmatchesthatthefirsthandicapstrokewillbeofthegreatestimportanceasanequalisertotheplayerreceivingit.Inallocatingthesecondhandicapstroke,matchesbetweenplayershavingaslightlygreaterdifferenceinhandicapsshouldbegiventhemostconsideration,suchasthosebetweenplayershavingscratchand2handicaps,10and12handicapsor28and30handicaps.Thisprocessshouldbecontinueduntilallstrokeshavebeenassigned.d)LowstrokesnotnearendWithoutseriouslyviolatingtheforegoingprinciples,allocationofthelower-numberedstrokestoholesneartheendofeachnineshouldbeavoided,asplayersonthereceivingendwouldliketousetheirstrokesbeforematchesarelost.e)LowstrokesnotatbeginningConversely,itisdesirabletoavoidallocatingthelower-numberedstrokestothefirstholeortwointheeventofasudden-deathplay-offinahandicapmatch.10.2AllocationofstrokesforplayerswithPlusCourseHandicapGolferswithaPlusCourseHandicapmustaddastroketotheirGrossScoreoncertainholesaccordingtothefollowingrulesforastandardlayout:a)+1higheststrokedPar5oncourseb)+2higheststrokedPar5onoppositeninetoa)c)+3higheststrokedPar4onsamenineasa)d)+4higheststrokedPars4onsamenineasb)e)+5remainingPar5onsamenineasa)f)+6remainingPar5onsamenineasb)CourseswithmorethanfourPar5sapplyc)andd)totheiradditionalPar5s.CourseswithlessthanfourPar5s,applysimilarprinciplestotheiradditionalPar4s.CourseswithonlyonePar5applya)irrespectiveoftheactualstrokeofthehole.10.3UseofAlternateTeesinClubCompetitionsClubsareencouragedtoallowplayerstocompeteoffthedifferentteesinclubcompetitions.AllCourseHandicapsareadjustedtotakeintoaccounttheSlopeRatingandthedifferencebetweenParandtheCourseRatingofthetee,andsoallCourseHandicapsareequitableinaclubcompetitionnomatterwhichteetheplayerchooses.10.4Nine-HoleCoursesTheseprinciplesapplyequallytoa9-holecourseplayed.

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Section11HANDICAPALLOWANCESWhereallowancesareapplicableeitherintermsofthecompetitionrulesorasperthetypeofcompetitionlistedbelow,theseallowancesshouldbeusedtoadjusttheCourseHandicapanddetermineaPlayingHandicapasdefinedinsection3.23above.ThegolferwouldhoweverusetheirCourseHandicapforenteringtheirAdjustedGrossScoreorhole-by-holescoreontheHNAsystem.11.1General11.1.1WhentoTakeStrokesAplayerreceivinghandicapstrokesshalltakethemintheorderassignedonthescorecard,exceptasnotedotherwisebelow.11.1.2PlusCourseHandicapsWhenaplayerorasidehasaplusCourseHandicap,thepercentageallowancesbelowwillreduceit,notincreaseit.Example:50%ofaplus2CourseHandicapisplus1.InmatchplayagainstParandinstrokeplay,aplayerorasidewithaplusCourseHandicapshalladdahandicapstroketothehole,exceptasnotedotherwisebelow.11.1.3Fractionofone-halfandmoreInallcalculationsafractionofone-halformoreshallcountasafullstroke.Anyotherfractionshallbedisregarded.11.1.4CourseHandicapsapplyper18HolesCourseHandicapsarefor18holes.Eachallowancebelowappliesasaunittoeach18-holeround,eventhoughthecompetitionmayconsistofmorethanoneround.11.2MatchPlay11.2.1SinglesMatchPlay-AllowthedifferencebetweentheFullCoursehandicapsofthetwoplayers.11.2.2SinglesMatchPlayvs.Par-AllowtheFullCourseHandicap.11.2.3Four-BallMatchPlay,BetterBallBasis-EachplayerisallocatedtheFullCourseHandicap.ThelowestresultanthandicappedplayershallplayoffscratchandhisCourseHandicapshallbedeductedfromeachoftheremainingthreeplayers.11.2.4Four-BallMatchPlayvs.Par,BetterBallBasis-AlloweachplayertheFullCourseHandicap.11.2.5Alliance(Best-Ball-of-Four)MatchPlayvs.Par-AlloweachplayertheFullCourseHandicap.11.2.6FoursomesMatchPlay(notFour-Ball)-Allowthehigher-handicappedside50%ofthedifferencebetweenthecombinedfullCourseHandicapsofthemembersofeachside.11.2.7GreensomesMatchPlay-Allowthehigher-handicappedside40%ofthedifferencebetweenthecombinedFullCourseHandicapsofthemembersofeachside.

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11.2.8FoursomesMatchPlayvs.Par-Allow50%ofthepartners’combinedFullCourseHandicaps.DecimalvaluesareincludedintheresultantPlayingHandicap.11.2.9GreensomesmatchPlayvs.Par-Allow40%ofthepartners’combinedFullCourseHandicaps.DecimalvaluesareincludedintheresultantPlayingHandicap.11.2.10PinehurstmatchPlayvs.Par-Allow40%ofthepartners’combinedFullCourseHandicaps.DecimalvaluesareincludedintheresultantPlayingHandicap.11.3StrokePlay11.3.1IndividualStrokePlay-AllowtheFullCourseHandicap.(AplusCourseHandicapshallbeaddedtotheGrossScoretodeterminetheNetScore.)11.3.2Four-BallStrokePlay,BetterBallBasis-AlloweachcompetitortheFullCourseHandicap,strokestobetakenasallocatedonthescorecard.11.3.3Alliance(Best-Ball-of-Four)StrokePlay-AlloweachcompetitortheFullCourseHandicap,strokestobetakenasallocatedonthescorecard.11.3.4FoursomesStrokePlay(notFour-Ball)-Allow50%ofthepartners’combinedFullCourseHandicaps.(AplusCourseHandicapshallbeaddedtotheGrossScoretodeterminetheNetScore).DecimalvaluesareincludedintheresultantPlayingHandicap.11.3.5GreensomesStrokePlay-Allow40%ofthepartnerscombinedFullCourseHandicaps.(AplusCourseHandicapshallbeaddedtotheGrossScoretodeterminetheNetScore).DecimalvaluesareincludedintheresultantPlayingHandicap.11.3.6PinehurstStrokePlay-Allow40%ofthepartnerscombinedFullCourseHandicaps.(AplusCourseHandicapshallbeaddedtotheGrossScoretodeterminetheNetScore).DecimalvaluesareincludedintheresultantPlayingHandicap.11.4TotalScoresofpartners(aggregate)AlthoughnotcoveredbytheRulesofGolf,anotherformofFour-Ballplayisasfollows:Twoplayersfromaside,eachplaystheirownball,andthecombinedtotaloftheirscoresforeachholeorroundisthescorefortheside.ThisisusuallyreferredtoasanAggregateCompetition.11.4.1MatchPlay:Allowthehigher-CourseHandicappedsidethefulldifferencebetweenthecombinedFullCourseHandicapsofthemembersofeachside.11.4.2StrokePlay:AllowthepartnersfullcombinedCourseHandicaps11.5OptionalReductionsinPlayers’CourseHandicapsforBetterBallandAllianceCompetitionsTheorganisersofBetterBallandAlliancecompetitionsatClub,League,UnionorNationallevelmayattheiroptionimposeareductionintheCourseHandicapsfortheircompetition.Thereductionshouldbeclearlycommunicatedtoallparticipantspriortothestartofthecompetition,alongwithhowcompetitorsshouldroundanyresultingfractionalCourseHandicapstowholenumbers.

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11.6PlayerswithoutSouthAfricanHandicapIndexesSouthAfricanplayerswhoarenotaffiliatedtoGolfRSAareoutsidethescopeofthisHandicappingSystem.WheresuchplayerscompeteagainstplayerswithGolfRSAHandicapIndexes,itisrecommendedthatintheabsenceofanyhandicaphistory,organisingcommitteesallowmenamaximumhandicapof16andladiesamaximumhandicapof24.11.7ForeignVisitorswithaHandicapIndexPlayersfromothercountriesmaypresenttheirHandicapIndexcertificates,toaclubwhenenteringacompetitionandplayofftheCourseHandicapasdeterminedbytheCourseHandicapConversionTable.11.8NeighbouringCountryVisitorsontheHNAsystem PlayersfromclubsinneighbouringcountriesthatareontheHNAsystem,buthavenotyethadtheircoursesratedusingtheUSGACourseRatingSystemincludingSlope,havehandicapindexesontheHNAsystemthathavebeencreatedusingastandardslopeof113.Theirhandicapindexwillbedisplayedonthesystemwithazeroafterthedecimalplace.Theseplayersshouldplayofftheirhandicapscalculatedinthesamemannerasdetailedin11.9below,forForeignVisitorswithoutaHandicapIndex. 11.9ForeignVisitorswithoutaHandicapIndexWhereaplayerisvisitingfromacountrywheretheUSGASlopesystemisnotinuseandtheydonothaveaHandicapIndex,i.evisitorsfromEngland,Ireland,ScotlandandWales,theirhandicapshouldbeadjustedtoPardependingontheteetheyareplaying,andtheCompetitionorganisingcommitteeshouldannouncethemethodofCourseHandicapcalculationfornon-affiliatedgolfers.CourseHandicapforForeignHandicapPlayerswithoutaHandicapIndex=ForeignHandicap+(CourseRating–Par)11.10ForeignPlayerswithGolfRSAHandicapIndexPlayerswhocarrytemporaryorpermanentmembershipofalocalgolfclubandwhoarealsosimultaneouslymembersofanoverseasclubthathasallocatedthemahandicap(orHandicapIndex)shallusetheirGolfRSAHandicapIndexwhendeterminingtheirCourseHandicap.ThisisprovidedthattheyhaveenteredtheirforeignscoresontheGolfRSAsystemviatheinternet,orthroughtheirSouthAfricanclubadministrator,onarrivingbackinSouthAfrica.Failingthis,theirGolfRSAHandicapIndexshouldbechangedbytheclubtoN/Auntilsuchtimeastheyhaveplayedandenteredonthesystem,atleast5newlocalrounds.Alternatively,theclubadministratormaymaketemporaryadjustmentstotheplayersGolfRSAHandicapIndextoasaccuratelyaspossiblerepresenttheircurrentplayingabilityuntilsuchtimeasfivenewscoreshavebeenentered.WheretheforeignHandicapIndexislowerthantheGolfRSAHandicapIndexduetotheforeignscoresnothavingbeenenteredandtheclubadministratorisnotabletoadjusttheplayersGolfRSAHandicapIndextorepresentanequivalenthandicaptotheiroverseashandicap,thentheplayershallplayofftheloweroftheirGolfRSAHandicapIndexconvertedtoaCourseHandicaporForeignHandicapIndex,ortheirforeignhandicapadjustedforpar.

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Section12HANDICAPCONTROLS12.1GeneralThescoringpeculiaritiesofmostgolfersmustbeconsideredinordertoproduceequitableHandicapIndexes.ThisiswhyaHandicapIndexisnotsimplythedifferencebetweenaplayer’saveragescoreandtheCourseandSlopeRatings.ItisalsowhyhandicapcontrolsareincorporatedintotheSystemaschecksandbalancestooffsetabnormalscoring.Mostofthehandicapcontrolsareautomatic(ratherthanrequiringspecialindividualoperation).12.2ControlsintheSystemControlsintheSystemincludethefollowing:12.2.1HighestScoreDisregardedTheplayer’shighestscoresarenottobeusedincomputingtheHandicapIndexsincetheydonotrepresenttheabilityonwhichtheyshouldbehandicapped.12.2.2PenaltyforFewerthan20ScoresWhenaplayerhaspostedfewerthan20scores,theirHandicapIndexmaybebasedonalowerpercentageofscoresthanthe50%normallyused(lowest10differentialsofthelast20rounds).Thisanticipatestheirprobableimprovementiftheyplaymorefrequently,andisfairertoplayerswhohavereturned20ormorescores(refertosection7.4).12.2.3ArbitraryPenaltyHandicappingCommitteesmay,intheirdiscretion,arbitrarilyreduceorincreasetheHandicapIndexofplayerswhodonotreturnalltheirscoresorotherwisedonotobservethespiritoftheGolfRSAHandicapSystem.Inexceptionalcircumstances,theHandicappingCommitteemay,afterfollowingdueprocess,withdrawtheHandicapIndexofaplayerforaperiodnottoexceed3months.12.3ResponsibilitiesofHandicappingCommitteeTheHandicappingCommitteeisresponsiblefortheequitableapplicationofallhandicaprulesandcontrols;inparticular,itisrequiredtoensurethatthefollowingpointsareadheredto:12.3.1Allscoresarecorrectlyandtimeouslycapturedandreturnedbyallplayers.12.3.2OmittedscoresthatwouldhaveresultedinaHandicapIndexdecreaseforaplayerareenteredasPenaltyScores(refertoSection8.7)andtheHandicapIndexforthatplayerimmediatelyrecalculated.12.3.3ThatrepeatedgoodscoresbyaplayerareproperlyreflectedbyanappropriatereductioninHandicapIndex.12.3.4Aprolongedperiodofexceptionalperformance,withoutacorrespondingreductioninHandicapIndexisreviewedaccordingtosection12.4below.ThecommitteemayimposeaconditionofcompetitionthatallplayersaretoadjusttheirGrossScoresaccordingtotherulesunderExceptionalPerformanceinSection12.412.3.5ThatinBetter-Ballcompetitions,anyplayerachieving3Stablefordpoints(orequivalent)onmorethanfourholes,isreviewedaccordingtosection12.4below.

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12.3.6Thatparticularlyhigh(orlow)scoresinnon-competitionrounds,orroundsplayedawayfromthehomeclub,contributingtotheHandicapIndexcalculationarereviewedandtheHandicapIndexre-calculatedomittingthesescores.IfthisresultsinasignificantchangetotheHandicapIndex,thisrevisedHandicapIndexshouldbeallocatedbytheclubasa“frozen”HandicapIndexforaperiodnotnormallyexceedingtwomonths.12.3.7ItistheresponsibilityoftheclubhandicappertoensurethatthespiritofthesystemisupheldandthatanyperceivedmanipulationofHandicapIndexesbethoroughlyinvestigatedandsuitabledisciplinarymeasuresappliedtoprovenoffenders.SuchactionincludesimmediatereductionorwithdrawalofaHandicapIndex.12.4ExceptionalPerformanceDeterminingwhenaplayer’sHandicapIndexdoesnotcorrectlyreflecttheirabilitytoscoreisnotaneasytask.TheGolfRSAHandicapSystemadoptstwoapproaches,thefirstispartofthehandicapcomputationandthesecondrequiresmanualinterventionbytheclubhandicappingcommittee.12.4.1HandicapIndexComputationWheneveraplayerentersanewscoreontheGolfRSAHandicapSystem,anexceptionalperformancetestisperformedagainstthisscore.Wherethisdifferentialisatleast3lowerthantheplayer’sHandicapIndex,atthetimeoftheround,thescoreismarkedasexceptionalonthesystem.AnimmediaterecalculationwilltakeplacewhenaplayerenterstheirsecondExceptionalScorewithintheirlast20rounds.Thisplayer’sHandicapIndexcalculationwillthenbebasedonthebesteightdifferentialsoftheplayer’slast20differentialsratherthanthestandard10.ThisprocesswillberepeatedforeachadditionalExceptionalScoreentered,foraslongastherearetwoormoreexceptionaldifferentialsamongtheplayerslast20rounds.12.4.2ManualInterventionWhereplayersaredeemedtobeplayingoffanincorrectHandicapIndexbytheclubHandicapCommittee,theappropriatechangetotheplayer’sHandicapIndexshallbemadetotheplayer’sHandicapIndexontheGolfRSAHandicapSystemthroughtheadministrationinterface.ThiscanbedonebymakinguseoftheHandicapIndexFreezeFunction.TheplayershouldthenbeinformedoftheirrevisedHandicapIndex.TheremaybecaseswhereaplayerfrequentlywinsBetter-Ballcompetitions,yetpostsNetScoresthatresultinlittleornoHandicapIndexchange.InthesecasestheHandicappermayapplythefollowingformulatosuchplayer’sBetter-BallGrossScores:RG=Par+A–PN,where:RG=RevisedGross,Par=Parofthecourseplayed,A=Allowance,PN=NumberofPars.Aiscalculatedas18+(ParofCourse–CourseRating).Iftheplayer’sCourseHandicapexceeds18,thenAisfurtheradjustedbyadding(CourseHandicap–18)toA.PNisthetotalnumberofParsmadebytheplayerinaround.EachBirdieistocountastwoParsandeachEagletocountasthreePars.ShouldtheRevisedGross(RG)belessthantheGrossScorerecordedontheplayer’scard,thentheRevisedGrossmaybesubstitutedfortheGrossScore.Whenthisgrossisaltered,theresultantNetScoreshouldbetestedforInterimRevision(seesection9.2.3).Anyadjustmenttotheplayer’sHandicapIndexusingthisformulashallbecommunicatedtotheplayerandallowtheplayerareasonableopportunitytoexplainthereasonfortheirscores.

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Part3COURSERATINGSSection13PURPOSE,BASISANDRESPONSIBILITY13.1PurposeofCourseRatingsThepurposeofCourseRatingsistoprovideauniformcomparativebasisforthecomputationofHandicapIndexesbetweenclubswhereversituatedwithvaryingdegreesofdifficulty.CourseRatingsareexpressedinstrokestoonedecimalplace.13.2BasisofCourseRatingsSouthAfrica,alongwithalltheothermajorgolfplayingcountries,hasadoptedtheUSGACourseRatingsystem.Thissystemusesthedistanceofeachholeaswellasnumerousotherfactors,suchaselevationchange,carrydistance,widthoffairways,proximityofhazardsandoutofbounds,normalroughheight,prevailingwinds,greensidebunkering,greenspeedandgreenslopes,tocalculateacomparativeratingofeachtee(clickhereformoreinformation).13.3ResponsibilityforAssessmentofCourseRatingsCourseRatingcalculationsandsubsequentlyrequiredrevisionsduetocoursechangesmayonlybedonebyGolfRSA-approvedratingteams.Clubsmaynotallocatetheirownrating,butmayrequesttemporarymodifiedratingsasspecifiedinsection14.4.ApplicationsforInitialAllocationorAmendmentstoCourseRatingsshallbemadetoProvincialUnionsbymemberclubs.13.4ResponsibilityofClubsItisrecommendedthat,wherepossible,allClubsaffiliatedtoGolfRSAequatetheParofthecoursetotheofficiallyassessedUSGACourseRating.InallcasestheofficiallyassessedUSGACourseRatingsincludingtheSlopemustappearonthescorecardforallcourses/tees.(SeeSection8.15)

Section14METHODOFASSESSMENTOFCOURSERATING14.1USGACourseRatingSystemGolfRSAhassignedanagreementtousetheUSGACourseRatingSystem.AsummaryoftheUSGACourseRatingsystemcanbeviewedontheGolfRSAandHNAwebsitesatwww.golfrsa.co.za,under‘HandicapsandCourseRatings’,aswellasonwww.handicaps.co.za,under‘CourseRatings&Slope’.14.2MinimumlengthforaCourseRatingForacoursetoberated,itmusthaveaminimumoveralllengthof2700metresatsealevel.

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Section15MEASUREMENTS15.1StartingPoint;PermanentTeeMarkersTheStartingpointfromwhicheachholeismeasuredisthepositionofthePermanentTeeMarkerwhichispositionedinaccordancewiththeUSGACourseRatingSystemmanual.15.2HowtoMeasureEachholemustbeaccuratelymeasuredfromPermanentTeeMarkeralongtheplannedlineofplaytothecentreofthegreen.Theplannedlineofplayisthatenvisagedbythearchitectinthelayingoutofthehole.Thusinadoglegholethelineatthepivot(elbow)pointshouldbecentredinthefairwayasintendedbythearchitect.15.3CertificateofMeasurementAcertificatemustbeobtainedfromalandsurveyorshowingthemeasurementofthelengthofthecourseanditsmeanaltitudewherethisexceeds500metresandsubmitthecertificatetotheProvincialUnion(itisrecommendedthatthemeasurementbedonebyanElectronicDistanceMeter).15.4MorethanOneSetofTeesIfmorethanonesetofteesareincommonuse,measurementsandratingmarkersshallbeestablishedforeachandapplicationmadeforseparateCourseRatings.15.5ColoursofPermanentandmovableTeeMarkersThecoloursofthePermanentandmovableTeemarkersfortheCoursesmustberecordedontheGolfRSAHandicapSystemandontheclubscorecardinaccordancewiththefollowingguidelines:Yellowforthelongestcourse,thenWhite,BlueandRedfortheshortestcourse.Shouldaclubhavefivesetsoftees,thenBlackcanbeusedforthelongestcourse,followedbyYellow,White,BlueandRed15.6Nine-HoleCoursesOnanine-holecourse,ifseparateteesmarkersareusedforeachnineofan18-holeround,separatemeasurementsandPermanentTeeMarkersmustbeestablishedforeachnine.Itisrecommendedthatnine-holecoursesalsochoosecolourcourseswhichshouldbethesameforbothninesbuteachteeshouldbeclearlymarked,e.g.1and10.Itisrecommendedthatthesamesequenceofcoloursbeusedasoutlinedin15.5above,i.e.WhiteforthelongerandRedfortheshortercourse.