Handicapping Operational Matters & Preparing for the new GA Handicap System
The following resources have been developed to aid in the launch of the new handicap system to go live on 23 January 2014. A Q&A of commonly asked questions is available below. There are two types of official handicaps allocated under this system, a GA Handicap and a Daily Handicap. The GA Handicap is not designed for use in handicap competition play, rather it is GA s assessment of the relative golfing ability of a player on a course with a neutral slope rating.(See slope rating below). The Daily Handicap is the handicap to be used in handicap competition play. The GA Handicap is one of the factors used in the calculation of the Daily Handicap. Slope rating is a mark that indicates the measurement of the relative difficulty of a course for players who are NOT scratch golfers. A slope rating is computed from the difference between the bogey rating and the scratch rating. A golf course of standard playing difficulty (as determined by the USGA system) has a slope rating of 113. A flyer was distributed to Club Members via allocated District Associations or posted directly to Clubs, [Click to download PDF Flyer].
An A2 sized poster was mailed to clubs and answered many common questions for those players that wish to look into the details of the system a little further [Click to download PDF Poster].
The Player
The player will see only a few differences with how their golf is played, with the main one related to the introduction of slope and the terms GA Handicap and Daily Handicap . A video showing how a typical player will be greeted at a club is displayed [Click below or go to this link to view video] as are the slope ratings of all courses in NSW.
Video about handicap changes from Golf NSW on Vimeo.
The Club Administrator
An internet resource has been developed to assist club administrators with their preparations for the implementation of the new handicap system. The resource is an interactive check-list of items which also includes some general items that are integral to a club s handicapping operations and on which it is common for clubs to seek advice from GA. Clubs will benefit from working through the check-list, however if items on the list are left uncompleted, you will still be able to operate under the new system. [Click below or this link to view video about the Checklist.]
The Check-List
The check-list is available from the following web page CHECK-LIST LOG IN You will need to set-up your own log-in details to access the interactive check-list. This access will enable you to record notes under each item, and also to check-off tasks that are completed or covered. Support resources or explanations accompany each item. The resource is free to use and there is no limit on the number of accounts each club may set-up (although it is recommended that each club co-ordinate its approach and only set-up a single check-list account).