Dear Golfer,

This month we respond to media articles concerning some Golfers manipulating their handicaps to win competitions.

Background

The SAGA Handicap System and the USGA System on which it is based are both reliant on the Club handicap committee and fellow Golfers to ensure players’ handicaps are representative of their ability. Clubs are still very much responsible for their members’ handicaps and always will be.

Our statistics show that Golfers on the system record exceptional rounds (3 or more shots better than their handicaps) between 3% and 5% of the time – or 1 in every 20 rounds. Therefore a Golfer having a good day from time to time should not be cause for concern as this is to be expected.

The Handicap System automatically penalizes Golfers who have 2 or more exceptional rounds in their last 20, by immediately recalculating their handicaps using the best 8 differentials instead of the best 10. But Golfers regularly entering multiple exceptional scores, especially in competitions, should be investigated by their Club.

Controls in the SAGA Handicap System
The SAGA Handicap System is a transparent platform allowing a player’s score and handicap history to be reviewed on the handicap terminals at every club, online on the www.handicaps.co.za website or via apps available for all smartphones.

Every round played has to be entered onto the system and has to be able to be verified by a playing partner, unlike the USGA where a player can enter a score even if playing on their own. It is the responsibility of the Club handicapper to review members’ handicaps and scores, and to investigate any players reported to them by another Club or player who suspects them of manipulating their handicaps. The handicapper should also examine all players who win regularly to make sure they are complying with the system.

If players have suspect rounds, these can be confirmed by contacting their playing partners. If the suspect score cannot be verified the Club handicapper can edit or remove the score and adjust the players’ handicaps accordingly. Intentionally entering a wrong score or simply not entering a score is tantamount to cheating and unless the player can provide a valid reason, the club is entitled to suspend a handicap for a period of time.

Some players forget or simply choose not to enter their good scores. One of the controls in the system is that Clubs are supposed to open a round for every handicapped Golfer – member or visitor - before or during their round. Should Golfers not have their handicap cards with them, their details can be accessed on the Handicap System and a round opened for them.

No system is fool proof and unfortunately if an amateur wants to cheat, even in a club competition where a fellow competitor is recording their score, they can still do so by not trying their best on certain holes or certain putts.

Some people suggest only Club competition scores should be considered for handicap purposes
This is currently the case in Europe and the United Kingdom and we could introduce the system. However, anyone who cares to speak to the Golf Unions in these countries will discover that forcing players to play in competitions to have a valid handicap, has resulted in a marked reduction in handicaps and membership.

This system has been detrimental to the game because the majority of players are social Golfers who play for fun and not to win Club competitions. In addition many of the players do not play the specified minimum of 3 competition rounds per annum to have a valid handicap, so their handicaps are often not a valid reflection of their ability.

The alternative is to look at ways of verifying scores entered by playing partners. This is very time consuming and difficult to police – how do you determine who is at fault if a score cannot be verified and this system would be open to “buddy” manipulation.

Another common claim is that winning Stableford scores continue to rise, especially in sponsored competitions where the prizes entice some Golfers to manipulate their handicaps to win. Golf days and the handicaps players use in these days are unfortunately not easily managed, although most Golfers are there to enjoy the day and any prize is a bonus. In addition, at many social or sponsored days people are allowed to play off forward or front tees, without reducing their handicaps by the difference in the stroke rating and this could lead to inflated Stableford scores.

Most amateur Golf competitions are run by Clubs and they can control who enters and on what basis, as well as adjust handicaps for the competitions. In our view amateur Golf is mainly a fun social game, so the value of prizes should be kept in check to discourage people from manipulating their handicaps to increase their chances of winning. The pleasure should be in playing the game, you against the course. Golfers wanting to experience the thrill of competition should enter major amateur competitions where handicaps are not applicable.

The USGA and the changing global view is that the majority of Golfers are honest, so they rely entirely on golfer honesty and the Club handicapper. So do you try and design a system to catch a few cheats when 98% of gofers are honest, and cause a large number of honest people to no longer have handicaps and to stop playing the game? Or do you accept there will always be individuals who will cheat for the small prizes on offer?

The world trend is to move away from using only competition scores for handicaps. Can South African Clubs risk losing more social Golfers just because some sad individuals are happy to cheat and risk their reputations for a shot at a low value prize?

Quote of the month

"The most important shot in golf is the next one." ~ Ben Hogan

Swing Easy!

The Handicaps Team