Coto de Caza MGA
Forward Tee Policy – February 2021

 

Policy:  Members 60 and older whose age plus tournament index is at least 77 may move up one set of
tees.  The tournament index will be calculated on the day registration closes for the event.  The exception
is for the two Presidents Cup matches, where the tournament indexes will be calculated on the day
registration closes for the first round and at the end of each round per the schedule on the MGA website. 
The handicap of those electing to move up will be adjusted for differences in slope and course rating.
 

Supporting Information: According to the USGA Handicap Manual:

The purpose of the USGA Handicap System is to make the game of golf more enjoyable by
enabling players of differing abilities to compete on an equitable basis. The System provides a
fair Course Handicap for each player, regardless of ability.

The key words in that statement are “Course Handicap”. The handicap system only works if all players
are playing the same course. Different tees have different ratings and are therefore, different courses.

Further information from the USGA (section 9-3c of the Handicap Manual) for competitions conducted
from multiple sets of tees:

c. Players Competing From Different Tees or Men and Women From Same Tees

(i) Different Tees: Men vs. Men; Women vs. Women; Women vs. Men
Different tees usually have different ratings. Since a USGA Course Rating reflects the probable
scores of a scratch golfer, the higher-rated course is more difficult, and the player playing from
the set of tees with the higher USGA Course Rating receives additional stroke(s) equal to the
difference between each USGA Course Rating, with the resulting figure rounded off to the
nearest whole number (.5 or more is rounded upward). (See Decision 3-5/1.)

Example 1: If men playing from the middle tees, from which the men's USGA Course Rating is
70.3, compete against men playing from the back tees, from which the men's USGA Course
Rating is 72.6, the men playing from the back tees will add two strokes (72.6 - 70.3 = 2.3 rounded
to 2) to Course Handicap.

At Coto de Caza the Course Rating difference between tournament tees and one set closer are: North –
1.8; and South 1.5. Thus in each case a player that meets the qualification test and elects to move up a
set of tees will give back 2 strokes to those playing from the tournament tees.