Handicapping
Policies and Procedures
Maintaining proper handicaps and playing by the rules of golf are fundamental elements of our club. Remember to post all acceptable scores played during the active season (April 1st to October 31st in Wisconsin; other regions vary).
However, for Brown Deer Men's Golf Club group events scored using Golf Genius (the "Majors", Spring Tour and Summer Tour), the Committee will post all scores for the field. If in doubt at an event, ask if your score will be posted or if you need to do so.
The Handicap Committee within our golf club is responsible for administering the USGA Handicap System. The primary goal of the system and the Committee is to enable golfers of differing skill levels to compete on an equitable basis. The committee will verify that scores are properly posted for handicap purposes and peer review and is authorized to adjust players' indexes as documented in the Official Rules of Handicapping.
Members should be aware of the following policies and procedures:
Recent Updates
Effective January 2020, the World Handicap System (WHS) unified six handicap systems and provides every player in the world with a consistent measure of ability. The WHS enables players of different abilities globally to compete against others on a fair basis. The Rules of Handicapping replaces the USGA Handicap System™, which has been in place since 1911, and the USGA Course Rating System™ has become the Course Rating System.
For a summary of changes, click here.
Handicapping Allowances
Our club follows recommendations published in Appendix C of the Rules of Handicapping. Depending upon the format of each event, you will be assigned a course handicap equal to 85% to 100% (rounded to the nearest whole number) of your full handicap for the tee box that you are playing.
For additional background, see below as published by the USGA:
Q. What are handicap allowances and why are they recommended for various formats of play?
A. A handicap allowance is the percentage of a Course Handicap recommended to create equity based on the format of play.
Since higher-handicap players typically have more variance in their scores and an increased potential to shoot lower net scores, when full Course Handicaps are used in certain formats, players with lower Course Handicaps are generally at a disadvantage. By taking a percentage of Course Handicap, the higher handicap players are impacted more, which brings the expected scores for all players or teams to a more consistent level. Handicap allowances are mainly applied in team formats, where the combination of players can produce lower scores compared to other teams.
Millions of scores and/or simulations were used to determine and validate the handicap allowances used under the World Handicap System, and the recommendations for each format of play can be found here. (Appendix C, Rules of Handicapping)
Competition Scores
Scores for rounds played during the following events are considered "Competition Scores" (previously known as "T Scores") and should be posted as such
"Competition Scores" to posted by Event Committees on your behalf:
- BDMGC Majors (Mixer, Memorial, Quota Classic, President's Cup, Eckhardt 2-Man Best Ball and the Wind-Up)
"Competition Scores" to be posted by you:
- BDMGC match play rounds (Club Championship, Cup Matches and 2-Man Match Medal)
- MCPLA, WPLA and other major competitive events (if posting is not done automatically for you)
