Virginia Golfer September / October 2015 | Page 13

An active handicap committee is critical to ensuring the integrity of the handicaps it issues. PHOTO CREDIT HERE For example, did you know if you were to play only 13 holes before ending your round that you would still be responsible for posting an 18-hole score? You might ask yourself, how would I record a score for the last five holes? Section four of the USGA Handicap System manual says that to enter a score for a hole not played, the player would need to record a score of par plus any handicap strokes they were entitled to for that hole. Well, how should I have known that I needed to post an 18-hole score after only playing 13 holes? Section five states that if 13 or more holes are played, the player must post an 18-hole score. If seven to 12 holes are played, the player must post a nine-hole score. And if six or fewer holes are played, a score should not be posted. It may not be plausible for every golfer to know the USGA Handicap System manual from cover to cover, but it is feasible for a handicap committee to be formed by the club to better inform its membership regarding protocol for s Ս