New members of HAGS may be expected to play off of three quarters of their confirmed handicap in their first event. They may also not play off of a handicap higher than 24 in their first event. After the first event in complete the Handicap Committee may agree to allow the player's handicap to increase. Exceptions to these rules can only be granted by the Handicap Committee.
The majority of players' handicaps are capped at the standard 28, however with a number of rookie players amongst our members we allow some players to temporarily play off of handicaps of up to 54. It is no longer the case that if a player's handicap drops below 28 that they cannot go above it again. Exceptions to this rule will be at the discretion of the committee.
For the 2018 season H.A.G.S. will be using a new handicap-adjustment system, based loosely around the two different systems we've used previously.
To get started, you will need to know what handicap category you fall into, take a look at the table below:
| Category | H'cap range | Unit value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.1 - 5.4 | 0.1 |
| 2 | 5.5 - 12.4 | 0.2 |
| 3 | 12.5 - 20.4 | 0.3 |
| 4 | 20.5 - 28.4 | 0.4 |
| 5 | 28.5 - 54.0 | 0.5 |
This year, players that finish 1st, 2nd or 3rd in any event will see their handicap adjusted:
| Position | Units Adj. |
|---|---|
| 1st Place | −5 units |
| 2nd Place | −3 units |
| 3rd Place | −1 unit |
| 2nd Bottom | +1 unit |
| Bottom | +2 units |
Adjustments have also changed for the number of stableford points achieved in an event:
| Points | Adj. |
|---|---|
| 34 + | −1 unit every shot over 34 |
| 31 to 34 | No change |
| 27 to 30 | +1 unit |
| 23 to 26 | +2 units |
| 19 to 22 | +3 units |
| 15 to 18 | +4 units |
| 11 to 14 | +5 units |
| 10 or less | +6 units |
Thomas plays off of 19.2, scores 39 pts and finishes 2nd:
| Handicap Changes | |
|---|---|
| Thomas's unit value | 0.3 |
| (Stableford Units + Position Units) * unit value = H'cap adjustment | (-5 + -3) * 0.3 = -2.4 |
| New Handicap calculated | 19.2 - 2.4 = 16.8 |
Aaron plays off of 31.0, scores 34 pts and finishes 1st:
| Handicap Changes | |
|---|---|
| Aaron's unit value | 0.5 |
| (Stableford Units + Position Units) * unit value = H'cap adjustment | (0 + -5) * 0.5 = -2.5 |
| New Handicap calculated | 31.0 - 2.5 = 28.5 |
Ben plays off of 33.0, scores 24 pts and finishes 8th out of 15:
| Handicap Changes | |
|---|---|
| Ben's unit value | 0.5 |
| (Stableford Units + Position Units) * unit value = H'cap adjustment | (-2 + 0) * 0.5 = -1.0 |
| New Handicap calculated | 33.0 + 1.0 = 34.0 |
Lee plays off of 17.0, scores 15 pts and finishes 2nd bottom:
| Handicap Changes | |
|---|---|
| Lee's unit value | 0.3 |
| (Stableford Units + Position Units) * unit value = H'cap adjustment | (+4 + 1) * 0.3 = +1.5 |
| New Handicap calculated | 17.0 + 1.5 = 18.5 |
Luke plays off of 22.5, scores 8 pts and finishes bottom:
| Handicap Changes | |
|---|---|
| Luke's unit value | 0.4 |
| (Stableford Units + Position Units) * unit value = H'cap adjustment | (+6 + 3) * 0.4 = +3.6 |
| New Handicap calculated | 22.5 + 3.6 = 26.1 |
Ratty plays off of 6.0, scores 44 pts and finishes 4th:
| Handicap Changes | |
|---|---|
| Ratty's unit value | 0.2 |
| (Stableford Units + Position Units) * unit value = H'cap adjustment | (-10 + 0) * 0.2 = -2.0 |
| New Handicap calculated | 6.0 - 2.0 = 4.0 |
