History
The British Golf Unions Joint Advisory Committee, later The Council of National Unions (CONGU), came into existence at a conference held in York on 14th February 1924. The conference was convened by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews as a means of enabling the representatives of the Golf Unions of Great Britain and Ireland to formulate a definitive system of calculating Scratch Scores and to arrive at a uniform system of handicapping based on Scratch Scores.
The Consultative Committee was appointed to receive and consider schemes for calculating and allocating the Scratch Scores and adjustments to handicaps throughout Great Britain and Ireland. The Standard Scratch Score and Handicapping Scheme was prepared by the Council in 1925 and has been in operation throughout Great Britain and Ireland since the 1st March 1926.
On the 21st March 1960 the committee's name was changed to the Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU) comprising representatives of The English Golf Union, The Golfing Union of Ireland, The Scottish Golf Union, The Welsh Golfing Union and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews
In 1983 a new handicap scheme which drew on some aspects of the Australian system was introduced. The 1989 revision introduced the concept of the 'Competition Scratch Score' (CSS) to adjust the Standard Scratch Score (SSS) to take into account variations in playing conditions, better or worse, on any competition day.
In the 1990's the USGA Course Rating System was adopted by three of the four men's Unions. The GUI, SGU and the GUW have since used it to rate their courses. The EGU opted to develop their own Course Rating system which they have continued to use. Handicap allowances for Match Play, previously included in the appendixes to the Rules of Golf, were now recommended by CONGU. Unions were given discretion to make the recommendations mandatory, which the GUI and SGU did. The variable buffer zone of one, two, three or four strokes, depending on handicap category was also added in the 1993 revision. In the 1997 revision the Stableford Points Alternative (Clause 19.8) was introduced for handicap purposes only to deal with scores which were adversely affected by one or more particularly bad holes. Initially Unions were given discretion to apply this change but in 2001 it became mandatory for categories 2, 3 and 4
In 2000/2001 discussions began between CONGU and the Ladies Golf Union (LGU), who were reviewing their own system. From these discussions the Unified Handicap System (UHS) emerged. It was passed by CONGU in September 2003 and by the LGU in January 2004. The joint system for men and ladies became effective from 1st February 2004.
The Constitution of CONGU was amended in 2004 to reflect the joint system. This has been further amended in 2007/2008 to recognise the amalgamation of the Welsh Unions and the change in name of the English Ladies' Golf Association. The CONGU Council now consists of at least two representatives from the seven Unions / Associations in Great Britain and Ireland. The seven are: English Golf Union, English Women's Golf Association, Golf Union of Wales, Golfing Union of Ireland, Irish Ladies' Golf Union, Scottish Golf Union and Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and The Ladies' Golf Union have one representative each on Council.