Unified Handicapping -System in detail
Unified Handicapping -System in detail
22. Nine-Hole Qualifying Competitions
Evidence from golf clubs indicates that a significant number of Members, due to increasing demands in their working and family life for example, are unable to play 18 hole Qualifying Competitions frequently enough to establish and maintain a handicap representative of their potential ability.
Consequently, in response to the changing needs of the game and the Members of our Affiliated Clubs, Qualifying Competitions over Nine-Holes have been introduced into the UHS to provide additional opportunities for the return of Qualifying Scores.
It is envisaged that Nine-Hole Qualifying Competitions will be particularly attractive to clubs and their Members in summer evenings and in the restricted daylight hours of winter weekends. Nine-Hole competitions could also be the means by which a greater number of senior golfers are encouraged to make returns for handicap purposes.
The format for Nine-Hole Qualifying Competitions is Stableford with a 'neutral' 18 points for the nine unplayed holes being added to the Nine-Hole Stableford score.
As there is no desire to change the traditional way in which competitive golf is played i.e. over 18 holes, the number of Nine-Hole competitions is restricted.
At the discretion of the Affiliated Club, Qualifying Competitions over Nine-Holes may be conducted for Members at their nominated Home Club. The scores shall be recorded as Qualifying Scores in the Player Handicap Records, subject to the following provisions:
22.1 The designated Nine-Hole course shall have a Standard Scratch Score issued by the Union and expressed as an 18 hole value.
22.2 Nine-Hole Qualifying Competitions shall be in Stableford format.
22.3 A Nine-Hole Competition Handicap shall be calculated as follows:
[Exact Handicap + Nine-Hole SSS – (Nine-Hole Par x2)] / 2
For example, if the player has an Exact Handicap of 12.8 and the Nine-Hole SSS and Par are 69 and 34 respectively the Nine-Hole Competition Handicap is:
[12.8 + 69 – (34 x2)] / 2 = [12.8 + 69 – 68] / 2 = 6.9 rounded to 7.
22.4 Handicap strokes shall be taken according to the Stroke Index for the Nine-Hole course.
For Example:
In the nine holes to be played the stroke indices in hole number sequence are as follows:
| Hole No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| SI | 14 | 10 | 4 | 16 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 18 |
22.5 Eighteen Stableford points must be added to the result over Nine-Holes to obtain a Qualifying Score for handicap purposes.
22.6 Only players in Handicap Categories 2, 3, 4 and [5] may return Nine-Hole scores for handicap purposes.
22.7 A player in Category 2 recording the required Nett Differential for the transition from Category 2 to Category 1 shall not have his handicap reduced below an Exact Handicap of 5.5, i.e. shall not be reduced into Category 1.
22.8 A Competition Scratch Score shall not be calculated. If a competition is abandoned for any valid reason players returning Nett Differentials below the Standard Scratch Score shall have their Exact Handicaps reduced to the extent dictated by the Nett Differential. A Nett Differential of zero or above shall not result in a handicap increase.
22.9 The following Buffer Zones apply to Qualifying Scores over Nine-Holes:
| Handicap Category | Buffer Zone (Stableford Points) |
| 2 | 35-36 |
| 3 | 35-36 |
| 4 [5] | 34-36 |
22.10 A recognised section of an Affiliated Club may arrange up to ten Nine-Hole Qualifying Competitions per annum.
22.11 A Qualifying Competition over Nine-Holes shall not be part of an 18 hole Qualifying Competition.
22.12 Scores returned over Nine-Holes shall not be used for the allotment of handicaps.
22.13 Supplementary Scores over Nine-Holes shall not be used for handicap purposes.
Note: A Category 1 player may participate in a Nine-Hole Qualifying Competition and his score should be recorded in his Player Handicap Record. No adjustment in handicap shall be applied i.e. his score must be disregarded for handicap purposes.
The term 'recognised section' in Clause 22.10 is intended to refer to separate sections within a golf club that organise Qualifying Competitions.
For example, within a golf club, the individual sections for Men, Ladies, Seniors and Juniors as appropriate, may each arrange up to ten Nine-Hole Qualifying Competitions per annum. Any Member, however, is restricted to the return of a maximum of ten Nine-Hole Qualifying Scores per annum.