Match & Competitions Info

SSS = SLOW STRAIGHT SWING?

 CSS = COLOURFUL SHORT SHOTS?

HANDICAP = PARTNER?

 COURSE MEASUREMENT = A QUICK APPRAISAL OF PARTNER?

Along with Stroke Index and Par what does it all mean?

And how it affects

YOUR HANDICAP?

To find some of the answers please read the resume below:-

A certain amount of discussion and interest is forthcoming from members regarding current changes to the course i.e. defining the shape of fairways, two cuts and height of rough, why did my handicap not go down or up in a particular competition etc.

The answer to these questions are not to be found in the R&A Rules of Golf, they only tell you how you must play the game, but in the CONGU (Council of National Golf  Unions) handbook entitled Unified Handicapping System (UHS).

 Without asking you all to read this enlightening work, I will endeavour to explain parts of it in simple terms. The origins go back to 1925, with a major revision in 1983 forming the basis of the present day system with the Ladies joining in 2004 to create the UHS.

 The purpose of the UHS is to enable golfers of differing abilities, men and ladies alike, to compete on a fair and equitable basis.

 SSS (Standard Scratch Score)

 The SSS is the score that a scratch golfer (not a professional) is expected to return in normal mid-season course and weather conditions over a measured course.

 To achieve this each golf course is assessed, and based on the effective playing length, which is a predominant factor, and its playing difficulty, is allocated a Standard Scratch Score (SSS) which can differ for White, Yellow or Red tee positions. This forms the basic starting point against which handicaps are allocated and adjusted.

 Courses in England are rated under the system laid down by the EGU (English Golf Union) which takes into account the yardage measured from a point not less than 4 yards from the back of each tee, to specific distance points on the fairway, and then to the centre of the green. The location / prevailing wind together with the following 10 factors that affect the playing difficulty of a hole are then assessed.

1. Terrain
2. Fairway Width 
3. Rough
4. Fairway and Greens Bunkers
5. Out of Bounds
6. Water Hazards
7. Trees
8. Approach to Green
9. Green (size, shape,slope and speed)
10. Green Missed Recoverability

The 18 holes are evaluated for the above and a difficulty rating of between 0-5 allocated to each factor, the summation of these ratings together with yardage elevation differences applied to each hole provides a calculated SSS which must NOT be allocated amongst individual holes, this then has to be approved by the EGU.

 This is the figure you see printed as a total on the score card against white, yellow and red tee box.

 CSS (Competition Standard Scratch Score)

 However as we all know golf is played under all types of conditions by various categories of players, so there is a need to take those factors into account when we play in Qualifying Competitions, whether they are Medal play or Stableford points.

 With this in mind the UHS devised the Competition Scratch Score (CSS) which takes into account the conditions of both course and weather and the category of players by looking at the actual scores recorded during that competition.

 Using a calculation based on the number of category 1, 2, 3 for men & (4) for ladies as a percentages of the total field with the number in each category recording net scores of SSS +2 or better, including non returns, the CSS for the day is produced which is then used for handicap adjustments. If this figure results in a +3 over SSS then only reductions to handicaps will take place. A similar calculation is used in Stableford competitions but converts the results into net differentials, the result being the same for handicap adjustment.

 Depending on how the score of an individual player relates to the calculated CSS their exact handicap is then adjusted up or down. All increases - regardless of how high the score - will only be by 0.1. Reductions will depend on a combination of how may strokes the player's net score is below CSS and the player's handicap category, if your score is within the buffer zone 0 to +5, again depending on player category your handicap remains unchanged. (See KGC Rule of Play 2008 booklet for further details on this).

 STROKE INDEX

 In Stroke play an individual's handicap is not taken into account on a hole by hole basis but is deducted from his gross score, which is then compared against CSS, for other types of play Match, Par / Bogey, Stableford, Foursomes and Greensomes where the handicap stroke is allocated (given or received) on a hole by hole basis, it is necessary to indicate where they must be taken so that a Net score can be determined for that hole.

 The Stroke Index numbered 1 - 18 in simple terms is allocated in relation to the degree of difficulty of the particular hole. The aim is to try and achieve allocating odd numbered strokes to the more difficult nine of the two nines, usually the longer nine and the even numbers to the other nine, with complex recommendations as to where the indices should be placed within the start, middle and end of each nine. The objective being that where matches can start at the first or tenth it avoids an undue advantage on the nineteenth if the match should go to sudden death. The above are not always achievable hence the reason you see variations at different clubs.

 But it should be noted that Par is not used as an indicator of hole difficulty. It is easier to score par on a on a Par 5 hole than 4 on a long Par 4. Long par 3 and 4 holes are difficult holes for low handicappers but relatively easy Bogeys with players with higher handicaps.

 PAR

 The Par for a course is established on a hole by hole basis by its playing length but also takes into account limited playing difficulty.

Par 3    up to 250 yards

Par 4    220 - 500 yards                     

Par 5    440+ yards

(Distances apply for Men, for Ladies they are reduced)

So a hole of say 460 yards may be allocated a Par of 4 or 5 depending on its play difficulty but the total of the Par figures for each hole will not necessarily coincide with the SSS of that course.

It is used for allocating scores in Par, Bogey and Stableford competitions in conjunction with the Stroke Index to determine a net score and is applied to each hole.

You may ask why is it that Professional Golf uses Par whilst the UHS doesn't. Professional Golfers do not have handicaps so the SSS or CSS are irrelevant.

CONGU does not consider that Par provides a suitable basis for a reliable and robust handicapping system, as Par is only a crude measure of playing difficulty. To illustrate this point take for example two courses constructed fairly near to one another with similar terrain.

Course A - has four par 3's each of say 140 yards and fourteen par 4's each of 300 yards giving a total course length of 4,760 yards Par 68.

Course B - has four par 3's each of say 220 yards and fourteen par 4's each of 400 yards giving a total  course length of 6,480 yards Par 68.

Assuming that the playing difficulties are relatively the same, a scratch golfer would have a potentially much lower score on Course A than the longer course B.

The SSS would probably be in the order of 63 and 71 therefore it shows that Par does not provide a viable figure for handicapping.

 Handicap Adjustments

Generally these will only take place following a Qualifying Competition, home or away, and at the Annual Review when a players handicap record is checked along with achievements in Match Play, Texas Scramble, Shotgun and Winter League results that indicate a playing ability above or below their allocated handicap, adjustments will be made in whole numbers with the exact adjusted accordingly, this replaces basically the general play change.

Qualifying Competitions

In general most competitions will be of a Qualifying nature except when the event is social or the course conditions e.g. Reduction of length by more than 100 yards or the course or parts thereof are deemed unplayable. The use of fairway mats or having preferred lies does not fall into this category.

Conditions at Kenilworth

The EGU have stipulated that all courses must, in line with current requirements be reassessed, we are due within the next 3 years.

Following the changes to the 4^th  that were carried out in 2007 we lost 139yds in length and our SSS went down to 70, but we know that on certain holes the tee does not have the regulation 4 yards clearance from the measuring point, which means we most probably only warrant an SSS of 69.

As you have gathered from above one of the ways to help increase our SSS is to increase the difficulty, hence the planting of more trees in strategic positions, contouring of the fairways, leaving the height at the second cut of rough at 50mm and introducing areas of rough in landing areas that were once fairway. This in itself though is probably not enough and if we are to attract new members / visitors also retain our existing young good golfers further changes are required.

Those of you who looked at the hole by hole course development proposals that were displayed in the clubhouse would have noticed that it is intended to install a new tee on the 3^rd this would be positioned back towards our boundary fence and give us an additional 20 - 30 yards, and still remain a par 4, install a new tee on the 5^th in the area of the old 4^th green giving us an additional 65 - 75 yards but making it a par 5, the effect of these two changes would increase the length of the course again by 85 - 105 yards which with the changes already mentioned would protect our current SSS of 70 but probably raise it to  71, we would also have a more balanced course with 5 par 3's, 8 par 4's, and 5 par 5's, also an added bonus of some readily available forward tee's for the winter if they were needed.

Whilst some of you may take the view that course should be easier with great wide open fairways, no rough and an even lower SSS that would bring your handicap down, just reflect on the how this would affect your ability when playing other courses. As the EGU does not recognise the principal of slope index whereby your handicap is adjusted from your home course to the course you are playing, you would be at a complete disadvantage in trying to compete in matches, competitions or just fun on a course that did not mirror your own.  

I hope that the above has provided some benefit in answering some of your questions and assisted you to understand some of the various terminologies used in golf, and clarify the need to make changes, as well as gaining your approval for course improvement.

For anyone interested in reading fully about the CONGU UNIFIED HANDICAPPING SYSTEM there is a copy available in the rack adjacent to the snooker room stairs.

Thank you

David Elbourn

Match & Competitions

 03/07/08

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