A Brief Guide to Handicaps

A players Exact Handicap is his handicap calculated to one decimal place. A players Playing Handicap is his Exact Handicap calculated to the nearest whole number (0.5 is rounded upwards). The Buffer Zone is the margin within which an exact handicap remains unchanged.

Handicaps are divided into the following categories each with a Buffer Zone:

Category 1: Handicaps 5 or less Buffer Zone 0 to +1
Category 2: Handicaps of 6 to 12 Buffer Zone 0 to +2
Category 3: Handicaps of 13 to 20 Buffer Zone 0 to +3
Category 4: Handicaps of 21 to 28 Buffer Zone 0 to +4
Category 5: Handicaps of 29 to 36 Buffer Zone 0 to +5 Ladies Only
A Qualifying Competition is any competition in which Medal Play Conditions prevail and a CSS is calculated. A Qualifying Score is any score including a no return returned in a Qualifying Competition
The Nett Differential is the difference (+ or -) between the nett score returned in a Qualifying Competition and the CSS after the application of Clause 19.8

The Standard Scratch Score (SSS) is the score allotted to an 18 hole golf course and is the score that a scratch player is expected to return in ideal conditions over a measured course.
The Competition Scratch Score CSS) is the adjustment that may be necessary to the SSS to take account of weather and course conditions and must be calculated for all Qualifying Competitions.

Clause 19.8
All holes completed the players Nett Differential is reduced by the number of strokes taken on any hole in excess of nett double bogey.
Holes with no score recorded A score of nett double bogey is entered.

Alteration of Handicaps

If a player after the application of Clause 19.8 returns a score with a nett differential:

Within the Buffer Zone the handicap is not changed.
Above the Buffer Zone or records a no return the exact handicap is increased by 0.1.
Of less than zero the Exact Handicap is reduced by an amount per stroke being determined by the Handicap Category as follows
Category = 0.1, Category 2 = 0.2, Category 3 = 0.3, Category 4 = 0.4, Category 5 = 0.5.

General Play

Whenever the Handicap Committee of the players Home Club consider that a players handicap is too high or too low and does not reflect his current ability adjustment must be made within the guidelines set out in Clause 19 of the Handicapping Scheme.
Handicap Committees are required to conduct an annual review of Handicaps.