Two Holes Are Closed At My Golf Club. Is It Still Eligible For Handicapping?

The first thought that came into my mind when the 7th hole closed for the winter (and the 8th to allow access for machinery) was that it would be nice to have a chance of finally breaking 80 for the first time in about two years.

Then, not being too hot on the rules around scorecards and what the minimum requirements are for a course to be considered ‘legal’, I wondered whether that was it for the year: no more scorecards entered until the remodelling of the 7th hole was complete and we were back to a full 18 holes.

I like putting in cards, even in social rounds, and especially when there’s not a bit of money on the line (loose change, mostly); now, I thought, my only option for the next six months or so, at my home course at least, would be to enter a scorecard for the back nine holes.

However, as anyone who has entered a scorecard at a course undergoing work will tell you, a golf course doesn’t need to be fully operational, as long as it meets certain criteria.

Ah, the relief, I could continue to put cards in, and I would soon be breaking 80 (albeit on a 16-hole course).

So, what criteria does a golf club need to satisfy in order for golfers to enter scorecards? What if there are temporary greens and bucket holes in play? What if several holes have forward tees, which significantly shortens the course?

The England Golf website has a page that outlines the requirements a course must meet to remain eligible for handicapping: it’s called the Adverse/Extreme Weather Reference Guide, and it replaced the Winter Checklist, to help clubs all year round.

For scores to count for handicapping purposes, the course must be set up as follows:

• Tee markers to be within +/- 10 yards of fixed measurement point
• Total course length to be within +/- 100 yards of full measured length
• A maximum of 2 temporary greens in 18 holes (1 in 9 holes)
• Acceptable scoring possible (with the use of appropriate Model Local Rules)

If the above criteria is not met then the appropriate tee set(s) or course must be switched off on the World Handicap System. Competitions can still be played when the tee set is switched off but the scores will not count for handicap purposes.

Frozen ground, which is always a threat over the winter months, is the most obvious example where course conditions make acceptable scoring impossible.

As for holes being closed, here are the rules:

• For a 9-hole score to be acceptable, all 9 holes must be played (i.e. no closed holes)
• A minimum of 10 holes must be played for an 18-hole score to be acceptable
• Any holes closed by the club must be entered as ‘Not Attempted’ on the MyEG app
• Holes that are closed must not be played and players must move on to the next open hole

In order for the Expected Score Calculation to work, all 9 holes on either the front or back 9 must be played.

For an 18-hole score, if holes are closed on both the front 9 and the back 9, a Net Par will be used for the closed holes on the 9 holes with fewest closed, and “Not Attempted” entered for the closed holes on the other 9 holes.

Net Par is calculated using: Net Par = Par + Handicap Strokes Received on the Hole. This score is then manually entered by the player when submitting their score.

Of course, when you have a clued up PGA professional and competition and handicap committee, you’ll be kept up to speed regarding what you can and can’t do when it comes to entering scorecards.

If you’re a nomadic golfer, however, it’s useful to be aware of the above. If you’re not sure whether you can start a card prior to playing a course that has holes out of play - or there are perhaps one or two temporary greens in use - just check with the club professional before creating a scorecard.

Right, time to try and break 80 - I’ll never have a better chance.