Acceptable Scores for Handicaps - Learn Something New Every Day

It has become somewhat common for a few players in our "club without real estate" to not turn in their score cards at the end of competitions or to quit the tournament round with a few holes to go.  A few don't sign their own cards in order to be DQ'd rather than have their score listed in the results. I have never asked them why but presumably they are not happy with their performance and don't want their poor showing to be public knowledge.  Of course, the rest of us aren't really fooled when these guys routinely have DNF, NC or DQ next to their name.

I was curious how the handicap system treated these situations.  According to the USGA Handicap Manual, scores when one is DQ'd for not signing a card or not returning a card are still acceptable for handicap posting.  If one stalks off the course in mid-round, the incomplete round should be recorded as either a 9-hole score (if 7 to 12 holes are played) or 18-hole score (if 13 or more holes are completed) using the "Holes Not Played" procedure.  If you are DQ'd for using non-conforming equipment or some other reason that might be reflected in your score, the score is tossed.

This info will probably not be shared with the players who are guilty of attempting to hide their poor play.  If they want to toss out their poor scores, I say have at it. More vanity handicappers in our competitions means fewer players to beat.

I run a "club without real estate".  We have an established Rules Committee.  We also have the disgression to adjust handicaps if we see a need.  Hard to imagine someone having a really good round and the pulling out when they have a chance of winning or placing.  We also have a combined net/gross skins game.  So even if you are playing badly, you still have a chance of getting a skin.  Also, closest to the pin on all par 3s.  So, we offer a bit more than just who shoots best score for the day.  I think it helps keep the players around when they are playing poorly.

We do have a couple of people who have bad tempers and I often see them once they realize they are out of competition, start slapping putts around one handed missing 4 of 5 in a row and I yell at them when I see it.  Also, doing stupid crap like not going down to the edge of the hazard when they have already hit 1 ball in from too far out.  Our system ESCs their scores but it is the wasted time that gets to me.

Well if the handicap committee should keep track of the score and post it. This is why your opponent keeps your score and you keep your opponents. If its a tournament, a person should not be keeping there own score. When i played in tournaments, i never kept my own score. So, even if he was DQ'd, the opponent should turn in the card. This is why the card has a scorer line that needs to be signed and an attested line signed by the person who's score is on the card.

when you say "club without real estate" does this mean a group of like minded individuals who play publically available golf courses, but do so in a competitive nature?

This is not a term I have heard before.

As to your question, I have no idea.

It means that they are an official club, but they aren't associated with a particular golf course.  I knoew of a couple of these in Colorado which played several courses, but they were still officially organized and operated, and they are sanctioned by the Colorado Golf Association for handicap management and oversight.

I was in a public course men's club, but we played all of our tournaments on the same course, and although we were totally self managed, we set up our tournament schedule in January each year by meeting with the course Head Pro and working out a 15 tournament schedule which fit with their needs. So we were a club with real estate, even though not technically connected with the course.  There are also such clubs which are actually managed by the club or course itself.

Exactly right.  We have 175 members and play a series of 14-15 tournaments at various courses during the summer months.  We have a board of directors, handicap committee, etc...  Just like a private country club except we are nomadic and have no permanent home course.  We are a member of the State golf association and our club champion is eligible to play in the state Tournament of Champions.