Tournament Course Handicap Question

[NM Golf]

I have a buddy who is running a tournament this Friday. The format is a ABCD two best balls (net). He is a +3 handicap and he is trying to decide whether he should:

A. Play as a 0 handicap and give everyone else in the tournament 3 extra pops.

B. Play as a +3 (give up a stroke on the easiest 3 holes) and everyone else plays with their normal course handicap.

I gave him my personal opinion (B), but I told him I would run it by you guys as well. Your opinions please...

[Big C]

I agree with you - option B.

In a match play event, you play off the low man as scratch. 

But in a team event where you take 2 or 3 of the best net scores, you just play the strokes as they fall. 

 

[DeadMan]

It's B. Take a look at the handicap manual, Appendix C. There's an example at the end of that section that talks about this exactly. He should be giving strokes back to the course.

Link to the handicap manual (I don't think I can link to the appendix directly): https://www.usga.org/handicapping/roh/2020-rules-of-handicapping.html

[iacas]

Yeah, B is the right answer. It's not a match. It's basically a net event.

[NM Golf]

I agree completely. I am playing in his tournament as a +2, and while the thought of getting a stroke sounded nice, I told him it's not the correct way to go about it. In our weekend game we play off his handicap, but its all match play.