Does Your Handicap System Shut Down During the Winter?

[wacker]

My golf club in the UK recently shut down the system for the winter months. This means scores can not be entered until winter conditions are out of the way, temporary greens aren't in use, and the the winter mats are removed. I agree with this as handicaps tend to go up. We are however expected to tell the handicap secretary if we have an exceptional round so she can cut us. In fact, I just negotiated a one shot penalty, although the secretary wanted to cut me two shots. Of course, if I come in ten shots over I can't have shots back, which in my opinion makes a farce of the entire system. 

How do you do things at your club?

[Vinsk]

We don’t have winter here.😃

[pganapathy]

My home club in India doesn't have winter as you guys do.  At most it is cold that we need a sweater.  What we have is a monsoon when playing is difficult since the course is really waterlogged and we have balls plugging.  But we don't shut down during that period though very few people play

[phillyk]

Yes, we flush out the whole system and close the main supply pump from the lake. We did that a couple weeks ago. Most courses around here will do that. We may play year round golf, though, because we get all our annual rain between October and May. We don’t lack for water if the grass were to grow a little. Our non-posting season is Nov 15 to end of February. 

[iacas]

In areas of the country with "winter" weather, you aren't allowed to post. (You can post if you play a round in another area that is in an active posting season.)

https://www.usga.org/handicapping-articles/handicap-active-and-inactive-season-schedule-25489.html

[p1n9183]

In Argentina we play all year long. More or less clothes. Of course, index goes up on winter and up on summer. 

[DaveP043]

My home club will remain open year round, although we will usually get a couple of pretty light snowfalls.  I don't have real data, but my estimate is that the course is only closed to play for less than two weeks a year, on average.  In  Virginia we have handicap posting year-round, but just over the border in Maryland they don't post scores between December 1 and March 14.  I'm not crazy about cold-weather golf, so I don't play much through the December to February months.

[klineka]

My course switches to temporary greens and walking only in the winter, when that starts/ends depends on weather but usually its for all of December and Jan and then some days/weeks in Nov/Feb, basically whenever the ground is frozen.

The temporary greens are just a big circle spray painted in the fairway short of the actual green. They're maybe cut a touch shorter than the fairway but still pretty long. Mainly just gives something to aim for while getting some exercise and taking a few swings. 

[wacker]

On 11/6/2023 at 6:49 PM, DaveP043 said:

My home club will remain open year round, although we will usually get a couple of pretty light snowfalls.  I don't have real data, but my estimate is that the course is only closed to play for less than two weeks a year, on average.  In  Virginia we have handicap posting year-round, but just over the border in Maryland they don't post scores between December 1 and March 14.  I'm not crazy about cold-weather golf, so I don't play much through the December to February months.

You misunderstood. The question is "do you close down computer entry system for handicaps"?

On 11/6/2023 at 9:59 PM, klineka said:

My course switches to temporary greens and walking only in the winter, when that starts/ends depends on weather but usually its for all of December and Jan and then some days/weeks in Nov/Feb, basically whenever the ground is frozen.

The temporary greens are just a big circle spray painted in the fairway short of the actual green. They're maybe cut a touch shorter than the fairway but still pretty long. Mainly just gives something to aim for while getting some exercise and taking a few swings. 

You misunderstood. The question is "do you close down computer entry system for handicaps"?

[StuM]

18 minutes ago, wacker said:

You misunderstood. The question is "do you close down computer entry system for handicaps"?

You misunderstood. The question is "do you close down computer entry system for handicaps"?

This varies by region, I am in Michigan, US and posting rounds for handicap is only April 1 - Oct 31.  They do not actually shut the web site down, just rounds are not accepted for HCP “Out of season”.

This link is for the USA but I suspect the UK has a similar list available.

https://www.usga.org/handicapping-articles/handicap-active-and-inactive-season-schedule-25489.html
 

 

Edited November 8, 2023 by StuM

[DaveP043]

19 minutes ago, wacker said:

You misunderstood. The question is "do you close down computer entry system for handicaps"?

I answered that too, in my area we post scores for handicap all year round.  We can do it on the computer in the pro shop, on a home computer, or on an app on our phone.  And as others have said, we're required to post scores if we play someplace where where posting season is in effect, perhaps a vacation to Florida or Arizona, so the handicap computer never really shuts down.

[wacker]

On 11/8/2023 at 1:10 PM, StuM said:

This varies by region, I am in Michigan, US and posting rounds for handicap is only April 1 - Oct 31.  They do not actually shut the web site down, just rounds are not accepted for HCP “Out of season”.

This link is for the USA but I suspect the UK has a similar list available.

https://www.usga.org/handicapping-articles/handicap-active-and-inactive-season-schedule-25489.html
 

 

Yes, it's a club by club thing. It isn't just the computer in the clubhouse, we are unable to enter scores using the app as well. My point from the start was that we are expected to inform the handicap secretary of any outstanding scored so she can reduce our handicap, but NOT inform her of any particularly poor scores. It makes no sense to me 

[StuM]

3 hours ago, wacker said:

we are expected to inform the handicap secretary of any outstanding scored so she can reduce our handicap, but NOT inform her of any particularly poor scores. It makes no sense to me 

That makes no sense to me.

[Missouri Swede]

9 hours ago, wacker said:

Yes, it's a club by club thing. It isn't just the computer in the clubhouse, we are unable to enter scores using the app as well. My point from the start was that we are expected to inform the handicap secretary of any outstanding scored so she can reduce our handicap, but NOT inform her of any particularly poor scores. It makes no sense to me 

I'd ask them for a reference for that "expectation".  

A score when the course is not in its active season is not acceptable for handicap purposes, according to the R&A, Rules of Handicapping, rule 2.1. Not only should you not be "expected" to report it, it is incorrect to report it. So I would want to know what rule the handicap secretary is using to negate rule 2.1.

 

Scores Acceptable for Handicap Purposes

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The R&A seeks to engage in and support activities for the benefit of the sport of golf from The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

 

[paperclip]

Here in Canada we are basically done

[ChetlovesMer]

On 11/5/2023 at 4:36 PM, iacas said:

In areas of the country with "winter" weather, you aren't allowed to post. (You can post if you play a round in another area that is in an active posting season.)

https://www.usga.org/handicapping-articles/handicap-active-and-inactive-season-schedule-25489.html

I believe where I am in Ohio, we can post until November 30th. It's a little confusing as Northern Ohio is until October 31st, Southern Ohio is until November 30th. I'm kind of in the middle. 

But either way, I don't get a lot of rounds in after the end of October. I did shoot a solid score last week which would have helped my handicap, but I played alone so that one doesn't count anyway.