Should this count towards my handicap?

I shot a 79 this morning, at least thats what the scorecard says. However on the back nine there were two temp greens on. These so called greens were in awful condition. Very small, very uneven and the holes were in poor condition. Because of this we decided that anything on the green or within a few feet of the green we would just call it two from there. I made par and bogey on the two holes. So my question is, having not actually holed out on two holes should I include the round in my handicap calculation or not? There is no certainties in golf but both would have been very very easy two putts on a servicable green. As an aside I had a pretty odd 10th. Short par 4 (296 yards), I hit a 3 wood off the tee to leave 70 yards. I then topped a sand wedge so badly that I basically hammered the ball into the ground. The ball hopped backwards a couple of feet and left a big divot where I had pushed it into the turf. After much swearing I hit my third only to see it land a few feet before the hole and trickle in for birdie.

For handicap scoring, if you don't finish or play a hole you are suppose to take par plus any handicap strokes allocated for that hole.

Given your handicap, you would either take bogey, bogey or par, bogey.  It would depend on what # HC those holes were.

Just my .02....

Brad

That's only if you don't play the hole at all. If you've started a hole but don't finish it, the procedure is to estimate your "most likely score" (that wording is from the USGA Handicap Manual) - i.e., take what you're laying and add how many more strokes it likely would've taken you to hole out.

So, to the the OP: If you feel you would've "likely" got down in 2 on those holes you did not putt out on, you acted correctly. However, note that it's not what you would've done on a "serviceable" green - it's what you would've got on the greens you were playing. They might have been in bad condition but the course often makes up for that by putting them closer to the tee (i.e. shortening the hole) or using a larger cup.

Odds are the course instituted a 2-putt rule -- or should have. See it all the time where they paint a circle and anything inside the circle is 2-putt MAX from there. Not as easy as I would guess to get the ball in the circle. Call the course and ask. If they want you to play it down, then I guess you max score on those hole and report the round.

You don't have the right to make that decision.

The course could institute a "2 putt" rule.

Why would you max score, and not use the procedure outlined in the Handicap Manual?

Btw, I just noticed the OP is from England - I can't find any R&A; handicapping guidelines with respect to unfinished holes, but since the USGA and R&A; are closely aligned on the rule set I imagine they might be on this as well. Perhaps someone more knowledgable than me can chime in.  Regardless, taking max score would seem to be unnecessary and in fact would artificially inflate the handicap.

I don't think it matters whether the course "institutes" such a rule or the group decides on its own to play by it.  The RoG are out the window at that point anyway either way.

As far as I know R&A; has nothing to do with handicap rules in Britain or Europe in general. It is either CONGU or EGA, respectively.

CONGU HC manual seems not to be on internet, but parts of it are:

In EGA HC manual, there is no procedure for unfinished holes.

But all this is moot as zeg pointed out:

And the round is thus not acceptable stipulated round.

If the OP is in England, CONGU handicaps are only based on rounds played in "qualifiying" competitions. Any decisions on how to play those greens should have been part of the local rules set by the competition organisers. But I'm guessing it isn't a real CONGU handicap, and thus the OP can really do whatever he likes.

I'm not an expert, even in the USGA handicap rules as I've not kept an official handicap, but I have studied the manual a bit.  I think if your only violation of the rules is to agree to this rule (which, under the RoG does invalidate the entire round for competition purposes), you would still need to consider reporting the round for handicap purposes.  I believe that even if this "rule" affected the score on every single hole, you'd still need to estimate your score on each hole and report that, just as you'd report  a match play score when every hole was conceded before holing out.  IIRC, there's a limit to the number of hole scores that can be assumed your handicap max but no limit to those that can be estimated because they were not completed.

I'm not 100% certain though, and this seems like something that might differ depending on the handicap system in use.

I would think that that is right. Like in Australia, they don't have DIY handicaps in Great Britain. Handicaps are maintained through competition rounds and competition rounds only.

We had a temporary green for a little while and there was a "2 putt rule" on the hole. It was clearly stated on a sheet in the proshop. It wasn't something that players "decide" to implement. In the same way that we don't "decide" not to count shots left in bunkers or missed 3 footers.

So....if one assumes that the OP doesn't have a real handicap, he can do whatever he likes, but he should certainly know that players can't decide to waive or invent rules to suit themselves.

The notion of doing so and then making a false score count towards even a DIY (vanity) handicap seems pointless and wrong IMO.