

Site last updated on: 24-Aug-25

Earlston Golf Club

EARLSTON GOLF CLUB SOCIETY
HANDICAP SYSTEM
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New members with a WHS handicap (also called a national handicap) will play off that initially.
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New members without a WHS handicap will be allocated an EGC handicap (also called a Society handicap) of 18 (men) or 30 (ladies) unless they elect to use a fair handicap of less than that.
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Maximum permissible EGC handicaps are 28 for men and 36 for ladies.
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Members are obliged to notify the EGC Committee or Handicap Secretary if their WHS handicap goes down (Rules of Golf 6-2a and 6-2b). There is no requirement to notify if their WHS handicap goes up.
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Players must declare their handicap before the start of each match. Players with no WHS handicap, or with an EGC handicap lower than their WHS handicap, must use their EGC handicap. Players whose WHS handicap is lower than their EGC handicap must declare so and play off their WHS handicap. Their EGC handicap will reduce to their WHS handicap.
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Players may have an EGC handicap lower than their WHS handicap, but may not have an EGC handicap higher than their WHS handicap.
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Players winning an EGC event will have points deducted from their EGC handicap according to the following scale:
Current EGC handicap Point/s deducted from handicap
Under 10 1
Between 10 and 19 2
Between 20 and 28 3
Over 28 4
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Players in second or third place on an EGC event will have 1 point deducted from their EGC handicap. If awards are made for lower placings, the Handicap Sub-committee may, at their discretion, elect to deduct 1 point from the EGC handicaps of these players also.
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Additional points may be deducted by the Handicap Sub-committee, at their discretion, for improved play.
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Players who finish an event outwith the awards and outwith the “buffer zone” (i.e. the number of strokes after the last award winner) may have 1 point added to their EGC handicap, up to the maximum permissible, but only if this does not exceed their national handicap, according to the following scale:
Current EGC handicap “Buffer zone” Point/s added to handicap
Under 10 6 strokes/points 1
Between 10 and 19 8 strokes/points 1
Between 20 and 28 10 strokes/points 1
Over 28 12 strokes/points 1
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Additional points may be added to a player's EGC handicap at the discretion of the Handicap Sub-committee.
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Players finishing in their respective "buffer zone" on an EGC event will have no change made to their EGC handicap.
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Any changes to EGC handicaps can only be made by a majority decision of the members of the Handicap Sub-committee, unless the player elects to have their EGC handicap lowered.
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Any protests regarding changes to an EGC handicap must be made in writing to the EGC Committee.
Version 4 - November 2020





