To: Club Communication Officers

FAO: All members, handicap committees and staff

Dear CCO,

With six weeks left to go before the new World Handicap System comes into effect, we have put together some educational resources for your members to access. These can be found at www.golfnet.ie/whs and we will be providing clubs with content for use in their internal publications and social media outlets over the coming weeks.

Please let your members know about this as WHS represents the biggest change to the handicap system for over 30 years.

At www.golfnet.ie/whs you can find the Rules of Handicapping booklet, frequently asked questions, explainer videos, guidance from the R&A and CONGU and more.

More communication from us will follow in due course. Below is a copy of the media release issued today.

Alan Kelly

Communications Manager

Golfing Union of Ireland

MEDIA RELEASE

World Handicap System Set for November Launch

• Biggest changes to handicap system in over 30 years
• Golfers of all abilities will be able to compete on a fair and equal basis
• Club members encouraged to learn more about the new system

Golf Ireland, the GUI and ILGU today confirmed that the World Handicap System will come into effect in Ireland from 2nd November, replacing the current Unified Handicapping System (CONGU).

The World Handicap System, the rollout of which commenced in January, unifies six different handicapping systems into a single system and will:

• enable golfers of different abilities to play and compete on a fair and equal basis, in any format, on any course, anywhere around the world;
• be easy to understand and implement, without sacrificing accuracy; and meet the varied needs and expectations of golfers, golf clubs and golf authorities all around the world and be adaptable to suit all golfing cultures                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Following transition to the WHS, all Handicap Index calculations will be consistent for all players, making a Handicap Index directly comparable to all other players around the world.

Over the coming six weeks, an education campaign will begin to help golfers in Ireland learn and adapt the new handicap system. This will be undertaken through the Golfnet website, on social media, through club communication officers, direct mail and with GUI and ILGU media partners in Irish Golfer.
Speaking about the launch, Mark Kennelly CEO of Golf Ireland said: “The World Handicap System transforms how golf handicaps are calculated and the new system should make the process of obtaining and administering handicaps much simpler. It’s a modern, progressive and more equal way of ensuring that we provide all golfers with a consistent measure of playing ability.”
The new system will feature the following:

• Flexibility in formats of play, allowing both competitive and recreational rounds to count for handicap purposes and ensuring that a golfer’s handicap is more reflective of potential ability
• A minimal number of scores needed to obtain a new handicap; a recommendation that the number of scores needed to obtain a new handicap be 54 holes from any combination of 18-hole and 9-hole rounds.
• A consistent handicap that is portable from course to course and country to country through worldwide use of the USGA Course and Slope Rating System, already successfully used in more than 80 countries
• An average-based calculation of a handicap, taken from the best eight out of the last 20 scores and factoring in memory of demonstrated ability for better responsiveness and control
• A calculation that considers the impact that abnormal course and weather conditions might have on a player’s performance each day
• Daily handicap revisions, taking account of the course and weather conditions calculation
• A limit of Net Double Bogey on the maximum hole score (for handicapping purposes only)
• A maximum handicap index limit of 54.0, regardless of gender, to encourage more golfers to measure and track their performance to increase their enjoyment of the game                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           A secure login area on the Golf Ireland website (which will replace Golfnet) will allow club members login to view their playing history and a smartphone app will be launched in early 2021.

FIXTURE 2020 September

Our Irish Boys U18 team took part in their qualifier today at Ballycastle Golf Club.  The boys put in a great performance and only just failed to qualify by 4 points.  Well done to the team and all concerned.  Definitely a credit to Antrim Golf Club and to all those who have worked with them in the Junior section.

The boys who played are photographed below;

Conor Lynn,  Jack McMenamin,  Kenny Nicholl,  Tommy Chambers and  Carlo Davies   (Team reserve was James Hood)

Due to flooding on the course,  Wednesday’s competition (5th August) was declared null and void.   The following members will have the competition fee of £3 refunded to their competition account:

Paddy Ball,  Paul Brammeld,  Sean Clarke,  George Davies,  Richard Galloway,  Tony Hughes,  Brian Kane,  Paul Lemon,  Liam McGarry,  Ryan McQuillan,  Michael Nicholson,  Colm O’Loan,  Cyril O’Loughlin,  James O’Loughlin,  Gary Ritchie,  Barry Shaw,  Desy Smart,  Stephen Tennyson,  Robert Turley.

Victor Watson

Competition Vouchers

When the Centre reopens, Competition vouchers will be left at the Centre Reception for collection as in previous years. These vouchers will have the normal use by date of 6 months from the date of issue.

NB Those vouchers issued before the ‘lockdown’ will have their use by date extended until the 31st December 2020

Competition Card Returns

It is important that scores are returned for all competitions, whether good or bad, as non returns can have an effect on the CSS of the competition.

Penalties may be incurred for continual NR of competition scores.

 

Kenny Lee

(Honorary Secretary)

Update from Craig Fullerton

I hope all is well. I just wanted to update the club that the Centre and Clubhouse will be opening at Allen Park this coming Friday 7^th August.  This will include both male & female locker rooms and the toilet facilities within the club house.

See below a couple of the main points that members will raise regarding the reopening of the clubhouse.

Locker Fees – The fees for the lockers will be going out at the start of next week commencing Monday 10^th August via Email payment link. This is the same method that members have been paying if they have booked guests in over the last few months. The fee for the lockers will be pro rata so members will only be paying for their locker from August 2020 to March 2021, therefore the cost would be £16.70 per locker up to March 2021.  Unfortunately we will not be able to take any payments within the centre hence why it is going out via email.

We will also making members aware before they pay for their lockers for the remainder of the year,. that they will have limited access to the lockers which will be the same times as the Centre opening hours which are as follows:

o   Monday – Friday 7.45am – 9.30pm

o   Saturday & Sunday 7.30am – 4.30pm

These do not differ to much than before lockdown, but we still want members to be aware of the change as if they have a tee time at say 7.15am they will not be able to access their locker.  Hence they will need to prepared in advance and have their clubs etc. lift the day before. Or similarly, if they have a tee time at 2pm on a Saturday by the time they are back in from the course the locker rooms will be locked.  We will be making members aware of this on the fees that will be emailed out also so they are aware.

Club Computer – Unfortunately the club computer will not be able to be brought back into the club house at this point. We will keep this under review and make you aware whenever it can return.

If you have any questions Kenny or need any further information then please just get in touch.

Many Thanks

Craig

Allen Park

Due to the extended playing time for the golf course and the reduction in the time between tee slots, the Committee have decided to return to having separate competitions on Saturdays and Sundays starting this weekend (Saturday, 4th July). Members will therefore now be able to play in competitions on both days.

It is also the intention to restart Wednesday competitions from Wednesday, 8th July.

Entry to all competitions will be by using the recently introduced Genesys system and entry to a competition and payment must be carried out before going on to the course, as stated previously. Scores must be returned on the system no later than 10pm on the day of the competition.

Entry fee for the Saturday competitions remains at £4 and Sunday and Wednesday fees will be £3.

It is the responsibility of members to ensure they have enough funds in the system before entering a competition and if not, transfer further funds (£32) by Bank transfer in a timely manner .

(Members expecting to play in all three weekly competitions may wish to consider prepaying more than £32 to save making multiple Bank transfers).

If you know of any members who are not receiving emails from me, please ask them to send me their email address or, if they do not use email, ask them to regularly check the News section of the Club’s website where information is also posted.

Please note the revised Fixture List below .

Cheers,

Kenny

Dear Members,

The good news is that the Committee has decided to run Qualifying Competitions again starting next Saturday (20th June).

In order to abide by the Return to Golf Protocol agreed by the GUI/Executive and due to the fact that we have no access to the Clubhouse, it has been necessary to change the methods that we use to deal with competition entry, competition fees and entering scores. These will now have to be done online to prevent handling of cards or money.

For the next few weeks Saturday competitions will take place over two days (Saturday/Sunday) to allow more members to play. But obviously you can only enter the competition on one of the days and only that score may be entered.
In order to take part in competitions each member must lodge an initial sum of £32 (8 Saturday competitions) by Bank Transfer into the following Club account.
Sort Code: 95-04-31 Account No. 33818993
It is important that your Name or GUI No. is on your transaction to allow us to identify who has paid.

If really necessary, members may also post cheques to the Hon. Treasurer (Bob Tweedale, 13 Tobergill Gardens, Antrim, BT41 1AW)  but it is the responsibility of the member to ensure that it will arrive well before the first competition they wish to enter.

Members will not be able to enter the competition if the Match and Handicap Secretary has not been informed by the Hon Treasurer that fees have been paid beforehand.

Comprehensive step by step instructions about how to enter competitions and to enter scores have been posted on the Club’s website. Click this link    http://www.antrimgolfclub.com/?page_id=2502   for direct access.

Use the password AGC2020 initially to get on the system and then change to one of your own choosing.

You must enter the competition before starting your round and ensure there are sufficient funds to pay the fee, otherwise your score will not be accepted.
Before returning scores, members of the playing group must verify each other’s scores.

At all times it is important that members abide by the safety measures outlined in the Protocol. Not to do so may result in disciplinary action.

Stay safe.

Kenny Lee
(Hon. Secretary)