Golfers who fail to return a ‘card’ under the World Handicap System can be hit with an automatic penalty score that could count as one of their best eight.
England Golf recommend a sanction of Course Rating + Course Handicap for players who don’t have a valid reason for an ‘unsatisfied score intent’.
Back in 2021, the governing body introduced a new system to help handicap committees and club managers deal with the workload of chasing those who register an intent to put in a score for handicap and then don’t submit it.
When WHS came into effect it gave players an opportunity to submit scores outside of competition, known as general play.
It is the responsibility of golfers to make sure they pre-register and then submit their scores but, as some clubs know, this is not always the case.
That can leave an unsatisfied score intent in a player’s record, which has then had to be dealt with by handicap committees chasing the individual concerned and applying a penalty score.
WHS penalty score: Here’s how you could end up with an automatic penalty score
So handicap chiefs at Woodhall Spa brought in some automated features around the submission of general play scores either through the My England Golf app or through club software systems.
Club handicap committees no longer have to “track and chase players for non-submission of scores in general play”, the governing body say.
“Where players fail to submit scores following automated reminder emails, a penalty score will be automatically applied.”
Clubs will get reports on which players have received automatic penalty scores, which will allow them to adjust or remove the score if needed.
They will also be able to identify players who pre-registered a round in the My England Golf app but then delete it.
Handicap chiefs add: “As part of this process, they are asked to provide a reason for deleting the score and it would be to the committee to review the Delete Score Intent Report, review the reasons and, should it be required (not a valid reason), apply a penalty score.
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“We would recommend Course Rating + Course Handicap unless the committee wish to apply something different.”
What this means is that once players pre-register an intent to score, they are completely responsible for ensuring it is submitted. If they don’t, and fail to provide a ‘valid reason’, they will be hit with an automated penalty score.
The onus will also be on golfers to justify deleting a score and committees will then decide whether they accept that or apply a penalty score.
In Scotland, an automatic penalty score is applied if a player fails to submit a score and committees then have the option to investigate further.
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