Registering for a comp

Here's one that exercised the debating muscles in our handicap and competition committee this week.
At our club we have drawn events (where you enter and a draw is made to determine who plays with who.
We also have medals where you book your tee time and you play with your own playing group. For medals the is a signing in book (not required for drawn events as the starter ticks you off on the sheet)

So at the weekend a guy goes out and shoots a net 70, he comes back, enters his score on the computer and posts his card in the box. CSS on the day was 71 so the guy is expecting a 0.3 cut. Horrified on Monday evening he sees his score is not on Masterscoreboard. He checks and it turns out he didn't sign the book before going out so the Secretary left it as not entered the Medal.

There were 2 schools of thought. Both though were in agreement that a Club rule of signing the book had been breached therefore had he shot say a net 65 he wouldn't have been eligible to win the medal. The debate came as to whether his score should be taken into account for handicap purposes because for all intents and purposes he was playing as if he was in the competition. Some said not in comp, no adjustment, others said. Admin error on his part, to not apply any adjustment would leave him with a false handicap. Which side was right??

DQ from comp and apply the cut anyway - just like a supplementary card.

I've seen an instance where a guy was DQd for playing an incorrect ball in a medal (and not corrected before completing the hole) but received a big cut for a very low score even allowing for stableford reduction on the hole where he transgressed.

Lol the Supplementary Round book muddied the debate somewhat as well, some said it was the same thing, others that it wasn't.
E.g. Different - No CSS only SSS, no comp to win just the potential for a handicap adj. Same - principle of registering intention to play, open to the same "oops I forgot" abuse if a good round is shot but book not signed before play

The correct answer though Davie is no adjustment

8. Responsibilities of a Player

8.6 Before commencing play on the day of a Qualifying Competition ensure that his entry has been
registered in the competition record,manually or by computer in the manner required by the club
or Committee in charge of the competition.
A player who fails to enter a Qualifying Competition in the required manner is deemed to have
neither a score for the competition nor a score for handicap purposes.

I knew it was a mistake even mentioning supplementary card! As you say, just muddies the waters further. I'd have cut him as per the CSS (not SSS)

I'd say all golfers fall into three categories...

1) those who want their handicap to be an accurate reflection of their ability (the vast majority fall into this category)
2) those who want their handicap lower than it should be, for vanity reasons
3) those who want their handicap higher than it should be, for sandbagging purposess.

Of the 3 options, only #3 is actually a problem to other players. Giving your guy a cut is obviously beneficial to him if he is #1 or #2 on that list. And if he is #3 (I'm not suggesting for one moment he is) - then it's beneficial to everyone else

Just seen your official "ruling" though - so obviously I'm wrong .. but I think my own reasoning has some merit!

For what it's worth I agree with your thinking Davie in so far as making the adjustment would keep his handicap more aligned to his current playing ability which is what most of us want.

The trouble is if you start making judgements like "well we know he's well intentioned and it was a genuine mistake." What then happens when someone not so well intentioned comes along wanting a vanity cut, doesn't sign the book incase he has a 'mare...shoots a net 62 and trots out "oops I forgot to sign the book".

Of course going the other way is frightfully easier. Without even worrying about the book. Just trash the last couple of holes or if still below simply NR on 18. Despicable behaviour but some do do it.

See what you mean JAS - but honestly I think vanity cut seekers are only a threat to themselves. And anyway if he's capable of shooting a 62 he SHOULD be cut! And if instead he shoots an 82, under the rules as they stand he remains at his current (too low?) handicap, which only hurts himself and not others. If the rule was different, he'd get the deserved cut in the event of a good round and in the event of a bad one he'd get the +0.1 which only hurts his vanity

It's interesting though - I never knew of the existence of this rule 8.6 - but then at our club ALL qualifiers are random draw events and people are obviously "officially" entered either by the starter or the required "check-in" at the pro shop before the round. It never occurred to me this was to satisfy a rule of golf - I had always just assumed it was to keep the pro shop informed of who had turned up!

At our club the situation is clear. We have to sign a book for all competitions. Not signing is a DQ. If a card is returned without the book being signed the card was used for handicapping purposes (up or down) but the player is DQ'd and is listed on the results sheet at the bottom with a reason for the DQ. The advent of touch screen technology hasn't changed this since the hard copy card return is the one that counts, needs signatures etc.

JAS no cut this time around - not entered comp or supplementary (if cat 1 can't do supp anyway), bu take it into account at annual review?