Sanctions for failing to complete rounds and/or submit scorecards in Qualifying Competitions and General Play (Supplementary) Rounds

The WHS Rules of Handicapping (RoH) empowers the Handicap Committee to apply penalty scores when scores are not submitted in a timely manner on the day of play, when they are incomplete, and when they are not submitted at all.  Typical reasons are as follows:

• “No-shows” (failure to turn up and play after registering)
• Discontinuing play when conditions become unpleasant in the opinion of the player, eg deteriorating weather or slow play, but are not unplayable
• Forgetting to submit score on the day of play

The RoH puts the onus on the player to turn up and complete their round after committing to play, and Rule 7.1(b)(ii) states that disciplinary procedures should be considered for players who repeatedly fail to submit their scores in a timely manner or complete their rounds.  (The Club also considers the above reasons to be unhelpful because they may deprive another member of the opportunity to play, and increase the work involved in finalising the competition/authorising the general play score.)

At Purley Downs, in any rolling 12-month period the first such late or missing score will result in the player being notified by the Handicap Secretary, after the second instance the player will be barred from entering the next Club qualifying strokeplay competition and should expect a letter of censure from the Captain, and the third and subsequent instances will result in being barred from the next three qualifying competitions.  No general play scores (supplementary rounds) will be accepted from players during the period they are suspended.

Players are reminded that they may withdraw from a qualifying competition online any time up to 11pm the night before the competition, or from a general play round any time provided this is made known to the Handicap Secretary before the scheduled start time of the round.

The above covers circumstances where the player has no intention to manipulate their handicap.  Where it is concluded that a player’s failure to submit a score is for the purpose of gaining an unfair advantage, RoH Rule 7.1(b)(ii) allows for immediate withdrawal of the player’s Handicap Index and/or applying an appropriate penalty score (high or low depending on intent - in order to reverse the effect).

Where a player has a valid reason for not submitting a completed score, for instance sudden injury or illness, emergency, dangerous or unplayable weather conditions or other similar acceptable reason, the score will be posted if the player has completed the minimum number of holes for an acceptable 9- hole or 18-hole score in accordance with RoH Rule 3.2.  Otherwise, if the minimum number of holes were not played at the time of discontinuing play, the score will not be included in the player’s handicap record.

Although there may be overlap of circumstances, none of the above supersedes RoH Rule 2 or Guidance on the WHS Rules of Handicapping Appendix J concerning disqualifications.

First issued April 2021