Completing the Handicap Card

The information below should be passed on to all new players as a guide on how to complete their handicap card:

Front of Card

This area is for noting changes to your handicap and for auditing purposes. When your handicap changes, note it here and get your Club/Federation/National Handicapper to check and sign your card as soon as possible.

Your card should always be showing a recent (certainly within 6 months) signature of a handicapper, even if your handicap has not changed in that time.

One of the duties of a club Handicapper is to 'audit' (and sign) all cards annually, and this is usually undertaken during the winter months.

Inside of Card

See the posters showing how to fill out your handicap card (AC) or (GC) as well as the further detail below.

Date

The date of the game.

Opponent Name

Always enter the opponent's full name. You may know who "Dicky" is because he is a club mate but it is rather meaningless to others who may look at your card.

Opponent Hcp

Always enter your opponent's handicap here. A good reason for completing your card immediately after the game is that your opponent may not be around to tell you their handicap at a later time.

Game H/L

For AC, enter H or L in this column to signify whether the game was played to handicap or level play Laws.

For GC, enter HA, HE or L in this column to signify whether the game was played to handicap (Advantage GC or Extra Stroke GC) or level play Rules.

Game Score

Enter the game score here, with your score first.

For GC, 7-4 if you win, 4-7 if you lose.

For AC, +6 if you win, -6 if you lose. Put the full score, e.g., 21-18, if the game finished on time.

W or L is not an acceptable entry.

For a GC Advantage timed game, circle the winning score.

Index +/-

This must be a figure with a plus or minus sign.

For handicap play, it will always be +10 or -10.

For Level play, look up the +/- values on the points exchange table on the back of the handicap card (Table 2 on the Handicapping web page), and enter that number (again with a +/- sign).

Index New

This is the sum of your previous index plus or minus the column immediately to the left.

General

It helps to use a spare line on the card to record, for example, "league match vs. Norwich", or "C-Level (7+) Series tournament", to identify a group of entries. Cards should not be changed at the end of each season if there is sufficient space available to continue. When your card is full, carry forward your index score to your new card and always get the new card signed by a Handicapper. (It is good practice to carry your previous card with you as a historical reference).

It would be very useful to Handicappers when checking your card if you would please make a notation (in the margin) at the point any handicap changes occur.