Weekly Competition Results
Wednesday 02 October 2024 (4 Ball Alliance)
Business League Round 9
First Nine: Team Afgri Equipment
Second Place: Team Tshwaranang
Friday 04 October 2024 (IPS)
Puma Energy Competition
- No competition took place
Wednesday 09 October 2024 (2 Ball Better ball Stabelford)
18 Holes Competition
- No competition took place
Friday 11 October 2024 (IPS)
Ciglers Meat Competition
- No competition took place
Wednesday 16 October 2024 (Skins)
18 Holes Competition
First Place: Mark Horton
Second Place: Edward Loach
Friday 18 October 2024
Wednesday 23 October 2024
18 Holes Competition
- No competition took place
Friday 25 October 2024 (IPS)
Puma Energy Competition
- No competition took place
30 October 2024 (Medal)
KWV Thirsty Thousand
First Place: Rob Silcock
Second Place: Mike van Niekerk
HNA News
“Dear Golfer,
This month, we take a closer look at understanding exceptional score reductions and your Handicap Index®, explaining how exceptional scores affect your Handicap Index to keep it reflective of your true ability. We’re also excited to feature a tribute to golfing legend Nick Price, celebrating his remarkable achievements and lasting impact on the game. Understanding Exceptional Score Reductions and Your Handicap Index
Ever had a round where everything seemed to go right? When a player posts an exceptionally low score, the World Handicap System™ (WHS™) applies adjustments to ensure the Handicap Index remains a true reflection of skill. Here’s how Rule 5.9 works:
When an exceptional score (significantly lower than your current Handicap Index) is posted, the WHS makes an automatic adjustment by reducing your Handicap Index according to an adjustment table. This reduction applies to your last 20 scores, ensuring the exceptional score’s influence is felt in your Handicap Index, while naturally tapering off as new scores are added.
Here are a few key details:
- Cumulative Adjustments: If you continue to submit exceptional scores, the reductions will build cumulatively.
- Fewer than 20 Scores: For golfers with fewer than 20 rounds in their record, the reduction applies to all recorded scores, including the exceptional one.
With these updates, the WHS ensures that your Handicap Index remains a fair reflection of your demonstrated skill level, providing you with a handicap that accurately represents your current performance.” Quoted by Handicap Network Africa
Rules of the month
Rule: 6.4 Order of Play When Playing Hole
Purpose of Rule: Rule 6.4 covers the order of play throughout a hole. The order of play from the teeing area depends on who has the honour, and after that is based on which ball is farthest from the hole.
- In match play, the order of play is fundamental; if a player plays out of turn, the opponent may cancel that stroke and make the player play again.
- In stroke play, there is no penalty for playing out of turn, and players are both allowed and encouraged to play “ready golf” – that is, to play out of turn in a safe and responsible way.
6.4a Match Play
(1) Order of Play. The player and opponent must play in this order:
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Starting First Hole. At the first hole, the honour is decided by the order of the draw set by the Committee or, if there is no draw, by agreement or by using a random method (such as tossing a coin).
- Starting All Other Holes.
- The player who wins a hole has the honour at the next teeing area.
- If the hole was tied, the player with the honour at the previous teeing area keeps it.
- If a player makes a timely ruling request (see Rule 20.1b) that has not yet been decided by the Committee and could affect who has the honour on the next hole, the honour is decided by agreement or by using a random method.
- After Both Players Start a Hole.
- The ball that is farther from the hole is to be played first.
- If the balls are the same distance from the hole or their relative distances are not known, the ball to be played first is decided by agreement or by using a random method.
(2) Opponent May Cancel Player’s Stroke Made Out of Turn. If the player plays when it was the opponent's turn to play, there is no penalty but the opponent may cancel the stroke:
- This must be done promptly and before either player makes another stroke. When the opponent cancels the stroke, they cannot withdraw the cancellation.
- If the opponent cancels the stroke, the player must, when it is their turn to play, play a ball from where that stroke was made (see Rule 14.6).
- If the opponent does not cancel the stroke, the stroke counts and the ball is in play and must be played as it lies.
Exception – Playing Out of Turn by Agreement to Save Time: To save time:
- The player may invite the opponent to play out of turn or may agree to the opponent's request to play out of turn.
- If the opponent then makes the stroke out of turn, the player has given up the right to cancel the stroke.
See Rule 23.6 (order of play in Four-Ball).
6.4b Stroke Play
(1) Normal Order of Play.
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Starting First Hole. The honour at the first teeing area is decided by the order of the draw set by the Committee or, if there is no draw, by agreement or by using a random method (such as tossing a coin).
- Starting All Other Holes.
- The player in the group with the lowest gross score at a hole has the honour at the next teeing area; the player with the second lowest gross score should play next; and so on.
- If two or more players have the same score at a hole, they should play in the same order as at the previous teeing area.
- The honour is based on gross scores, even in a handicap competition.
- After All Players Have Started a Hole.
- The ball that is farthest from the hole should be played first.
- If two or more balls are the same distance from the hole or their relative distances are not known, the ball to be played first should be decided by agreement or by using a random method.
There is no penalty if a player plays out of turn, except that if two or more players agree to play out of turn to give one of them an advantage and one of them then plays out of turn, each player who made the agreement gets the general penalty (two penalty strokes).
(2) Playing Out of Turn in a Safe and Responsible Way (“Ready Golf”). Players are both allowed and encouraged to play out of turn in a safe and responsible way, such as when:
- Two or more players agree to do so for convenience or to save time,
- A player’s ball comes to rest a very short distance from the hole and the player wishes to hole out, or
- An individual player is ready and able to play before another player whose turn it is to play under the normal order of play in (1), so long as in playing out of turn the player does not endanger, distract or interfere with any other player.
But if the player whose turn it is to play under (1) is ready and able to play and indicates that they want to play first, other players should generally wait until that player has played. A player should not play out of turn to gain an advantage over other players.
6.4c When Player Will Play Provisional Ball or Another Ball from Teeing Area
The order of play in this case is for all other players in the group to make their first stroke on the hole before the player plays the provisional ball or another ball from the teeing area. If more than one player will play a provisional ball or another ball from the teeing area, the order of play is the same order as before. For a provisional ball or another ball played out of turn, see Rules 6.4a(2) and 6.4b.
6.4d When Player Takes Relief or Will Play Provisional Ball from Anywhere Except Teeing Area
The order of play under Rules 6.4a(1) and 6.4b(1) in these two cases is:
(1) Taking Relief to Play Ball from a Different Place Than Where It Lies.
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When Player Becomes Aware That They Are Required to Take Stroke-and-Distance Relief. The player’s order of play is based on the spot where their previous stroke was made.
- When Player Has Choice to Play Ball as It Lies or Take Relief.
- The player’s order of play is based on the spot where the original ball lies (which if not known must be estimated) (see Rule 14.2).
- This applies even when the player has already decided to take stroke-and-distance relief or to take relief to play from a different place than where the original ball lies (such as when the original ball is in a penalty area or will be treated as unplayable).
(2) Playing Provisional Ball. The order of play is for the player to play the provisional ball right after making the previous stroke and before anyone else plays a ball, except:
- When starting a hole from the teeing area (see Rule 6.4c), or
- When the player waits before deciding to play a provisional ball (in which case the player’s order of play, once they have decided to play a provisional ball, is based on the spot where the previous stroke was made).
6.5 Completing Play of a Hole
A player has completed a hole:
- In match play, when:
- The player holes out or the player’s next stroke is conceded, or
- The result of the hole is decided (such as when the opponent concedes the hole, the opponent's score for the hole is lower than the player possibly could make or the player or opponent gets the general penalty (loss of hole)).
- In stroke play, when the player holes out under Rule 3.3c.
If a player does not know that they have completed a hole and attempts to continue play of the hole, the player’s further play is not considered to be practice nor do they get a penalty for playing another ball, including a wrong ball. See Rules 21.1b(1), 21.2b(1), 21.3b(1) and 23.3c (when a player has completed a hole in other forms of stroke play or in Four-Ball).
