Changes to the SAGA Handicap System

The South African Golf Association published the following statement on 5 March 2010.

The SAGA Handicapping and Course Rating Committee has decided that from 1 April 2010 the SAGA will discontinue the Handicap Allowance. Therefore for those competition formats that previously required 75% of handicap to be used (being the allowance), will now be played using the handicap only. The basic handicap computation is 100% of the average of the best ten of the last twenty rounds.

It is envisaged that the SAGA Handicap Server will be in place and operational by 1 May 2010 (hereafter referred to as ‘operational date’).

From the operational date, the basic handicap computation will introduce a ‘Bonus for Excellence’ factor, as used by the USGA, of 96% (down 4%). The rules governing two- and three-overs for handicap purposes will remain in place, meaning that a player may only take two overs on holes where they stroke and three overs where they double stroke.

On going Research

The SAGA is committed to finding best possible handicapping solution for golfers in South Africa.

To this end the SAGA will conduct further research with the objective being to find a solution that provides golfers with one handicap that works within the confines of the South African context, one in which we play more betterball than medal, unlike the European countries for example.

We are confident that the research project will carefully consider its findings along with a review of other handicapping solutions elsewhere in the world. These will be presented to the SAGA in September 2010.

In this way the SAGA hopes to meet the needs and requirements of the South African golfing public.