What are supplementary scores?

Supplementary scores could help you to establish and retain a handicap more representative of your current playing ability. Here, we explain how...

he purpose and objective of The Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU’s) Unified Handicapping System (UHS) is to enable golfers of varying abilities to compete on a level. In order for this to happen most effectively, each golfer should possess a handicap as reflective of their current playing ability as possible.

The more handicap-counting rounds an individual completes each year, the more representative his or her handicap will be. But even though most clubs now organise a significant number of competitions – more than in decades gone by when the monthly medal was about as far as it went – some members are still unable to play sufficient competitive rounds for their handicap to fully reflect their standard of play.

Clause 21 in CONGU’s UHS for 20162018 provides a way to address this. The clause pertains to supplementary scores, and it allows (most) players to submit scores for handicap purposes outside of designated club competitions. This gives members more flexibility to display their current playing ability. Supplementary scores can be submitted at any CONGUaffiliated club at which the individual is a member.

Before going out to play a round from which he or she would like to submit a supplementary score, a player must inform the club of their intention to do so. Generally, this will simply mean letting either the secretary or the professional know, and the intention will be recorded.

TYou could be missing out on a golden opportunity to lower your handicap

The player will then complete 18 holes (or even nine, which we’ll come on to later) in competition-play conditions, in either stroke play or Stableford format, returning the completed card as a supplementary score.

No Competition Scratch Score (CSS) will be calculated, so the supplementary score will be measured against the course’s Standard Scratch Score (SSS). If the net, or net equivalent, total returned is below SSS, handicap will be decreased accordingly. If above the player’s buffer zone over SSS (see table), or if an NR, or no score at all, is returned, then the individual’s handicap will be increased by 0.1.

Supplementary scores are principally intended to assist players who are either unable or unwilling to play in competitions to maintain an accurate handicap. They can also help to provide more evidence of playing ability for golfers of varying levels.

If a player feels his or her handicap is too low, preventing them from being competitive in club competitions, the submission of supplementary scores could help address the problem. Each return above buffer zone would see