Active/Inactive Handicaps

The requirements are as follows;

• Players will be required to have submitted 3 qualifying scores ( including Supplementary Scores, 9 Hole Qualifying Competitions and Away scores ) during the calendar year 2009 ( not the period between annual handicap reviews ) to avoid starting 2010 with an Inactive handicap. An Inactive handicap will become Active on the returning of 3 qualifying scores during the calendar year. NR's will be accepted as part of the 3 qualifying scores unless the Committee are of the opinion that they have been returned deliberately in order to gain an Active handicap.
• Clubs will be permitted to exempt players from an Inactive (i) for injury/illness that has prevented them from achieving the required number of qualifying scores during a calendar year. Players will also be exempt for 2010 for those who are transferring membership ( and has submitted enough qualifying scores at another club ). Golfers being allocated a handicap for the first time shall be Active for 12 months from the date of allocation.
• Players whose handicap has become Inactive (i) will be required to return 3 qualifying scores before the indicator is removed. Qualifying scores of less than 3 are not permitted to be carried over to the next year, ie, no topping up of qualifying scores permitted, eg, 1 score in the previous year and 2 scores in the current year.
• Clubs may impose an entry condition that requires an Active handicap ( 3 previously admitted qualifying scores) for specific competitions only such as Trophy or Board events. In allother cases Clubs must allow 'home' players with Inactive (i) handicaps entry to qualifying competitions in order to provide as much opportunity as possible for the removal of the Inactive (i) handicap.
• An Inactive (i) handicap can still be used for social golf and those competitions for which an Active handicap is not an entry condition. Scores from players with Inactive (i) handicaps will be used in the calculation of a CSS.
• The requirement of 3 qualifying scores will be reviewd by EGU/EWGA during 2010 to consider if this should be increased for the following year.
• The Active/Inactive identification of handicaps will be required as from the beginning of 2010.
• Inactive handicaps will be followed by an i, example 12i