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DO YOU FULLY UNDERSTAND HOW TO UPDATE YOUR HANDICAP CARD?

Advice on How to Use the
Automatic Handicap System

  
If a player reaches or passes through the trigger point for a particular handicap in either direction, that player adopts the handicap for that trigger point as set out in the table on the handicap card.  Please note that this does not mean that the player’s handicap automatically changes as this will depend on the player’s handicap before reaching or passing through the trigger point e.g. If a player has a handicap of 8 and passes through or reaches the trigger point for 7, the handicap changes to 7.  However, if a player has a handicap of 7 and passes through or reaches the trigger point for 7, the handicap remains unchanged at 7.

(reproduced by kind permission of Barry Keen)		 EXAMPLE HANDICAP CARD
OPPONENT
 GAME
 INDEX NOTE
(see table below)
Name
 Hcp
 h/l
 Res
 +/-
 New
John Black
 10
 h
 +11
 +10
 1395
 Existing h'cap 8
John Black
 10
 h
 +16
 +10
 1405
 Note 1: h'cap changes to 7
Fred Brown
 7
 h
 +2
 +10
 1415
 Note 2: no h'cap change
Sheila White
 12
 h
 -8T
 -10
 1405
 Note 3: no h'cap change
Malcolm Pink
 5
 h
 -4
 -10
 1395
 Note 3: no h'cap change
Barbara Green
 8
 h
 -5
 -10
 1385
 Note 4: no h'cap change
Barbara Green
 8
 h
 -10
 -10
 1375
 Note 4: no h'cap change
Malcolm Pink
 5
 h
 -1
 -10
 1365
 Note 4: no h'cap change
Sheila White
 12
 h
 -17
 -10
 1355
 Note 4: no h'cap change
Richard Green
 3.5
 l
 -25
 -5
 1350
 Note 5: h'cap changes to 8
NOTE
Note 1             If an AC player has a handicap of 8 and an index of 1395 and wins a handicap game his index goes to 1405 which passes through the trigger point for 7 which means his handicap changes to 7.

Note 2             If the same player then wins another game, then his index changes to 1415, but his handicap is not changed as he has not reached a trigger point.

Note 3             If the same player then loses two consecutive games, then his index goes back to 1395, which passes through the trigger point for 7.  However his handicap does not change as his current handicap is already 7. 
Note 4             If the same player then loses 4 more games, his index drops to 1355, but he has not passed or reached a trigger point so his handicap remains at 7.

Note 5             If the same player then loses a level game against a player whose handicap is 3.5, he loses 5 index points which means his index goes back to 1350.  This is the trigger point for handicap 8, so his handicap is increased from 7 to 8.

NB: While using AC for the example, the same principles apply equally to the GC automatic handicapping system.