At the beginning of this golfing season, following much discussion about the accuracy and integrity of the WHS Handicap System as it applied to all the playing members of our Club, the Handicap & Golf Committees began an extremely thorough and in-depth review of players’ handicaps in relation to the competition golf they had played.

Following this review, both Committees have now agreed to slightly revise the competition eligibility criteria for members at HGC effective from 2^nd April 2023, and this revision now reads as follows:

In order to be eligible to:

1.   Enter any Club Knockout competition; or
2.   Win any club Trophy or Honours Board competition

• A member must at the time of the closing date for entry to the competition have recorded at least 8 x 18 hole qualifying scores (or 16 x 9 hole) within the previous 12 months, 5 of which must be from Qualifying competitions at Heswallor another accredited golf course.
• The remaining 3 scores can then be from general play rounds recorded at Heswall or any other accredited golf course.
• However, in the case of a new club member joining within 3 months prior to the date of entering a Knockout competition, or taking part in a Trophy or Board competition, a proven qualifying competition playing record from their previous club will instead suffice – as long as at least 8 of those qualifying scores as outlined above have been played in the previous 12 months.

Please note:- These criteria apply to Men’s, Ladies, Mixed, and Seniors competitions at Heswall Golf Club.

We did however recognise in our discussions that there will be circumstances e.g. ill health, caring for family members etc. where members may not have been able to fulfil this criteria and the Committee will of course consider these exceptional circumstances. If you feel this is the case, please speak to myself or Clare Palmer (Chair of Handicap Committee) in the first instance.