Phil Shaw to CHAIR OF GOLF
Your Suggestion / Comment
Could I suggest that we do away with splitting competitions into two separate divisions and let everyone compete as one against the whole field.
Six prizes could still be awarded but they would be to the top 6 finishers rather than the current split of top 3 in Division 1 and the top 3 in Division 2.
Recently someone in Division 2 picked up a prize for finishing 15th in the total field; surely this was unfair to those golfers who finished 4th, 5th and 6th but got nothing for their efforts on that particular day because they were outside the top 3 in Division 1.
As a Division 2 golfer, I don’t want to be awarded a prize for finishing outside the top 6, and conversely I don’t want to see myself miss out on a prize for finishing 4th in the field simply because the first 3 places were in Division 2.
Handicaps are golf’s way of levelling the different playing abilities of us all so that we compete against each other on a fair and equal basis. Anybody can win on any given day so why effectively impose another level of “handicapping” by splitting golfers up based on their handicap and subsequently award prizes to anyone other than the first 6?
For me it’s not in the spirit of golf and does not reward, as it should do, the best 6 finishers in any given competition.
HGC Response
HARRY KENNEDY
Dear Phil
During 2020 a great deal of work was done by the Golf and Handicap Committee with regard to Competition Fees, the Prize Fund and Divisions.
The number of Divisions was increased from 2 to 3 for all White tee competitions and from 1 to 2 for all Thursday competitions including Trotters, thereby increasing the chances for everybody of winning a prize.
The division ranges were based on statistical analysis of the handicaps of playing members and were calculated to ensure a broadly even distribution of players in each division.
The above was well received by members and in our opinion works well and is a fairer apportionment of prizes.
I do hope this explains the situation from both the Golf and Handicap Committees point of view and you are reassured as to the level of scrutiny this aspect of competition play is continually given. Many thanks again for your suggestions, we do appreciate them!
Kind regards
Harry Kennedy