WHS - Understanding - 4BBB Handicapping

Thank you for contacting Golf Link Support regarding the regulations on 4BBB handicapping.

(E) FOUR-BALL SCORES

(i) WHEN TO USE SCORE OBTAINED IN FOUR-BALL COMPETITION FOR HANDICAPPING PURPOSES

Four-ball scores (including from mixed events) SHOULD be used for handicapping an individual player but only if the following requirements are met:
▪ The pair that the relevant player played in has a net score of at least 6 better than par (ie 42 points or better in Stableford, +6 or better in Par, etc).
▪ The individual player's score appears at least 9 times on the four-ball scorecard.
▪ The adjusted score (after the method described in (ii) below has been followed to create an individual scorecard) is equal to or better than 36 points.
(ii) PROCEDURE FOR CREATING INDIVIDUAL SCORECARD FROM FOUR-BALL SCORECARD FOR HANDICAPPING PURPOSES
▪ Where an individual player’s score is to be handicapped (irrespective of whether the competition is played as Par, Stroke, Maximum Score, or Stableford), it must be processed as a Stableford score in accordance with the procedures contained within this regulation.
▪ When a player’s score is not recorded on the four-ball card, they are given 1½ Stableford points. (Exception: When a player’s score is not recorded on the four-ball card, and their partner’s score is 1 Stableford point, the player is given 1 Stableford point.)
▪ When a player’s score counts on the four-ball card for a hole, they are given the appropriate number of Stableford points for that hole.
(When both players have 0 Stableford points on a hole, they are both considered to have their score listed on the scorecard, including for the purposes of ‘being on the card 9 times or more’.
For the purposes of creating an adjusted individual scorecard, each player will have 0 points listed on the individual card for this hole.)
▪ If two identical net scores are recorded by partners on a hole, both scores are eligible to be used on an adjusted individual scorecard. However, if the first player to hole out can be readily identified, the second player is deemed to have not recorded a score for that hole.
▪ Clubs are to strongly discourage players from recording the scores of both partners on a hole or holes unless a concurrent singles event is being played. (If a concurrent singles event is being played, all scores must be handicapped as singles scores and the ‘Four-ball Scores’ handicapping regulation must not be used.)
Players who regularly return four-ball scorecards featuring identical net scores for both players on the same hole will not be eligible to have these rounds handicapped – clubs should consider suspending the GA Handicaps of such players.
▪ When all the gaps in the card have been filled in, the points are totalled, and where a half appears in the total, the points total is rounded to the next lower whole number.

(iii) If an extended 18-hole individual score obtained via this method is processed through GOLF Link, the score type option to be chosen in GOLF Link by the administrator MUST be ‘Four-ball’ OR the score MUST be processed as an Ad Hoc score.  

(iv) The course rating value that GOLF Link will use for this purpose is the Scratch Rating (unadjusted by any PCC). These scores must not be used in any PCC calculation. In all other respects regarding the inclusion of the score in the player’s handicap record, the score will be treated as a regular 18-hole singles competition score. 

(v) The club’s Handicapping Authority should have in place a policy stipulating whether or not such scores will be processed for handicapping (see Sub-Section T below).
Exceptions to the policy may be made to cater for events that have a character which is not typical to the club (such exceptions should be announced prior to the relevant day’s play).

A full copy of the WHS Manual is available from - https://archive.golf.org.au/2020/11/16/00046428-source/?fromPage=search&search=00046428

If you do need further assistance, please let us know.