What Are Supplementary Scores?

Supplementary scores could help you to establish and retain a handicap more representative of your current playing ability. Here, we explain how...

- Fergus Bisset

The purpose and objective of The Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU’s) Unified Handicapping System (UHS) is to enable golfers of varying abilities to compete on a level. In order for this to happen most effectively, each golfer should possess a handicap as reflective of their current playing ability as possible.

The more handicap-counting rounds an individual completes each year, the more representative his or her handicap will be. But even though most clubs now organise a significant number of competitions – more than in decades gone by when the monthly medal was about as far as it went – some members are still unable to play sufficient competitive rounds for their handicap to fully reflect their standard of play.

Clause 21 in CONGU’s UHS for 2016 2018 provides a way to address this. The clause pertains to supplementary scores, and it allows (most) players to submit scores for handicap purposes outside of designated club competitions. This gives members more flexibility to display their current playing ability. Supplementary scores can be submitted at any CONGU affiliated club at which the individual is a member.

Before going out to play a round from which he or she would like to submit a supplementary score, a player must inform the club of their intention to do so. Generally, this will simply mean letting either the secretary or the professional know, and the intention will be recorded.