The English Golf Union’s project to create a Central Database of Handicaps (CDH) has passed the milestone of 1,500 clubs that have uploaded their members’ handicap details.
The EGU along with all the CONGU Licensed Handicap Software suppliers developed the CDH to reduce the administration time taken by handicap committees in managing their members’ handicaps as well as to further improve the integrity of the CONGU Unified Handicap System (UHS). The service was made available, at no charge, to all clubs across the country.
Over 80% of EGU affiliated clubs have uploaded their members’ handicap details with this number increasing daily. As a result over 640,000 golfers’ handicaps are now resident in the CDH and over 50,000 of these records are being updated each day. Every one of these golfers, both men and women, now have their own unique 10 digit ID number that can be used to confirm their handicap at any club using the CDH. This means that should an EGU or EWGA (English Women’s Golf Association) member visit another club to play eg. for an Open Competition, they will no longer need to take a handicap certificate for verification purposes.
This unique number will continue to be a player’s ID as long as he or she remains a member of an affiliated golf club. A golfer can get their unique number from their club secretary or handicap secretary.
In addition golfers can also access their latest handicap through EGU Golf Central. Simply visit www.englishgolfunion.org/golfcentral and click on ‘Golfer Profile’, complete the required details and at any point in the future a golfer will be able to login and check their latest playing handicap.
EGU Chief Executive John Petrie commented, “The CDH provides many benefits for the administration of our game as well as for individual golf clubs and their members. I would like to thank all the handicap software providers who have assisted the EGU in bringing this project to reality and also the EGU Club Services team who have worked tirelessly with clubs to help them upload their information.”
The CDH reduces the administration for anyone involved in managing member’s handicaps allowing
- the confirmation of golfers’ handicaps in England – membership status, their last updated handicap and whether that is active or inactive
- the automatic send, receive and input of qualifying away scores to a golfer’s handicap record
- the removal of the requirement to produce and send annual Category 1 handicap record returns to your County Secretary and the EGU
If a club or golfer would like more details on the CDH they should contact the EGU Club Services team on 01526 354500, email clubservices@englishgolfunion.org or visit the EGU website www.englishgolfunion.org/CDH
.