PRGC have been reviewing best practices with England Golf over the past year and they have been incredibly helpful.  We asked them to review our handicap guidelines for accuracy and compliance and they have confirmed that we are in good shape, see below;

Hi Gary,

I’ve reviewed your committee guide together with our WHS™ & Course Rating™ Manager. We are both happy with the handicap section, the information included is accurate and provides clear criteria for your handicap committee to work from.

There is no mandatory requirement for a competitions secretary. As discussed, the only mandatory requirement from England Golf is that you have a handicap committee of at least 3 who meet once per year to undertake an annual review.

I have attached a Handicap Review Guidance document which I put together for one of my other clubs. It details the full process that should be undertaken within the annual review and has some guidelines around the reports that should be used.

It has been a pleasure to support you throughout this process, the club have been a delight to work with as you have embarked on an exciting period of innovation and growth. The club’s commitment to inclusive governance, member engagement and centricity, and a culture of continuous learning reflects the very best of modern club development. Initiatives like 'You Said – We Did' demonstrate how PRGC is turning member feedback into meaningful action — a hallmark of responsive, member-led governance. By embracing innovation while honouring its traditions, PRGC is setting a strong example of how golf clubs can evolve to meet the needs of today’s diverse golfing community.

We look forward to continuing our collaboration and supporting PRGC in further embedding best practice and helping golfers to maximise their enjoyment from our wonderful sport.

Kind regards,

Andrew

Handicap Committee Guidelines - Princes Risborough Golf Club

Dear Members,

we have been asked to clarify some points regarding the Handicap Committee and have been working with England Golf on a simple summary - see below

In short:

The Handicap Committee is the only mandatory committee for affiliation to England Golf and EG have agreed our new handicap guide and process from October 31st.  They have also provided a helpful guide and agreed to support any training requirements.

Positive note to PRGC from England Golf on our Handicapping Guidelines... - Princes Risborough Golf Club

We do not require an AGM to elect the handicap committee or chairperson but volunteers do need to be clear on the guidelines below

Handicap Committee Guidelines

Composition

• Minimum of 3 members
  • Members may include employees or management
• Chairperson Requirement
  • If the committee has an even number, a Chairperson must be appointed.
  • If odd-numbered, the Chair role may rotate.
• Diversity of Representation
  • Aims to reflect the broadest spectrum of the club:
    • High and low handicaps
    • Male and female members
    • Covers multiple club sections

Recruitment

• Ongoing and not tied to AGM timings or elections due to its Mandatory Nature and the importance of diverse representation
  • Volunteers may apply at any time to Management or the Chair of the Committee - contact us

Meeting Frequency

• At least once per year
  • Additional meetings may be scheduled at the committee’s discretion.

Primary Role & Responsibilities

• To conduct Handicap Reviews
• Review WHS Reports
  • Review pre-generated reports supplied from the World Handicapping System (WHS).
  • Review only the players flagged by the system - not all players - and assess whether a player's handicap should be adjusted up or down.
• Apply Local Knowledge
  • Consider personal circumstances and performance context.
  • Decide whether to accept WHS report recommendations or maintain current handicap.
• Delegates the role of 'card checking for initial handicap' to the Club Management through the Pro Shop.  This is part of the member onboarding process and includes training on card completion and ongoing handicap management processes

Requirements

• No specialist knowledge of WHS required
  • Committee decisions are based on local insight, not technical expertise.

Profile

• Golf club members who are:
  • passionate about creating an equal playing field for all golfers
  • keen to get involved, and give something back to the game
• A good Handicap Committee Member has the ability to:
  • be collaborative and work well in a small team;
  • display objectivity;
  • work with management to encourage members to submit competition and social scores for handicap purposes

Appeals Procedure

• PRGC use England Golf’s simple 3 level appeals procedure, making the process simple and easy
  • Club Review – Should a player question the decision; the club should offer the player the opportunity to discuss the decision with the committee.
  • County Appeal – Should the player wish to appeal the decision following discussions with the club, this must be done via the County Union/Association.
  • England Golf Appeal – Appeals to England Golf will only be considered once the Club and County have made their decision. The outcome of this appeal is final.

A quick reminder - why are Preferred Lies on Fairways (or 'Winter Rules') so important?

1. Protects your course / fairways - reduces the likelihood of divots on fairways
2. Extends the enjoyment of the summer season ie more enjoyable to play a fairway shot without mud on your ball or a poor lie
3. This rule is in place to ensure fair scoring during adverse conditions.

Information on Preferred Lies is in the members section here

In short and to quote the BB&O...

"When a player's ball lies in a part of the general area cut to fairway height or less, the player may take free relief once by placing the original ball or another ball in and playing it from this relief area:

• Reference Point: Spot of the original ball.
• Size of Relief Area Measured from Reference Point: 6 inches from the reference point, but with these limits:
• Limits on Location of Relief Area:
  • Must not be nearer the hole than the reference point, and
  • Must be in the general area.

In proceeding under this Local Rule, the player must choose a spot to place the ball and use the procedures for replacing a ball under Rules 14.2b(2) and 14.2e."

Bunker Rejuvenation Update

The Greenkeeping Team would like to extend their sincere thanks to the golfers who raised concerns that after a tough season, in some bunkers, the point where the bunker faces meet the sand were in need of attention. Your feedback has been invaluable and has been incorporated into the current bunker rejuvenation programme.

This kind of input from golfers plays a vital role in helping the team focus on what truly matters to those who play the course. It ensures that maintenance efforts align with the expectations and experiences of our golfing community.

The rejuvenation work has begun with reshaping and refining the faces of the bunkers. Once this phase is completed—expected within the next week—the team will move on to cutting and defining the entries to the bunkers, further enhancing both playability and aesthetics.

A Note of Thanks from the Greenkeeping Team

The Greenkeeping Team would like to express their sincere appreciation to all players for their continued patience and understanding. We know how frustrating it can be when your game is momentarily interrupted by course maintenance, and we’re grateful for the courtesy shown.

In particular, thank you for waiting when tasks are just moments from completion, and for allowing the team to step aside when work may take longer than two minutes. These small gestures make a big difference in helping us maintain the course efficiently while respecting your time on the fairways.

Below are some recent examples of the fantastic work carried out by Jack and the team…  lots more to follow 🙂