Dear Members,

This year we’ve welcomed a fantastic group of new members from all age groups — some balancing busy careers, others enjoying retirement. It’s a great moment for PRGC and a chance to reflect on how we best support the diverse needs and aspirations of our growing membership, building on the club’s values, traditions, and ambitions while embracing the latest technologies and best practices from England Golf.

Part of these reflections with EG has been the roles, goals and processes of committees which exist within the club.

Handicaps

From October 31st, in close partnership with England Golf, we’ll be introducing a new handicap management model — reducing the burden on volunteers and aligning with national best practices. This is the only mandatory committee and there will be no interruption to the quality of handicap management you’ve come to expect.  We have received strong feedback from England Golf on our approach click here

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Steve Williams, who will be stepping down as Handicap Secretary. Steve has done an amazing job – thank you!

Competitions

We’d also like to thank Al Bowyer for his outstanding service as he steps down as Competitions Secretary. His leadership has shaped much of what we enjoy today — from calendars to the smooth running of events.

Thanks to Al’s ‘turnkey’ competition process and the latest technology, the transition will be seamless, with no interruption to the competitions you know and love.  More to follow…

Ongoing Member Feedback

The strong promotion of the Customer Service Book has created a fast and effective way for members to share feedback directly with the Management Team. This approach has helped ease the workload previously carried by the General Committee, allowing issues to be addressed more quickly and efficiently.

Over the coming months, we’ll be consulting with members on how to further strengthen your voice and encourage even closer collaboration between members and management — all with the goal of maximising the fun, camaraderie, and enjoyment PRGC members experience on and off the course.

In the meantime, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the General Committee members stepping down on October 31st, whose dedication and leadership have helped shape the club’s strong foundations.

More to follow…

Our very best wishes, The PRGC Management Team

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.