Juniors - Getting a Handicap

What is a Handicap?

Unlike many other sports, golf has a handicapping system that allows players of very different abilities to play against one another in a fair and equitable way. This is one of the reasons for golf’s popularity!

It involves giving a player an allowance of additional shots - her handicap - to adjust her score when measuring how she has performed against another player of a different ability

The Council of National Golf Unions, CONGU for short, is the official body which administers the handicap system for all golfers. Their website www.congu.com contains in detail how the handicapping system works. The maximum CONGU handicap for all golfers (adults and juniors) is 54. To gain an official CONGU handicap you will need to be a member of a golf club and you will then be able to play in any official competitions - provided you meet the competition entry criteria.

How to Get a Handicap

With Berkshire Girls Golf (BGG), you do not need to be a member of a golf club to take part in our Fun competitions and gain a Junior provisional handicap. This Junior provisional handicap will help give you confidence in understanding how well you are playing compared to other girls.

Stage 1 - BGG Junior Provisional Handicap (up to 54)

If you play in the BGG Par 3 Fun Competitions but do not yet have an official CONGU handicap then we can award you a BGG Junior Provisional Handicap.

As you play each hole in the Fun competition, the person marking your card will calculate your score on each hole (as for a Stableford) based on the assumption you have the maximum handicap of 54. Points are awarded – on a par 3 hole in the following way – starting with a 54 handicap:
If you complete the hole
     in 7 strokes – 1 point
     in 6 strokes – 2 points
     in 5 strokes – 3 points
     in 4 strokes – 4 points
And so on – the fewer strokes to complete the hole – the more points!

In other words, if you take more than 8 shots on a (par 3) hole, you can safely pick up as you won’t be able to score any points on that hole. Scores on each hole are then totalled and then depending on your final score, the Fun competition organiser will award you a Junior Provisional Handicap.

This handicap will then be used in future BGG Fun Competitions and can be used when playing socially.

You can also submit cards (e.g. for 6, 9 or 18 holes), signed by a golfer who has a CONGU handicap, from a longer (CONGU rated) course if you want to have your junior provisional handicap adjusted. For more information, contact the BGG fun competition organiser bggfuncompsec@bclga.co.uk..

It is very important to understand that a BGG Junior provisional handicap is not an official CONGU handicap – but it is useful for girls who are starting to play golf as it provides a great way to demonstrate their improvement at golf.

Stage 2 – CONGU Handicap (1 to 54)

If you are a member of a Golf Club you can obtain a CONGU Handicap through your golf club - by completing 54 holes of golf on a designated course. These can be a combination of 9 holes or 18 holes to a total of 54 holes (e.g. 2 x 18 holes and 2 x 9 holes) – check with your own golf club. These cards will need to be marked by another member of your club who has an official CONGU Handicap.

Your club’s Junior/Handicap Committee will then allocate you a CONGU competition (c) handicap based on your cards submitted and will give you a HANDICAP CERTIFICATE. (This is a very important document and whenever you play in competitions you will be asked to show it – so keep it safe!)

This CONGU handicap can then be used if playing in club, BGG or County competitions.

For further information on CONGU Handicaps please see the Handicapping section on the BCLGA main page.

Reviewed - January 2019