NO PLACE FOR CHEATS IN THE GAME as GUI study measures. Anyone who has had any contact with club golf - especially inter-club golf - in recent years will know that feelings are running high regarding handicap cheats. If the GUI stops short of admitting there is a problem with cheating and banditry, Finn acknowledges it’s an issue that concerns many of the 14,000 golfers who recently replied to an online survey that forms part the GUI’s strategic review. “We are in the middle of a strategic review with all the main stakeholders -golf clubs, branches of the GUI, elite players and some external bodies such as the sports councils north and south, the R&A and so on - and are talking to members of golf clubs by way of an online survey,” “More than 14,000 people responded and there are a number of key topics that people want us to focus on and one of those things is handicapping. “On the question of people playing off higher handicaps than their ability in order to gain an advantage, the various stakeholders want the GUI to do something about it. As “The strategy may identify what the GUI could do and what the GUI will do in terms of this issue. But certainly it has come out very clearly, particularly in the online member survey, that it’s something people want the GUI to do something about. “It’s too early to say what that is but clearly there is an onus on the GUI to tackle it. I suspect it also might include proposals to amend the handicapping rules in some way but to some degree our hands are tied because we are one of six or seven associations that are recognised by CONGU and we only have a certain amount of “Clearly we are being told through this consultation process that there are pretty significant issues [in handicapping] and that people are cheesed off and want action. On a personal level, I don’t seen any difference between a person, over time, orchestrating their handicap to gain an unfair advantage and kicking your ball in the “Having a handicap that is too high is worse in that it’s premeditated rather than something that is done in the heat of the moment. That’s my personal view. But as to what stance the GUI takes in relation to it, we are just not there yet. It’s something we will have to approach from a strategic perspective and say, here’s how we are going to “Pe ople a re che e s ed of f and w ant a ct ion .... I don’ t se e n an y dif fe r e nc e be t we e n a p e rs on, ov e r t ime , or c he st r at ing t he ir h andic ap t o g ain an unf air adv an ta ge and k ick ing y ou r ball in t h e r oug h.” — GUI general secretary Pat Finn on the anger over handicap cheat
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 01:01:36 +0000