July 23, 2014
The NGAP together with the Federation of Golf Clubs recently held its 1st Joint Technical Meeting at The Orchard Golf & Country Club in Dasmariñas, Cavite. Among the speaker were Mr. Rodel Mangulabnan as the service provider of the Unified National Handicapping System (UNHS), Mr. Rene Garrovillo, General Manager of Orchard Golf & Country Club, Mr. Raymond Sangil, Golf Director. Also present is Mr. Carlos Coscolluela, President of NGAP along with the representatives and officials from different clubs.
Topics discussed are the issues regarding accepting and encoding of scores from a guest player played in a specific golf course, procedures on issuing and retrieving score cards, eligible scores for encoding and procedures on accepting games played outside the Philippines or from a course which is not in the UNHS system. How the system works, processing and advantage of the system were also discussed. Here is a message from the NGAP Handicapping Chairman and Vice-President Mr. Conrad Benitez;
“Adopting, Implementing and Maintaining a Universal Handicap System for the NGAP, the Federation and for general tournament use in the Philippines.”
My fellow golfers,
You undoubtedly have heard that both the National Golf Association of the Philippines and the Federation of Golf Clubs (Philippines) have been collaborating on a joint protocol implementing the UNHS to serve as the official program of the country’s amateur golfing community.
Without a common handicapping system embraced by all amateur golfers, it is impossible to attain cooperation, credibility, common enjoyment and respect in competing with golfers of varying abilities. A handicap system is indespensable for matches between individuals or groups with their own clubs, among other clubs, and in various local and national tournaments.
Such a system has to be universal (applicable to all types of golfing abilities and frequency of play), transparent (available for review by the players and administrators, with recorded calculations and archived data), comprehensive (pertinent to most situations and complications) and universally supported and maintained by all participants.
A credible and acceptable handicap system is useful, necessary and beneficial for golfers to track their playing progress, to allow equitable fun within friendly matches and for accepted participation in both intraclub, interclub and open tournaments conducted by the various national and even international golfing event organizers.
Contrary to popular assumption, a national handicap system is not being introduced in in response to complaints of inaccuracies, discrepancies, or questionable and dubious practices. By and large, the majority of golfers are honest and respectful of the rules and of their fellow golfers, and it is for them that a working handicap system is being implemented.
Those intent of abusing and exploiting the rules and spirit of fair play can and will subvert any system, regardless of safeguards. We all know who they are, and their shameful reputations are their own just deserts, if you will.
Failing to provide an honest system for the honest players would indeed be capitulating to the misdeeds of the unscrupulous.
The UNHS serves these honest golfers and their true love of the game. What should a golfer with memberships in two or more clubs do to determine his handicap? How will the system record, calculate and report their handicaps? How do golfers who do not belong to a club secure and maintain a handicap? These and the many complications to handicap systems will find friendly resolution in the proposed UNHS system.
As your Handicapping Chairman and Vice-President for the NGAP, I support the various initiatives of the partnership between the NGAP and FedGolf to finalize the implementation of the UNHS as soon as possible. On July 23rd, I offered the use of the theater and fascilities of The Orchard, of which I am the President, for the assembly of the participants in the Technical Seminar and Workshop of the UNHS for everyone in the NGAP and the Federation who will be involved in the implementation and maintenance of this possibly the most important factor in the continuation and enjoyment of amateur golf.
As we can all see, there is much work to be done to adopt and implement a smoothly working unversal handicap system that will benefit and maximize the enjoyment of the country’s golfers. We do not promise a perfect system just as you should not expect one either. What we do promise is to keep on working to make our system as good as is realistically possible.
And with patience, understanding and a generous spirit of cooperation, I invite all of us to support and contribute to this admirable effort of the NGAP and the FedGolf to once and for all to invest in our beloved game’s continued growth and success. It is a major undertaking and it will succeed if each and every one of us plays his game to be the best of his ability, in the true spirit of the game.
Sincerely as always,