In this month’s newsletter, we remind golfers of their responsibility to create a safe environment for their fellow golfers. We also reveal a new improvement to the HNA Handicaps & Tournament App.
The recent stretch of four co-sanctioned professional tournaments across the Sunshine Tour and Sunshine Ladies Tour was a great success and produced four fantastic South African champions in Brandon Stone, JC Ritchie, Wilco Nienaber and Lee-Anne Pace.
More importantly, these events were conducted under strict COVID-19 protocols that kept the tournaments clear of the virus.
These COVID-19 risk mitigation protocols are expected to still be in place at all clubs and golfing facilities in South Africa and remain critical to limiting the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. The protocols, which were devised by GolfRSA, follow international best practice and, when it comes to playing the game of golf, only a few concessions are needed to be able to continue to enjoy the sport we love.
These temporary measures include not using bunker rakes or touching the flagsticks and, importantly, fall within the R&A’s modified definition of an acceptable score for handicapping purposes.
A quick reminder of these amendments:
Bunkers
Should clubs not deploy an assigned individual
per hole to rake bunkers, clubs can permit preferred lies within the bunker and should encourage members to smooth the bunker with their foot or club after playing their shot.
Flagsticks
Touching the flagstick is not advised. However, flagsticks can be centred, attended or removed by a player, or a person on their behalf, provided all persons touching the flagstick sanitize their hands prior to and after touching the flagstick.
Entering scores
During the round, players may enter their own hole-by-hole scores on the scorecard (it is not necessary to swap cards with a marker.).
It is also not necessary to have a marker physically certify the player’s hole by hole scores, although some form of verbal certification should take place if at all possible.
It is not necessary to physically return a scorecard to the Committee, provided the Committee can accept the scores in another way.
After the round, players can enter their scores on the HNA Handicap System by using the HNA App.
A new addition to the HNA App
In the latest minor improvement to the HNA App, we have placed your home club as the first entry on your list of clubs in Southern Africa. This should make it quicker and easier to search for, and select, your home club when entering your score or looking up your Course Handicap.
Quote of the Month
“For this game you need, above all things, to be in a tranquil frame of mind.” – Harry Vardon
