Clubs agree handicap shake-up

Date published: 18 April 2014


GOLF:

THE Oldham and District Golf League heads into a 32nd season with new handicap limits after an annual meeting night of reform.

The clubs unanimously decided to reduce the upper limit in the ‘A’ team section from 14 to 12, so no player partnering a scratch golfer can receive double-digit shots in the better-ball matchplay format.

There has traditionally been a four-shot overlap between ‘A’ and ‘B’ sections (0-14 and 10-18) and this has been maintained by reducing the lower limit in the ‘B’ section to eight. The new limits now stand at 0-12 and 8-18.

“The clubs felt the ‘bubble’ for members was now around 8-10 with many of these struggling to get into the low-handicap ‘A’ teams, yet still ineligible for the ‘B’ team,” explained ODGL chairman John Walsh.

The meeting also made changes to the end-of-season play-offs, in which the top two in East and West Divisions play semi-finals and finals to decide league champion. Previously these followed the normal four-pair league match format but, to avoid a draw, one of the matches was played as a sudden-death decider. The play-offs will now consist of five pairings, with all games played to a finish, as in the cup competitions.

The league has also welcomed back Oldham ‘B’ after the Lees Road club took the 2013 season off due to falling numbers. The ‘B’ Section West will contain seven clubs rather than six — Castle Hawk ‘B’ has retained its place after stepping in last season — with each club playing extra games in two weeks of the season.