General Play Rounds Explained

Only submitted rounds count towards your Handicap Index. Most golfers think first of Saturday medals and club competitions, but casual rounds can count too, if they are submitted correctly as General Play.

Before WHS, these were often called supplementary or social scores. The idea is the same: a round played outside a formal competition that still updates your handicap.

General Play is any score submitted outside a formal competition. A casual round with mates, a midweek roll-up that is not a listed event, or a practice round you choose to enter all qualify, as long as your club allows it and the round meets the rules.

Competition rounds count when submitted through your club in the usual way. General Play is the route for everything else.

Your club may require a marker or have a submission window. Check with your handicap secretary if you are unsure.

A 9-hole score pairs with a previous 9-hole differential to produce an 18-hole equivalent, or waits until a second nine is submitted. One strong nine on its own will not update your Handicap Index immediately.