Duckhook Handicaps

DUCKHOOK GOLFERS HANDICAP

For the season start of 2025 we have gone back to a single Duckhook handicap. We have taken the entire 2024 season’s handicap and used each player’s best 40% of games played. So, if you played 10 games for the 2024 season we would have used your 4 best games. From that 40% we have then averaged the handicap to get your single Duckhook handicap to start off the 2025 season.

Duckhook will still have a handicap season cap of 3 shots. For example, if you start off with an 18 handicap, then your season cap will be 21. If you manage to get your handicap lower than your starting handicap, your season handicap cap will adjust accordingly. So, if you start with an 18 Handicap and manage to get it to a 16 halfway through the season, your new season cap will be 19. This is the only way your cap will be adjusted.

Once you have your starting handicap, going forward we will use your best 6 games from your last 10 to continue calculation.

We will also be using the SAGA recommended handicap playing allowance of 95% for the 2025 Season. Once you have your Duckhook Handicap, you will use the lower of that handicap and your HNA handicap, once that is determined you will then use the 95% playing handicap allowance. For example, if your Duckhook handicap calculates to 14 and your HNA is 12, the lowest is 12 and finally 95% of 12 will give you an 11 playing handicap for that day. A conversion table from SAGA can be found here:

The DHG Player Handicap Model which runs in conjunction with SAGA.
Duckhook is constantly striving to implement the best and fairest model to benefit all handicapped players from Low to High handicaps.

Players are required to enter their score 24 hours after his/her round, our Software allows us to run checks on handicaps after a Tournament. If a score is not entered the player will be required to play off 75% of their handicap until rectified.

Players will use the lower of his/her DHG or SAGA handicap.

DOWNLOAD – 2025 Handicaps

This is how the handicaps will work:

The DHG handicap calculation will continue to be used.
(See equation below)

To Level the playing field even further, we have decided to add in a calculation for exceptional rounds (similar to SAGA).

The Maximum handicap will remain at 30 for men and 46 for ladies, as many players compete in the Leagues with official handicaps over 24. Regular members with Handicaps can apply to have cap raised.

NEW AND UNAFFILIATED GOLFERS

New players joining DHG (including players that have not played with Duckhook in the past 6months or longer), with an official handicap, will play his/her first DHG event off 80% of their handicap. We will then start calculating the DHG Handicap from then onward.

New players joining DHG (including players that have not played with Duckhook in the past 6months or longer) who are un-official, will play their first event off a scratch handicap (To ensure he/she can still compete for League and Ranking Standings, he/she will be awarded the field average number of points towards the League and Ranking Leaderboard.), whereafter Duckhook will allocate a handicap to them.

Un-Official Players will play off only 75% of their Calculated DHG Handicap, as it is unfair toward 98% of the players paying to have an official handicap.

HANDICAP PER LEAGUE AND SPECIAL EVENTS

• 2024 see the introducing a handicap per league and Special Event
• A Handicap per League will show a true form per league as some league have more difficult course.

THE FORMULA

The points based system will be determined by the following basic formula, to determine a differential for each round:

RD = (36 – RP) + RH

RD: Round Differential

The calculated amount used to be included in the handicap calculation.

RP: Round Points

The total individual stableford points scored by a player during the Duckhook round.

RH: Round Handicap

The handicap from which the player played the Duckhook round.

Q: Why do you use 36 in the formula?

A: 36 represents the number of points a player will generally score if he plays exactly to his handicap. It is calculated by taking a Net Par (2 points) on each of the 18 holes.

The handicap will be determined by taking the average differential of the best 6 of a player’s last 10 rounds, and then multiplying this average by 96%. Handicaps are rounded to the nearest full number.

Q: How are Exceptional rounds calculated into your handicap?

A: When a player plays an exceptional round in a DHG event earning 40 or 41 points (in the last 10 games Played), his/her DHG handicap will be calculated using x 90% instead of the normal x 96%.

When a player plays multiple exceptional rounds or earns 42 or more points in a DHG event (in the last 10 games Played), his/her DHG handicap will be calculated using x 80% instead of the normal x 96%.

Q: How often will my Duckhook handicap be calculated?

A: The Duckhook handicaps will be calculated after every Duckhook round and will be posted on the Duckhook website.

Q: What happens if I do NOT play Duckhook for some time?

A: If you have not played within 6months then your Duckhook handicap “resets” back to “New Golfer” status.

Q: Why do you use the best 6 of my last 10 rounds?

A: A player’s last 10 rounds is a fair reflection of the form he finds himself in. Using the best 6, eliminates those terrible rounds a player could have had, which can blow out a handicap significantly.

Inclusions and Exclusions

Which rounds are excluded from the handicap calculation?

Any Knock-out matches played outside of the Duckhook leagues

Please note that even though these events are excluded from the calculation of your Duckhook handicap, they are still to be played off your new Duckhook handicap.

It is Duckhook Golfers discretion to allocate what is deemed the fairest handicap in the instance where the calculation does not fairly reflect a player’s ability.