Competitions Update March 2026
Three weeks to go!!
CLUB COMPETITION SECRETARY REPORT MARCH 2026
The Winter League Competition will end on Friday 20th March 2026. And the Winter Blue course will finish on Friday 27th March 2026
The course will revert to Summer layout and Local Rules will be changed nearer the time to enable Acceptable Scores (Qualifying) golf to resume on the 28th of March 2026.
Please check the updated local rules before you play, available on your V1/Howdidido club members app. and on the Course Rules board in the corridor to the changing rooms
Social golf or General Play (Casual) rounds can be booked with the normal 14 day window for members, and you should book your tee time via the members V1 App. If you intend to submit a General Play/Casual Round for handicapping purposes, you MUST register that fact by “signing in” electronically prior to commencing your round, using the HowDidiDo Mobile Score Input, My England Golf App. or the PSI Terminal in the Lounge Bar. (You CANNOT “sign in” in the Pro Shop). Immediately on completion of your round enter your score and place your correctly completed card in the scorecard box by the PSI or your scores may be rejected. Players must not start on the 10th tee unless directed by the Course manger or the Pro shop staff.
Entries for all the main Competitions continue to go live for booking on Sundays at 6pm.
The Captains Drive In will take place on Saturday 28th March
We are expecting high demand for tee times in ALL competitions, so you need to be quick off the mark to get the zone that you require, in team competitions (to maximise use of tee slots), single entries will be moved to another team or added to the waiting list that is available for each comp when it is full.
Please remember that after draws are made if you are unable to play, you must advise me via comps@merseyvalleygolfclub.co.uk before 12noon the day before the comp, withdrawing on the day or failing to attend your allocated tee time, could lead to a period of suspension from competitions as per competition rules.
Reminder that the 2s sweep in every competition is optional.
New members with no active handicap index can submit cards for handicap from 28th March, a total of three 18 hole cards will be required to acquire a WHS index, of which at least one must be in a Club Qualifying Singles Competition, the others must be marked by a member with an active WHS index, and be acceptable to committee, Members will have to contact me directly to enter a comp for handicap purposes.
Please remember after initial allocation of a WHS Index, as per Competition rules, you must play in a further 3 Club SINGLES 18 hole qualifying competitions before you are eligible to win prizes.
To be eligible to enter Majors and Matchplay Singles Knockouts competitions, You MUST have played in a minimum of 5 Club Single format 18 hole Qualifying comps in the preceding 12 months, and at the date specified for each competition, MUST NOT have any WHS counting scores older than 2 years as at the first of Jan in the current year. and must have a fully developed WHS handicap - i.e. 8 out of 20 scores counting..
Friday roll ups will begin again on Friday 27th March and are open to all members, and from April can be used to obtain a handicap index, under qualifying conditions. It is a members responsibility to make sure whether they have the correct number of qualifying competitions to be eligible to win prizes, and no refunds will be given if errors are made. Rules are posted on the notice board.
REMINDER
Men’s and Seniors Knockouts, Singles and Pairs will be run this year, £5 per person entry fee. Separate envelopes are currently available in the lounge bar, so use the correct one, and when completed should be placed in the Committee correspondence box by the PSI, please ensure you check the rules of the competition you are entering as they have been updated this year, closing date for entries will be at 12 noon on Wednesday 1st April, 2026.
Mixed Summer League in the same format of scores being Qualifying for WHS purposes, will be run on a roll up basis every Thursday starting on 23rd April, with the rules available on the notice board and on the V1 app, entry envelopes available in the Lounge Bar from Wednesday 1st April. Book your tee time via the tee sheet.
When we do start qualifying competitions again, it is imperative that scores are entered either via the howdidido app or the PSI and cards placed in the Scorecard slot by the PSI, immediately after completion of your round.
MyEngland Golf App; Players that pre-register their general play rounds on the MyEG App are then required to enter said score immediately, or as soon as possible, after completion of the round.
Golfers who do not enter their scores as soon as possible will be reminded by email (from England Golf), and if the email is ignored a penalty score will be designated to the player's record. The penalty score will be marked as a 'P' and could affect handicaps in both ways, by going up or down.
"The Handicap Committee can decide the appropriate penalty score based on the intent of the player and can select a high or low penalty score equal to the highest or lowest Score Differential in the player’s scoring record. If discoverable, the Handicap Committee can also post the actual score."
We will be much tighter this year on failed intents but also on those players playing multiple ‘casual rounds’ without submitting a score. Under the World Handicap System (WHS), submitting "Casual" or "General Play" scores is strongly encouraged to ensure your Handicap Index accurately reflects your demonstrated ability. While not strictly mandatory in all jurisdictions, it is considered best practice, particularly in Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I), to submit as many scores as possible.
England Golf also reminds golfers to certify any score submissions witnessed as soon as possible The scorecards for ANY scores submitted using the App must be returned for the information/attention of the Committee.
Competition cards, Agreed by Committee that a penalty of disqualification shall be imposed if a card is not certified by the player, marker or both Rule 3.3b(2).
Also agreed that it is the committee’s responsibility to calculate the player’s handicap strokes for the competition to calculate the players net score and should the handicap not be shown on the card, the player will not be disqualified. Rule 3.3b(4).
COMPETITION RESULTS – As tee times begin to be later as we move into the lighter evenings, then Competition Results will be produced later than you are used too. This is to provide the Committee time to check the expected large number of cards, for accuracy and handicap purposes.
We look forward to an exciting year of golf so check your diary, but PLAY SAFE, KEEP SAFE.
Any Queries regarding Comps or obtaining initial handicaps please contact me on comps@merseyvalleygolfclub.co.uk
Regards Jon Moore
MVGC Competition Secretary
The Winter League Competition will end on Friday 20th March 2026. And the Winter Blue course will finish on Friday 27th March 2026
The course will revert to Summer layout and Local Rules will be changed nearer the time to enable Acceptable Scores (Qualifying) golf to resume on the 28th of March 2026.
Please check the updated local rules before you play, available on your V1/Howdidido club members app. and on the Course Rules board in the corridor to the changing rooms
Social golf or General Play (Casual) rounds can be booked with the normal 14 day window for members, and you should book your tee time via the members V1 App. If you intend to submit a General Play/Casual Round for handicapping purposes, you MUST register that fact by “signing in” electronically prior to commencing your round, using the HowDidiDo Mobile Score Input, My England Golf App. or the PSI Terminal in the Lounge Bar. (You CANNOT “sign in” in the Pro Shop). Immediately on completion of your round enter your score and place your correctly completed card in the scorecard box by the PSI or your scores may be rejected. Players must not start on the 10th tee unless directed by the Course manger or the Pro shop staff.
Entries for all the main Competitions continue to go live for booking on Sundays at 6pm.
The Captains Drive In will take place on Saturday 28th March
We are expecting high demand for tee times in ALL competitions, so you need to be quick off the mark to get the zone that you require, in team competitions (to maximise use of tee slots), single entries will be moved to another team or added to the waiting list that is available for each comp when it is full.
Please remember that after draws are made if you are unable to play, you must advise me via comps@merseyvalleygolfclub.co.uk before 12noon the day before the comp, withdrawing on the day or failing to attend your allocated tee time, could lead to a period of suspension from competitions as per competition rules.
Reminder that the 2s sweep in every competition is optional.
New members with no active handicap index can submit cards for handicap from 28th March, a total of three 18 hole cards will be required to acquire a WHS index, of which at least one must be in a Club Qualifying Singles Competition, the others must be marked by a member with an active WHS index, and be acceptable to committee, Members will have to contact me directly to enter a comp for handicap purposes.
Please remember after initial allocation of a WHS Index, as per Competition rules, you must play in a further 3 Club SINGLES 18 hole qualifying competitions before you are eligible to win prizes.
To be eligible to enter Majors and Matchplay Singles Knockouts competitions, You MUST have played in a minimum of 5 Club Single format 18 hole Qualifying comps in the preceding 12 months, and at the date specified for each competition, MUST NOT have any WHS counting scores older than 2 years as at the first of Jan in the current year. and must have a fully developed WHS handicap - i.e. 8 out of 20 scores counting..
Friday roll ups will begin again on Friday 27th March and are open to all members, and from April can be used to obtain a handicap index, under qualifying conditions. It is a members responsibility to make sure whether they have the correct number of qualifying competitions to be eligible to win prizes, and no refunds will be given if errors are made. Rules are posted on the notice board.
REMINDER
Men’s and Seniors Knockouts, Singles and Pairs will be run this year, £5 per person entry fee. Separate envelopes are currently available in the lounge bar, so use the correct one, and when completed should be placed in the Committee correspondence box by the PSI, please ensure you check the rules of the competition you are entering as they have been updated this year, closing date for entries will be at 12 noon on Wednesday 1st April, 2026.
Mixed Summer League in the same format of scores being Qualifying for WHS purposes, will be run on a roll up basis every Thursday starting on 23rd April, with the rules available on the notice board and on the V1 app, entry envelopes available in the Lounge Bar from Wednesday 1st April. Book your tee time via the tee sheet.
When we do start qualifying competitions again, it is imperative that scores are entered either via the howdidido app or the PSI and cards placed in the Scorecard slot by the PSI, immediately after completion of your round.
MyEngland Golf App; Players that pre-register their general play rounds on the MyEG App are then required to enter said score immediately, or as soon as possible, after completion of the round.
Golfers who do not enter their scores as soon as possible will be reminded by email (from England Golf), and if the email is ignored a penalty score will be designated to the player's record. The penalty score will be marked as a 'P' and could affect handicaps in both ways, by going up or down.
"The Handicap Committee can decide the appropriate penalty score based on the intent of the player and can select a high or low penalty score equal to the highest or lowest Score Differential in the player’s scoring record. If discoverable, the Handicap Committee can also post the actual score."
We will be much tighter this year on failed intents but also on those players playing multiple ‘casual rounds’ without submitting a score. Under the World Handicap System (WHS), submitting "Casual" or "General Play" scores is strongly encouraged to ensure your Handicap Index accurately reflects your demonstrated ability. While not strictly mandatory in all jurisdictions, it is considered best practice, particularly in Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I), to submit as many scores as possible.
England Golf also reminds golfers to certify any score submissions witnessed as soon as possible The scorecards for ANY scores submitted using the App must be returned for the information/attention of the Committee.
Competition cards, Agreed by Committee that a penalty of disqualification shall be imposed if a card is not certified by the player, marker or both Rule 3.3b(2).
Also agreed that it is the committee’s responsibility to calculate the player’s handicap strokes for the competition to calculate the players net score and should the handicap not be shown on the card, the player will not be disqualified. Rule 3.3b(4).
COMPETITION RESULTS – As tee times begin to be later as we move into the lighter evenings, then Competition Results will be produced later than you are used too. This is to provide the Committee time to check the expected large number of cards, for accuracy and handicap purposes.
We look forward to an exciting year of golf so check your diary, but PLAY SAFE, KEEP SAFE.
Any Queries regarding Comps or obtaining initial handicaps please contact me on comps@merseyvalleygolfclub.co.uk
Regards Jon Moore
MVGC Competition Secretary