Shark Challenge - Another benefit of the award winning GOLF Link ...

February 2000
Volume 5, Issue 1
Inside this Issue
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Shark Challenge
Citibank Mailing
Members' Dates of Birth
Manual handicap
adjustments
Correcting Scores
CCR alterations
ACR/AWCR Changes
Adverse weather
allowance - CCR
Replacement Cards
Ad Hoc Scores
Is GOLF Link right?
On line members visiting
clubs
Away Score download
When to return a score
card
Check the handicap
Incorrect home club - the
fix
Roll out update
Accredited Providers &
Contacts
Handicap system
amendments attached
Australian Golf Union
153-155 Cecil Street, South
Melbourne, Victoria, 3205, Australia
Email: agu@agu.org.au
Web: www.agu.org.au
Phone: 03 9699 7944
Fax: 03 9690 8510
Shark Challenge -
Another benefit of
the award winning
GOLF Link Project
In a unique enterprise the Shark
Challenge brings together Australia’s
number one golfer Greg Norman and his
Great White Shark Enterprises with the
AGU in an industry led initiative for
golfers throughout Australia. Utilising
GOLF Link, Shark Challenge provides
golfers nationally with the opportunity
to play existing club competitions with
their scores counting towards a national
ranking in the Shark Challenge, without
any extra club administration; GOLF
Link does it all.
There are categories for male and
female as well as a category for juniors.
Each category is divided into four
handicap grades. Over 250 players in
the Shark Challenge will qualify for the
national finals in Australia. The leaders
from this final will then qualify for the
overseas final hosted by Greg Norman.
In addition to the golf, on registering for
the Shark Challenge each participant
(whether a golfer or not) is entered into
the monthly prize draw for major prizes.
Shark Challenge actually utilises the
award winning AGU GOLF Link system
to access player scores.
Player scores are returned to Shark
Challenge one of two ways. Either via
the GOLF Link system, which requires
no additional administration. A Shark
Challenge member is flagged and scores
are then downloaded to the Shark
Challenge system. Or alternatively if the
club is not yet online with GOLF Link
scores are faxed to the Shark Challenge
Golf Link Bulletin 1
The Shark is here…join now……
by the club. A score collection form has
been created and provided to clubs.
All Shark Challenge advertising is
driving membership registration to golf
clubs across Australia. Clubs will
benefit financially from the Shark
Challenge, with a percentage of each
registration fee being returned to the
club. Shark Challenge members are
able to track their progress and national
ranking on the Shark Challenge website
at www.sharkchallenge.com or by
phoning 1300 65 44 33.
For further details on how your club can
participate please contact Sean Scott on
(02) 9262 1122.
New Citibank
mailing in April - It's
the card that's your
Credit, Handicap,
Rewards, Frequent
flyer card - it's the
smart GOLF Link
card
The next Citibank GOLF Link
MasterCard mail-out will go out in April
to a selected number of club members.
The Citibank GOLF Link MasterCard
now gives members a low rate of 9% for
9 months with the option to consolidate
other credit balances at this low rate.
Every dollar transferred to the GOLF
Link MasterCard also earns valuable
rewards points. Citibank are keen to set
up a presence at your club to help
promote this great offer so a poster
outlining the full details will be mailed
to you prior to the mail out to display at
your club.

GOLF Link - Tier 3 user information
Members' Dates of Birth
- Send if you have them
GOLF Link has an optional field for
Dates of Birth. We understand that
most clubs do not have all members'
dates of birth, however it is an
important field for the following
reasons:
• It is used to identify a person
who rings the GOLF Link
Service centre.
• It is a critical demographic for
the development and funding of
the Sport.
• So that juniors are not mailed
inappropriate offers e.g. the
Citibank GOLF Link MasterCard.
Our database is only reflective of
yours. If you do not have dates of
birth you may wish to request this of
your members.
Manual Handicap
adjustments -
BEWARE!
Beware - manual adjustments apply
from the date and time they are
uploaded and any scores dated
before this will be ignored. E.g. a
manual adjustment is processed for a
golfer who is playing in the current
day’s competition. If this
competition has a date and time
before that manual adjustment, their
score for that round will be ignored
as it started before the manual
adjustment.
Also, do not use manual adjustments
to update scores from other clubs -
enter them as ad-hoc scores- or for
what you believe is an incorrect
handicap adjustment - GOLF Link is
Clubs uploading with additional CCR
allowance for regular adverse weather
conditions
Clubs with the approval from their State Association for the regular adverse
weather conditions CCR allowance must inform GOLF Link of this on uploading
the clubs course details.
Replacement cards - ordering and delivery
Replacement cards may be ordered directly through your Tier 3 system (it is a
requirement of Tier 3). These cards will be delivered directly to the golfer's
address. A $10 fee applies to replacement cards as from 30 th April 2000.
(Members may also order directly through the Service Centre).
Ad-Hoc score processing
Handicap adjustments as a result of ad-hoc scores take effect at midnight on the
date of the score put into your system. This way you can process a card before
a member tees off and get the updated handicap. If more than one Ad-Hoc
score is processed for the same day then the second card will be processed at
12.01am, etc.
Fact: One million rounds have been processed by
GOLF Link to the 4th March 2000.
right! With over a million rounds
processed we can assume that. If
you don't understand a handicap
change contact your Provider or the
Service Centre which will get back
to you with an explanation.
Correct Score
Utility - use it to
correct your
mistakes
If you incorrectly process a score
and the competition has been
processed by GOLF Link, use the
"Correct score" utility to fix it. This
is a feature of all Tier 3 systems.
CCR cannot be
changed after you
have processed the
competition
Please check scores before you
upload to GOLF Link. You should
even print your competition results.
This will highlight any missed cards
and it is not too late to add it. Other
wise if you find an incorrect score
use the "Correct score utility" to fix
it - if the card wasn't processed use
"Ad-Hoc scores".
ACR/AWCR & Par
changes - one day’s
notice required
ACR & AWCR changes, as
approved by State Associations, plus
par changes, need to be advised one
day prior to their coming into effect.
Tier 1
Separate Bulletin to follow.
Golf Link Bulletin 2
The Citibank Credit Card Rewards are unbeatable - apply today ……

Is GOLF Link right?
If you get a CCR back from GOLF
Link or a handicap adjustment and
you cannot work it out, check the
Handbook. If you still cannot work it
out check with your Provider or call
the Service Centre and they can
check into it for you. It is more than
likely there was a part of the rules
you didn't know - which is why we
have GOLF Link - or you have
processed a competition twice.
Please refer to the 1998-9 Australian
Golfer's Handbook Page 232 or the
WGA 1999 Year Book Page 26.
Handicap errors usually occur
when
• The player's handicap has been
altered and the score returned
remains the same e.g. Actual
handicap 20, playing handicap
returned as Scratch, (due to
operator keying over the
handicap), returns a score of 36
points. GOLF Link will adjust
the score from 36 points to 56
points off a 20 handicap. Please
be careful when entering
information.
• A stroke Ad-Hoc scores is
returned as a Stableford score.
I.e. 72 points instead of net 72
(imagine the handicap
adjustment!). Again, be careful -
the computer will only deal with
what you tell it.
What does an on line
member do when
visiting a club?
GOLF Link - Tier 3 user information
Simple- swipe their card (or key in
the GOLF Link number) and this will
be stored to retrieve the handicap
when the club desires to. Also the
score card does not have to be
returned to the home club as it has
already been processed.
What is Away Score
download?
This is an important function to keep
your members’ history up to date.
This retrieves all the scores from
when your members play away at
clubs on line to GOLF Link. (As
outlined previously)
How do I know if a
club is on line?
Should I return the
card?
If the visiting member has a GOLF
Link card then they should swipe this
at entry. When returning their score
the player should be requested to
enter their GOLF Link number on the
card so when you check and process
the handicap/score you do this
against the right visitor. Note: Some
Tier 3 systems ask the visitor to enter
their name at the point of entry,
making this process easier.
Check the handicap
before entering a
score
Please ensure the score you enter for
a player is against the handicap
played off. GOLF Link will always
apply the differential to the actual
exact handicap rather than to any
different handicap off which the
player may have actually played. But
to do this GOLF Link must know
what handicap was used in Stableford
and Par competitions.(Gross scores
are used for Stroke events.)
E.g. Actual Club Handicap: 30
Playing Australian Handicap: 27
Golf Link Bulletin 3
Get more for your club - promote GOLF Link plus ……
Score: 36 pts (off 27)
Ensure your screen reflects this.
GOLF Link will adjust the score to 39
pts off a handicap of 30; likewise for
low markers with plus club marks.
What do I do if I
incorrectly upload a
member as a Home club
member when their
home club is elsewhere?
If a golfer is incorrectly listed at your
club as a Home Club member and
you wish to correct this, you need
their home club details. Let's say
Aaron Baddeley was listed as a Home
club member at Royal Sydney Golf
Club, but his correct Home club was
Croydon Golf Club. Royal Sydney
needs to do the following:- Collect
his correct details (GOLF Link
Number) from Croydon Golf club:
Name: Aaron Baddeley
Home club: Croydon G C
GL Number: 30108 99999
(Please note this GOLF Link number
is different to the number at Royal
Sydney)
1. Conduct a handicap enquiry
using the existing GOLF Link
number at Croydon G C to get
the current exact handicap.
2. The home club flag must be set to
NO --> ‘N’.
3. Change the player's GOLF Link
number to the Croydon GOLF
Link Number.
4. You will receive all current
handicap detail for Mr Baddeley
each start of day.

TIER 3 ACCREDITED PROVIDERS AS AT THE
END OF FEBRUARY 2000
February 2000
Below is a list of Tier 3 accredited providers for the GOLF
Link project. More detail is available on our website at
www.agu.org.au. For further information about their systems
please contact the system provider.
Golf Computer Systems
Phone - QLD - (07) 3366 6696
VIC - (03) 9587 6299
HHDI Technology
Phone: (02) 9804 7811
Infopower Pty Ltd
Phone - QLD - (07) 5591 0300
NSW & ACT - 0419 124 833
VIC & TAS - 0403 053 852
WA - (08) 9364 8699
Jack Newton Group/Golf Networking Australia Pty Ltd
Phone - (02) 9440 1300
King Street Computers
Phone - (02) 9713 2366
Micropower Pty Ltd
Phone - (03) 9898 3455
Pulse Club Computers
Phone - (02) 4929 7822
Rameses Accounting & Management Services
Phone - (07) 3287 6753
Strategic Business Computing
Phone - 0411 544 388
Thyme Software (formerly Club Key)
Phone - (08) 8231 9799
GOLF Link Roll Out Clubs/Members On Line
State Clubs
applied
Expected
Tier 3
Tier 3 Club
%
Golf Link Bulletin 4
The Shark is here…join now……
Contacts:
AGU
153-155 Cecil Street
SOUTH MELBOURNE VIC 3205
Email: agu@agu.org.au.
Internet: www.agu.org.au
GOLF Link Enquiries Service
Centre - Ph 1300 650 750
GOLF Link plus
Cendant Australasia Limited
596 North Road
ORMOND VIC 3204
Email: golflinkplus@cendant.com.au
Phone: (03) 9578 5933
Fax: (03) 9274 6015
GOLF Link plus
Jack May - Golf Club Liaison Manager
Fiona Beavis – GOLF Link Project
Co-ordinator -
1300 650 750
Shark Challenge
Members Enquiries 1300 65 44 33
Club Enquiries 02 9262 1122
Citibank GOLF Link MasterCard
Enquiries 133 229
No. Members on
line or applied
Total
Members
Member
coverage %
New South Wales 81 180 45% 79,433 209,667 38%
Queensland 74 74 100% 57,546 80,536 71%
South Australia 25 25 100% 20,525 39,127 52%
Tasmania 8 16 50% 3,343 15,220 22%
Victoria 86 103 83% 68,745 125,463 55%
Western Australia 25 25 100% 16,475 30,136 55%
TOTAL 299 423 71% 246,067 500,149 49%