CSVG Members Update – New Unified Single Stroke Index – Members’ Summary

Columbia Secret Valley Golf

New Unified Single Stroke Index – Members’ Summary

 

Why has the Current Stroke Index been reviewed?

The Golf Operations Team at Columbia Secret Valley Golf reviewed the original Stroke Index allocation to update the rankings using five years of actual, data-driven playing metrics compiled from 1st September 2021 to 30th August 2026.

 

Capturing All Main Tees: The analysis covers score data across the four main tees, ensuring that the updated Stroke Index accurately reflects how the course plays for all golfers, rather than just a single demographic.

 

Focusing on Tournament Integrity: By filtering for data exclusively from Handicap Qualifying Tournaments, the review was based on true, competitive rounds where players strictly followed the Rules of Golf.

 

Tee	Rounds	% of Total Rounds
White	3518	28.77%
Yellow	5722	46.80%
Blue	1135	9.28%
Red	1852	15.15%
	12227

A total of 12,227 rounds were included in the analysis.

The aim was to ensure that the Stroke Index reflects how the holes have actually played over time and provides a fair and consistent distribution of handicap strokes across the course.

 

How was it determined?

The five-year difficulty rankings for each hole were combined and weighted using the actual number of rounds played from each tee.

The resulting ranking was reviewed against the R&A Stroke Index allocation principles, including the recommended distribution of Stroke Indexes across the six three-hole groups (Triads) and following the methodology and procedures of the Cyprus Golf Federation Rules of Handicapping 2024, Appendix E: Stroke Index Allocation.

 

The Approved New Unified Single Stroke Index

The proposed changes have been reviewed and approved by the Cyprus Golf Federation.

Hole	SI		Hole	SI
1	17		10	12
2	3		11	4
3	11		12	10
4	13		13	6
5	9		14	18
6	15		15	14
7	7		16	16
8	1		17	2
9	5		18	8

 

What does this mean for members?

A new Unified Single Stroke Index will be used for handicap stroke allocation for holes 1 – 18 regardless of gender in all CSVG tournaments and match-play formats, including:

• Medal  
• Stableford
• KO Match-Play

For match play, the Stroke Index determines the holes on which handicap strokes are given or received according to the applicable handicap allowance and Rules of Handicapping.

Men and Ladies playing off different tees would use the same hole-by-hole Stroke Index sequence.

Each players handicap strokes would still be determined by their own Course Handicap and Playing Handicap.

 

Why the change?

The objective is to maintain a Stroke Index that is:

• Fair
• Evidence-based
• Transparent
• Consistent with the Rules of Handicapping
• Reflective of how the course has actually played

The revised Stroke Index is based on five years of members' playing data, rather than subjective assessment of individual holes.

 

Approval

The revised Stroke Index has been:

✔ Based on five years of actual playing data
✔ Calculated using all four tee sets
✔ Reviewed against R&A Stroke Index principles
✔ Reviewed and approved by the Cyprus Golf Federation

 

The new Stroke Index will therefore be the approved Unified Single Stroke Index for Columbia Secret Valley Golf from its official implementation date of 1^st February 2027.

 

Golf Operations Team

Columbia Secret Valley Golf

 

Appendix:

Statistical Data