The Alternative Winter League is about competitive winter golf, regular roll-ups, good company and a bit of friendly rivalry.
The AWL is first and foremost about the roll-up.
Henbury members who are not AWL members are very welcome to join us for a game and take part in the normal £1 roll-up competitions.
AWL season competitions, including the Premier League, Knockout, Plate and Eclectics, are for Full Members only.
Please help keep AWL rounds moving:
The aim is simple: enjoy the golf, but don’t hold up the course.
Each AWL round costs 50p towards that week’s 2s Pot. The AWL week runs from Saturday to Friday.
The weekly pot is shared between all twos recorded that week, with each player’s winnings added to their running account.
At the end of the season, balances above £3 are paid out; smaller balances are carried forward to the following season.
Fail to record a single two all season and expect to be named and shamed!
Full Membership costs £10 for the 2026/27 season. The fee helps cover AWL prizes and the engraving of cups and shields.
Full Members must be members of Henbury Golf Club and are expected to support the AWL by playing regularly during the winter season. As a guide, members playing fewer than nine rounds may be asked to move to Associate Membership, although health, injury and family circumstances will be taken into account.
New members may be nominated by existing AWL members at any time. A nomination requires a proposer and seconder. Before becoming a Full Member, a player should have demonstrated a commitment to the AWL by joining the roll-ups regularly over a sustained period.
Associate Members remain part of the AWL but do not compete in the AWL season competitions.
Membership decisions are made by the AWL Committee.
Open a section below when you need the detail.
Qualifying rounds. For an AWL round to count, the tee time must be circulated to AWL members no later than the evening before play, giving others a reasonable opportunity to join. A privately arranged game cannot subsequently be treated as an AWL qualifying round.
An AWL qualifying round must include at least two players, with at least one other AWL member in the group. Normal golf and Henbury Golf Club rules apply.
Tees. AWL rounds are played from the furthest-back tees in use on the day. Orange course handicaps will be used from the start of the AWL season, even if the Orange tees are not yet in use.
Gimmies. Gimmies may be given at the discretion of the other player(s). As a guide, they should be no longer than a putter-handle length.
Closed holes. If holes are closed, a minimum of 16 holes must be played for the round to qualify. If 14A and 14B are in use, 14A is played as a par 4 at stroke index 8, and 14B takes the stroke index of the hole it replaces. If further holes are out of play, 2 Stableford points are awarded for each, up to a maximum of two holes.
Temporary tees and greens. Temporary tees and greens on holes being played are allowed. A deduction of 1 Stableford point applies for every three temporary tees or greens in use: 1 point for 1–3, 2 points for 4–6, and so on. A minimum of 16 holes must still be played for the round to qualify.
HGC competitions. Scores from HGC competitions do not count as AWL qualifying scores, except for club Stableford roll-ups.
The Premier League is based on the average of each player’s best four qualifying Stableford scores.
A minimum of nine qualifying rounds must be played during the official AWL season.
A maximum of two qualifying Premier League scores may be submitted in any week, defined as Saturday to Friday. If two qualifying rounds are played in the same week, at least one must be at the weekend. A round will be treated as qualifying unless it is declared non-qualifying before tee-off.
The top four players qualify for the Premier League playoff. The playoff is played as Stableford off AWL handicap. If scores are tied after 18 holes, the winner is decided on countback.
One player from each group should post the scores and any match results to the AWL Scores WhatsApp group.
Knockout and Plate matches are played at 90% of each player’s AWL handicap, rounded up. The full difference between the two resulting handicaps is then applied.
A Knockout or Plate match may also count as a Premier League qualifying round, provided this is agreed before tee-off.
The first-named player is responsible for arranging the fixture.
The winner should post the result to the AWL Scores WhatsApp group.
The Eclectics are played over a maximum of six designated rounds during the AWL season. The dates are published in the season calendar.
On each designated Eclectic weekend, a player’s first AWL qualifying round counts for the Eclectic.
Gross scores must be recorded for every hole in an Eclectic round. Any blob counts as a gross score of 8 for that hole.
The final Net Eclectic table is calculated using each player’s AWL handicap at the end of the season.
A photo of the completed Eclectic scorecard should be posted to the AWL Scores WhatsApp group after it has been checked by another player.
Published Eclectic dates may be changed if necessary because of HGC competitions, course availability or other exceptional circumstances.
A player’s starting AWL handicap is their Orange course handicap at the beginning of the AWL season, subject to a maximum of 24.
Exceptional scoring:
These adjustments apply to the player’s AWL handicap for subsequent rounds.
Adjustments for the following season:
The Gross Eclectic carries no handicap adjustment. Winners of individual one-off trophies do not receive an AWL handicap adjustment for the following season.
For AWL matters, please use the AWL WhatsApp groups or email distribution list.