Changes to WHS in April 2024

[D-S]

Nope, from April 1st it's the rounded CH. Are you maybe confusing this with individual scoring? From April 1st Wales, Ireland & England will follow the Scottish method of using the full unrounded CH and working 95% of that for your playing handicap. In 4BBB matchplay this will not be the case.

View attachment 51974

So I understand that a Playing Handicap must be a rounded number (you can't have fractions of a shot). However in the Mixed Tee calculator it shows Course Handicap in individual and in Team formats (e.g. 1 out of 4) as unrounded numbers but in Foursomes it displays Course Handicap (not Playing Handicap) as a rounded number. How do we know when to use rounded or unrounded?

 

[rulefan]

Interesting comments re 4BBB from HandicapMaster

"The calculations are required to be undertaken by the Handicap service provider (ie DotGolf) not the ISV."

"DotGolf has asked for the Four Ball scores to be sent to its servers using a new mechanism. We (HM) are currently seeking clarifications for certain aspects to the new mechanism and this is preventing us including this capability into HandicapMaster at this time. "

I assume other ISVs will have this issue also.

 

[rulefan]

So I understand that a Playing Handicap must be a rounded number (you can't have fractions of a shot). However in the Mixed Tee calculator it shows Course Handicap in individual and in Team formats (e.g. 1 out of 4) as unrounded numbers but in Foursomes it displays Course Handicap (not Playing Handicap) as a rounded number. How do we know when to use rounded or unrounded?

Your sign-in software should tell you

 

[wjemather]

Interesting comments re 4BBB from HandicapMaster

"The calculations are required to be undertaken by the Handicap service provider (ie DotGolf) not the ISV."

"DotGolf has asked for the Four Ball scores to be sent to its servers using a new mechanism. We (HM) are currently seeking clarifications for certain aspects to the new mechanism and this is preventing us including this capability into HandicapMaster at this time. "

I assume other ISVs will have this issue also.

And so the predictable blame game between the unions and the ISVs begins.

 

[rulefan]

And so the predictable blame game between the unions and the ISVs begins.

It was entirely predictable. The ISVs no longer do any game resultant handicap calculations. In the UK and Ireland DotGolf does them all.

 

[louise_a]

I went to a England Golf WHS workshop this afternoon, it was interesting but I didn't learn much that I wasn't already aware of.

 

[IanM]

I went to a England Golf WHS workshop this afternoon, it was interesting but I didn't learn much that I wasn't already aware of.

Did they tell you how successful it all is and how many thousand rounds have been logged?

 

[AussieKB]

A friend played on Saturday and his score was entered incorrectly, 90 Stableford points, you would think it would raise Red flags but no, I had to contact our Club Captain to notify Golflink (OZ version WHS) that it was an error and to correct.

Hope your new version has something in place.

 

[clubchamp98]

A friend played on Saturday and his score was entered incorrectly, 90 Stableford points, you would think it would raise Red flags but no, I had to contact our Club Captain to notify Golflink (OZ version WHS) that it was an error and to correct.

Hope your new version has something in place.

Not an improving golfer then

 

[Genu9]

As has been pointed out the calculation of shots in 4 ball and foursomes matchplay has recently been changed to be 90 and 50% of the difference between the teams Course Handicaps.

As I understand and as it says in the updated Mixed Tee calculator,View attachment 51973 we are told that the Course Handicap is now an unrounded number however the calculator shows the Course Handicaps as a rounded number - how are these two different things squared?

How are these two different things squared? Interesting question. This is an example of Rounded v's Unrounded using the data from Page 47 of the Guidance.


It brings up the question of when you change to 'Rounded', before or after calculating the difference?

 

[rosecott]

Interesting comments re 4BBB from HandicapMaster

"The calculations are required to be undertaken by the Handicap service provider (ie DotGolf) not the ISV."

"DotGolf has asked for the Four Ball scores to be sent to its servers using a new mechanism. We (HM) are currently seeking clarifications for certain aspects to the new mechanism and this is preventing us including this capability into HandicapMaster at this time. "

I assume other ISVs will have this issue also.

Handicapmaster have confirmed they have now been able to include 4BBB for handicap from 1st April but don't seem 100% convinced:

"We recently received details from DotGolf as to how they would like the scores to be sent to their systems, and have now had the opportunity to program this into the HandicapMaster and Player Entry software.

These foundations are subject to some issues raised with DotGolf about the interface they have provided to receive these scores. Further updates to HandicapMaster may be required nearer to the start date (or indeed after the start date!), to accommodate any additional programming changes if needed.

Once 1st April has arrived, with the latest HandicapMaster software loaded, you will be able to create or modify Four Ball competition templates and tick the 'Count for Handicapping' box. This will be required for the scores to be sent to the (DotGolf) central handicapping services."

 

[Genu9]

Handicapmaster have confirmed they have now been able to include 4BBB for handicap from 1st April but don't seem 100% convinced:

"We recently received details from DotGolf as to how they would like the scores to be sent to their systems, and have now had the opportunity to program this into the HandicapMaster and Player Entry software.

These foundations are subject to some issues raised with DotGolf about the interface they have provided to receive these scores. Further updates to HandicapMaster may be required nearer to the start date (or indeed after the start date!), to accommodate any additional programming changes if needed.

Once 1st April has arrived, with the latest HandicapMaster software loaded, you will be able to create or modify Four Ball competition templates and tick the 'Count for Handicapping' box. This will be required for the scores to be sent to the (DotGolf) central handicapping services."

So all these Software Engineers waiting on Easter Monday to implement the changes. That has to be Double Time and a day off in lieu.

 

[tobybarker]

In summary, its a mess.

 

[apj0524]

I went to a England Golf WHS workshop this afternoon, it was interesting but I didn't learn much that I wasn't already aware of.

I went to one earlier in the month and like your did not learn anything new about WHS but did learn that at the one I went to there was a lot on attendees who were clue less

 

[wjemather]

I went to one earlier in the month and like your did not learn anything new about WHS but did learn that at the one I went to there was a lot on attendees who were clue less

Very true, and the worrying thing is that there are even less knowledgeable people involved in handicapping who haven't attended the seminars, so haven't learned anything.
The counties and England Golf are obviously keenly aware of it though, hence persistent basic questions like: does everyone have access to the dotgolf portal? and, does everyone know where to find the reports on the portal?

 

[IanM]

I'm a member of two clubs in two different jurisdictions.

Some really useful stuff about the changes from one club, absolutely nothing from the other.

 

[Genu9]

I'm a member of two clubs in two different jurisdictions.

Some really useful stuff about the changes from one club, absolutely nothing from the other.

Which way round? Welsh v English?

 

[IanM]

English club good. Welsh club silent.. although Wales Golf may not have issued the materials yet.

Although one club communicates much better, but it has lots more people in the office!

 

[Genu9]

Just out of interest, have any Clubs got their 'updated' Handicap Boards and what information are they giving?
Looking online at some examples they only seem to include 'rounded' CH?

 

[NearHull]

Just out of interest, have any Clubs got their 'updated' Handicap Boards and what information are they giving?
Looking online at some examples they only seem to include 'rounded' CH?

I’m also interested in what other clubs are intending to display. I think we are favouring no board but having printed sheets of 100%, 95% and 85% ‘ machine precision’ HI to PH taken from the EG Database for each of our 4 tees. Sheets will be displayed in both locker rooms and Pro Shop.

The 100% will also be annotated as Rounded Ch for those who believe using it for casual games is better than using the calculated HI to PH route.