Changes to WHS in April 2024

[Rocco]

Found out through another thread that there are to be changes to WHS in April 2024. All i have been able to find via searches is a section on the R&A website which refers to the fact but give absolutley no indication of what they are. See here( R&A Reference ) (Nice legs but a bit sexist for the R&A)

I understand that one of the things to be implemented is the Handicap Calculation 'in full'. Up to now GB&I have only used (CH = HI x (Slope/113)) i.e a CH of 10.5 using slope 121 would be 10.5 x (121/113) = 11.24 (11 rounded).

GB&I omitted, or chose not to include, the CR- Par (course rating minus Par) portion. So the full equation should have been (CH = HI x (slope/113) - (CR - Par) ).

Using the full equation, a course rating of 67.9 and Par 70, it now becomes 10.5 x (121/113)-(67.9 - 70) or 10.5 x 1.07 - 2.1 = 9.135 (9 rounded). This means a loss of two strokes on what we have been using for the past 3 years. The course criteria I have used is from the Yellow Tee on my course, so everyone is going down two off the yellow tees, some will go down three due to the 0.1 on the end of the CR - Par.

Currently someone on 10.5 has a CH of 12 off White Tees and 11 of Yellow Tees. After April (if this is implemented) it will become 11 off White Tees and 9 off Yellow, a difference I think is quite correct. Roll on April 24.

Why have R & A ,England Golf or WHS not made this calculation change readily available...especially as due to be introduced in April 2024 ?? New boards /notices will have to be introduced..Does anybody have a link to any published info as the R & A info page has absolutely no detail apart from date of change...very poor..

 

[Genu9]

Why have R & A ,England Golf or WHS not made this calculation change readily available...especially as due to be introduced in April 2024 ?? New boards /notices will have to be introduced..Does anybody have a link to any published info as the R & A info page has absolutely no detail apart from date of change...very poor..

All I've been able to find is the link I posted in my original post. Asked at the Club and although they acknowledge that the change is happening they are being very tight lipped about it. Almost seems like they've been told to keep it to themselves for some reason.

Maybe some 'Club Officials' on this forum can shed some light on the secrecy surrounding this change????

 

[Rocco]

All I've been able to find is the link I posted in my original post. Asked at the Club and although they acknowledge that the change is happening they are being very tight lipped about it. Almost seems like they've been told to keep it to themselves for some reason.

Maybe some 'Club Officials' on this forum can shed some light on the secrecy surrounding this change????

I don't think it is Club Officials who are keeping quiet. I have close contact with my Club Officials and they were genuinely in dark about this change .I believe it is the respective federations who are being inactive but why I don't know.

 

[wjemather]

My understanding it that (CR-Par) is simply a change of option selection by CONGU (including England Golf), and is not related to the 2024 update to the Rules of Handicapping by the R&A/USGA (i.e. afaik the option hasn't been removed).

I expect all changes to be communicated along with educational materials after the end of the summer playing season (to avoid any confusion) via the usual channel: National Unions → County Unions → Clubs → Players.

 

[D-S]

I think the ‘secrecy’ is about not flagging up a future change in the middle of the playing season when a lot of qualifying scores and competitions are being posted/held. This may end up in confusion with clubs/players trying to use it before it has been introduced.
We have been warning clubs, who are being rerated, not to order new boards but some will be caught out.

 

[IanM]

Like most things to to with whs, handicapping etc. I wouldn't know a thing about it if it wasn't for the chat on here.

Who's paying for the new handicap boards?

 

[Budds]

It's the Course Handicap calculation that is changing - so of course Course Handicap is affected.
Handicap Indexes are also affected, although not significantly or even noticeably, by differences in when nett double bogey adjustments come in.

Don't you mean 'will alsobe affected'?

 

[rulefan]

when nett double bogey adjustments come in.

What are those adjustments?

 

[wjemather]

What are those adjustments?

For example, if a player's CH is 10 with (CR-Par) and 14 without, that's 4 holes where NDB adjustments are different. When a NDB adjustment is invoked on one of those holes, that means a different SD. If that SD is one of the best 8, there's will be a different resultant HI.

 

[D-S]

For example, if a player's CH is 10 with (CR-Par) and 14 without, that's 4 holes where NDB adjustments are different. When a NDB adjustment is invoked on one of those holes, that means a different SD. If that SD is one of the best 8, there's will be a different resultant HI.

I was led to believe that the system did this adjustment already in the background but the player was just unaware that it was happening. Is that wrong?

 

[wjemather]

I was led to believe that the system did this adjustment already in the background but the player was just unaware that it was happening. Is that wrong?

Yes, it does; and this relates to the effect on the end result (HI) calculated behind the scenes.

However, the player should be aware of when they can pick up and move on.

 

[D-S]

Yes, it does; and this relates to the effect on the end result (HI) calculated behind the scenes.

However, the player should be aware of when they can pick up and move on.

Also the player might well be ‘getting a shot’ when, at the moment he might just pick up having reached gross double bogey, falsely thinking that he doesn’t.
So CR-Par should help in this regard.

 

[rulefan]

For example, if a player's CH is 10 with (CR-Par) and 14 without, that's 4 holes where NDB adjustments are different. When a NDB adjustment is invoked on one of those holes, that means a different SD. If that SD is one of the best 8, there's will be a different resultant HI.

Ah. I thought you were referring to a new, different topic.

 

[apj0524]

Like most things to to with whs, handicapping etc. I wouldn't know a thing about it if it wasn't for the chat on here.

Who's paying for the new handicap boards?

We are introducing gender neutral Tees and were told not to change them as due to the impending CR-Par update EG or County may be contributing to the Slope Board updates ?

 

[badgergm]

Possibly more significantly I have heard that scores in 4BBB will qualify (as per Ireland).

 

[wjemather]

Possibly more significantly I have heard that scores in 4BBB will qualify (as per Ireland).

Where did you hear that? Afaik, Ireland never got round to running their trials (mention of which was removed from CONGU's guidance)?

 

[badgergm]

Ah, I didn’t realise Ireland hadn’t actually adopted it. It was mentioned in psssing in a conversation with an EG official. I was surprised because I hadn’t seen any mention of it anywhere else. The context of the conversation didn’t really allow for questioning.

 

[AussieKB]

In OZ 4BBB is only handicapped for people to go down, not up, so normally a small percentage of the field, less then 5%.

 

[NearHull]

Possibly more significantly I have heard that scores in 4BBB will qualify (as per Ireland).

I also heard this rumour at a YUGC members meeting yesterday. The player making the statement believed it was an attempt to target the “generosity handicapped pairs” who tour the 4BB country opens.

 

[Swango1980]

In OZ 4BBB is only handicapped for people to go down, not up, so normally a small percentage of the field, less then 5%.

Does that not directly contradict the purpose of handicapping? For example, if a player only ever played 4BBB, would there handicap not ultimately become far too low for them, as it never goes up?