Steve Wilkes
Well-known member
I don't like to compare the old and new systems, but this time I will. The previous system also had trouble with rapidly improving or inconsistent higher ranges of players. Take a 43 point score, all things be equal that equates to a 2.8 cut, that still means he is 4 shots higher the next round that what he has just scored.Handicap systems are nothing to do with being good. Its function is to have golfers good and bad compete with each other. It worked. It was a fundamental element of amateur club golf that made the sport a success. Ability, effort, practice, etc have nothing to do with a handicap system. A handicap system working perfectly quickly identifies any improvement and nullifies it. WHS broadly does that just as well I think. What spoils it is the handicap 'noise' of the higher ranges who need their handicap more closely pegged to what they might score, than what they are likely to score. The old system understood this and was based on it. WHS seems to me more based to Americans playing friendly matches. (Add in a mulligan or gimme and you have why their handicaps are 3 lower than ours)
The ESR needs to be a lot harsher to deal immediately with the goods scores to bring his Index down, and then if it was just a complete one off, the players handicap will revert to his ability in 20 rounds time.
The Caps limit could also be tightened
And lastly IanMac's Standard Deviation suggestion to bring an index nearer to their likely ability.
With these changes WHS is sorted and this 90 page thread could be closed.