WHS Part 2

[Aussie Swinger]

And this:-
The R&A and the USGA have come together to plan for a unified way of governing amateur golfers' handicaps, meaning players can travel to any course across the globe and use their club handicap.

How does it work? Well, we'll warn you now, this all isn't easy.

But if you're in a comfy seat and have a cup of tea in hand, here's a deep dive into the new handicap system and how it's all going to work:

What are the key changes?

• No longer will players have a fixed handicap figure, used on all courses in all conditions. Rather, golfers will have a 'handicap index' used to calculate their 'playing handicap' for each course. So on one course you could be off six and on another course off seven.
• The maximum handicap is now 54.0, regardless of gender, in a bid to get more players to take up the game.
• A player's handicap will now be based on the eight best scores from their last 20 competitive rounds.
• If you already have a handicap, it will be used to calculate your initial 'handicap index' - your new exact handicap figure.
So how exactly will the new world handicapping system work?

There are several key phrases you need to know the definition of. As we work our way through those, the pieces of the puzzle should slot together.

How courses will be rated

Each course will be given both a 'course rating' and a 'slope rating' by trained teams of officials. These will be used to determine how difficult the track is for scratch golfers and bogey golfers.

A scratch golfer is off zero while a bogey golfer, according to the USGA, is a player who has a handicap index of between 17.5 and 22.4.

But hitting distance is also a factor. The definition of a scratch golfer also includes the ability to drive the ball 250 yards as a male or 210 yards as a female. For a bogey golfer, it's 200 yards for a male and 150 yards for a female.

These definitions enable the officials to give the course both a scratch rating and a bogey rating by assessing the relevant landing areas and who the hazards impact most on each hole.

Course rating

The scratch rating is used as the 'course rating' figure in the handicap system. This is the number of strokes required to play the course by the average scratch golfer on the average day. For example, for a relatively easy par 72, the course rating could be 71.2.

The bogey rating is the number of strokes taken by the average bogey golfer to play the course on an average day. That is significant as it is used to calculate the slope rating.

Slope rating

This number reflects the relative difficulty of a course for scratch golfers and bogey golfers and is used to extrapolate the difficulty level for the whole range of handicaps.

The slope rating is calculated currently by the USGA using the following formula: Slope rating = (Bogey rating - course rating) x 5.381 (for men) or 4.24 (for women).

So, for example, if our hypothetical par 72 course has a course rating of 71.2 and a bogey rating of 90.2, the calculation would be: 19 x 5.381 for men. That gives the men's tees a slope rating of 102.2.

Handicap Differential

So say a player goes round our hypothetical course in 77 shots. There's another fun calculation required to turn that score into a handicap differential, which will be used in the new system.

The handicap differential is calculated by multiplying the difference between the gross score and the course rating by 113 and then dividing by the slope rating.

In mathematical terms it's: Handicap Differential = (Gross Score - Course Rating) x 113 ÷ Slope Rating

So, for our hypothetical score on our hypothetical course, the handicap differential is: 6.4

It's that figure that goes forward into the pool of the player's most recent scores. The best eight are then selected and a simple average taken to calculate the player's handicap index. There will be additional allowances for exceptionally good scores and past performance to prevent huge upward or downward movements in handicap index.

Similar to our current standard scratch system, this figure won't be confirmed until the competition is closed and the playing conditions are taken into account.

Playing handicap

Of course, you don't play off your handicap index when you turn up on the first tee. Rather, your index is turned into a playing handicap for that particular round, based on the course's relative difficult, as judged by its course rating and slope rating.

The calculation for this one is: Handicap index x slope rating ÷ 113.

So if we use a handicap index of 6.4 and play the course in our example, our course handicap would be: 6.4 x 102.2 ÷ 113 = 5.78

So the playing handicap for that course would be rounded up to 6 and that's the figure that would be used for matches on that course.

And that's it. Easy, eh?

 

[chrisd]

Can't think why anyone would reckon it could be complicated 🤔

 

[trevor]

It was far too complicated before, least this will simplify things.

 

[rulefan]

Can't think why anyone would reckon it could be complicated 🤔

Of course no one needs to know any of that detail.

Just go to the app, identify the course and tees and bingo - your playing handicap. Or just enter a comp via the club PSI and bingo - your playing handicap.

 

[Aussie Swinger]

Of course no one needs to know any of that detail.

Just go to the app, identify the course and tees and bingo - your playing handicap. Or just enter a comp via the club PSI and bingo - your playing handicap.

Absolutely this, the system in Australia is already 98% aligned to this system. Every Saturday morning, I turn up, pay my comp fee, playing handicap for that course, on that day printed on the card. If I go to a slightly tougher/easier track, same deal, handicap higher or lower based on algorithm, but I don’t need to worry, correct handicap printed on card. Easy Peasy- don’t fret, the system works, trust me, from a Pom who’s been on Comgu and this, this is a far better/fairer/reflective etc etc etc. system....

 

[Jacko_G]

This hypothetical player nonsense needs to be binned. Ridiculous, always has been always will be.

 

[IanMcC]

I think it will be an improvement also, but foresee a couple of problems.
It seems to me that it is the responsibility of the player to know his or her current handicap index. (This of course is also the case under CONGU at the moment, but it is much easier for a player to know their exact handicap under the current system.) Aussie Swinger quotes cards neatly being printed with the current handicap index when he arrives at his club pro shop. I reckon very few clubs where I live will be able to afford the hardware to produce such on the spot goodies. Certainly not mine! At present you pick up a card and fill the thing in yourself! Errors are bound to be made with players calculating their playing handicap using the wrong handicap index to begin with.
Also, I cant see the Playing Condition Correction working accurately. How can this be recognised if a player is mad enough to call his bounce round a 'qualifier' when it is lovely on the first tee, but the heavens open and it blows a hooly shortly after they tee off? I believe you need 8 or so players before the PCC kicks in anyway. It would be interesting to hear from Aussie Swinger just how many non competitive rounds are entered for handicap in Oz at the moment.

 

[Aussie Swinger]

Ok, here goes, please bear with me on this. I’ll post this up. Rather than me try to explain it, I’ll let you ask me questions based upon the details. I’ll try to reply as and when I can, please be aware of the time difference for me replying to questions you have. Just to anticipate what’s coming from the ‘ I am a pro in waiting brigade’, the “you look like you have been playing crap” posts are not required. I can see that for myself...thanks

Mollymook is super hard championship course. Shoalhaven Heads is tough tree lined course and Worrigee is a standard track, just to allow you to take in the differing slope ratings etc..

 

[IanMcC]

1. How many of these 20 were competitive rounds, and how many were 'fun' rounds with friends that you decided to count as qualifiers?
2. https://ncrdb.usga.org/NCRDB/courseTeeInfo.aspx?CourseID=34700 This website states that Worrigee Black has a slope rating of 126 and a Course Rating of 69.4, but on your app the numbers are very different. What am I missing?
3. I am assuming Handicapping Score is Stableford points for 18 holes? If it is, what is the need for this info? Isn't the de-sloped adjusted gross all you need?
4. Is the Daily Scratch Rating used in WHS? It is the first time I have seen that phrase, and had to look it up. Is that similar to the Playing Condition Calculation?
5. Half of the Senior members at our club dont even have a mobile phone. Please dont tell me that you need an app on a phone to keep abreast of your handicap index. The data above is daunting for me, and I try to be a M&H Secretary. For a non computer literate Senior it will just be gobbledygook.
6. This is obviously the Australian system as of now. Will the app look any different under WHS? Where is the actual handicap differential, foe example, which I am led to believe is the important figure when calculating the best 8 out of 20?

Thanks for this, btw.

 

[Aussie Swinger]

I try to answer your questions

1) All competitive rounds

2) Worrigee slope reassessed a few months back, website not updated to reflect it yet.


3) you are correct, don’t know why, it just is , sorry , not meaning to be flippant, I truly don’t know why

4) might be an Australian anomaly at the moment, I did say only based on Whs about 98%

5) I think ( though not sure) printout available on notice board day after each comp for people with no internet access. Say You go to another club, tell them your unique id, your up to date handicap comes up

6) the best 8 scores from last 20 rounds are highlighted orange in the ‘slope played to’ column.

Hope that helps?

 

[IanMcC]

Cheers, it is becoming clearer. A couple of comments.

Do many people submit non competitive rounds? That seems like the biggest sea change to me between CONGU and WHS. We are told that all rounds under rules are eligible under the new system. I am curious if people actually enter these scores in reality. Take the Seniors for example. Presently they play 18 hole matches against other clubs, but none of those scores are entered into CONGU. Will all those scores be entered into WHS, or will it be voluntary, or will it carry on as it is? I dont yet know.

Its a bit scary saying that 'printout available on notice board day after each comp for people with no internet access'. Being the M&H Secretary, I will have to be the one pinning this printout up. Surely I cannot be expected to do this every day. I currently refresh the handicap list once a week after the weekend comp, but after every day, if bounce games and Seniors comps are entered, would be too much.

 

[Dando]

great, I can play off 54 now! 😂🤣

 

[Aussie Swinger]

Cheers, it is becoming clearer. A couple of comments.

Do many people submit non competitive rounds? That seems like the biggest sea change to me between CONGU and WHS. We are told that all rounds under rules are eligible under the new system. I am curious if people actually enter these scores in reality. Take the Seniors for example. Presently they play 18 hole matches against other clubs, but none of those scores are entered into CONGU. Will all those scores be entered into WHS, or will it be voluntary, or will it carry on as it is? I dont yet know.

Its a bit scary saying that 'printout available on notice board day after each comp for people with no internet access'. Being the M&H Secretary, I will have to be the one pinning this printout up. Surely I cannot be expected to do this every day. I currently refresh the handicap list once a week after the weekend comp, but after every day, if bounce games and Seniors comps are entered, would be too much.

hi Ian, or club has stopped accepting cards outside of comps unless they are for initial handicaps only. I don’t think other clubs have, but can’t confirm or deny.

your admin burden should be less. If someone wants to know their handicap at any stage, they just walk in the pro shop. Tell the protheir unique id number. He taps it in, and their WHS handicap comes up. It can THEN immediately tell you what your playing handicap is for any given course that has a slope rating. You could still post the, up once a week if you wanted, it’s not a daily thing you have to worry about.

 

[pendodave]

One big difference between Aussie and UK golf (as I understand it from listening to Aussie pods) is that they play much more comp golf than we do in the UK. There is a comp most days, and most people play in it if they turn up to the club to play golf. Can you confirm that AS?

I play maybe around 10 comps a year, the rest of the time just games (normally some form of matchplay) with mates. I've no intention of changing these habits, and no particular interest in carrying round a scorecard outside a comp. Not quite sure if the system is designed for this sort of dubious behaviour...

 

[Backache]

Cheers, it is becoming clearer. A couple of comments.

Do many people submit non competitive rounds? That seems like the biggest sea change to me between CONGU and WHS. We are told that all rounds under rules are eligible under the new system. I am curious if people actually enter these scores in reality. Take the Seniors for example. Presently they play 18 hole matches against other clubs, but none of those scores are entered into CONGU. Will all those scores be entered into WHS, or will it be voluntary, or will it carry on as it is? I dont yet know.

Its a bit scary saying that 'printout available on notice board day after each comp for people with no internet access'. Being the M&H Secretary, I will have to be the one pinning this printout up. Surely I cannot be expected to do this every day. I currently refresh the handicap list once a week after the weekend comp, but after every day, if bounce games and Seniors comps are entered, would be too much.

At the moment all non category one golfers can submit additional cards as far as I'm aware.
I believe its only stroke play that can be counted so match play need not be entered.

My understanding anyway.

 

[Aussie Swinger]

One big difference between Aussie and UK golf (as I understand it from listening to Aussie pods) is that they play much more comp golf than we do in the UK. There is a comp most days, and most people play in it if they turn up to the club to play golf. Can you confirm that AS?

I play maybe around 10 comps a year, the rest of the time just games (normally some form of matchplay) with mates. I've no intention of changing these habits, and no particular interest in carrying round a scorecard outside a comp. Not quite sure if the system is designed for this sort of dubious behaviour...

There are more comps, but I only enter a couple each week. The rest of the time I play social for a couple of bucks and no cards in hand. No change to when I was back in the UK on that front.

 

[rulefan]

I think it is very confusing to compare the current Australian system with CONGU. There are some similarities but some significant differences.
Re WHS.
DSA & CSS will be replaced by PCC (Playiing Conditions Calculation) based on ALL legitimately returned scores on that day. The USGA currently has no equivalent.
Handicap calcs are based on the Differential. ie Difference between Course Rating (including Slope) and Gross (max net double bogey).

 

[IanM]

There are more comps, but I only enter a couple each week. The rest of the time I play social for a couple of bucks and no cards in hand. No change to when I was back in the UK on that front.

Mollymook? Are you who I think you are???

...I think I will wait till the presentation night at the Club....I don't do printed detail! Had a bad season.... cant wait to get 10 extra shots!

 

[IanM]

Just go to the app, identify the course and tees and bingo - your playing handicap. Or just enter a comp via the club PSI and bingo - your playing handicap.

App? What app? PSI?

 

[Aussie Swinger]

Mollymook? Are you who I think you are???

...I think I will wait till the presentation night at the Club....I don't do printed detail! Had a bad season.... cant wait to get 10 extra shots!

Hmm, think your barking up the wrong tree my friend, Mollymook is not my home track...