Working out my rough h'cap off the WHS...

[cliveb]

the more i look at this it appears we are exchanging a very simple system where you have one number to score against for one thats rather complicated and you need pages of tables and calculations to work out you handicap

The new system has advantages:
1. It takes into account the relative difficulty of a course for handicap golfers v scratch golfers. The current SSS based system only considers scratch golfers.
2. You know that to play to handicap, you need to score 36 stableford points. This will eliminate the confusion some players seem to have regarding par v SSS.
3. It's really not complicated. Playing handicap = handicap index * slope / 113. Even if you can't do sums, your phone can. Or look it up on the table in the pro shop.

 

[robinthehood]

I guess it's going to be extra admin for our society away days, having to work out course handicaps for guys who only play 4 or 5 times a year
Be pretty easy I guess though as I'm sure there 'll be an app .

 

[sunshine]

It sounds really complicated, but it does make a lot of sense.

A 20 handicapper at a championship course like Nairn is likely to be a significantly better golfer than a 20 handicapper at a short easy municipal course. SSS will adjust this by a couple of shots, but the real difference is probably at least 5. It doesn't make a difference in club competitions where everyone's handicap is based on the same course, but surely it will level the playing field for open events.

 

[Orikoru]

Lots of people getting unduly worried that their handicaps are going to be blown out the water. The WHS is going to run very similar to the Way the handicap system currently works here in Aus. I will be amazed if anyone is a shot higher or lower than they currently play off when the move across. What it will do far more quickly and accurately is adjust for your playing ability at that time. That is, if your playing well, CONSISTENTLY, then you handicap will come down slightly quicker than in the current UK system. Conversely if you are playing poorly, CONSISTENTLY, then your handicap will increase slightly quicker than under the current UK system.
Also, and this may have been mentioned earlier, but can’t be arsed to plough through the 6 page thread, it will be the best 8 from 20 scores MULTIPLIED BY A FACTOR by something around 0.93 to get your handicap. You generally will get an additional on handicap if you play on a course harder than your own, conversely you lose around a shot for any course rated easier than your home track. Simples really. The system is far better at tracking your current ABILITY rather than the potential that seems to be the current UK Congo way of doing things.

Thanks for giving your feedback on how it works for you. But I'm just not seeing how this can be the case (in bold). As shown in the OP my handicap would potentially be 3 or 4 shots different if we switched to the new system tomorrow. And in the current system, I went out and a great round a couple of weeks ago and was promptly cut 3 shots (including an ESR) - there appears to be no chance of coming down that quickly in the new system, yet you say you'll be able to come down quicker??

Admittedly I didn't multiply my calculations by 0.93 because I didn't know or understand that bit. But still, my take on the new system was that it would actually take longer to get your handicap down, since it would take two or three good rounds rather than one really good round to get a big cut like you have now.

 

[patricks148]

The new system has advantages:
1. It takes into account the relative difficulty of a course for handicap golfers v scratch golfers. The current SSS based system only considers scratch golfers.
2. You know that to play to handicap, you need to score 36 stableford points. This will eliminate the confusion some players seem to have regarding par v SSS.
3. It's really not complicated. Playing handicap = handicap index * slope / 113. Even if you can't do sums, your phone can. Or look it up on the table in the pro shop.

at the moment one score, CSS or SSS job done, new system 8 scores and buggering about with a calculator and loads of tables, i know what i preffer

 

[sunshine]

A benefit of the current system is you know the consequences of your round instantly: bad round +0.1, good round easy to calculate your cut depending on what cat you are.

With the new system, if I had a good round there is no way I would remember what my 8th best round was in order to replace it and then you can't calculate the average in your head. Unless you are rain man.

 

[Orikoru]

A benefit of the current system is you know the consequences of your round instantly: bad round +0.1, good round easy to calculate your cut depending on what cat you are.

With the new system, if I had a good round there is no way I would remember what my 8th best round was in order to replace it and then you can't calculate the average in your head. Unless you are rain man.

Yeah, exactly that. Nowadays you walk off knowing if you're getting a cut, but we'll be clueless in the WHS. Plus you could even have a decent round and still go up if the one time you absolutely smashed it is suddenly 21 rounds ago.

 

[jim8flog]

the more i look at this it appears we are exchanging a very simple system where you have one number to score against for one thats rather complicated and you need pages of tables and calculations to work out you handicap

However it does produce a much fairer system for those that play a lot of golf at away clubs such as opens or interclub matches.

It also removes the need for a club to calculate two CSSs for singles opens.

 

[patricks148]

However it does produce a much fairer system for those that play a lot of golf at away clubs such as opens or interclub matches.

It also removes the need for a club to calculate two CSSs for singles opens.

are you playing an open every week?? i'd imag working out two CSS is far easier than one handicap adj by the sounds of it

 

[robinthehood]

It seems easy enough, the usga has an online calc. Put in index and slope and it gives you your course handicap.

 

[Orikoru]

It seems easy enough, the usga has an online calc. Put in index and slope and it gives you your course handicap.

Fair enough. I'll just have to wait and see what my course's slope rating is before I can work it out properly.

I still don't really understand how scores I got exclusively at my course can then be adjusted by the slope rating of my course, again. That doesn't make any sense to me.
Edit: well actually I kind of do, it will just take some getting used to. I think I just learn things much better in practise than in theory.

 

[lex!]

A benefit of the current system is you know the consequences of your round instantly: bad round +0.1, good round easy to calculate your cut depending on what cat you are.

With the new system, if I had a good round there is no way I would remember what my 8th best round was in order to replace it and then you can't calculate the average in your head. Unless you are rain man.

Sorry, who on earth calculates their handicap changes in their head after a round? Don't we let the system do it for us?
One thing that England golf don't like is the automatic 0.1 addition after a duff round, as in the current set-up. They think this attaches negativity to our day out playing the game.

 

[Cake]

Fair enough. I'll just have to wait and see what my course's slope rating is before I can work it out properly.

I still don't really understand how scores I got exclusively at my course can then be adjusted by the slope rating of my course, again. That doesn't make any sense to me.

I would assume (and I think an earlier post mentioned it as well) that the ‘new’ handicap you get will have been reverse engineered (for want of a better phrase) taking into account the various new ratings for courses for the scores that have gotten you to your old one; so they will all be normalised to the 113 standard which will give you a ‘course independent’ Handicap Index. Then everyone is in the same boat and apply that new Handicap Index to whatever course you play.

I guess if you played exclusively at one course (off the same set of tees each time) for all your qualifying rounds then the effect on your Playing Handicap at that course will be minimal (as the same factors that were removed in generating your new Handicap Index will be reapplied to give you your playing handicap)

 

[robinthehood]

Fair enough. I'll just have to wait and see what my course's slope rating is before I can work it out properly.

I still don't really understand how scores I got exclusively at my course can then be adjusted by the slope rating of my course, again. That doesn't make any sense to me.
Edit: well actually I kind of do, it will just take some getting used to. I think I just learn things much better in practise than in theory.

https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/handicap-calculator.html

Have a look there , it has a course look up too so you can at least get an idea of what you'll get at other courses.

 

[lex!]

Fair enough. I'll just have to wait and see what my course's slope rating is before I can work it out properly.

I still don't really understand how scores I got exclusively at my course can then be adjusted by the slope rating of my course, again. That doesn't make any sense to me.
Edit: well actually I kind of do, it will just take some getting used to. I think I just learn things much better in practise than in theory.

Yeah, I only ever play qualifiers at my home course so will be the same for me. Handicap index + slope/course calculations = playing handicap, then adjusted back for handicap correction.
The game's administrators seem to think that we are all regularly playing competitive rounds all over the world.

 

[Orikoru]

Sorry, who on earth calculates their handicap changes in their head after a round? Don't we let the system do it for us?
One thing that England golf don't like is the automatic 0.1 addition after a duff round, as in the current set-up. They think this attaches negativity to our day out playing the game.

I do to be fair. If I'm three under my handicap, I walk away thinking 3 x 0.3 = 0.9 cut. Sometimes I'm out by 0.3 though if CSS goes up/down or I forgot to round down a quad bogey. But generally very simple to work out anyway. In the new system if I shoot 2 or 3 under, I'll walk away having absolutely no idea if I even get a cut or not, let alone how much.

 

[robinthehood]

I do to be fair. If I'm three under my handicap, I walk away thinking 3 x 0.3 = 0.9 cut. Sometimes I'm out by 0.3 though if CSS goes up/down or I forgot to round down a quad bogey. But generally very simple to work out anyway. In the new system if I shoot 2 or 3 under, I'll walk away having absolutely no idea if I even get a cut or not, let alone how much.

Come on , who can't remebr if it was one of there 8 best rounds from their last 20 .....

 

[sam85]

Sorry, who on earth calculates their handicap changes in their head after a round? Don't we let the system do it for us?
One thing that England golf don't like is the automatic 0.1 addition after a duff round, as in the current set-up. They think this attaches negativity to our day out playing the game.

I know I do, as do most of the group I play with. In fact I often people talking in the bar about what they will get cut to after they have had a good round.

 

[Orikoru]

I know I do, as do most of the group I play with. In fact I often people talking in the bar about what they will get cut to after they have had a good round.

Now you'll see people checking their archives for their last 20 rounds and trying to work out if 8 of them were better or not.

 

[sam85]

Come on , who can't remebr if it was one of there 8 best rounds from their last 20 .....

I honestly would not have a clue what my 9th best score out of my last 20 scores would be right now, although moving forward I would imagine this would be something I do become more aware of.

I have no idea what this will mean for my handicap as I am the definition of inconsistent. My last 20 rounds include anything from 78 to 101, with a number of rounds in the 90's. Am I suddenly going to have a handicap index of 20 when the new system comes in?