World Handicap System - FAQ’s

[MadAdey]

The EGA system is virtually the same as CONGU, particularly the ratchet system of handicap adjustment and CSS. The major difference is in the use of slope.

The rest of the world (ie excluding the England Golf Union - only men at the time of course) had already recognised the merits of slope.
In fact all of CONGU (except England men) have been rating courses and determining slope for over 10 years.. EGmen have ignored the higher handicap player entirely except to make a gesture with downward stoke adjustments by category.

It is about time they took the higher handicapper into account. Play the tournament tees at my place and for higher handicappers it becomes pretty difficult for them to play, but thanks to course rating they have a chance. Its par 71 rated at 73.9/139. So an 18 handicapper gets 22 shots and a 5 handicapper would get 6. Makes it fair IMO.

 

[duncan mackie]

It is about time they took the higher handicapper into account. Play the tournament tees at my place and for higher handicappers it becomes pretty difficult for them to play, but thanks to course rating they have a chance. Its par 71 rated at 73.9/139. So an 18 handicapper gets 22 shots and a 5 handicapper would get 6. Makes it fair IMO.

Absolutely!

This is the really fundamental difference overall ; and a very welcome one.

No system can be perfect but at least it deals with things that can be dealt with properly.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

The winner or 3rd place in the competition bears no relation in how you faired against your handicap to par/css.

I know...but I was massively frustrated that - after posting a good score and getting cut - my handicap would increase by a series of 0.1 and I'd be back to where I started.

I realised that this was because I actually did not know about the buffer zone and how it worked. So for instance if I was 1 over or level with my my handicap with say three holes to play - and couldn't afford any more dropped shots - or had to get one back to play to handicap - I'd 'go for my shots' to try and get gross par on every hole. And of course that often resulted in my finishing 3 or 4 over my handicap - and I'd go up 0.1. Then I was told about the buffer zone and so I think differently about my strategy for the last three holes depending on the context/comp/how I've been playing that day.

I know now that I can finish two over my handicap and not give 0.1 back (assuming the CSSS is not less than par - and that is rare at my place). But I was unclear how this sort of assessment of what I would do over the last few holes under WHS has been escaping me - as I did not understand how the WHS would work (as Duncan rightly points out)

 

[patricks148]

It is about time they took the higher handicapper into account. Play the tournament tees at my place and for higher handicappers it becomes pretty difficult for them to play, but thanks to course rating they have a chance. Its par 71 rated at 73.9/139. So an 18 handicapper gets 22 shots and a 5 handicapper would get 6. Makes it fair IMO.

but at the moment a 5 handicap will get one shot more on your example slope but a cat 2 would only get 1 shot as well so in effect they are losing a shot without the buffer, didn't check a cat 3, will do that now.

edit, just checked and a 13 handicap would get 15 shots to again they are losing a shot against the current SSS/SSS system

 

[Foxholer]

but at the moment a 5 handicap will get one shot more on your example slope but a cat 2 would only get 1 shot as well so in effect they are losing a shot without the buffer, didn't check a cat 3, will do that now.

edit, just checked and a 13 handicap would get 15 shots to again they are losing a shot against the current SSS/SSS system

There is no concept of 'buffer' in the WHS! That's something that will be thrown away - and replaced by 'Index = average of best 8 from last 20'!

Course Rating (the 73.9) is (pretty much) the equivalent of SSS though.

 

[USER1999]

I don't get this going for it, not going for it stuff. If I am on handicap, and have 3 holes to go, at home, I have a par 3, a par 4, and a par 5 left to play.
The par 3 is roughly 180 yards, so I go for the middle of the green. It impossible to go to the front, and long is not good either.
The par 4 is longish. I have to hit driver. No other club is any safer anyway. If I have a second shot where I can reach the green, why would I lay up for a 5?
For the par 5, the carry off the back tees dictates driver is the only option. If it is a good drive, I can go for the green in two, if not it is a 3 shotter. The tee shot decides all.

I can't change the strategy for a less risky one. There is no option but to play it the way it was designed to be played.

I think golf is complicated enough without over thinking it.

 

[Orikoru]

Google 'Pope of Slope' and check Dean's postings!

Basically, he analysed an enormous number of results and found that while a Scratch golfer might be expected to play to Course Rating (on average), higher handicap players would be 'punished' more on 'more difficult' courses - and that this relationship was pretty linear, depending on 'handicap' (actually Index) - thus the term 'Slope'!

So a 'standard' course has a Course Rating (the equivalent of SSS) and a Slope of 113. Anything tougher will have a slope greater than 113 - Augusta National has a slope of something around 145, and that's from the non-Masters tees!

So before your round, you check the Course Rating as a base point and add the adjustment for the Slope Rating according to your Index. That will be your handicap for the round.

Hope that helps.

Yes, thanks. This 'slope rating' is something I'm completely unfamiliar with. Just one of those things that I guess I'll get used to when it comes into play in 2020 or whenever it was.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I don't get this going for it, not going for it stuff. If I am on handicap, and have 3 holes to go, at home, I have a par 3, a par 4, and a par 5 left to play.
The par 3 is roughly 180 yards, so I go for the middle of the green. It impossible to go to the front, and long is not good either.
The par 4 is longish. I have to hit driver. No other club is any safer anyway. If I have a second shot where I can reach the green, why would I lay up for a 5?
For the par 5, the carry off the back tees dictates driver is the only option. If it is a good drive, I can go for the green in two, if not it is a 3 shotter. The tee shot decides all.

I can't change the strategy for a less risky one. There is no option but to play it the way it was designed to be played.

I think golf is complicated enough without over thinking it.

Of course you can change your strategy...at any time you can. Your par 3. If the flag is at the front do you go for the flag? - to try and get within 6ft for a good birdie opportunity - or do you go middle/back of green being conservative and OK with a par? It depends on external factors, such as the wind direction, and also how you are playing - and of course whether you feel that you need a birdie.

I suspect there isn't a professional or low SF player who would consider any flag position on a par3 'impossible'

 

[USER1999]

Of course you can change your strategy...at any time you can. Your par 3. If the flag is at the front do you go for the flag? - to try and get within 6ft for a good birdie opportunity - or do you go middle/back of green being conservative and OK with a par? It depends on external factors, such as the wind direction, and also how you are playing - and of course whether you feel that you need a birdie.

You can't get near a front pin on 16. It is impossible. The only strategy is put the ball on the green. Anywhere is fine.

The other two holes depend on how your drive goes, but you have to hit driver, unless you can carry 230 with a 3w, which most cannot do.

Strategy is fine for scratch golfers, but most handicapped golfers find following any sort of strategy just as hard, and just as variable as going for it. How many times do you see fellow playing partners, who have a shot on a hole mess it up by being too conservative when not good enough to play that way.
Iron for safety = shank, top, thin, what have you.

There is no way off my 11 handicap I can guarantee to par any stretch of 3 holes.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

You can't get near a front pin on 16. It is impossible. The only strategy is put the ball on the green. Anywhere is fine.

The other two holes depend on how your drive goes, but you have to hit driver, unless you can carry 230 with a 3w, which most cannot do.

Strategy is fine for scratch golfers, but most handicapped golfers find following any sort of strategy just as hard, and just as variable as going for it. How many times do you see fellow playing partners, who have a shot on a hole mess it up by being too conservative when not good enough to play that way.
Iron for safety = shank, top, thin, what have you.

There is no way off my 11 handicap I can guarantee to par any stretch of 3 holes.

I get what you are saying but you do in fact have a strategy for playing your last three holes - based upon your handicap and ability. You say you can't get to a flag at the front of your par 3 - but if there was £1000 on a birdie holed from within 6ft would you go for it? Well you might.

And that is all I am saying. Our 17 is a difficult long par 4. The safe way of playing it is to lay up with your second shot and try for an up and down in two. Might come off - worse case likely to be a 5. But if I had a chance of winning the club champs and I needed to birdie the 17 then I would go for it.

This is rather off the track of the WHS - but my point was that I do adjust the way I play the final three holes according to conditions and circumstances; and one of these is currently whether or not I will be inside the buffer.

So if I must par or birdie the 17th to have a chance of playing inside the buffer then I will go for it in two. If I don't have to par or birdie it to play within the buffer, and can accept a 5 - then I'll likely play for a 5.

But I know what I need to do to increase my chance of playing inside the buffer. With the buffer going and other considerations coming into play I'm thinking that my thinking will have to change, but I have to reflect further on understanding how WHS works to know.

But note that I only do this to stop me frittering away 0.1s - something that used to do my head in. And I stopped it when I realised that it was often down to how I played the final few holes. If I am miles over handicap when I come to 15 or 16 then it matters not a jot how I play them.

 

[USER1999]

At least with the new system it won't be point ones. It is more likely to be up and down like a yoyo.

 

[rksquire]

Mind blown by this and I'm sort of struggling to understand. Say in my last 20 rounds, my oldest returned score was 42; the other 19 were 36 (where 36 is also CSS for reference). The best 8 would be (7 x 36+42) / 8 = 36.75. On my 21st round, I score 36 again and this replaces my oldest round of 42. My new best 8 is 8 x 36 / 8 = 36... so I'd just go up 0.75 overnight?

 

[MendieGK]

I get what you are saying but you do in fact have a strategy for playing your last three holes - based upon your handicap and ability. You say you can't get to a flag at the front of your par 3 - but if there was £1000 on a birdie holed from within 6ft would you go for it? Well you might.

And that is all I am saying. Our 17 is a difficult long par 4. The safe way of playing it is to lay up with your second shot and try for an up and down in two. Might come off - worse case likely to be a 5. But if I had a chance of winning the club champs and I needed to birdie the 17 then I would go for it.

This is rather off the track of the WHS - but my point was that I do adjust the way I play the final three holes according to conditions and circumstances; and one of these is currently whether or not I will be inside the buffer.

So if I must par or birdie the 17th to have a chance of playing inside the buffer then I will go for it in two. If I don't have to par or birdie it to play within the buffer, and can accept a 5 - then I'll likely play for a 5.

But I know what I need to do to increase my chance of playing inside the buffer. With the buffer going and other considerations coming into play I'm thinking that my thinking will have to change, but I have to reflect further on understanding how WHS works to know.

But note that I only do this to stop me frittering away 0.1s - something that used to do my head in. And I stopped it when I realised that it was often down to how I played the final few holes. If I am miles over handicap when I come to 15 or 16 then it matters not a jot how I play them.

Any golfer with a sound understanding of the handicap system should be doing this.

I 100% adjust my strategy based on handicap outcomes

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Mind blown by this and I'm sort of struggling to understand. Say in my last 20 rounds, my oldest returned score was 42; the other 19 were 36 (where 36 is also CSS for reference). The best 8 would be (7 x 36+42) / 8 = 36.75. On my 21st round, I score 36 again and this replaces my oldest round of 42. My new best 8 is 8 x 36 / 8 = 36... so I'd just go up 0.75 overnight?

Theoretically you are correct - however, there are some assumptions in your post.

The WHS works on difference to par - thus your rounds would be expressed as (shots taken during round - par). In your example I presume you are quoting stableford points not shots over par - otherwise in your example the handicap would decrease to 36.0

It doesn't matter on what course you play your acceptable rounds so the par could be different depending on location or tees used.

There is always the possibility the par will be adjusted for handicap purposes by the overnight Condition Adjustment so you won't actually know what your updated handicap index is until the next day.

How's the mind feeling :mmm:

 

[Grant85]

It would be interesting to know if people using the new system have a clear grasp of it and if they know what their new handicap will be when they finish their round.

i.e. do you keep track of what your 'worst' score out of your best 8 are? Basically shoot better than this to lower your handicap.

Also do you know what your 20th oldest score is? Shoot the same as this to stay the same.

(these two could be the same)

It seems unlikely you would know these unless you were particularly diligent at keeping records.

also note the following from the R&A siite;

• An average-based calculation of a handicap, taken from the best eight out of the last 20 scores and factoring in memory of previous demonstrated ability for better responsiveness and control of p

​So in theory two players could have the same scores over the past 20 rounds, but if one had started out as an 8 handicapper, he/she could stay lower than someone who started out at 18 when they started the 20 rounds?

 

[Grant85]

Also unintended consequences...

Courses that are given a slope rating making it an 'easy' course could quickly fall out of favour as people may feel that is less deisreable to have that as their home course.

I know in theory it doesn't make a difference. Just a prestige thing of playing your golf at a 'proper' course.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Any golfer with a sound understanding of the handicap system should be doing this.

I 100% adjust my strategy based on handicap outcomes

Indeed - and I don't yet understand the WHS enough to know how I can think about my strategy to prevent a handicap increase. Because at the moment - and for the foreseeable future - I just do not want my handicap to drift up and up - I want to work at getting it down. And I don't know how I'll manage that on a round by round basis. I have to understand the WHS better - but I'm not liking the sound of it. Which is tough as I will be stuck with it.

 

[Grant85]

http://www.golf.org.au/newsdisplay/76983

As an earlier poster mentioned, have a look at some of the articles on the golf Australia site.

It does seem to be a superior and probably will be a fairer system - but probably very difficult for someone to work things out until the computer sorts it out.

I'd imagine someone will have an app that you keep track of your scores, slope ratings on the day and it should be able to give you what would happen if you shot x, y or z.

 

[duncan mackie]

It would be interesting to know if people using the new system have a clear grasp of it and if they know what their new handicap will be when they finish their round.

i.e. do you keep track of what your 'worst' score out of your best 8 are? Basically shoot better than this to lower your handicap.

Also do you know what your 20th oldest score is? Shoot the same as this to stay the same.

(these two could be the same)

It seems unlikely you would know these unless you were particularly diligent at keeping records.

also note the following from the R&A siite;

• An average-based calculation of a handicap, taken from the best eight out of the last 20 scores and factoring in memory of previous demonstrated ability for better responsiveness and control of p

​So in theory two players could have the same scores over the past 20 rounds, but if one had started out as an 8 handicapper, he/she could stay lower than someone who started out at 18 when they started the 20 rounds?

Yes to you last point.

Generally no to your first, because currently most operating that system run to a fixed adjustment point, either 2 weekly or monthly, so any change could incorporate a lot of scores!

I sort of understand where you are coming from with your subsequent post but would point out that in the first instance people won't all be changing courses, secondly this already exists to a degree when playing from different tees at the same course (and will even more going forward) and finally, you are correct that it won't actually make any difference!
In practice I anticipate things the other way round - the easy courses will be favoured because people will have their lowest playing handicap when playing them.

 

[duncan mackie]

http://www.golf.org.au/newsdisplay/76983

As an earlier poster mentioned, have a look at some of the articles on the golf Australia site.

It does seem to be a superior and probably will be a fairer system - but probably very difficult for someone to work things out until the computer sorts it out.

I'd imagine someone will have an app that you keep track of your scores, slope ratings on the day and it should be able to give you what would happen if you shot x, y or z.

The primary handicapping software companies are well on this one already - it's the primary reason firms like IG have already produced apps for the existing system.