World Handicap System (WHS)

[woofers]

For any round to count toward your handicap record, I think the idea is that players register on a computer system before the round, and this will provide the playing handicap.
Turning up at the 1st tee, with a blank scorecard and filling it in just before you tee off is not what is envisaged.

 

[Swango1980]

In the main you will not have to worry about in anyway.

If you play in a qualifying Comp all you have to do is to remember is check the computer or the CDH data base before playing again to see what what your Handicap Index is on the day of play next time you play. If it a rubbish round nothing is likely to have changed.

The Course Handicap is simply looked up on a chart, which will be displayed at the club

The only calculation you will have to do for yourself is to work out your Playing Handicap and if you only ever play singles comps it (probably) will be 95% of your your course handicap for all competitions.

The bit in bold is not true. If, before your round, your oldest round (20th) was in your top 8, then if you go out and shoot a rubbish round then you lose that good round, handicap will go up. It could go up quite a lot if the round you lose was an extremely good round, and the one replacing it (your 8th best which was previously outside your best 8) was a lot worse.

 

[IanM]

But as I've previously demonstrated, using the boards may result in you having a higher playing handicap than you are entitled to.

Rule 6.1b says that the fully calculated Course Handicap is used without rounding all the way through to the Playing Handicap Calculation

A 5.1 index player on a course with slope 124 will have a decimal Course Handicap of 5.59646 which if he was playing in a singles strokeplay comp off 95% would result in a Playing ~Handicap of 5.3166 which would be rounded down to 5

The same player using the Course Handicap Tables to look up his Course Handicap will see that his Course Handicap is shown as 6. 95% of 6 is 5.7....so this would be rounded to 6.

Two players...same index....different playing handicaps depending on which method they use to determine their course handicap.

...heck, just when you think you have got it

Everything we've said on here said, you have your Handicap Index, look at the table to get your allowance and go and play. What would lead someone to calculate their allowance to 5 decimal places rather than using the tables?

 

[Swango1980]

Just after lockdown, I decided to submit supplementary cards whenever I could. I shot 2 really good rounds (for me) early on of level par and 1 over, and got my handicap down to 5.8 (my handicap index would have been a bit lower than this).

A few months later, and hitting a poor run of form, my handicap is now 8.4. My Index however, is almost 10 and it would give me a course handicap of 12 at my place off whites. I can see some people liking the prospect of knowing they could get 6 extra shots within a few months, and I bet it would be easier for higher handicappers to achieve as they are likely to be even more inconsistent.

 

[Ethan]

Just after lockdown, I decided to submit supplementary cards whenever I could. I shot 2 really good rounds (for me) early on of level par and 1 over, and got my handicap down to 5.8 (my handicap index would have been a bit lower than this).

A few months later, and hitting a poor run of form, my handicap is now 8.4. My Index however, is almost 10 and it would give me a course handicap of 12 at my place off whites. I can see some people liking the prospect of knowing they could get 6 extra shots within a few months, and I bet it would be easier for higher handicappers to achieve as they are likely to be even more inconsistent.

Your current handicap has a longer memory than the WHS one. The 5.8 still anchored the handicap, even though you added a bunch of 0.1s on top. WHS has a much shorter memory, so the bunch of poor rounds defines your handicap index.

In my case my current 8 scores are in the range 78-88, handicap 10. But the best 4 scores came in my last 7 rounds, so they have a long way to go at my rate of play (once a week between April and October) before expiring. The worst 4 of the 8 all expire before any of the best 4, so I have a chance to put some decent scores on the board and reduce the index.

But if that was the other way round, with several good scores due to expire soon, a rise in handicap, maybe a short one, would be likely.

Once WHS is in place and people understand their scores and handicap, they will sometimes arrive at a situation where they know that after their next round, one of their best scores will expire, and that if they don't replace it with something decent, their handicap will rise. If you, as a 8, had one of those level par rounds as your 20th best, and you go out and have a 8 over par round, ostensibly playing to handicap, your index will rise a full shot (8 shot differential divided by 8). So you are going out knowing that every shot you score about par increases your handicap by 1/8 of a shot. That is a new way of thinking. Previously, so long as you made buffer zone, handicap would stay. That is no longer the appropriate thinking.

 

[Swango1980]

Your current handicap has a longer memory than the WHS one. The 5.8 still anchored the handicap, even though you added a bunch of 0.1s on top. WHS has a much shorter memory, so the bunch of poor rounds defines your handicap index.

In my case my current 8 scores are in the range 78-88, handicap 10. But the best 4 scores came in my last 7 rounds, so they have a long way to go at my rate of play (once a week between April and October) before expiring. The worst 4 of the 8 all expire before any of the best 4, so I have a chance to put some decent scores on the board and reduce the index.

But if that was the other way round, with several good scores due to expire soon, a rise in handicap, maybe a short one, would be likely.

Once WHS is in place and people understand their scores and handicap, they will sometimes arrive at a situation where they know that after their next round, one of their best scores will expire, and that if they don't replace it with something decent, their handicap will rise. If you, as a 8, had one of those level par rounds as your 20th best, and you go out and have a 8 over par round, ostensibly playing to handicap, your index will rise a full shot (8 shot differential divided by 8). So you are going out knowing that every shot you score about par increases your handicap by 1/8 of a shot. That is a new way of thinking. Previously, so long as you made buffer zone, handicap would stay. That is no longer the appropriate thinking.

Indeed, that is my slight concern.

A big board competition coming up in a few weeks. A player knows that their, say, 20th, 19th, 17th oldest rounds all feature in their top 8, maybe a couple of them extremely good rounds. They'd be aware that, if they submit 4 rounds before the big board comp, of fairly poor quality, they could get a serious increase to their handicap Index (maximum of +5, which could be +6/7 to course handicap at a high slope course). In fact, if it was a 2 round competition, like Nett Club Champs, they could effectively manipulate their handicap to get 10-14 extra shots for the 2 rounds.

I guess that is just what we'll have to live with. Although, it'll be interesting to hear the opinion of those who get angry when they think a player has put in a bad round just to get 0.1 back under the current system.

 

[Ethan]

Indeed, that is my slight concern.

A big board competition coming up in a few weeks. A player knows that their, say, 20th, 19th, 17th oldest rounds all feature in their top 8, maybe a couple of them extremely good rounds. They'd be aware that, if they submit 4 rounds before the big board comp, of fairly poor quality, they could get a serious increase to their handicap Index (maximum of +5, which could be +6/7 to course handicap at a high slope course). In fact, if it was a 2 round competition, like Nett Club Champs, they could effectively manipulate their handicap to get 10-14 extra shots for the 2 rounds.

I guess that is just what we'll have to live with. Although, it'll be interesting to hear the opinion of those who get angry when they think a player has put in a bad round just to get 0.1 back under the current system.

It does offer that opportunity. At the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am where CEOs and TV stars take part, you sometimes hear stories about people who were a 2 handicap the previous summer and now a 7 handicap for the Pro-Am. The current system does allow people to play badly and get 0.1, but the rate of rise of the handicap is slower than under WHS.

 

[nickjdavis]

...heck, just when you think you have got it

Everything we've said on here said, you have your Handicap Index, look at the table to get your allowance and go and play. What would lead someone to calculate their allowance to 5 decimal places rather than using the tables?

A person wouldn't do it no. But the player entry terminals that a player might use to register his round will do exactly that as would any alleged mobile application that may or may not be developed. So you have an immediate potential difference between someone using technology and someone using the course handicap tables.

It is farcical to have a system where two equally valid processes deliver different results.

 

[IanG]

My guess is that for pragmatic reasons the final algorithm will be to round twice, once to get an integer course handicap (which can be read from the chart) and then round again after multiplying the (integer) Course Handicap by the appropriate competition allowance. Computer systems can be coded to do this too. This is only my guess though!

We sort of do this now when playing 4BBB off the low-man. Round your exact handicap, subtract the low-man's handicap, Multiply by 90% and round again.

 

[IanM]

It is farcical to have a system where two equally valid processes deliver different results.

 

[nickjdavis]

For any round to count toward your handicap record, I think the idea is that players register on a computer system before the round, and this will provide the playing handicap.
Turning up at the 1st tee, with a blank scorecard and filling it in just before you tee off is not what is envisaged.

But it will happen...clubs cannot force a player to use a terminal....especially in these Covid ridden times....hell the ruling bodies tell us we cant use rakes or touch flagsticks due to the possible transmission of Covid...how on Earth are they going to get round telling players to use a touchscreen terminal to register for their round 30 seconds after someone else has used the same terminal. Is someone going to be employed to stand by the terminal all day with a disinfectant spray and clean the terminal after every single person uses it?

 

[Swango1980]

When I went to the Workshop at Woodhall Spa, held by England Golf themselves, one

But it will happen...clubs cannot force a player to use a terminal....especially in these Covid ridden times....hell the ruling bodies tell us we cant use rakes or touch flagsticks due to the possible transmission of Covid...how on Earth are they going to get round telling players to use a touchscreen terminal to register for their round 30 seconds after someone else has used the same terminal. Is someone going to be employed to stand by the terminal all day with a disinfectant spray and clean the terminal after every single person uses it?

Maybe all golfers will be ordered to invest in a smartphone, if they don't have one, and use the App. Although, if they struggle to get an internet connection at their club, will they struggle to log in and check their handicap details before their round?

It's all "let's just wait and see". I think most people are aware of what their handicap is under the current system, can see themselves gradually creeping up towards another shot, and check what the reduction is after a good round. Under WHS, players will probably just have to get used to being as enthusiastic in checking for any handicap changes after any round, regardless of performance, as their handicap could change more than they anticipate. So, by the time they next play a round they have an idea on what their Index is if the technology fails them for whatever reason. Although, they'd probably want to remember than Index to a decimal point, rather than a whole number, to get the correct Course handicap from the chart.

 

[nickjdavis]

I dont think knowing the handicap index is going to be an issue...if my understanding is right there will be a dedicated WHS website for all golfers and clubs where players can look at their entire handicap history and see at any point in time what their handicap index is....and they will need this sort of resource because, unlike the current system where it is pretty much easy to understand if you've played outside buffer getting a 0.1 increase or under CSS getting a reduction, the WHS is a lot more complicated and unless players keep a historical record of their last 20 rounds it will not be obvious if their latest score will have any effect on their handicap or not.

 

[rksquire]

As an experiment I did the WHS calc for myself and one of our 4 ball - mine stayed the same, but my partners went 6 shots higher - given his form over the past few months (highest score of 32 points in the last 20 returns) this wasn't a surprise and the new system I think will benefit him. We're sure he's due a review given the return of results but maybe committees are waiting for the new system to come in?

 

[rulefan]

My guess is that for pragmatic reasons the final algorithm will be to round twice, once to get an integer course handicap (which can be read from the chart) and then round again after multiplying the (integer) Course Handicap by the appropriate competition allowance. Computer systems can be coded to do this too. This is only my guess though!

We sort of do this now when playing 4BBB off the low-man. Round your exact handicap, subtract the low-man's handicap, Multiply by 90% and round again.

I can confirm that to get the Playing Handicap, the Course Handicap will be rounded first (ie the integer value will be used).

In 4BBB you first calculate each player's PH and round. Then play from the difference from the lowest handicap.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

But it will happen...clubs cannot force a player to use a terminal....especially in these Covid ridden times....hell the ruling bodies tell us we cant use rakes or touch flagsticks due to the possible transmission of Covid...how on Earth are they going to get round telling players to use a touchscreen terminal to register for their round 30 seconds after someone else has used the same terminal. Is someone going to be employed to stand by the terminal all day with a disinfectant spray and clean the terminal after every single person uses it?

At my place you have to enter via the touchscreen computer, enter your scores via the computer. We do not even hand cards in right now, they are simply discarded. There is a pack of wipes by the touchscreen to wipe down after you have used it. There is a hand spray nearby to use as well. If the previous person does not wipe the screen it shouldn't matter anyway if you then wash your hands using the spray. If you don't do any of that then you aren't really following the advice so the club can't help you there. It really is very easy.

 

[nickjdavis]

I can confirm that to get the Playing Handicap, the Course Handicap will be rounded first (ie the integer value will be used).

But (unless I am interpreting 6.1b wrongly) this is at odds with what rule 6.1b says... (don't get me wrong....I really want what you say to be correct!!!!)....

 

[Grant85]

My club is using cards signed by the marker only, but also asking everyone to input scores onto HDID via their own phone or computer. Obviously all cards have to be manually entered onto the computer by committee, which I'm sure is not a quick job. So entering your own score saves a bit of time, but has not yet been made compulsory.

I personally think this will do away with the terminal, or at least give people the option of entering the score on their own device post Covid.

Also feel with a bit of willing, we could do away with scorecards and just use electronic entry. Clearly people may choose to keep their score on a card, but if the rules were changed to allow cards to not be compulsory - there would be a huge cumulative saving over millions of rounds of golf played each year.

 

[nickjdavis]

At my place you have to enter via the touchscreen computer, enter your scores via the computer. We do not even hand cards in right now, they are simply discarded. There is a pack of wipes by the touchscreen to wipe down after you have used it. There is a hand spray nearby to use as well. If the previous person does not wipe the screen it shouldn't matter anyway if you then wash your hands using the spray. If you don't do any of that then you aren't really following the advice so the club can't help you there. It really is very easy.

That makes sense. Would be concerned about discarding cards mind...no way of checking on anomalies....when we first experimented with allowing players to enter their own scores we had loads of issues...players entered their stableford points as their score and went home...without the scorecards to cross reference we'd have never figured out what they had done wrong!! They didnt even notice their scores were coming out at 90 points plus!!! Were currently doing some more trials getting players to enter scores via Masterscoreboard via their own mobile device...but we will still want the cards as a cross reference!!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

That makes sense. Would be concerned about discarding cards mind...no way of checking on anomalies....when we first experimented with allowing players to enter their own scores we had loads of issues...players entered their stableford points as their score and went home...without the scorecards to cross reference we'd have never figured out what they had done wrong!! They didnt even notice their scores were coming out at 90 points plus!!! Were currently doing some more trials getting players to enter scores via Masterscoreboard via their own mobile device...but we will still want the cards as a cross reference!!

We have had to use the computer to enter comps, enter your score, anyway prior to all of this so perhaps the glaring errors were made in the past and we are beyond that now. We may be the rugby VAR compared to your PL VAR , we are just further down the line and so used to it.

I am quite enjoying the freedom of not getting stressed about calculating stableford scores correctly on the card. I just enter the shots per hole and let the computer do the work.

Apparently our seniors are currently trialling entering your final card via phone after your round, hopefully that will be extended. That will remove a transmission point if succesful. It will also avoid the painful queue to enter scores on our 1980's Amstrad machine (it is what speed it runs at )

I know that our manager wants to go back to checking cards again when this is all over, the discarding of cards will not be permanent.