World Handicap System (WHS)

[Beezerk]

Me and some friends had a discussion about the WHS over the weekend and none of us are any the wiser.
The slope rating of your home course, does that apply only to visitors?
One mate said he'd be off 25 in November as the slope rating of the course says he gains 3 shots, I said it was only for visitors to use, your handicap is your handicap at your home course and only changes when you play elsewhere.
Alternatively is the slope rating of your home course built into how your new WHS handicap is calculated?
#confused ?

 

[Swango1980]

Is this still going to happen for November? The reason that I ask is that about a quarter of the courses in my area have still to get their ratings onto NCRDB. Is there a big delay between the rating happening and it appearing on the database? I presume things like scorecards need re-printing, the lookup tables need creating, printing, mounting etc. We are almost into October and from the outside it would appear that there still seems like a lot to be done.

Yes, 2nd November will be the launch

What area are you in? We had our course measured up a long time ago, received a certificate showing our course and slop ratings, and have ordered new score cards and a conversion chart. I'd imagine most clubs are well on their way to getting everything they need, but if some clubs have not yet been measured up yet, not sure how they go about ordering in scorecards and conversion charts

 

[Swango1980]

Me and some friends had a discussion about the WHS over the weekend and none of us are any the wiser.
The slope rating of your home course, does that apply only to visitors?
One mate said he'd be off 25 in November as the slope rating of the course says he gains 3 shots, I said it was only for visitors to use, your handicap is your handicap at your home course and only changes when you play elsewhere.
Alternatively is the slope rating of your home course built into how your new WHS handicap is calculated?
#confused ?

The Slope rating is for EVERYONE.

A player will have a handicap INDEX, which will be the same for any course you play (i.e. if I had an Index of 10, it would be 10 at my course, it would be 10 at Wentworth, it would be 10 at Woodhall Spa, etc.

However, a player does not play off their Index. They need to use it to get a Course Handicap. So, your course handicap will be Index x Slope / 113.

So, if your Home course is a relatively easy course, then you'll find you'll have a higher Course Handicap when you go to a relatively harder course (with a higher slope), and vice versa.

 

[YandaB]

Yes, 2nd November will be the launch

What area are you in? We had our course measured up a long time ago, received a certificate showing our course and slop ratings, and have ordered new score cards and a conversion chart. I'd imagine most clubs are well on their way to getting everything they need, but if some clubs have not yet been measured up yet, not sure how they go about ordering in scorecards and conversion charts

Berks, Bucks and Oxon, I reckon that about 23 of the 106 entries in the database are missing.

 

[Beezerk]

The Slope rating is for EVERYONE.

A player will have a handicap INDEX, which will be the same for any course you play (i.e. if I had an Index of 10, it would be 10 at my course, it would be 10 at Wentworth, it would be 10 at Woodhall Spa, etc.

However, a player does not play off their Index. They need to use it to get a Course Handicap. So, your course handicap will be Index x Slope / 113.

So, if your Home course is a relatively easy course, then you'll find you'll have a higher Course Handicap when you go to a relatively harder course (with a higher slope), and vice versa.

Ok thanks, so say my mate is off 21, his club have put up the slope rating sheet which says players in the handicap range of 22-25 gain 3 shots iirc, so he's off 25 when he plays at his home course?

 

[Swango1980]

Ok thanks, so say my mate is off 21, his club have put up the slope rating sheet which says players in the handicap range of 22-25 gain 3 shots iirc, so he's off 25 when he plays at his home course?

That may not strictly be correct, I guess it will depend on the Slope of the course.

If they have made the simply assumption a player's current Handicap will be the same as their Handicap Index, then that is not strictly true. For example, looking at players from my course, most will get a Handicap Index that is a shot or 2 lower than their current handicap. Then, once the Slope is applied, their Course Handicap will be similar to their current handicap. So, your mate may have a handicap index of, say 19.0. If the slope of his course was 130, for example, his course handicap would be 21.9.

 

[Old Skier]

Ok thanks, so say my mate is off 21, his club have put up the slope rating sheet which says players in the handicap range of 22-25 gain 3 shots iirc, so he's off 25 when he plays at his home course?

Only if his handicap index is the same as his current handicap. He will be informed of his index in the near future.

It appears a lot of clubs are doing there best not to inform members.

 

[Bwgan]

Ok thanks, so say my mate is off 21, his club have put up the slope rating sheet which says players in the handicap range of 22-25 gain 3 shots iirc, so he's off 25 when he plays at his home course?

This is something similar I've wanted to ask.
If you're m8 is playing to a Handicap Index of 21 at your course and it's usually 3 shots harder for the handicap, isn't his new Handicap Index actually 18? Thus giving him 21 shots

I could be completely wrong here!

 

[ger147]

Only if his handicap index is the same as his current handicap. He will be informed of his index in the near future.

It appears a lot of clubs are doing there best not to inform members.

Had dozens of email from my club over the past few months, everything from Covid 19 to Steak night promotions.

Not a single mention of WHS...

 

[IanM]

Had dozens of email from my club over the past few months, everything from Covid 19 to Steak night promotions.

Not a single mention of WHS...

Same here.

I sure if will be fine. This thread is the equivalent of what would happen if IT Architects were allowed to write User Manuals.

 

[Swango1980]

Had dozens of email from my club over the past few months, everything from Covid 19 to Steak night promotions.

Not a single mention of WHS...

I wrote a very long e-mail to all members, back in February / March sort of time, giving them a heads up. I've since put some posters on noticeboard, and social media. However, most don't even bother looking (or care), and I don't really want to continually post info after info because it starts to just have a similar effect as junk mail. Especially as they've been getting other information related to Covid guidelines, club promotions, etc.

I do want to send out something definitive by mid October at the latest, given that the changeover would be a few weeks away. However, I wanted to mainly provide them with information regarding the things that they will need to do differently. So, not just a description on Index, Course and Playing Handicaps, and the impact of Slope. BUT, how Apps will be different, how they'll inform a player of their Course Handicap / Playing Handicap, how to enter scores, how to pre-register for supplementary rounds using Apps, etc. Also, I believe players will be able to log in to the England Golf handicapping platform to view their Index and whatever else. However, at the minute I don't think any of these are yet available, nor do I know how they'll work when they are available, so I may have to refrain from giving out information on these aspects.

 

[Springveldt]

In England last year 43% of qualifiers were played as Medals and 49% as Stableford.

My course must have accounted for a lot of the Stableford results, must be around 90%-10% in terms of Stableford to medals. Wish we would play more medal comps to be honest, the Cat 1 players (even although I'm nowhere near that level) hardly ever win a comp.

 

[ger147]

I wrote a very long e-mail to all members, back in February / March sort of time, giving them a heads up. I've since put some posters on noticeboard, and social media. However, most don't even bother looking (or care), and I don't really want to continually post info after info because it starts to just have a similar effect as junk mail. Especially as they've been getting other information related to Covid guidelines, club promotions, etc.

I do want to send out something definitive by mid October at the latest, given that the changeover would be a few weeks away. However, I wanted to mainly provide them with information regarding the things that they will need to do differently. So, not just a description on Index, Course and Playing Handicaps, and the impact of Slope. BUT, how Apps will be different, how they'll inform a player of their Course Handicap / Playing Handicap, how to enter scores, how to pre-register for supplementary rounds using Apps, etc. Also, I believe players will be able to log in to the England Golf handicapping platform to view their Index and whatever else. However, at the minute I don't think any of these are yet available, nor do I know how they'll work when they are available, so I may have to refrain from giving out information on these aspects.

Our place haven't acknowledged it's happening yet. I'm hoping they've heard about it by now but you never know...

I would have been quite happy with one high level email earlier in the year explaining a new handicap system was coming in and some details specific to the club e.g. if our courses had been rated and if not when it was happening, stuff like when new scorecards with the new ratings would be available, the date when we switch over to the new system, when you are likely to learn what your playing index will be etc.

To not hear any mention of it at all is a bit disconcerting.

 

[IanM]

You would have lost many with the "long" email Swango!

All research about change-communications says that messages need to be short and to the point AND it averages 6 to 9 messages to make stuff stick. Most emails are ignored, as are posters.... unless you are creative with them! Start with high-level messages then flesh out the detail that they actually need to know!

The exceptions being "FIRE" and "ABANDON SHIP" etc etc.. folk tend to listen to them first time!

I deliberately differentiate between the "how do I know my shot allowance on this course today?" messages from the "What do I do if a spaceship lands on the course during a mixed Texas Scramble. Do curtesy shots still apply during Martian Invasion?" type explanation. There's no rush for that sort of message.

Anyone who admits to having read any part of the "decisions on the rules" of golf must be banned from writing Member Guidance on WHS!

10 bullet pointed "key facts" on a single sheet of A4 at eye level above a urinal will be more effective than any email! (bullet points ideally are one line, and never exceed two!)

 

[Swango1980]

You would have lost many with the "long" email Swango!

All research about change-communications says that messages need to be short and to the point AND it averages 6 to 9 messages to make stuff stick. Most emails are ignored, as are posters.... unless you are creative with them! Start with high-level messages then flesh out the detail that they actually need to know!

The exceptions being "FIRE" and "ABANDON SHIP" etc etc.. folk tend to listen to them first time!

I deliberately differentiate between the "how do I know my shot allowance on this course today?" messages from the "What do I do if a spaceship lands on the course during a mixed Texas Scramble. Do curtesy shots still apply during Martian Invasion?" type explanation. There's no rush for that sort of message.

Anyone who admits to having read any part of the "decisions on the rules" of golf must be banned from writing Member Guidance on WHS!

10 bullet pointed "key facts" on a single sheet of A4 at eye level above a urinal will be more effective than any email! (bullet points ideally are one line, and never exceed two!)

True. It's why I've been waiting for more info from England Golf so I can work out the key points players actually need to know, in the most basic of senses.

I did send out the WHS Privacy Notice today, that all clubs must send to all members by 5th October. I briefly mentioned WHS is still due on 2nd November, I'll e-mail any key details mid October once I receive them, but in meantime for any players interested in WHS, the Players Guide on the CONGU website seems quite good as a reference.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

On a side note, wouldn't it be more sensible to allocate shpts on the holes where your handicap differs? You are a 8 handicap and your opponent is 12. Wouldn't it be better to give the shots on SI 9-12?

I’ve always thought that ?

 

[rosecott]

On a side note, wouldn't it be more sensible to allocate shpts on the holes where your handicap differs? You are a 8 handicap and your opponent is 12. Wouldn't it be better to give the shots on SI 9-12?

I don't think the 12 handicapper would be very happy if SI 9-12 were all on the last 4 holes.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I don't think the 12 handicapper would be very happy if SI 9-12 were all on the last 4 holes.

Why? In theory, both players should have halved the previous holes anyway, if they were playing to their respective handicaps.

 

[nickjdavis]

I Also, I believe players will be able to log in to the England Golf handicapping platform to view their Index and whatever else. However, at the minute I don't think any of these are yet available, nor do I know how they'll work when they are available, so I may have to refrain from giving out information on these aspects.

I've been regularly asking for information on this matter. The last I heard a couple of weeks (maybe 3) ago was that not every club had uploaded their course details to the new DotGolf website (I think the number mentioned was roughly 300 outstanding) but the "authorities" were hoping that everything would be done "in the very near future". Lets say the site gets released to the general public by October 10th....I see not a cat in hells chance that every golfer will have bothered to look at the site....let alone register their details on the site by November 2nd....actually....scrub that date....lets go for January 1st.

 

[Beezerk]

That may not strictly be correct, I guess it will depend on the Slope of the course.

If they have made the simply assumption a player's current Handicap will be the same as their Handicap Index, then that is not strictly true. For example, looking at players from my course, most will get a Handicap Index that is a shot or 2 lower than their current handicap. Then, once the Slope is applied, their Course Handicap will be similar to their current handicap. So, your mate may have a handicap index of, say 19.0. If the slope of his course was 130, for example, his course handicap would be 21.9.

Ok thanks, of course it all depends on what handicap he's given come November but for arguments sake, if he remains on 22 he will get an extra 3 shots then?
Both his and my course have posted spreadsheets which appears to do the maths for you, find your handicap index, look across and that's what you play off. I also worked out mine using the divide by 113 formula and it was exactly the same as what is on the sheet.