Members,
With the start of the new year, there have been a lot of changes in the game of golf. The new Wold Handicap System (WHS) is at the front of the list. Paul Spafford has attempted to educate us as much as possible, but there have still been a lot of questions and puzzled faces when looking at the scoring sheet or scorecards (team play). Paul sent the following explanation, and I wanted to share it with all of you.
Question: Why is my course handicap lower than I expected it to be:
Each golfer’s index, under the new WHS, is NOT calculated based on a particular course and/tees, and never has been. Remember, it is a fractional number. It is a measurement/indicator of your general scoring ability, and it is what makes the handicap system transportable from one course to another.
With different courses having different lengths, degrees of difficulty and different pars, you SHOULDN’T get the same number of strokes on every course and/or tees. Each course has a Handicap Calculator Chart which uses your Index to determine your handicap based course Slope Ratings which are developed taking all the difficulty factors for that course into account.
We will be getting new laminated charts from the SCGA, which will be posted in the Men’s Club.
~ Paul Spafford
Mission Trails Men’s Golf Club Handicap Chairman
Click on the link below to go to the website the USGA has set up with more details and explanations on the WHS, including a pdf of the full handicap manual for those of you that are really interested or really bored.
SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT HANDICAPS…
Starting In 2020 there are going to be some significant changes to our handicapping system. Although you won’t see much difference since most are done automatically by the handicap program, there are a few things you should know.
To quote the USGA: “On Jan. 1, 2020, the USGA and the R&A will implement major changes to the fabric of our handicap system. This revamped World Handicap System (WHS) aims to bring the game of golf under a single set of handicapping rules and provide a more consistent measure of players’ ability between different regions of the world.”
*Indexes will be revised every night at midnight, local time, instead of twice a month, so your handicap will always be current. This is a big one.
*Because the WHS will use a slightly different formula for calculating Handicap Indexes, they will be a little lower. This means everybody’s handicap will go down a little. Don’t worry, if you go from an 11 to a 10, so did all the other 11’s.
*The main differences in the formula are that it will use the best 8 scores of your most recent 20 to determine your Handicap Index, instead of the best 10 scores. Also, to create the differential used in the formula, the score you shot will be subtracted from the course par instead of from the course rating, which is usually a slightly lower number, since for most courses the rating is lower than the course par. (MT is par 71 and a 68.9 rating from the blue tees.)
*The Index calculation will include a Playing Condition Calculation (PCC). The program takes into account how much more or less difficult than average the course is that day and may adjust the index from -1 to +3 index strokes. An 85 shot on a cold rainy day is a better score than an 85 shot on a sunny summer day on the same course. This means it is important that you enter your score on the day it is shot so the program can use it in calculating that day’s PCC.
*The maximum score allowed on a hole will be a Net Double Bogey which is more consistent from hole to hole than the current Equitable Score Control system. A Net Double Bogey is the par for the hole plus any handicap stroke(s) you get on that hole plus 2 strokes. (I get a stroke on #1 so the maximum score for me is an 8, par 5+1 hcp. stroke +2 strokes)
*There will no longer be Tournament or T-Scores. Instead there will be a Cap on how much a handicap can go up. The computer automatically takes care of any adjustments or limits, and since revisions are daily, handicaps will be much more accurate and current.
*We will still be using the GHIN program, and on Jan.1 it will start using the new system. They have an upgrade to the interface in the works, but I don’t know when it is due to go into operation.
Click on the link below to go to the website the USGA has set up with more details and explanations on the WHS, including a pdf of the full handicap manual for those of you that are really interested or really bored.
http://www.scga.org/whs-hub?utm_source=Club+Official+Digest&utm_campaign=ec9f9a2a2f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_04_25_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0200b64998-ec9f9a2a2f-158337409#topic6
You can also email me if you have any questions about the new system.
Paul Spafford
Handicap Chairman, Mission Trails Men’s Golf Club
(619) 222-3071
[email protected]