As you must be aware by now, Golf is moving to a new World Handicap System which will see a number of changes to the way in which our Handicaps are administered.
How Did I Do have put together a series of seven informative YouTube Videos explaining some of the WHS questions which you should find interesting:
At the bottom of this page you will find information from England Golf plus a link to download the detailed World Handicap System “Toolkit” which is intended for Golf Clubs to utilise but will hopefully answer most of the questions you might have.
Before reading further of watching the videos, it might be a good idea to become acquainted with the new terms you will see used in the new WHS world. WHS-Glossary-of-Terms-Resource
How will my handicap be calculated?
Here is Information on how your new Handicap Index converts to a playing handicap on each of our tees:
https://www.randa.org/en/worldhandicapsystem
Using your Handicap Indexes and our slope ratings:
Mens: Blue 133 White 135 Yellow 132
Ladies – Red 131
Or for the Tables CLICK HERE
What is the maximum handicap index I can get?
How does net double bogey work?
What happens to standard scratch?
Handicap Allowances (calculated from your Playing Handicap not Handicap Index) are also changing with the introduction of WHS as follows:
WHS-Playing-Handicap-Allowances-Table
If members are interested in understanding the new Handicapping process in greater detail, click England-Golf-Rules-of-Handicapping for the England Golf (VERY) detailed explanation. Maybe one for a wet evening accompanied by a nice Single Malt
Should you still have questions then David McKears, Helen Masters, Les Tucker and Rob may be able to answer them.
To process the new WHS, some personal information needs to be loaded. For more info, please click <HERE>
Hopefully, you found last week helpful when we told you all about Playing Handicap and how it affects golfers. We now continue along our timeline and move into explaining General Play and Competition Rounds and how they count towards your WHS index.
How to submit a score?
After the completion of a competition round, a player has to submit their scorecard as soon as possible in order for their Handicap Index to be updated. Preferably, scores should be posted at the venue being played and on the same day, as this will be when a player’s Handicap Index will be updated. If this is not possible, players may post scores utilising the technology available at their golf club.
How to verify a score?
In order to verify a score and for it to count towards a player’s WHS index, some basic rules should be followed:
- Play in accordance with The Rules of Golf
- Use an authorised format of play
- Play nine holes to post a 9-hole score
- Play at least 10 holes to post an 18-hole score
- Play with at least one other person
- Play on a course with a current Course Rating and Slope Rating
How your score counts towards the WHS?
Acceptable formats of play for submitting a score towards a player’s Handicap Index include any pre-registered general play ‘social’ scores and all individual competition rounds, both 9 and 18 holes, whether played at home or away courses. Non-acceptable formats of play include a player’s individual score from fourball better ball or other match play events.
Within Toolkit 1.0 there is a table available for download which outlines all acceptable and non-acceptable formats of play. This can be shared!
Hopefully, this provides you with enough information as to how General Play and Competition Rounds count towards your WHS index and the acceptable formats of play for Handicap Index purposes. As always, do refer to the General Play and Competition Rounds section within the WHS toolkit and be sure to print off all relevant resources and place them around your golf club.
You can also download the corresponding graphics to post on your club’s social media channels. As usual, we have provided example posts for Twitter, Instagram and Facebook below to use alongside the social graphics.
 |
| Hopefully you found the last two emails helpful, as we told you all about Handicap Index and how it affects golfers. We are now moving into another important area to understand, Course Handicap, which we’ll be telling you all about over the next fortnight. What is Course Handicap? A Course Handicap will determine the number of strokes a player will receive when playing from any set of tees on a given course. Before any player starts their round they must convert their Handicap Index into a Course Handicap. How to work out a Course Handicap?The Course Handicap calculation is:Handicap Index x (Slope Rating / 113) = Course Handicap. But don’t let this calculation concern you because working out a Course Handicap has been made simple. England Golf will provide Course & Slope Rating tables to all clubs ahead of the new System launching in November. These Tables should be positioned in conspicuous locations around the club to make them easy to find prior to beginning a round of golf. Golfers will simply have to choose the tees they are playing off that day, and cross reference their Handicap Index on the Course & Slope Rating table to ascertain their Course Handicap. It really is as simple as that – they’re then ready to get out on the course and play! The above information provides a simple introduction to what Course Handicap is and how it is calculated. However, please refer to the first page of resources from the Course Handicap section within the WHS toolkit and its accompanying timeline, as well as printing off all relevant posters and placing them around your golf club for your members to fully understand the concept. |
| Hopefully you found last week’s introduction to Course Handicap and explanation of its calculation helpful. We are continuing that theme this week by highlighting our final secondary campaign ‘Easy as H.C.P’, which will be important when playing golf from 2 November. Introducing ‘Easy as H.C.P’! As we mentioned last week, before any player starts their round they must convert their Handicap Index into a Course Handicap. This will determine how many shots they will receive when playing a golf course from any set of tees. An easy way for a player to remember this is to think ‘HCP’. This stands for: H – Handicap Index C – Course Handicap P – Play Golf This should act as a prompt for golfers trying to remember the key elements of the WHS when they arrive at the golf club. It’s helpful that many golfers will already recognise HCP as an abbreviation for handicap. Firstly, they will need to know their Handicap Index. Secondly they will calculate their Course Handicap using the Slope & Course Rating table. Finally, head out onto the golf course and play. It’s as easy as HCP! To see these resources in their entirety, please refer to the Course Handicap section within the toolkit and the timeline. Be sure to print off the relevant posters and place them around your golf club for your members to see. You can also download the corresponding graphics to post them on your club’s social media channels. As usual, we have provided example posts for Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook below for you to use alongside the social graphics. |
 |
| Following on from the first part of our two-week introduction of Handicap Index, we’re now moving into the second part, whereby we’ll be explaining how the WHS can safeguard a Handicap Index. How to safeguard a Handicap Index? With Handicap Index being calculated by working out an average of the best eight rounds from a player’s last 20, golfers might be apprehensive that the change in their Handicap Index may be volatile. However, through the implementation of a Soft Cap and Hard Cap, the WHS will limit any extreme upward movement of a player’s Handicap Index within a 365-day period, therefore, protecting against handicap manipulation. The Soft Cap will suppress movement by 50% after a three-stroke increase over a player’s Low Handicap Index. For clarity in this instance, a Low Handicap Index is the lowest Handicap Index a player has had during the previous 12-month period. The Hard Cap will restrict upward movement of five-strokes over the Low Handicap Index. Restricting the extreme upward movement of a Handicap Index will ensure that a player’s temporary loss of form does not cause the Handicap Index to move too far away from their actual ability. It is important to note that caps will only start to take effect once a player has at least 20 acceptable scores in their record. Hopefully, the last two WHS education emails have provided you with a good understanding as to what a Handicap Index is, why it is so important, and how it can be safeguarded using the new system. Remember, you can always refer to the resources from the Handicap Index section within the toolkit and the timeline, and be sure to print off the relevant posters (if you haven’t already done so) and place them around your golf club for your members to see. This also includes the posting of Handicap Index: Bring Your 8 Game social graphics. |
Hopefully you found last week’s introduction to Course Handicap and explanation of its calculation helpful. We are continuing that theme this week by highlighting our final secondary campaign ‘Easy as H.C.P’, which will be important when playing golf from 2 November.
Introducing ‘Easy as H.C.P’!
As we mentioned last week, before any player starts their round they must convert their Handicap Index into a Course Handicap. This will determine how many shots they will receive when playing a golf course from any set of tees.
An easy way for a player to remember this is to think ‘HCP’. This stands for:
H – Handicap Index
C – Course Handicap
P – Play Golf
This should act as a prompt for golfers trying to remember the key elements of the WHS when they arrive at the golf club. It’s helpful that many golfers will already recognise HCP as an abbreviation for handicap.
Firstly, they will need to know their Handicap Index.
Secondly they will calculate their Course Handicap using the Slope & Course Rating table.
Finally, head out onto the golf course and play.
It’s as easy as HCP!
To see these resources in their entirety, please refer to the Course Handicap section within the toolkit and the timeline. Be sure to print off the relevant posters and place them around your golf club for your members to see.
| You can also download the corresponding graphics and this useful key features video to post on your club’s social media channels. As usual, we have provided example posts for Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook below to use alongside the social graphics.Course Handicap resources |
DOWNLOAD THE WHS TOOLKIT PDF