Do You Take on Board the New World Handicap System?

[ASEAN NOW Golf]

Do You Take on Board the New World Handicap System?

 

In the advent of the new World Handicap System (WHS) being applied to all golfers, irrelevant of ability, age or location, here is the simple guide for Recreational Golfers.

 

What does it mean?

The WHS will unify six existing systems into a single system that will:

• enable golfers of different abilities to play and compete on a fair and equal basis, in any format, on any course, anywhere around the world.
• be easy to understand and implement, without sacrificing accuracy; and
• meet the varied needs and expectations of golfers, golf clubs and golf authorities all around the world and be adaptable to suit all golfing cultures.
• Easily Understood https://www.randa.org/WorldHandicapSystem and watch their video.

 

How does it work?

The minimum number of 18-hole rounds required to establish a handicap is five, which are subject to peer review by other members of the association. After you have played more than five rounds, your handicap index will be based on your best 10 rounds over the past 20 entered.

 

What Must Golfers Do

All golfers must ensure there actual score is submitted (preferably using one of the many electronic systems such as https://birdie.in.th/ here in Thailand) and the correct tee is mentioned to ensure handicaps remain current. (All electronic recording systems shall record new maximum scores per hole) Further data on this can be found on https://www.whs.com/#association

 

What must golf courses do?

1. Ensure that their Handicap/Stroke Allowance is accurate for all tees played.
2. Ensure that Correct Course yardages are accurate for all teeing grounds.
3. Publish their Course Slope or Tee Rating to allow players to calculate their playing handicaps from every tee box.

 

Actual Handicap versus Playing Handicap

All players shall have an actual handicap, every round on different courses from different tees shall be calculated using either one of the electronic systems such as Birdie or by using the following calculation:

The 2020 calculation is done using this new formula: Handicap Index X (Slope rating/113) + (Course Rating-Par)

Notice the changes; the new formula includes course rating minus par. These changes were done to accommodate players who play from different tees. Because they are playing with different benchmarks, there is a need to make handicapping fairer.

 

So not sure if all golf courses are up to scratch on the WHS system. It maybe up to you the golfer who should let the organisers of tournaments and of course the golf clubs themselves know if you think they are being fair.

 

Happy Golfing, the new WHS, easy to follow and will allow fairness the world over.

 

 

 

[topt]

5 hours ago, Thaivisa Golf said:

After you have played more than five rounds, your handicap index will be based on your best 10 rounds over the past 20 entered.

Unless this has been changed I thought this was the old criteria and was now 3 and 8........?

 

Here on the FAQs of USGA/R&A - https://www.whs.com/faq.html#faq&questionId=1666798694&categoryId=-250504930

Quote

• Players will be able to establish a Handicap Index after as little as three scores
• A player’s Handicap Index will be calculated using the best 8 out of their 20 most recently recorded scores

 

So which is correct?

[fulhamster]

When will this handicap system be adopted around Thailand ?

 

[TigerandDog]

21 hours ago, topt said:

Unless this has been changed I thought this was the old criteria and was now 3 and 8........?

 

Here on the FAQs of USGA/R&A - https://www.whs.com/faq.html#faq&questionId=1666798694&categoryId=-250504930

 

So which is correct?

3 & 8 is correct. Once again whoever wrote the article did not do their research correctly, because apart from getting the aforementionded data wrong there is no mention of the fact that weather conditions etc should also be taken into account. Additionally it is going to be near impossible for the WHS to be applied correctly here in Thailand as most courses do not either have course and slope ratings or correct course and slope ratings ( e.g. there's a 27 hole course in Lamphun that applies the course & slope rating for the original 18 holes to all 3 combinations even though the original 18 has 4 new holes on it ) if they do, they and are not prepared to pay a minimal fee to the TGA to have them done correctly

Edited January 26, 2021 by TigerandDog

[TigerandDog]

5 hours ago, fulhamster said:

When will this handicap system be adopted around Thailand ?

 

it was supposed to be adopted on 1 Jan 2020. As the handicapper for the group I play with I actually started to apply it from 1 Jan 2019. Prior to that the group was using that ridiculous system 36. Now they all have real handicaps and are pleased with the results.

Edited January 26, 2021 by TigerandDog

[Phulublub]

Was this written by someone who know anyting about WHS, or a marketeer for Birdie?

 

PH

[natway09]

This system which basically is going to be forced upon every golfer sooner or later (in

particular if you wish to enter any comp.

Having used it already it is starting to reek of a money making business, controlled by ???

for the benefit of themselves, but I will keep an open mind at this time

[berrec]

Re:

What must golf courses do?

1. Ensure that their Handicap/Stroke Allowance is accurate for all tees played.
2. Ensure that Correct Course yardages are accurate for all teeing grounds.
3. Publish their Course Slope or Tee Rating to allow players to calculate their playing handicaps from every tee box.

Lol, golf courses here in Thailand don't have slope ratings....................

 

[topt]

On 1/26/2021 at 4:00 PM, natway09 said:

Having used it already it is starting to reek of a money making business, controlled by ???

Are you referring to Birdie or the WWHS? If the latter I can't see how that would work. Simplistically it is little different to the old USGA handicap system especially in practice for most of us who play here  

[topt]

On 1/27/2021 at 4:04 PM, berrec said:

Re:

What must golf courses do?

1. Ensure that their Handicap/Stroke Allowance is accurate for all tees played.
2. Ensure that Correct Course yardages are accurate for all teeing grounds.
3. Publish their Course Slope or Tee Rating to allow players to calculate their playing handicaps from every tee box.

Lol, golf courses here in Thailand don't have slope ratings....................

 

Well the courses I play seem to have slope ratings input in the Pattaya Sports Club software......

As another poster mentioned how accurate they may be is often open to question but they do appear to have them.....

[Phulublub]

10 minutes ago, topt said:

Well the courses I play seem to have slope ratings input in the Pattaya Sports Club software......

As another poster mentioned how accurate they may be is often open to question but they do appear to have them.....

Have PSC corrected the error in their software that still uses best 10 of last 20 (it should be best 8 of last 20) to calculate yoru handicap Index?  If not, their handicaps are complete bunkum.

 

PH

[topt]

5 minutes ago, Phulublub said:

Have PSC corrected the error in their software that still uses best 10 of last 20 (it should be best 8 of last 20) to calculate yoru handicap Index?  If not, their handicaps are complete bunkum.

 

PH

I don't know if it is an error or they just haven't got round to resolving it. Probably use Covid as the excuse 

However the handicap is still valid (no more or less than before ) especially if everyone is still using it. ........Not sure why you think it is "complete bunkum"

[Phulublub]

12 minutes ago, topt said:

I don't know if it is an error or they just haven't got round to resolving it. Probably use Covid as the excuse 

However the handicap is still valid (no more or less than before ) especially if everyone is still using it. ........Not sure why you think it is "complete bunkum"

Error? After a year?  Covid?  what else do they have to do that is so pressing? 

 

The handicaps are not valid because the calculation is wrong.  The whole point of WHS is that different people from different handicap authorities can play against each other on a level playing field.  By definition, to use the 9th and 10th best scores from a series will ensure that the handicap is higher than it ought to be.

 

I wonder if their software has other "errors" also.

 

PH

[topt]

8 hours ago, Phulublub said:

Error? After a year?  Covid?  what else do they have to do that is so pressing? 

 

The handicaps are not valid because the calculation is wrong.  The whole point of WHS is that different people from different handicap authorities can play against each other on a level playing field.  By definition, to use the 9th and 10th best scores from a series will ensure that the handicap is higher than it ought to be.

 

I wonder if their software has other "errors" also.

 

PH

I am certainly not defending the PSC but I think you are taking this far too seriously. Whilst not ideal does it really make that much difference to you especially as by your definition it couldn't have been a level playing field before?

 

UK official change date by the way was Nov 2020 so not everybody changed at the same time.

 

If you are playing in some of the organised "comps" around Pattaya and taking all the handicaps seriously then there are bigger issues than whether it is 8 or 10 of last 20 scores.........  

 

Anyway I am off for a convivial round and, although I will be trying to get my handicap down, I couldn't give a fig for anyone else's