WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEM

Takes effect in Wales 2nd November 2020 Visit www.walesgolf.org/world-handicap-system for more information

Club Information WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEM

Overview

We are now drawing ever closer to the launch of the World Handicap System (WHS) in Wales. The World Handicap System includes the Rules of Handicapping and the Course Rating System. Its purpose is to enable as many golfers as possible the opportunity to: • Obtain and maintain a Handicap Index. • Use their Handicap Index on any golf course around the world. • Compete, or play recreationally, with anyone else on a fair and equal basis. Behind the scenes a tremendous amount of work has gone on for nearly a decade to create the WHS. Its introduction will hopefully create a modern consistent approach to handicapping, be more inclusive and hopefully help attract new players and offer greater opportunity to those currently in the game. The ability to transport your Handicap Index to anywhere in the world will mean our golfers in Wales will be able to play under the same global rules, competing on a fair and equitable basis making golf a more enjoyable game. This information booklet will hopefully give you a one stop shop where you can find all of the information and resources that you need. Please use this information alongside other resource available to help inform your members of all the impending changes, and get them up to speed with what will be different when the tee up the ball for the first time with a WHS Handicap Index.

For the transition to this new system to be successful education will be key. This change will affect everyone from the very top of the amateur game to those just taking their first steps onto the golf course. We encourage you to use this booklet and the additional resources that have been created to help educate players in your club to the changes that will come into effect on 2 November 2020.

As ever if you have any questions please contact us at [email protected] and we will endeavour to answer your queries. WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEM

Course and Bogey Rating

What is Course Rating?

• The evaluation of the playing difficulty of a course for scratch golfers under normal course and weather conditions. • Based on yardage and other obstacles to the extent that they affect the scoring difficulty of the scratch golfer. • Expressed as the number of strokes taken to one decimal place.

What is Bogey Rating? • The evaluation of the playing difficulty of a course for bogey golfers under normal course and weather conditions. • Based on yardage and other obstacles to the extent that they affect the scoring difficulty of the bogey golfer. • Expressed as the number of strokes taken to one decimal place.

What is assessed when Rating a Course?

Length Obstacles (Difficulty Factors) Measured length of hole Topography Penalty Areas – Lateral

Roll Fairway Penalty Areas – Crossing

Elevation Green Target Trees Doglegs/Forced Lay-ups Recoverability from Rough Green Surface

Wind Bunkers (Psychological) Altitude WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEM

Slope Rating

What is Slope Rating

A Slope Rating is the number which indicates the relative playing difficulty of a course for bogey golfers, compared to scratch golfers. It is the combination of the Course Rating and the Bogey Rating that allow us to calculate the Slope Rating of a set of tees. Important Information

Slope Ratings are gender specific and you must ensure the tee you play off has been rated for your That difference in the two rating figures is then multiplied by a fixed gender

number to arrive at the Slope Rating. Slope Ratings range from 55 to 155 - with 155 being the most difficult.

NOTE:

It is a common misconception that the Slope Rating

compares the difficulty of one course to another. IT

DOES NOT, it compares the difficulty of a course, playing from a specific set of tees, for the Bogey

player compared to the Scratch Player from the same set of tees. It does not indicate the relative playing difficulty of that set of tees versus a set of tees at another course.

WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEM

Handicap Index

What is a Handicap Index?

Your Handicap Index is the measure of your playing ability and will be the most important thing for a golfer to know.

The new Handicap Index will offer a consistent way of measuring a golfers ability that is transferrable throughout the world and will allow a golfers index to be fully portable:

• Remembers previously demonstrated ability within a 12 month period. This ensure the Handicap Index does not stray too far from the demonstrated ability within a short period of time. • Caps the upward movement of a handicap index within a defined period of time to safeguard against handicap manipulation. • Applies additional adjustments to the Index when an exceptional score is submitted.

How do you get a Handicap Index?

In order to gain a Handicap Index you need to:

• Be a member of an affiliated Golf Club • Complete 54 holes made up of any combination of 9- or 18- hole rounds and submit this to your club. • There is no time limit on completing the submission of these scores. • Your first Handicap Index will be the lowest of the 3 rounds minus 2. • Your Handicap Index will continue to develop until it contains 20 scores. WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEM

Course Handicap

What is a Course Handicap?

• For your Index to be portable to all courses it must be converted into a Course Handicap. • Your Course Handicap will give you the number of strokes that you receive when you play your round. • Each club will need to make available a handicap look up chart, or use an app or the club software. • Simply select the tees you want to play and look up your handicap index to ascertain your Course Handicap.

• If you are playing in a competition or match you may need to know any handicap allowance that needs to be applied.

Course Handicap Handicap Index Important Information

If you can’t get access to the look up chart, an app,

or your clubs handicapping software, then you can

work out your course handicap manually using this

formula.

Handicap Index x (Slope Rating/113)

= Course Handicap This is an example of what your Course Handicap lookup chart

should look like.

WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEM

Playing Golf

1. Arrive at the Course 2. Look up your Course Handicap

Arrive at the course with the knowledge of where or how to find out your Handicap Index. This could be via Look up your Course Handicap via the an app, website or at your golf club itself. look up chart which should be placed in an easily accessed location at your golf club. Simply look up where your Index falls on the chart, for the tees you want to play that day, and read across to your Course Handicap.

How To Play Golf—World Handicap System

5. Submit your score 4. Play Golf 3. Work out your Playing Handicap (competition only)

Submit your score as soon as possible after your round. Ideally straight into If you are playing in a the club’s competition software. competition, you may need to work out your Playing Handicap for the format of play you are competing in.

Get out there and enjoy your round of golf. WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEM

Playing Handicap

When playing in competitions you may need to be aware of what your competition or playing handicap allowance is, and how to work it out for the format of play you are playing in.

Our Golfers Recommended Handicap Fourball Matchplay Format of Play Type of Round Allowance Emily: Handicap Index 13.8 Stroke play Individual 95% Emily and Jane are playing Alice and Rachel in fourball match play on the red tees with the 119 Rachel: Handicap Index 18.6 Individual Stableford 95% slope rating Individual Par/Bogey 95% Jane: Handicap Index 5.7 Individual Maximum Score 95% Emily: Course Handicap = 15 Alice: Handicap Index: 23.8 Four-Ball 85% Jane: Course Handicap = 6 Four-Ball Stableford 85% Alice: Course Handicap = 25 Individual Stableford Four-Ball Par/Bogey 90% Match play Individual 100% Rachel: Course Handicap = 20 The club has put on an individual stableford Four-Ball 90% They all then need to apply the 90% allowance on the red tees event which Emily and Alice Other Foursomes 50% of combined team handi- leaving their playing handicaps for that event on are playing in. cap the day as Greensomes 60% low handicap + 40% high They both look up their course handicaps on handicap Emily: Playing Handicap = 14 the clubs look up chart for the red tees with Pinehurst/Chapman 60% low handicap + 40% high a slope rating of 119. Jane: Playing Handicap = 5 handicap Alice: Playing Handicap = 23 Emily: Course Handicap = 15 Best 1 of 4 stroke play 75% Alice: Course Handicap = 25 Best 2 of 4 stroke play 85% Rachel: Playing Handicap = 18 Best 3 of 4 stroke play 100% For results purposes they competition The shots received by each player would then be All 4 of 4 stroke play 100% software will work out the playing handicap Emily: Strokes received = 9 25%/20%/15%/10% which for this format is 95% of the course Jane: Strokes received = 0 handicap. If you want to you can work this Scramble (4 players) from lowest to highest handi- out before you play or your Committee can cap Alice: Strokes received = 18 give you your shots, but its not an absolute Scramble (2 players) 35% low/15% high Rachel: Strokes received = 13 requirement. Total score of 2 match play 100% Best 1 of 4 Par/Bogey 75% Emily Playing Handicap = 14 Best 2 of 4 Par/Bogey 80% Alice Playing Handicap = 24 Best 3 of 4 Par/Bogey 90% 4 of 4 Par/Bogey 100% WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEM

Submitting a Score

How do you submit a score? What formats of play are acceptable?

A player should submit their score as soon as possible on the day of play in order for their Handicap Index to be updated Number of promptly Format of Play Type of Round Holes • This should be at the venue being played. Organised Competition 9 18 • Must be submitted hole by hole. • By using the technology available at General Play 9 18 the club. Stableford 9 18 The Handicap Index will then be updated Organised competition overnight Stableford 9 18 General play Individual Par / Bogey What Scores are acceptable? Strokeplay 9 18 Organised Competition

Par / Bogey • In an authorised format of play. 9 18 • Over a minimum number of holes (10 if you are playing an 18 General Play hole round). Maximum Score 9 18 • By the Rules of Golf. Organised Competition • With at least one other person. Maximum Score • On a course with a current Course Rating and Slope Rating. 9 18 General Play

WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEM

Handicap Committee

What is the Role of the Handicap Committee?

The Handicap Committee plays a vital role in the successful administration of a player’s Handicap Index.

Every club must have a Handicap Committee and its job is to: • Ensure clubs members Handicap Index is reflective of the player’s golfing ability and intervene if this is no longer the case. • Ensure that players are treated fairly and consistently from golf club to golf club. • Set appropriate Terms of the Competition for all participating players in all club competitions. • Ensure information regarding the WHS is readily accessible to all members. • Ensure there is a consistent and reliable method for players to register for and return scores after their round. Ideally this should be done digitally to allow quick and efficient connection with the handicapping software provided to your club. • Apply adjustments and penalty scores to handicaps should the need arise.

Important Information A player will no longer hold or lose a ‘C’ status and handicap categories will no longer apply. A Handicap Index will always remain competitive as long as a player remans a member of an affiliated club. WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEM

Resources

To help you with your clubs player education, we have put together some Please keep an eye on our social media accounts and website for links to helpful resources which you can use to educate your players on the major further workshops and webinars. https://www.walesgolf.org/workshops- changes coming in November. roadshows/

Posters can be accessed on the Wales Golf Website. Please post them around your golf club.

Use our club presentation to educate your members.

Informational Videos can be accessed via the Wales Golf Youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz4YC67pokRVx7-lmRAb8xuXQSsPruSjG