


The key thing to remember is HCP, so handicap index, course handicap, play golf.ĭo I have to be a golf club member to get an official handicap? That’s all you need to worry about because the technology will do everything else for you. Once you’ve got that, you need to convert that number, using a look-up chart or app, into a course handicap for the course and tees you are playing.
CALCULATING YOUR GOLF HANDICAP SOFTWARE
What you do need to know is what your handicap index is and you can find that out via your club’s handicap software or on the England Golf website or app.

That 90 per cent of golfers don’t need to know what all the calculations are. What do you say to those who think the WHS is too complicated to understand? That’s why handicap committees and other players play a vital role in checking and challenging those individuals who are trying to cheat. Ultimately, we can’t build a system to avoid manipulation. So, depending on what the player is trying to achieve, we can counterbalance it by imposing a penalty to either increase or cut your handicap. If a player has failed to submit a score, the handicap committee can replace that score with a penalty score, especially if it is something that keeps happening. Is there a danger that some golfers may try to manipulate their handicap under the WHS? However, you can’t go out, play a blinder and then suddenly decide you want to submit your score. But if you and I are playing a social game, we can choose whether we want to submit an 18-hole or nine-hole score. If it is a competition, those scores have to go in. Do you have to submit all scores for handicap? If there’s a handicap limit for entry, you will use your handicap index because that is what makes us all equal. Do you enter golf competitions using your handicap index or your course handicap? But what we want players to understand is that your course handicap dictates when you can pick up in a Stableford and when to not bother holing out in a match. For singles and strokeplay competitions, it is 95 per cent of your course handicap and that will tell you the number of strokes you will receive. When you are playing in a competition, you will receive an allowance that needs to be applied to your course handicap to give you a playing handicap. Is your playing handicap the same as your course handicap under the WHS? So, if you go and play, say, Woodhall Spa, your course handicap may be two or three strokes higher than your handicap index because the slope-rating value is higher than standard. This means that when you go to play a different golf club, your handicap index is actually based on a course of standard difficulty, rather than your home course. Every golf club is course and slope rated from every set of tees, and then there are separate ratings for men and women. How does that work?Ĭourse rating is the starting point. One of the biggest differences under the World Handicap System is that a player’s handicap changes from course to course. We will always keep your record, so your handicap number and scoring history will remain. What happens if you take a break in golf club membership? Previously it used to be three but as long as you maintain your membership at the golf club, you will maintain your handicap. RELATED: Best Golf Irons How many rounds of golf do you need to play to keep your handicap active?
