Ladies Golf News in Scotland, the West of Scotland and Renfrewshire
Hosted by Scottish Golf’s Club Business Manager, Iain Evans, golfers from across Scotland had the opportunity to hear from, and pose questions to, David Kernohan, Handicapping and Course Rating Officer at Scottish Golf, Gordon Crae from Gourock Golf Club and Joe Persh, Head of Development and Technology at OCS. -- Go to the Scottish Golf Website for More
From Thursday 23rd October Scottish Golf started the World Handicap System (WHS) transition process of golfer handicaps as we move to implement the new WHS. The main part of this transition was the calculation of every current CONGU Handicap into a WHS Index and golfers may have noticed their projected handicap has changed several times over the last few days as we aligned the data from the two systems.
To find out more about how we have generated initial handicap values that are as accurate as possible, please click here to access the WHS Initial Handicap Index document. This document also aims to answer some of the additional questions members may have around the process.
The Low Handicap Index provides a reference point against which the current Handicap Index can be compared.
This is to help ensure that the player’s current Handicap Index cannot stray too far away from their demonstrated ability, in too short a space of time
If the new Index is more than a certain number of strokes above the Low Handicap Index, the cap is triggered.
The soft cap suppresses upward movement when the difference between the new calculated Index and the Low Index is greater than 3.
The increase is suppressed by 50% of any value over 3.
The hard cap prevents further upward movement by placing a hard ceiling at 5 above the Low Index.
The soft cap and hard cap procedures only start to take effect once a player has at least 20 acceptable scores in their scoring record
Score can be from any format of play, competitive or general play and this is not restricted to competition scores.
When a player submits an exceptional score, the handicap formula applies an additional adjustment to the player’s updated Handicap Index.
This adjustment is in addition to any reduction caused within the 8/20 calculation.
The Handicap Committee can override the adjustment if they deem necessary.
If scores were unusually low or high, a PCC adjustment of between –1 and +3 will be applied to your score differential calculation to reflect the playing conditions on the day.
When abnormal playing conditions cause scores to be higher or lower than expected on a given day, a Playing Conditions Calculation will adjust score differentials to better reflect the player’s actual performance.
This means that a higher score on a tough day may still be a good score and one of your best 8, used to calculate your updated Handicap Index.
The PCC considers all acceptable scores submitted on a golf course on a given day (all formats, competitive & recreational, 9 & 18 holes).
For a PCC to be calculated, at least eight acceptable scores must be submitted by players with a Handicap Index of 36.0 or below. The PCC is automatically applied within the calculation of score differentials for all players.
Day 6 - The Course Rating system forms the foundation for the Rules of Handicapping. The system enables handicaps to be portable by adjusting a player’s handicap according to the relative difficulty of the golf course being played.
What is course rating?
An indication of the difficulty of a golf course for the scratch player under normal course and weather conditions
What is a bogey rating?
An indication of the difficulty of a golf course for the bogey player under normal course and weather conditions
What is a 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.
Details of these ratings for courses across Scotland will be available on the Scottish Golf Website and App from 2nd November 2020 for a course rating database lookup.
Under WHS, one of the key aims is to provide golfers with more opportunities to submit counting scores.
Some of the factors that will mean a score is considered acceptable for handicapping purposes, as outlined in the new Rules of Handicapping, include:
Players must pre-register their intent to submit a score in general play for handicap purposes. General play is a significant benefit under WHS, allowing golfers to, so long as they pre-register and play the game by the WHS requirements, submit any round of golf from any golf course on the globe. This is a massive opportunity for golfers who wish to consume their golf this way all year round and opens up new opportunities to maintain and obtain a handicap. General play scores can be submitted directly through the Scottish Golf App.
Such pre-registration must be made before the player starts the round, and in the manner prescribed by the Handicap Committee or Scottish Golf.
To find out more about the key features of WHS, click here.
It is therefore important that a player submits their score as soon as possible on the day of play, after completion of their round and before midnight (local time).
Golfers must input their gross score for every hole played. If a golfer’s score is not submitted on the day of play it will not be used in the Playing Conditions Calculation.
A golfer will be able to view their new Handicap Index on the Scottish Golf Platform (via the Scottish Golf Website or App) or through their own golf club.
Under WHS, one of the key aims is to provide golfers with more opportunities to submit counting scores.
Some of the factors that will mean a score is considered acceptable for handicapping purposes, as outlined in the new Rules of Handicapping, include:
Players must pre-register their intent to submit a score in general play for handicap purposes. General play is a significant benefit under WHS, allowing golfers to, so long as they pre-register and play the game by the WHS requirements, submit any round of golf from any golf course on the globe. This is a massive opportunity for golfers who wish to consume their golf this way all year round and opens up new opportunities to maintain and obtain a handicap. General play scores can be submitted directly through the Scottish Golf App.
Such pre-registration must be made before the player starts the round, and in the manner prescribed by the Handicap Committee or Scottish Golf.
To find out more about the key features of WHS, click here.
Your Course Handicap will be the number of strokes a player receives, before handicap allowances, from a specific set of tees as determined by the Slope Rating:
Course Handicap = Handicap Index x slope rating/ 113
For example, for a golfer with a Handicap Index of 12.0, playing a course with a Slope Rating of 127, the calculation would be:
12.0 x (127/113) = 13.5 (14)
Note - This is the handicap you will put and your card and use when submitting a score, this the important handicap to remember!
The Playing Handicap adjusted for any handicap allowances or Terms of the Competition. It represents the actual number of strokes the player gives or receives for the format of golf being played
Playing Handicap = Course Handicap x Handicap Allowance
For example, using the above example where the golfer has a Course Handicap of 13.5 and playing a competition with a 95% handicap allowance, the calculation for Playing Handicap would be:
13.5 x 0.95 = 12.8 (13)
Note- This handicap is solely used for the purpose of calculating competition results or when working out allowances for a specific format of play.
Handicap Allowance
The percentage of a Course Handicap recommended to create equity for all players participating in a specific format of play. See below a list of all formats of play and the recommended. Go to the Scottish Golf Website
One of the most common questions golfers will ask each other is, “what is your handicap?”
Under WHS, the way in which a handicap is calculated will change slightly, and golfers will receive a new Handicap Index.
A Handicap Index is designed to represent your demonstrated ability. It is calculated by averaging the best 8 score differentials out of the most recent 20 within your scoring record. Can be made up of both competition and general play scores.
If your record does not have 20 scores on it already, a modified calculation will be carried out to provide you with a Handicap Index. This table highlights how this will be done.
A Handicap Index will be the measure of a player’s demonstrated ability calculated against the Slope Rating of a golf course of standard playing difficulty (that is, a course with a Slope Rating of 113).
Your Handicap Index provides you with a portable measure of your demonstrated playing ability that is consistent with how all other golfers will be measured around the world. It can be used to track your progress and to play in a casual or a competitive round with any other player from course to course and country to country.
Once you have joined a golf club and you have submitted scores from a total of 54 holes, made up of 9 or 18-hole scores, you will be allocated an initial Handicap Index.
You are then able to return competition and general play scores (pre-registered).
We will be using you existing scores on you CDH record to calculate your Handicap Index
Scotland is the home of golf, with the sport first being played in the 15th century, and this new campaign will provide valuable and insightful information ahead of the changes to how handicaps will be calculated.
WHS aims to offer one, unified system around the world for the first time, giving golfers the ability to obtain and maintain a Handicap Index and use this anytime, anywhere around the world. The system will take playing conditions, course, and slope ratings into account, with a player’s best eight scores in the past 20 games played counting towards their Handicap Index.
The Scottish Golf’s campaign, goes live from today Monday 19th October .
This week, the campaign will focus on:
In week two, you will receive further assets that will focus on:
DAY 1 -- The purpose of the WHS
With WHS coming into play in Scotland on 2nd November 2020, many golfers across Scotland will be asking, “why are we moving to a new Handicap system?”
WHS aims to provide maximum enjoyment for all who play the game. The new system will enable players of any ability, from anywhere in the world, to play and compete with others on a fair basis. This will be the case whether in competition, or during a casual round.
WHS will encourage as many golfers as possible to obtain and maintain a handicap and once a golfer has their handicap, players of differing abilities, genders, and nationalities will be able to take their handicap to any course in the world where they will be able to compete on a fair basis.
Another key aim of WHS is that it will indicate, with accuracy, the score a golfer is reasonably capable of achieving on any course around the world, playing under normal conditions.
COURSE HANDICAP CALCULATOR (using your Handicap Index when available or if you have got a rough idea of what yours is at the moment)
LOOK UP A COURSE FOR SLOPE AND COURSE RATING - (Put in Scotland and then the course) -- There may be variations as time goes on
With just 24 days to go until the new World Handicap System (WHS) comes into play in Scotland, 500 golfers from across the country benefitted from Scottish Golf’s latest Zoom Panel Call.
Hosted by Scottish Golf’s Club Business Manager, Iain Evans, golfers from across Scotland had the opportunity to hear from, and pose questions to, Scottish Golf’s Handicapping and Course Rating Team of David Kernohan and Adam Phillips.
The call, which was available on a first-come, first-serve basis, was the first sell-out webinar hosted by Scottish Golf and is now available to view by CLICKING THIS LINK or viewing on the video below
Scottish Golf has also produced an FAQ document to support golfer education and this can be accessed HERE
The slides from this Call can also be accessed HERE
David Kernohan, Handicapping and Course Rating at Scottish Golf said, “As we near the implementation of WHS in Scotland, we were delighted with the overwhelming response to this week’s call.
“We understand that golfer education is crucial over the next 12 months and we will continue to provide additional opportunities for golfers to learn more.
Following the huge demand for this week’s call, we are also looking at options to expand our Zoom Panel Call capacity to ensure more golfers can tune-in to these sessions live.”
2020 – TRANSITION OF CONGU HANDICAPS TO WHS HANDICAP INDEX
In order to move from CONGU to WHS handicaps on the 2nd November 2020 all players’ current Handicap Records will be reprocessed using the WHS principles. The calculation will identify the best 8 of the last 20 Qualifying Scores, if posted during the last 3 years in Scotland, and factor in:
If a player has submitted less than 20 scores in the last 3 years, the calculation will be done in a similar manner to the method of allocating new handicaps, as shown below.
If less than 20 Qualifying Scores posted in the last 2 years
From the Scottish Golf Website.
Over 200 delegates from golf clubs across Scotland took part in Scottish Golf’s latest Zoom Panel Call aimed at supporting clubs with preparing for the implementation of WHS on 2 November 2020.
On the call, David Kernohan and Adam Phillips from Scottish Golf’s Handicapping and Course Rating Team presented a 15-minute presentation about the transition, education and implementation of WHS in Scotland. They also answered questions submitted by delegates and a full list of FAQ’s can now be accessed here.
To catch up on the full 30-minute Zoom Panel Call in full, please click here.
Scottish Golf’s Handicapping and Course Rating Officer, David Kernohan, said, “It was really pleasing to see so many clubs represented on today’s WHS Zoom Panel Call and we would like to thank everyone who attended the session.
“As we continue to move towards the implementation date of 2 November, it is important that clubs are aware of the key changes and how this will impact the processing of handicaps and their members.
“Today’s session allowed us to cover a number of key topics as we continue our ongoing programme of club education on WHS and all clubs will be able to engage in further discussion on our new Hive Learning platform.”
For clubs looking to register for Hive Learning, please click here. Clubs can also access our WHS Readiness Guide here.
