Handicap Information

2020 World Handicap Notes:

 

Brought six systems around the world together so that whoever your are, whatever your ability, and wherever you are playing in the world enabling you to match your skills against different abilities regardless of what tees you play. 

 

Max handicap is now 54.0

 Only take three scores made up of any combination of 9 or 18 holes

Updated daily

Course ratings reflect the playing difficulty under normal conditions for the scratch player while slope ratings represent the difference in playing difficulty for all players compared to a scratch player.

 

A player is expect to:

1. Act with integrity and follow the rules of handicapping

2. Attempt to make the best score possible

3. Submit acceptable scores as soon as possible after the round

4. Play by the Rules of Golf

5. Review the scores of fellow players

 

In order to obtain a Handicap Index, a player must:

1. Be a member of an authorized golf club - if you’re a member at more than one golf club, then you must designate one as your home club...wherever you play the most golf, that should be your home club. Snowbirds that play half the year up north vs half the year down south, should simply contact the respective course when they are living in that region and the course will make the switch for them. 

2. Must be in authorized play: stroke, match play, and four ball stroke and four ball match play. Even if you don’t finish a hole

3. One other player must be present during the round

4. Must be played on a a course that has an active course slope and rating and must be played during the active season

5. Cannot use a score when being coached, non conforming equipment, when a player doesn’t play their own ball (scramble, alt shot), and restricted number of clubs such as three club competition

6. Minimum number of holes: 9 holes score, 7 holes must be played; 18 holes, then 14 holes. However, must play those holes over a rated course like woods, prairie and lake....meaning, you cannot play three holes on prairie and four holes on woods to count as a valid 9 hole score.

7. Local rules such as the ob rule is ok as long as the local rule is in effect.

8. Post in chronological order which is why its important to record daily with the correct date....the weather scenario could alter your handicap

9. Post same day of play before midnight

 

Max score:

1. Without a handicap, then par + 5

2. Once you get a handicap, then net double bogey is max....par + 2 strokes + handicap strokes received; in other words, double bogey plus your strokes you should receive

 

When holes not played (due to daylight, construction, etc.):

1. net par = par plus any handicap strokes

When a player starts a hole but doesn’t hole out (match play, for example):

1. Score recorded is their most likely score = number of strokes taken + number of strokes most likely needed to complete the score + any penalty strokes incurred

2. Guidelines for determining most likely score: within 5 feet = 1 stroke; 5 feet and 20 yards = two or three strokes depending on the position of ball, difficulty of green and ability of player; more than 20 yards = 3 or four strokes depending on the same factors listed above

 

How scores are calculated:

1. For an 18 hole score: score differential = (113/slope rating) x (adjusted gross score - course rating - pcc adjustment)

    1. PCC = playing conditions calculations

2. 9 holes = (113/9-hole slope rating) x (9-hole adjusted gross score - 9-hole course rating - 1/2 of the PCC adjustment) 

 

How a handicap is calculated based on number of scores:

Playing Conditions Calculations:

1. Need 8 scores at each club and then the PCC is adjusted each day...post your scores!!

2. So a high score on a tough day may actually be a good score for your handicap

3. Only scores from handicap players of 36 or lower are considered for this

4. PCC range is -1 to +3; -1 = easier day while a + is a harder day

5. POST DAILY

 

Low Handicap Index = the demonstrated ability of a player over 365 day period preceding the most recent score and provides a reference point agains which the current handicap index can be compared...

1. A low handicap index is established once a player has 20 acceptable scores

2. A player’s scoring record must display their low handicap index

3. This helps to prevent extreme upward movement

    1. 3.0 increase, then upward movement is 50%

    2. 5.0 then no more upward movement

 

When one posts a great score, then the index will reduce by 1.0 if score is 7-9.9 strokes lower than their index or it will reduce 2.0 if 10.0+ lower. The player doesn’t need 20 scores for this to happen. The nice thing about this, this adjustment wont effect any future posts as long as its not an exceptional score.

 

The course handicap is the number of strokes a player receives to play down to par from the tees being played. This formula is: course handicap = handicap index x (slope rating/113) + (course rating - par)....the result is rounded for the purposes of applying net double bogey and net par adjustment. For 9 holes, then its (handicap index/2) x (9 hole slope rating/113) + (9 hole course rating - 9 hole par)

 

Playing handicap = course handicap x handicap allowance (like 85% of handicap)

 

Playing from different tees or course ratings will not require adjustments unless par is different. If par is different, then:

1. The difference in par must be added to the playing handicap of the player(s) competing from the tees with the higher par, or...

2. The difference in par must be subtracted from the playing handicap of the player(s) competing from the tees with the lower par

3. Stableford or par/bogey formats...no adjustment is needed regardless. It’s only in stroke or match play