World Handicap System (WHS)

I'm not that familiar with the new system yet other than it takes the average of the best eight of a player's last 20 scores. I'm not sure how that will effect me personally.

Call me old fashioned but my stance is "if it's not broke don't fix it!" How long as the current handicap system been in place? I'm not aware of any issues with that.
I play around twenty Open comps a year at other courses and in most cases my performance is compared against the SSC for the day and adjusted through the current online Handicap measurement system used by my home golf club and adjusted.

Will it stop those people who manipulate their playing handicaps to keep them high and gain an unfair advantage?

Antony,
I can understand the intention but I'm not convinced that it won't end up as a bandit's charter (and/or a beggar's muddle!)
One of my friends plays at a resort course. It's unremittingly long, lots of trees, penal rough and with water all over the place. He plays three times a week and gets a high handicap. I can almost play to my handicap there but it's a stretch.
My course is an old established club laid out more that 115 years ago. It's not a push-over, it's a fair test.
When he comes to mine, or any other "regular" course, my friend usually scrapes home - I have trouble giving him a dozen shots on what is ostensibly an easier course than his handicap "home".
The new system might even things up in this instance but I can see all sorts of jiggery pokery ahead.
What's your age on it?
JT

That last line - prior to being autocorrected - was What's your take on it?
Sorry
JT

It looked a bit complicated at first but after watching all the video links on how did I do, then I think I got it. Its a good idea to say your handicap will alter to the difficulty of the course you are playing, which I know a few of my friends can be bandits when we have played an easier course, hopefully once we get out and play and can give it a try it may work out ok.

Roll on the end of lock down and we can get out there and play.

Jiggery pokery .....
I too am not convinced guys,but I’m still not sure on how it works.

its worked out by your WHS handicap x course slop /113 gives you your handicap to the course you are playing,

Reading and listening I think in theory it will make it fairer all round, and bring together the same handicap system across globe(well most). I like the idea of slope rating and the number of shots you get may change course to course which to me makes sense.

There is a risk people will
Fudge the system, however given they are going to take 8 of 20/proportion of rounds there is less chance Of this happening. I guess.

The system is broke in the fact that the systems are not the same depending on which areas you play. Therefore standardising it makes sense. Guess we won’t know the out for 12 months when people will be able to review.

I am confused

Hi guys,

Personally, I think it’s great. It’ll put less pressure for the regular am on every round with the 8 out of 20 point. Might even encourage more to get out and play different courses as there will be no “if you can play to 10 here you’re a 4 handicap everywhere else” obviously there will be loopholes, but I’d like to think they would be abused minimally. After all, it’s an honest sport!

Ps. Does this mean I’ll stop going up 0.1 every weekend?

Cheers
Stephen

Yeah it will hopefully make it better when you play harder courses and get a couple of extra shots, a few of my friends don't have official handicaps and with my club handicap still think im a bandit so will probably lose a few shot to when I play them.

Stephen,
Yes, that's right, you will no longer go up 0.1 every weekend!
Neither will you be cast adrift in the Buffer Zone....
When you log your card into the system (How Did I Do?) your 8 from 20 will be reviewed and your Handicap Index updated if appropriate.
JT
Word of caution - never yet seen an IT solution introduced that doesn't have a reasonably sized problem to solve before it works as intended - some never achieve their objective!
JT

Well guys whether you like it or not we're stuck with it!

Only time will tell if it’s a success, I had a 18 months away from the game.

My handicap lapsed and just got a new handicap of 10 unfortunately as I’m at a new club all my old scores have been cleared of HDID so pretty much starting again by my understanding?

I found the process pretty smooth. There weren’t any issues in calculating my new index. All seems to make sense, and seems to be a fairer way to take account of difficulty of different courses versus your home course.

I was excited when I got my new handicap as I thought I had went down .4 but when I looked at the chart I actually went up ‍♂️

I am aware there are many issues still, which need fixing very quickly, wrong slopes and people who have changed clubs not being counted since the change. Apart from that, it’s a bit geekie, I will be aware of whether the next score that falls off matters or not and as there is no buffer, I will know what I need to do to improve on my worst counting score. As without the buffer my interest could drop quite early.

From my experience, there are definitely some bugs that need to be worked out of the system. My index dropped 1.3 shots from my pre WHS handicap, then when they did the data refresh early November I lost a further 2 whole shots. This may be the correct handicap for me, I’m not really sure, but what I find confusing is that on my current index (15.7) the Golf England website says that I’m in the top 52% in England, yet one of my friends is off 16.9 and is shown as being in the top 48%! How does that math work?!?

i started to play golf in June 2020 after 32years layoff , i entered 3 cards for my handicap given a handicap of 19.
i have play in 5 stableford competitions since given my handicap, 27/11/2020 i was informed my handicap with the new system is 11.9 could you let me know if you think this could be correct?