Handicap Calculation Explained

The World Handicapping System was introduced in Australia on 30 January 2020

How your Handicap is Calculated …

You do not have to do anything as Golf Link will do all this for you, but this is how it will be done …

The Daily Handicap formula will include an adjustment when the Scratch Rating is different to the Par. For example:

Scratch Rating 73, Par 70 – Daily Handicaps will increase by 3* (ie 73 – 70 = +3);

Scratch Rating 68, Par 70 – Daily Handicaps will decrease by 2* (ie 68 – 70 = -2).

Note: *the Daily Handicap calculation usually produces a number with multiple decimal places, which is then rounded to a whole number; in some cases the rounding will soften the impact of the adjustment by 1.

Golf Link will compute as follows …

New Daily Handicap formula = (GA Handicap x (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Scratch Rating minus Par)) x 0.93

Example:
A player’s GA Handicap is 15.2; Slope 124; Scratch Rating 72; Par 70.
The WHS Daily Handicap is:
Apply the Slope Rating to the GA Handicap: … 15.2 x (124/113) = 16.68
Add the difference between Scratch Rating and Par: … +(72-70) = 18.68
Apply the 0.93 Multiplier: x 0.93 = 17.37
And then round the result to get the Daily Handicap: … 17.37 rounds to 17

So, if the player has 36 points off 17, they have played to their handicap

Maximum Handicaps …

  • The maximum GA Handicap under the WHS is 54.0 for both men and women.
  • Your club’s handicap & competition management software can choose default handicap limits lower than 54 for any (or all) competitions.
  • For example, your club may choose to set Daily Handicap limits at 36 for men and 45 for women for most competitions. And then use a higher limit for beginner competitions or for events for less-skilled players.

NRVGA Veteran Open Days …
All Veteran Open Days will be played with the Handicap Limit being set at … Daily Handicap …        36 for Men and 45 for Ladies

WHAT IS NEW
Hard Cap of 5 Strokes has always been applicable to your Calculated Handicap (see below)

  • GOLF Link automatically prevents a player’s GA Handicap from increasing by any more than 5 strokes beyond their best GA Handicap from the previous 12-month rolling period. (Note: The Hard Cap does not limit the movement of Daily Handicaps from day to day if a player happens to be playing on a variety of courses which have substantially different Slope Ratings.)
  • The Hard Cap eliminates the capacity for extreme outward movements of a GA Handicap within short spaces of time.
  • As a result, a loss of form does not cause a player’s GA Handicap to move too far from a level which is consistent with their underlying ability.
  • The Hard Cap also makes the handicap system less susceptible to manipulation.

NEW … There will be a SOFT CAP to operate in conjunction with the HARD CAP (above)

This SOFT CAP of 3 Strokes will be applied as follows …
A GA Handicap will continue to increase at the current rate of 100% of the ‘8 of 20 scores’ calculation UNTIL it reaches 3 strokes above its best point from the previous 12 months. Once in this new Soft Cap zone, a player’s GA Handicap will only be allowed to increase by 50% of the calculated amount.

Example
A player’s “8 of 20 scores” calculation is 17.2, but their best GA Handicap from the previous 12 months is 11.2, which is 6 strokes less.
Their GA Handicap calculation becomes … 11.2 + 3 + (50% of 3) to equal 15.7

Their new Playing Handicap is 16

  • A player’s ‘8 of 20 scores’ calculation is 17.2, but their best GA Handicap
    from the previous 12 months is 11.2, which is 6 strokes less.
  • Their GA Handicap calculation becomes
    11.2 + 3 + (50% of 3) to equal 15.7.
  • Statistical modelling indicates that the Soft Cap will impact up to 20% of the total number of handicap calculations performed by GOLF Link each year. The introduction of the Soft Cap will reduce the percentage of players impacted by the Hard Cap from 5% down to less than 1.5%.
  • GA has been aware for some time that our pre-WHS handicap system produced a competitive advantage to the inconsistent player over the consistent player and we have been looking for a way to soften this outcome. The Soft Cap will improve this situation and will improve the equity of Australian handicapping.

NEW … THERE WILL ALSO BE A BONUS REDUCTION FOR EXCEPTIONAL SCORES

Bonus Reduction for exceptional Net Score …

  • GOLF Link will apply an automatic additional reduction to a player’s GA Handicap if they have an ‘exceptional score’.
  • If the player’s score is 7.0 – 9.9 strokes better than what their GA Handicap was at the time the round was played then GOLF Link will apply an automatic additional reduction of 1.0 strokes to their GA Handicap. If the player’s score is at least 10.0 strokes better than what their GA Handicap was at the time the round was played, then GOLF Link will apply an automatic additional reduction of 2.0 strokes to their GA Handicap.
  • To establish whether a score is exceptional, GOLF Link will compare the player’s GA Handicap at the time the round was played with the number in the ‘Sloped Played To’ column for that round. (The ‘Sloped Played To’ column is one of the columns that is displayed in a player’s handicap record on www.golf.org.au.)

These notes were collated from Golf Union’s website … http://www.golf.org.au/whs/

Ray Kent

Secretary

NRVGA

29 January 2020