WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEM... 8 THINGS EVERY GOLFER NEEDS TO KNOW!! 

I don't know about the greens the pros play on, but on my home course, the hole is designed to repel the ball.

Finally. Been back now a couple of months and havent got a clue why my handicap has been going up and down, plus I've been playing off my index score which going by my courses slope rating means I've been losing shots!! Thank you.

Jezz well done in trying to expain the new system. I am sure once we start using the new system it will become clearer and second nature. In the meantime its " if its green the answer is 3 but if its 4 its a pink elephant, but not on Tuesdays "

I've been using it in S Africa and it's so simple. You will know your Handicap Index, choose your tee and the chart at your club will tell you your playing handicap. That's all you need to know.

Well done Jezz, nice clear explanation, system will settle in with UK golfers quickly. There is nothing to fear, it's been proven to work and be perfectly acceptable in other countries for some time now.

I can't wait for this. I play a lot of club Opens ( when the world isn't in Covid ) and this will really help me on courses where I won't have insider knowledge

Yes in NZ we've had it a while now and it's a good system. My index is 7.9. At my home course I play off 6 (as its a little easier) I played another course last week and was off a 9 as it was a little tougher. I think those in the UK ( which is where I'm from originally) will like the system once it settles in. Also for me, there seem to be fewer bandits coming in with 45 points etc, it seems as tho this system makes it harder for them to farm their Hcp

Really well explained. I think it’s a really good and fair system

Thanks for posting and wow, so complicated...sounded to me like...’and at the end, take away the first number you thought of!’...lol I am currently off 20, so it will be mighty interesting to see what my new handicap will be and how it all works out next season...again, thanks for posting👍

Very good, informative. As a new player who as yet does not have a handicap (new or old format), would like more informative about what I would expect to come in as, should be aiming for as a club player etc.

The old system used to really frustrate me as looking at my record about half my rounds were like 1 or 2 shots over buffer zone and it often felt I like might as well have taken 10 at each hole for all the difference it made whether went up 0.1 or not. Conversely I thought I had to play out of my skin to ever reduce my handicap so an average of 8 from 20 sounds like a lot more fluid and I might now reduce my handicap as often as it slowly went up before.

Looks pretty simple when you get into it. So here goes: We all have a 'Handicap Index' mine for example is 18. Your course will have a 'Slope Rating' (my home course at Shiskine for example is 99). Therefore my 'Playing Handicap' will be 18 x (99/113) = 15.77 Where 113 is the adopted average between the two 'Slope Rating' Extremes (55 & 155). So I will be playing of 15.77 or rounded up,16 for our 18 hole competitions. I think my understanding is correct but i stand to be corrected none-the-same. cheers Miles

What I'd really like to see is an 18-hole course vlog with Neil and Joel! This was an admirable attempt at explaining what seems to me to be a dizzyingly Byzantine system. But I don't play in comps and don't bet with my buddies, so it's all good for me.

Makes the ‘Rules of Golf’ sound simple!

Here in NZ we have been using it for nearly a year now and it is fairly reliable and accurate. Before this we still had a similar system that took the best 10 of 20 rather than 8 of 20. The important point to remember is that a score coming off the back can have more influence than the latest score being added.

Thank you for the advice

Will everyone play off the same tees in mixed competitions as handicaps will vary for what tees played off

Great job of explaining the new system, which seems well thought out.

I think its a good idea to have a WHS, my only reservation is its so complicated to work out for yourself especially if you need a revised HCP 'for a game tomorrow'. We are now dependent on technology especially after throwing in the 95% on individual qualifiers (I didnt know about this before this video) - just hope the technology doesn't fail at 7.30am on a Saturday!!!

Mind blown! 🤯

I’ve a few questions. For the purposes of winning a nett competition. Is it your gross score - 95% of your course handicap. Also for This to count For your handicap index for one of your best 8. Is it gross - course rating x slope / 113. I think the uk not factoring in course rating - par for working out course handicap has made a big difference in people’s handicap index’s . Where I play which has a CR similar to par. People’s handicaps have stayed the same compared to the easier courses where the course rating is 1.5 shots less than par. All us very low handicappers like to check

I thought this was going to be very complicated when I first heard about it, I then read up all the information made available and realized actually it is not that complicated you just need to open your mind, only time will tell if it's better than the current system but it's here to stay so we will need to get used to the idea.

Well explained Sir

Is there a website or app to find out your handicap if you go to another course

Did I miss it? Is there anything in the new system that deals with ESC (equitable stoke control)?

Great for me 18.1 prior to this new complex system now Hcp Index 18.7 add slope and playing off the white tees I get an extra 3 shots and will play off 21 (20 off the Yellows?) my mates will be paying me out more than normal or not playing or money with me any more!

Coarse Handicap -- I see most say multiply by 113 and divide by slope (makes your handicap for that course less). So which is it? And is Handicap rating based on 8 of 20 a number that is consists in the score you shoot (adjusted for max allowed per hole) and the par for that course. Some call Handicap Index as the ave of 20 scores (not the difference in your score and par?). It seems a lot of variations in how handicap is.

I have been given -6.9 which is crazy. Been playing to -2 but shot a decent score and the PCC was 3 and then they added another 2.. So I wont be winning anything where I play now unless it's a scratch comp...

Clear as mud!

Dont think the system weighs in enough with slope rating effecting hcp. If two players have identical hcp index but one player only plays on a hard course (slope 137) and the other only an easy course (113) how can they be equal if they go play a different course (slope 120)?

Need to try it before I judge it - it will make me focus on every shot, in every round and no longer mess about because I would be up by 0.1

Quite a complicated system but much fairer and well explained here.

I saw in another video that the maths is done when you submit your card and that all we need to focus on is recording our gross scores however when playing in a stableford competition one doesn’t record a gross score. How will the system deal with a ‘blob’ where a zero is recorded as opposed to a number. A couple of zeros in the score column will make your score look way better than it was.

my head hurts buts I think it trying to be fair as possible and weed out sandbaggers, I like it but my index just dropped to 16.5 from my normal 18ish and I am still play in the high 90s

I’m a casual but very keen 70 year old golfer who hates comps but loves to play on my course as well as other courses in my county (I currently have a handicap of 18). How do I keep this handicap without being forced into competitions so that I can still visit other places?

This was a very complicated way of explaining something very easy to use. The only thing a golfer needs to know is his hers handicap and find his hers strokes/handicap on the particular course and tees.

Question.... And this is rather a big thing for me. I was playing off a +3.3 last year and an accident forced me to get reconstructive surgery on my hand over the winter. The same course this morning I shot an 77 and yesterday a 75 vs a 66-69 all 13 rounds there all of last year (within 12 months) What does this mean, if I can only go up 5, and I can in no way shape or form shoot my handicap now, what are my options? I dont want to be like my old boss and sandbag the shit out of everyone... but in my case the opposite. Please help

After joining a club my official handicap was 13.7, marvellous !!! Just wanted to break 18 Just received my WHS index, 8.1 !!!!! WOW my life time goal was to become a single digit handicapper, have I really made it ???

Lost me after about 2 1/2 minutes, as long as I know how many shots I get before I start a Competition, why do I need to know how it's all worked out.

I was quite happy with the old system, at least I knew where I was!. The vast majority of players do not play worldwide so why a worldwide system? Most players playing abroad are there for enjoyment and the result however bad is mitigated by a few beers. This seems far to complex!

What's meant by score differential?

Well, is everybody happy about his new HCP the golfburocrats made for you?

No opinion on whether it is better than the previous system, however I do worry about anyone who is thinking of taking up the game and being confronted by a 10 minute explanation of what a handicap is, how it is calculated and how it varies from course to course, from competition to competition and the consequences of getting it wrong! Welcoming it is not.

I think I understand and it will I’m sure sink in over time. However, no matter how many experts I listen to, it still sounds really complicated. I know it’s all done for you but for goodness sake was it really necessary? All so the travelling golfer has a more representative handicap (index). I played off 9. If I visit another course part of the challenge was to see if I could still play off 9. I’m getting too old for all this. Can’t be bothered.

I recently re started golf after an eight year hiatus. I was given 19 played to that once. Entered 5 comps and never got near my handicap. I’ve now been given 13 on the new system. I won’t be winning any money for a while

Not a bad video but what is needed is a simple guide for the average golfer with examples showing how you know what your playing handicap is on any given day on your home course and another for when play at a new course.

If this is a World Handicap System, why are the England Golf Rules of Handicapping different to the Rules of Handicapping for other associations around the world (eg US, South Africa, Australia)? For example, Course Handicap for GB&I is calculated differently to the other associations. To name but one of different Rules.

Seems quite straight forward but still not sure how it will work when you are not playing your home course, doesn't seem to have been covered in any info I have seen so far

20 h/c round Augusta ? Cant imagine much less than 130!

I dont know whats happening to mine, i shot lower than my handicap last 3 comps, finishing 6th, 9th and 4th, yet my handicap has gone up by 1???????

If you have a social round in tough conditions , who works out the course handicap for that day if you're the only player who hands in a card that day? The club?

I'm looking forward to this system been needed for a long time

The England Golf App (MyEG) is now live, click on course you’re playing, it tells you what handicap you’re playing off, easy.

For the definition of a scratch golfer, is that 250 yards total or carry?

Why is everything now in life so complicated, we had a good system that works and now all these ridicules variables are thrown together to get your playing handicap. I put a lot of effort to get my handicap to 3.9 now my index is 1.6, the course I belong to has a 2 shot SSS difference between the yellow tees and the whites now there both the same and the whites are a lot harder. I won’t get any more shots from the course handicap, there are 2 courses in the area that we all say are harder than ours and they have been given a lot less course rating, doesn’t make sense. I am no way a 1.6 handicapper .

what do i think? sure if we tried harder we could make this more complicated,say if i was on a bender the night before ? do i get extra shots for seeing double

We use in australia it's good but much harder for your handicap to go out easy to come down you really need to play bad for age good spell to go out

could someone explain to me . when players have played a stab comp they put a score of 0 on a hole that they have scored no points the system automatically gave them a no score on that hole and a. no stroke on that hole if they . they do the same in the new system . they will have a wrong calculation on their handicap . if that is true there will be many many players with wrong . i understand about the double bogie score but many golfers put a 0 score in when they play stab comps

Now all the world needs everywhere is that dang divot in the fairway your ball lands in lol although I never touch my ball till its in the hole

When you play with seniors at my course, they don’t play by the rules of golf. When they turn in my scores for handicap, which they shouldn’t since we are not playing by the rules, my handicap index is bogus, in my opinion.

Clear as mud!!! I cannot believe that something so complicated is being introduced to replace what was already a complicated system. Handicapping and rules on shots in competitions is already complicated enough and this has made it 10 times worse. I was lost after a couple of minutes. Can I not just turn up, play my best and mark down my gross score for each hole. Then whoever can do whatever to work whatever out they need to!!

Thanks! All makes sense now :)

As a Canadian who has always had this system, it is 100x better. The UK system was always insane in my opinion

Best explanation so far

Far better system than the rather antiquated old one.

I would have thought the whole idea behind the " World Handicap System " was exactly as the name implies . Why would players in the UK want to continue a system that only applies there and not be able to have a realistic handicap if playing elsewhere or discussing the game with a player from outside the UK. I Am also from NZ and while I play regularly at my home club I also play at various other clubs in NZ + Australia and Pacific Islands ( when we are able to play there again ). In my view the new system works well and my handicap is reasonably accurate for whichever course I play . We no longer talk about handicap as it only relates to a single course / " handicap index " is the way to look at it.

Sounds as though you need to be Einstein to play golf!

It's a much fairer system that guards against excessive super rounds and equally poor rounds. It reflects a better average of your performance giving a more realistic handicap index.

My handicap has went from 5.7 to 5.4 but at my home club it’s 6.2 of the whites 6.1 off yellows, except if I’m playing stroke play then it’s 5.9 and 5.8 🤣 Don’t think it’ll change much for me although it’s good for when I occasionally play other courses, especially much tougher ones

So as a rule of thumb; Courses with a lot of water - shots given. Courses with no water - shots taken away.

Jazz. Quick question. This system is supposed to be a World Handicap System so we are all playing the same, but it is still different in the USA. As you said, your course handicap in the UK is your Handicap Index x (Slope Rating/113). But, in the USA, they added par into the equation with this formula: Course Handicap = Handicap Index x (Slope Rating/113) + (Course Rating - par). I have heard that the countries can decide whether to use this "par" adjustment and the UK decided against it but the USA decided to use it (for some stupid reason). So, in essence, doesn't that make the handicaps different between the countries again???? And why did the USA decide to use it by the UK decide against it (I can't speak for other countries - I only am aware of the difference between the USA and UK. In case you aren't aware of what happens, this is mine. Due to Covid, my last 20 rounds have been only at my course and I always play the white tees. So, my handicap index should be pretty clean. One course. One set of tees. So, my index is 5.1 using the best 8 of the last 20 scores. So, clearly, when I play my 21st round, my handicap should be a 4.26, rounded to 4 (slope is 128). But, because the course rating is less than par, my handicap is 1.8 (rounded to 2) when I play the exact same tees that earned me a 5.1 index. So, in England, playing the exact same difficulty of course, I would be a 4, but in the USA I am a 2 because of that stupid par adjustment. How the heck can I be a 2 when every single round I play is from the exact same tees and the exact same course with a index of 5.1???? It is because of this stupid "par" adjustment.

My Dad says thanks for the great video

Good old golf. Managed to make it 5 times as complicated than it was.

My local course doesnt have a slope rating.

This is great if you are a club member, but if you are a social golfer who only plays society golf what are you supposed to do?

Can you see other people’s like on HowDidiDo?? And is it going on there ?

Expecting the TapIn 😶

Clear as mud, well done the golf ruling bodies 👍 ...it wasnt broken but it is now. Our system here in the UK was perfect for club golfers who play regularly in club competitions. This new system is so open to cheating and benefits the high handicapper yet again.

i got cut from 17.4 to 5.5 and i have absolutely no idea why

Is my experiece an anomaly because of too few handicap competitions played? In 2019 I played no competitions. Illness related. In 2018 I believe I played over handicap in the two or three I played. From 2008 to 2017 I played no golf at all. In 2020 I had a 14.1 handicap. Anomaly? In 202o July I played one competition a Bogey I was +3 winning the competition. I was cut on the old system to 13.7. In November 2020 under the WHS I was cut to 9.0 FIVE SHOT REDUCTION, I have asked my club to explain the applied protocol. I was informed that my handicap would even out in the end. I will be donating any potential competition entry monies to Children In Need. Not much chance of being competitive! A better use of the cash. Your views would be interesting. Cheers

Every scorecard I've ever completed has the slope rating for each set of tees. It's really easy to calculate your course handicap by simply using your phone's calculator. HI*(slope rating/113)

I guess I like the theory, but I’ve seen about 4 explanations of all this now and I really have no clue how it works. Every time I think “right, come on, concentrate, this really can’t be that hard!” But it really is beyond me. Then I hear that this is expected to attract people to the game! Really? I just hope it’s one of those things that is nonsense when explained verbally, but becomes clear once we actually use it. 🤞

I've played off scratch +/- for perhaps 20 years and the complexity of this system, whilst it tries so very hard to be *fair* looks like a complete nightmare for course officials, and the sentre for more aruguments, not fewer. I'm glad I will not be asking for shots from anyone, and I'll give them as much as any administrator deems necessary. It does start to feel like a government benefit system though

Sounds hard but I am sure it will come out of the wash ok, in time?

It’s all quite well defined except this 95% of the handicap for a singles event , why is that adjustment made for no apparent reason to the course playing handicap value ?

I LIKE MOST GOLFERS WOULD LIKE TO KNOW 1, WHY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEVELS OF HANDICAP SO BIG ? what do I mean , WELL MY HANDICAP CAME DOWN FROM 18.9 TO 18.6 TO 18.5 NOW 18.2 . 2, BUT IT HAS NOT COME DOWN THEY ARE ALL 19 HANDICAP. 3, WHY IS THE GAP SO BIG 18.2 TO 19.1 4, THESE ARE WHAT ARE UPON YOUR TABLES . 5, WHAT YOU DO INSTEAD IS, WELL I FOUND ANYWAY YOU INCREASE OR DECREASE HANDICAP BY 0.4 IN MOST OF MY ROUNDS. 6, I AM WONDERING IF I SHOULD NOT PLAY IN CLUB V CLUB MATCHES ANYMORE , WHY, WELL AT AN AWAY GAME THE COURSE WAS HARDER BY 4 SHOTS . BUT I LOST ALL 24 SHOTS AS I WAS LOWEST MAN, SO I PLAY A COURSE THAT IS HARDER BUT LOSE SHOTS ITS NOT FARE , I HAD NO CHANCE . NOR DID MY TEAM MATE HE GOT 1 SHOT , WE ARE AMATURES SENIORS AT THAT I HAD TO GIVE ONE OF THE OPPOSITION 13 SHOTS AND HE PLAYED WELL SO DID I BUT NOT A CHANCE FOR ME . IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT TO DISCOURAGE US FROM PLAYING.?? IN MY OPINION YOU SHOULD OF DONE THIS MAXIMUM HANDICAP 24 COURSE RATING AS IT IS NOW PAIRS, MATCHPLAY, FORSOMES , MIXED, GREENSOMES, YES OFF LOWEST PLAYER, BUT YELLOWS PAR 69. COURSE DEPENDENT WHITES 72. COURSE DEPENDANT SLOPE INDEX. AS IS COMPETITIONS FULL HANDICAP IN STABLEFORD , STROKEPLAY, SINGLES MATCHPLAY , MEDALS THESE SHOULD BE DONE VIA HANDICAP AND DIVISION 0 TO 14 WHITE TEE MEN 15 TO 24 YELLOW TEES FOR MEN AND SENIOR MEN I DO NOT KNOW LADIES BUT THEIR TEES . THIS IS BECAUSE YOUR MEDAL BAIS I LIKE A LOT OF MEMBERS FIND WHITE TEES TOO FAR NOW SOME 6669 YARDS AT OUR COURSE THE FIRST IS OVER WATER WITH NO BALE OUT AREA WHICH IS ROUGHLY 200 YARDS TO CLEAR THE WATER. ITS 140 OFF YELLOWS. OR WHAT ABOUT MONTHLY MEDALS OFF YELLOWS FOR LESSER DISTANCE PLAYERS . IN FACT LADIES OFF THE TEE HAVE TO TAP IT TO THE SIDE AND RISK THE STREAM AND OB TO THEN PLAY BACK TO FAIRWAY .

The Universities now have a 4 year program on this for a cost of 200K.

Blergh. I’ll have 28.

EVERYBODY GOT THAT!??.........GOOD! 'Dark helmet, spaceballs'

Confused . Com...... so my handicap is no longer fixed this is going to cause so much confusion

the ratio of happy to unhappy golfers with the new system in my club is 10% to 90% on the unhappy side. In combination with the introduction of the 54 handicap for beginners lots of my friends have stopped playing for the regular club competitions. 50 stable ford points are very often even exceeded ( 64 is the record so far ). Over time , the new system might become fairer but until then, lots of members between 10 and 20 handicap will have left the game because of frustration. Another big disadvantage is that I cannot forecast my new handicap without a computer.

By my calculations I'll be going from an 11 to 19hdcp! 😂😂

My brain hurts 😂 only been playing for a bit and this makes no sense to me, although my garmin app says I’m a 22 handicap after 9 games.

Much to complicated for me.As some one previous said you need to be an Einstein!!!!.I play golf for fun..!!!

Wow! How to ruin gulf for the casual golfer!!

My buddies are still confused and annoyed with "net double" rule.

I don't know anymore now as before how about what you hit that's it

What is the point of handicaps at all. I am a very poor golfer and I am usually beaten by better players. If I am beaten by six shots but my handicap is eight more than my opponent, does that mean I have won?

All very easy we get or loose 1 or 2 shots. But why / how is the new system giving lower skilled players 34 36 index. Still fed up with bandits of 28 37 winning golf days

Still confused 😐