Handicaps are always a bit contentious. After all, when you’re arguing over strokes with your playing partners on the first tee, how many shots you’re giving away can be the difference between who is buying drinks after the round. That’s why changes to the handicap system are so carefully scrutinized.
The new World Handicap System brings key golf organizations—including Canada, Great Britain, and the USGA—under one system. The group now using the same handicap system represents 15-million golfers in 80 countries, or about a quarter of all golfers. The goal is to create a unified network that allows you to take a handicap wherever you’re going—regardless of whether that’s Bandon Dunes in the U.S., Banff Springs in Canada, or Old Head in Ireland.
With the new system now in effect, here are a few things to keep in mind for your next round.
Establish your handicap
In the past, your handicap was based on 10 of your last 20 scores. The new system takes eight of 20, but instead of taking 96% of the total, as was the case in the past, the new system uses 100%. What does that mean for you? Your handicap should be more representative of how well you play—and favours the more consistent player. Your handicap should also travel better, allowing you to play competitively with golfers from most of the world.
Blame It On the Rain
The new system also considers the impact of an out-of-the-ordinary weather day. If you’ve ever played in high wind, you’ll recognize it isn’t as easy as playing on a warm, calm day. The new system takes into account abnormal weather events and how it impacts your performance. The system uses an algorithm to determine whether there’s an unusual number of high scores on a specific course on a specific day and factors that into the handicap.
Hole Cap
The new system will see a limit of Net Double Bogey as a maximum hole score, so those holes where everything seemed to go wrong won’t reflect your true playing potential.
Handicap for Everyone
The maximum handicap is now 54.0, regardless of gender, meaning even beginners or first time golfers will have an established handicap.
Level the field
You’re also going to find it easier to play a game against an opponent using different tees. The new system uses a course’s slope rating, course rating and par to figure out a “playing handicap,” making it easier for one player to tackle the back tees, but still play a match against a golfer using the forward tees.
What do you think of the new system? Tell us in the comments below!
A fantastic idea, makes sense , removes the negative issue of a bad score on a given hole or day
Hello, how do I begin this new handicap system?
Time will tell if this creates a huge improvement to the system. One thing remains terribly overlooked though. Handicapping holes on the course still has it that the rating of the holes remains the same from all tee blocks. All courses should have their clubs re-rated from each tee block. That is what will keep greater fairness when matches are played with players from different tee blocks.
I don’t understand how you can have a max handicap of 54 if you can only take a max of double bogey on any hole
Maximum is based on net double bogey. So if your handicap is 36. 4 over would be your maximum per hole
If it works…… I LOVE the fact it will take conditions into consideration. It’s hard to score in 50 km winds.
Does the Hole Cap mean that for handicap purposes, the max score I would enter for a hole where I get a stroke would be a triple?
Hi I am 73 years old with a 8 handicap now how do I figure out my new handicap with the new system 6000 yards I play or down south 5500 yards
What is a net double bogie? How is it calculated? I along with 99% of golfers do not play golfers from other countries – so why the change? Great Britain has NOT implemented the new system – just waiting for confirm that it is a dumb idea and will ignore it! Also, your blog fails to explain how the handicap will be adjusted by par and course rating. The algorithm needs scores to calculate weather variable but most golfers are lazy about entering scores promptly. What are the consequences- kick them off men’s league?
Question: Will this new handicap system allow me to play in club tournaments even though I am not a member of any club.
I think it sounds like a great system, especially for high handicap golfers like myself who are not members at any particular course. How do I sign up and what is the fee ?
Sounds like this could work quite well. Won’t do much about the sandbaggers out there though. I always thought that the best 10 of 20 would work better if you tossed out the high and low score. ie: I play to a 19 handicap and last year I had one exceptional day and shot an 81 followed by a 96 the following day in our senior club championship. As the 81 was well below my normal round this score should not count towards my handicap. I always put my scores in hole by hole so the computer can adjust it. I am 69 years old and don’t hit the ball very far but play with guys who out drive by 50 yds or more but have a higher handicap than me. This is very frustrating. I dislike cheaters and wish there was a way to stop them.
I also dislike cheaters and I’ve had more than one “off” round when joined by someone who is a serial cheater. Trouble is, sometimes they don’t even realize they’re doing it.
I don’t keep a handicap but I tell my playing partners what my average score is. In my humble opinion, my average score is more accurate than the majority of my playing partners stated handicaps.
I like the idea. The changes to the old handicap system were needed particularly for new golfers. I like the change relating to the weather. Well done!
It’s about time
Sounds great, I’m sick of hearing the crying from white tee players about old guys like me playing from the forward tees. We are supposed to enjoy the game, and I will play from the tees I enjoy regardless.
I sure wasn’t fond of the old system where for instance 8 was the highest you could put in for a hole. On a par 5 you could only put in 8 even if you shot a 10 and then if you had a par 3 and shot a 7 you still put in 8. The rule should have been so many strokes over par and evened it out. As they say “only time will tell
I have played golf for about 58 years. Despite injuries from various sources, ie golf, hockey, running, baseball etc etc my handicap has been 16/17. just in the last 5/6 years with the old/old system, the old system and with the 2020 system I have over 300 games recorded. My cap is still 16/17 depending on tees. So I look at the NEW system and see I can record a net double bogey. What does that do for me. Well I can only record a 6 on par threes rather than a 7 on the last system. I can now record an 8 on a par 5 rather than a 7 under the old system. Seems to me to be about the same thing except par threes tend to be harder for high handicappers than for low. Par 5’s it would seem harder for high handicappers to get an 8 than a low handicapper to get a 7. Despite being a 16/17 I can still hit the ball a good distance which does not help me on par 3’s but does on par 5’s. So I get one less on a par three and they get to take one more. It seems every change helps the lower handicap more than the higher handicap.
More importantly why use handicaps at all because the low handicaps always get a chance at low gross and low net while the higher handicaps only get a chance at low net. Unless it is a professional tournament all prizes/recognition should be low net. You will really hear the low handicaps scream then.
I agree with the comment about if you use 8 of the last 20 scores then you should discard the high and the low of the best ten and use the other 8 as a more fair way of doing it.
I predict the use of course conditions will not be around in less than 3 years. People who live in a windy area learn to play in that. Others struggle because they play in it rarely. How will you account for that? The same holds true for rainy climates and for higher altitudes and sea level. How will you factor that in?
Anyway the true test is to shoot your age. I am on course for about 84 years of age. Not that long from now.
Course ratings should account for the regular and ongoing environmental difficulties such as wind and rain. The weather factor would only come into play where unusual conditions result in unusually high or low scores for that day. So one has to have sophisticated software to evaluate the overall daily scores vs. the average daily scoring. And this relies on players religiously pumping their scores into the system. I think that the old system was simpler and good enough.
In the ‘Hole Cap’, what does it mean to see the limit as ‘net double bogey’ as a maximum hole score ?
When I play some courses they need proof of my handicap how do I register my scores and where so I can have on hand some documentation
I agree 100%, I would be good for players and managers of golf courses as well and pro’s dealing with people
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