Author: Tony Ireland

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Guidance to the Rules of Handicapping – Updated 2023 Version 1.7

The Guidance to the Rules of Handicapping as Applied to GB&I, England, Wales and Ireland has been updated for 2023.

The changes to note in this version, Version 1.7 are:

  1. Directive added that scores for initial handicaps do now need to be pre-registered and reinforcement that such cards do need to be pre-registered.
  2. Advice added that the Committee is responsible for the players handicap on the scorecard (unless a local rule to the contrary is in place). Added advice that the local rule is not recommended by CONGU®.
  3. Removal of DQ sections for no or wrong handicap on scorecard.
  4. Additional advice regarding the retention of scorecards.
  5. Clarification of the situation of returning scores from outside GB&I until interoperability is in place.

Scores submitted from outside GB&I must be returned by the player to his/her home club as soon as possible after the round along with the PCC for the day played. This score can then be added to the players’ record. Until global operability is in place, any international score (outside of GB&I) with a known PCC value, that is being manually recorded is adjusted by an equal opposite value, changing the adjusted gross score.

  1. Confirmation of the make-up of the Handicap Committee.

The Committee must be made up of at Least 3 people and most of these should be members (this is part of your affiliation requirement so it’s vital that it is in place all year round). This is a CONGU®/ England Golf Requirement and is not part of the Rules of Handicapping.

  • Definition of an Elite Golfer added.

CONGU® direct that the definition of an Elite Golfer is a male golfer with a Handicap Index of 0.0 or lower, or a female golfer with a Handicap Index of 2.0 or lower.

  • Removal of the reference to 4BBB and Matchplay trial for Golf Ireland.

It would appear that Golf Ireland have now abandoned their trial of accepting scores from Match Play and 4BBB formats and fallen inline with the rest of GB&I

  • Where there is local rule for a player to record handicap on card, Golf Ireland direct that Handicap Index is a minimum requirement.

Under the Rules of Golf (2023), unless an appropriate local rule to the contrary is in place, it is a Committee Responsibility to enter a players’ handicap on the card, and a player can no longer be disqualified by a failure to record a handicap on the score card. The CONGU® recommendation is NOT to implement such a local rule. In situations where the local rule has been implemented, the following advice applies:

To avoid a DQ under Local Rule the player must put his/her Course Handicap on the scorecard. This is expressed as an integer and represents the number of strokes the player receives for handicap purposes for both Competition scores and General Play returns. Golf Ireland direct that recording the Handicap Index is a requirement in Ireland.

You can download an updated version of the Guidance to the Rules of Handicapping as Applied to GB&I – England, Wales and Ireland Version 1.7 by Clicking Here or Clicking on the Download Button below:

An updated version for Scotland will be published soon.

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Deep Ruts Made By Vehicles Or Deep Footprints

What Constitutes a Deep Rut, Footprint etc.?

During months when heavy rain or other weather conditions may result in many areas of unusual damage to a course (such as deep ruts caused by vehicles or deep footprints caused by golfers, green staff or spectators), and it is not feasible to define them with stakes or lines, the Committee has the authority to declare such unusual damage to be ground under repair.

These circumstances can be covered by your Committee declaring them as Ground Under Repair, and so you may take free relief from them; but, from the definition of Ground under Repair not all instances are Ground Under Repair

Note:

  • Ground Under Repair/1 – Damage Caused by Committee or Maintenance Staff Is Not Always Ground Under Repair.

A hole made by maintenance staff is ground under repair even when not marked as ground under repair. However, not all damage caused by maintenance staff is ground under repair by default.

Examples of damage that is not ground under repair by default include:

  • A rut made by a tractor (but the Committee is justified in declaring a deep rut to be ground under repair).
  • An old hole plug that is sunk below the putting green surface, but see Rule 13.1c (Improvements Allowed on Putting Green).

Relief from a rut made by a tractor etc. may, however, be allowed provided your Committee has a Local Rule in place. See Model Local Rule F-4.

  • Model Local Rule F-4: Extensive Damage Due to Heavy Rain and Traffic

Purpose. When heavy rain has resulted in many areas of unusual damage to the course (such as deep ruts caused by vehicles or deep footprints caused by spectators), and it is not feasible to define them with stakes or lines, the Committee has the authority to declare such unusual damage to be ground under repair.

Model Local Rule F-4.

“Ground under repair may include areas of unusual damage, including areas where spectators or other traffic have combined with wet conditions to alter the ground surface materially, but only when so declared by an authorized referee or member of the Committee.

Penalty for Playing Ball from a Wrong Place in Breach of Local Rule: General Penalty Under Rule 14.7a.”

But, then you may ask, what is considered to be a Deep Rut?

The best answer that I have for you as to what constitutes a deep rut or footprint etc., if your Committee has a Local Rule in place for relief from deep ruts, is a definition that I use myself:

DEEP RUTS MADE BY VEHICLES OR DEEP FOOTPRINTS

Deep ruts through the green if deemed to be ground under repair.

A player may take relief in accordance with Rule 16.1b.

A rut is considered deep where, if a ball is lying in it, the clubhead cannot connect with it or follow through without interference from an edge of the rut or, if the player has to stand with a foot in it, he cannot take a normal balanced stance.

Note

This applies only to deep ruts and not to shallow indentations.

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Useful WHS Handicap Calculator App

WHS Handicap Calculator

This is a very useful WHS Handicap Calculator App available for both Apple and Android Mobile Devices.

What the author (Khadeeja Mohamed)says:

WHS Handicap Calculator is an all-in-one golf handicap calculator app for calculating individual and team Playing Handicaps with mixed-tee adjustments for all popular formats of play.

Whether you are organising friendly matches for your club or playing in team or mixed competitions, this app may be used to calculate the handicaps for all golfers including strokes received in match play. Or you may be playing in your regular four-ball and decide on the day the format and the tee(s). Just enter the relevant information in the app to get the recommended WHS Playing Handicaps for all players before you tee off.

This app calculates the Course and Playing Handicaps under the World Handicap System for all popular formats and applies recommended handicap allowances and mixed-tee adjustments. The Playing Handicaps for both Stableford and medal scoring are provided. This app caters for all golfers with a WHS Index, including plus-handicap golfers and offers settings for Course Handicap for use in multiple countries.

Using the App

Create and manage your list of 18-hole and 9-hole courses by adding the Course Rating, Slope Rating and Par for each tee. You may also add from a custom list provided in this app and edit as necessary to maintain accuracy. The ratings may get updated from time to time so always check the data used in the app are current and accurate and update accordingly.

Use the Single tab if all golfers play off the same tee. Use the Mixed tab if more than one tee is used. Select the golf course, tee(s) and format of play. Enter the Handicap Indexes for the group of players. For a plus-handicap golfer enter the Handicap Index as a negative value. Share handicaps easily with playing partners or opponents prior to your match.

Calculation of Course Handicap and Rounding

Under the WHS, countries may or may not apply the discretionary (CR – par) item in the calculation of Course Handicap. It is not applied in GB&I while it is in the US and many other countries. The Playing Handicap and any mixed-tee adjustments depend on the formula used for calculating CH.

Another aspect that is different across countries is rounding. The full Course Handicap is used for calculating the Playing Handicap in Scotland while it is first rounded to a whole number in England, Wales and Ireland. The 9-hole Course Handicap is calculated by halving the Handicap Index, but this value may or may not be rounded to one decimal place in the calculation. The applied rounding may result in a difference of a full stroke in Playing Handicaps.

This app contains all the relevant settings for Course Handicaps and adds any applicable mixed-tee adjustments to the Playing Handicap.

Mixed Tee Adjustments

For competitions or friendly games where multiple tees are used, the mixed-tee adjustments to handicaps are added to achieve equity when Course Ratings and/or pars are different. It also applies to fully mixed team formats to allow for rounding and the relative impact of the adjustments to individuals and teams. In this app, whenever multiple tees are assigned to players, the mixed-tee adjustments for medal and/or Stableford scoring are added to Playing Handicaps. The adjustment to the Playing Handicaps for a team is the average of the individual adjustments. For a mixed-tee scratch format, enter Handicap Index of 0 for all players to get their mixed-tee adjusted Playing Handicaps.

This app is not endorsed by any golf governing bodies. Users are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the input data, the settings and the handicaps obtained from the app are applicable and accurate.

Following a free 7-day trial period there is a small annual subscription of £2.99 (GBP).

You can download the App by clicking on the appropriate button below:

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2023 Update to the Guidance to the Rules of Handicapping as Applied to GB&I, England, Wales and Ireland.

The Guidance to the Rules of Handicapping as Applied to GB&I, England, Wales and Ireland has been updated for 2023. Version 1.7

The Guidance to the Rules of Handicapping as Applied to GB&I – Scotland Version 1.7 will be available soon.

The changes to note in this version, Version 1.7 are:

  • Directive added that scores for initial handicaps do now need to be pre-registered and reinforcement that such cards do need to be pre-registered.
  • Advice added that the Committee is responsible for the players handicap on the scorecard (unless a local rule to the contrary is in place). Added advice that the local rule is not recommended by CONGU®.
  • Removal of DQ sections for no or wrong handicap on scorecard.
  • Additional advice regarding the retention of scorecards.
  • Clarification of the situation of returning scores from outside GB&I until interoperability is in place.

Scores submitted from outside GB&I must be returned by the player to his/her home club as soon as possible after the round along with the PCC for the day played. This score can then be added to the players’ record. Until global operability is in place, any international score (outside of GB&I) with a known PCC value, that is being manually recorded is adjusted by an equal opposite value, changing the adjusted gross score.

  • Confirmation of the make-up of the Handicap Committee.

The Committee must be made up of at Least 3 people and most of these should be members (this is part of your affiliation requirement so it’s vital that it is in place all year round). This is a CONGU®/ England Golf Requirement and is not part of the Rules of Handicapping.

  • Definition of an Elite Golfer added.

CONGU® direct that the definition of an Elite Golfer is a male golfer with a Handicap Index of 0.0 or lower, or a female golfer with a Handicap Index of 2.0 or lower.

  • Removal of the reference to 4BBB and Match Play trial for Golf Ireland.

Golf Ireland have now abandoned their trial of accepting scores from Match Play and 4BBB formats and fallen inline with the rest of GB&I.

The acceptance of scores from 4BBB s is still under discussion and may be adopted by all UK Nations in the future.

  • Where there is local rule for a player to record handicap on card, Golf Ireland direct that Handicap Index is a minimum requirement.

Under the Rules of Golf (2023), unless an appropriate local rule to the contrary is in place, it is a Committee Responsibility to enter a players’ handicap on the card, and a player can no longer be disqualified by a failure to record a handicap on the score card. The CONGU® recommendation is NOT to implement such a local rule. In situations where the local rule has been implemented, the following advice applies:

To avoid a DQ under Local Rule the player must put his/her Course Handicap on the scorecard. This is expressed as an integer and represents the number of strokes the player receives for handicap purposes for both Competition scores and General Play returns. Golf Ireland direct that recording the Handicap Index is a requirement in Ireland.

  • Add Golf Ireland requirement for Handicap Index to be on the Card.
  • Add recommendation for Par + 5 for Maximum Score format.
  • Remove reference to Golf Ireland in Most Likely Score section.

You can download an updated version of the Guidance to the Rules of Handicapping as Applied to GB&I – England, Wales and Ireland Version 1.7 by Clicking Here or Clicking on the Download Button below:

 

 

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A Christmas 2022 Rules Quiz

A Christmas Quiz on the New 2023 Rules of Golf

Try your hand at this Christmas Rules Quiz if you want a few minutes peace and quiet over the Festive Season.

There are 18 questions.

A Fun Quiz for Christmas 2022 on the Rules of Golf 2023

1. In a handicap match with an assigned starting time but without a referee, the players must:

Question 1 of 18

2. In stroke play, a player takes lateral relief from a red penalty area. The player properly drops a ball, but it rolls and comes to rest more than two club-lengths from the reference point. The player plays the ball. What is the ruling?

Question 2 of 18

3. In Four-Ball stroke play side A-B returns a scorecard with the scores of both A and B individually recorded as four for the 3rd hole. After the scorecard was returned to the Committee, the Committee counted A's score for the side. Then, it was discovered that the score of A was actually five because they had failed to include a penalty stroke that was unknown by the side at the time. What is the ruling?

Question 3 of 18

4. Artificial objects defining or showing out of bounds, such as walls, fences, stakes and railings are obstructions. True or False?

Question 4 of 18

5. A player is not allowed to use her/his hand to bend a branch obscuring their view of the ball after taking their stance; if they do, and don't return the branch to its original position,  they get the General Penalty.

Question 5 of 18

6. A player has knowledge or virtual certainty thet her/his ball is in a red penalty area. The player decides to take relief under the lateral relief option of the penalty relief area rule 17.1d(3), speculates where the ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area and drops a ball within two club-lengths from that point. After the ball is dropped, but before the player makes their next stroek, another player says that the original ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area 20 yards closer to the hole than where the ball was dropped. The player finds the original ball in the area where the other player said it would be. What is the ruling?

Question 6 of 18

7. In Stroke Play, during play of a hole, a player puts another ball into play for the original ball that s/he says is cut or cracked. The player's marker disagrees but the player makes a stroke at the new ball. The marker asks the Committee for a ruling before the completion of the hole and the Committee determines that the ball taken out of play was not cut or cracked. What penalty does the player get?

Question 7 of 18

8. A player's ball on a par-3 hole, played from the teeing-area across water marked as a Yellow Penalty Area, lies in a bunker behind the putting green. The player makes a stroke from the bunker and the ball comes to rest in the penalty area in front of the putting green. What is the ruling?

Question 8 of 18

9. In a Stroke-Play competition , A hits their tee shot into a heavily wooded area. They properly play a provisional ball under Rule 18.3b and it comes to rest in the fairway. They search for the original ball for one minute and then declare it 'lost'. They walk over to their provisional ball and accidentally kick it, then replace it, but before they play it within 3 minutes of starting the search , a spectator finds their original ball. They lift the provisional ball and play the original ball to the green. They take two putts and tee0off on the next hole. What is their score for the hole?

Question 9 of 18

10. During the round, a player may access local weather information, including wind, temperature and humidity, through an application or internet browser on a multi-functional device. True or False?

Question 10 of 18

11. A player plays a provisional ball from the teeing area that appears to come to rest in the same general location as the original ball. The player discovers the original ball out of bounds and cannot find the provisional ball. What is the ruling?

Question 11 of 18

12. In Match Play, which is incorrect about Rules' issues during the round?

Question 12 of 18

13. In an 18-hole Stableford competition, a player failed to finish a hole and returned a scorecard for only 17 holes s/he had completed, the player must be disqualified. True or False?

Question 13 of 18

14. Player A and Player B played into a penalty area at about the same spot in shallow water. At the direction of A, as agreed to by B, A’s caddie recovers both balls and the balls are exchanged by mistake. A and B take relief under the penalty area relief Rule (17.1d) and play out the hole with the balls exchanged. What is the ruling?

Question 14 of 18

15. A player's ball lies in the general area in an area of temporary water that extends onto the putting green. When the player determines the nearest point of complete relief in the general area from interference for their lie, stance and area of intended swing, the puddle of temporary water on the putting green intervenes between this point and the hole. When taking relief without penalty from the temporary water, the player must

Question 15 of 18

16. In Four-Ball Match Play with side A-B, A holes out. Before B holes out, A practises putting on the fringe of the putting green without helping B's play or hurting the opponent's play. What is the ruling?

Question 16 of 18

17. If a player decides their ball, in a bunker, is unplayable, there are two options that require the ball to be dropped in the bunker and only one that allows relief outside the bunker. True or False?

Question 17 of 18

18. In Foursomes play, the player's ball must be dropped by the player who is to make the next stroke, no one else may do so, including the player's partner, even if authorised. True or False?

Question 18 of 18


 

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas

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2023 Updates to the Rules of Golf

Key Changes to the Rules of Golf Set to Take Effect in 2023 (NOVEMBER 7, 2022)

Information that many of you have been eagerly waiting for has finally been published.

The USGA and the R&A have unveiled a regular update to the Rules of Golf as they continue to make the Rules easier to understand and apply. The new Rules will go into effect on January 1, 2023.

You can download a Poster detailing 5 Key Rules by clicking on the download button below:

You can also download a document ‘Outcome Changes: 2019 Rules to 2023 Rules Comparison’, which details the changes to the Rules of Golf for 2023, by clicking on the download button below:

The 2023 edition continues the modernization process, with an emphasis on both inclusion and sustainability. For the first time, the modified Rules for players with disabilities have been fully incorporated into the playing rules without the need to adopt a local rule. The governing bodies, supported by longstanding partner Rolex, will also promote digital and mobile app access to the Rules while significantly reducing the production and distribution of more than 4 million printed books.

Several penalties have been relaxed and language has been clarified to help golfers at all levels of play.

Key changes include:

  • Modifications for Players with Disabilities: The modifications to the Rules for players with disabilities have been made part of the Rules and are in effect for all players who are classified in the categories covered in Rule 25.
  • Handicap Usage in Stroke Play: With the continued growth of score-posting technology following the adoption of the World Handicap System™, players are no longer penalized for failing to put their handicap on their scorecard in stroke play. The committee will be responsible for ensuring the accuracy of each player’s handicap.
  • Club Damaged During Round: The Rule has been amended to allow a player to replace a club that is damaged during a round, provided the player did not damage it through abuse.
  • Ball Moved by Natural Forces: A new exception provides that a ball at rest must be replaced if it moves to another area of the course or comes to rest out of bounds after being dropped, placed or replaced.
  • Back-on-the-Line Relief Procedure: The back-on-the-line relief procedure, often used for penalty area and unplayable ball relief, has been simplified so that the player now drops their ball on the line, and the ball must come to rest within one club-length of where it is dropped.
Taking Back on the Line Relief Rules of Golf 2023
Taking Back on the Line Relief Rules of Golf 2023

The new Rules will go into effect on 1 January 2023 but remember that the current edition of the Rules of Golf (2019) still applies when playing or posting scores for the remainder of 2022.

From 2023, you are being encouraged to download and use the R&A’s Rules of Golf App. There is a real push towards the Rules of Golf app and other digital offerings.

The R&A are printing four million fewer books than last time round, so reducing their distribution operation in getting those around the world, which also fits in with their emphasis on sustainability.

A full update to the Rules of Golf App will be available for download from mid-December and will include the following developments:

  • The Player’s Rule Finder will replace the Player’ s Edition and the Visual Search. It is intended to help you quickly find a summary of the Rule you need to answer your Rules questions for the majority of scenarios.
  • A new video section will allow you to access all Rules videos in one location. 
  • A new Quick Guide video is aimed at players who are transitioning from learner golfer to a competitive golfer (for example those who are looking to gain a handicap). It will provide new golfers with the minimum Rules information that they need to get around the course. 
  • A new set of short, animated videos will be available to help you understand the most frequently used Rules.
  • A new Rules News section will include Rules articles and news (available in English language version only) and you will have the option to turn on push notifications so that you never miss a new Rules article or update.
  • The quiz will be updated to allow you to select the length of the quiz as 6, 9 or 18 questions and will provide you with immediate feedback after every question.

The full Rule book will still be printed but there will be no printed Player’s Edition from 2023, which is normally distributed free to all Golf Clubs.

You can learn about all the major changes and take a deeper look at the 2023 Rules of Golf, by visiting the R&A and USGA websites.

NOTE: The online version of the Rules of Golf 2023 does not include Clarifications, these are only contained in the published 2023 Official Guide to the Rules of Golf

CLICK HERE TO BUY THE 2023 OFFICIAL GUIDE TO THE RULES OF GOLF

However, the USGA Online Version does, and you can view that by clicking here

Although the R&A and USGA have concentrated on the 5 Key changes the 2023 Rules of Golf contain many other Rule changes, New Clarifications and Local Rules that you should know about because they could impact on your Round of golf.

You can read more details of the 2023 changes to the Rules of Golf and also details of the Additional Rule Changes which may impact on your round of golf by clicking on the link below:

2023 Updates to the Rules of Golf

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Can any set of tees be rated for Ladies or is there still a maximum length?

Can any set of tees be rated for Ladies or is there still a maximum length?

One of the features of the WHS was to have all tees rated for both genders, so allowing players to play from a set of tees that best suited their playing ability or choice.

In the beginning, to ensure that all 1800 courses in England were rated as quickly as possible before the WHS was introduced, England Golf prioritised rating a club’s existing tees and retained the maximum limit of 6100yds for the length of a course for women.

With this programme now completed, rating teams may have more time to be able to look at requests for other courses to be rated especially now that more clubs are adopting gender-free tees.

England Golf have, therefore, taken a more relaxed view and as part of the ongoing development process, are giving clubs the option to ask for longer tee sets to be rated for women if they can demonstrate a need for it.

It is doubtful if a county would turn down a request for a longer course to be rated if their rating team has the time to carry it out.

There will be a cost to carry this rating out.

In the short term, your club can be issued a provisional rating which is based upon yardage and the obstacle values on one of the other rated sets of courses. That would be for two years, by which time the county would have to find time to come and formally rate. So, there is a quick fix if you feel like it is needed in the short term.

Within those two years, that tee would have to see some usage. If your club was given a provisional rating and then, in two years’ time, there’s only been a dozen rounds of golf played on that course, it’s probably very unlikely your county would see fit to formally rate a course that’s seen so little use and it could also be seen as an unnecessary additional cost to your club.

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Accidentally Knocking your Ball off the Tee

Accidentally Knocking Your Ball off the Tee

Most of us have accidentally knocked our ball off the tee when setting up for our drive.

Then, there’s always somebody in your group who shouts’, “One”.

 But is it actually a stroke? Does it count? NO!

Rule 6.1a tells us that we start a hole by making a stroke and a stroke, by definition, is the forward movement of the club with the intent to hit the ball. Knocking the ball off the tee by accident is not an intent to hit the ball, so it doesn’t count as a stroke. You can put the ball back on the tee and hit away with no penalty.

The teeing area is a special part of the golf course. The teeing area is a rectangle with the corners being the front edges of the tee markers and two club lengths backwards.

You can alter the surface, move bend or break grass, remove dew or press down grass or dirt within the teeing area before you start the hole.

If you make a stroke with the intention of hitting your ball, then that stroke counts even if you barely make contact with your ball or even whiff it (air-shot).

If your ball moves outside the teeing area you must play your ball as it lies.

However, should you barely make contact with your ball or even whiff it (air-shot) and your ball stays within the teeing area you have many more options than you had before the 2019 rules changes.

  1. You can play your ball as it lies, pick it up and move it anywhere within that teeing area with no penalty to make your next stroke. (Rule 9.4b).
  2. You can even tee it up again or substitute a new ball!

The new rules have made the teeing area a free for all in many respects and knowing this rule can be used to your advantage.

But when is your ball in the Teeing Area?

Your ball is in the teeing area when any part of your ball touches or is above any part of the teeing area.

See the diagram below:

Image detailing when a ball is in the teeing area
WHEN BALL IS IN TEEING AREA The dotted line defines the outside edges of the teeing area (see Definition of Teeing Area). A ball is in the teeing area when any part of the ball touches or is above part of the teeing area.
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Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC) – Updated August 2022

Update on the Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC) August 2022

At the end of each day, the playing conditions calculation takes place automatically to determine if scores made at the course were significantly higher or lower than the expected scores of the players who made them, primarily due to weather and/or course set up.

If scores were abnormally low or high, a PCC adjustment between -1 and +3 will be applied in the calculation of Score Differentials™ of everyone who played that day. A negative (-) adjustment means the course played easier than expected and a positive (+) adjustment means the course played more difficult than expected. A PCC of 0 means the course played as expected, which will be the case on most days.

The PCC:

  • Uses scoring data so no action is required by the club/course staff or golfer (except for posting scores),
  • Includes only scores made by players with a Handicap Index® of 36.0 or below,
  • Considers both 9-hole and 18-hole scores in the calculation, and
  • Only takes place if at least 8 scores were posted on a given day.
  • (Rule 5.6, Rules of Handicapping)

Date published: 22 Aug 2022

Since the launch of the World Handicap System in November 2020, England Golf has received feedback from golfers, clubs and counties on a wide range of topics.

One of the most talked about aspects of WHS has been the Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC) and its lack of movement compared to the old Competition Scratch Score (CSS).

England Golf have been analysing this very carefully across GB&I and have presented this to The R&A to help with their own research and that of other countries on this topic. As a result of this work, we can report that a change will be made to the algorithm that calculates PCC.

Statement from The R&A/USGA

Analysis of scoring data provided from 24 countries around the world indicates that a change to the rounding method used within the current PCC algorithm would increase the instance of an adjustment for abnormal conditions by an average of 5%.

For example, in countries where an adjustment for PCC only occurs on average 10% of the time on eligible days, this change will increase the average to about 15%.

This small change, recently approved by the Handicap Operations Committee, is in response to feedback from national associations that the current PCC algorithm is too conservative.

While this may feel like a small change, we expect the impact to be significant in highlighting days where a player’s performance was significantly different from that expected by the system.

Please note that there will be no change to the visibility of the calculation. This is an algorithm built within the WHS and is not available to clubs.

This change will not be made retrospectively and will take place on or around Monday 22 August 2022.