World Handicap System 2020 – Course Handicap Calculator
The R&A have devised a simple calculator that converts your Handicap Index into a Course Handicap, which provides you with the number of strokes you will need to play your chosen golf course.
Once you have been issued with your Handicap Index you can access this Calculator by clicking on the link below and use it to calculate your Course Handicap for any course you plan on playing:
R&A Course Handicap Calculator
Best wishes
Tony
Can you tell me the calculation to use to work out the shots on courses in Turkey. In England for a course with a slope of 125 I would take my 12.6 then x by the 125 then divide by 113. If I use the same formula in Turkey it gives me 1 shot less
You haven’t actually provided all the details of the course you will be playing, e.g. Course Rating and Slope.
These may be different from your UK Course. Otherwise:
An 18-hole Course Handicap is calculated as follows:
For GB&I:
Course Handicap = Handicap Index x (Slope Rating ÷ 113)
For the Rest of the World:
The calculation includes a figure for (Course Rating – Par) which GB&I have not adopted, you will therefore need the value for the Course Rating of the Course/s you will be playing.
This may account for your stroke difference.
Course Handicap = Handicap Index x (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating – par)
Why do we now have two different calculation systems dependant upon whether we are in GB&I or elsewhere? The RandA handicap calculator has a bizarre statement “with course rating minus par” …or “without……….” [for GB&I].
I thought the WORLD handicapping System was meant to bring us all together??
If you go to the USGA handicap tables, they are markedly different from the RandA calculations. That won’t confuse anybody will it?
And as for the 95% issue for Strokeplay and stableford….give me strength!
So an American and a Brit playing on a course in Turkey (covid-permitting), may have the same handicap index but different playing handicaps. To misquote Churchill : “Two countries separated by a common handicapping system!”
R&A Course Handicap Calculator
RE: ‘So an American and a Brit playing on a course in Turkey (covid-permitting), may have the same handicap index but different playing handicaps. To misquote Churchill : “Two countries separated by a common handicapping system!”’
The Handicap Index is calculated in exactly the same way for all players worldwide, they are therefore comparable. It is not dependent upon the jurisdiction in which the Handicap Index was allocated.
So, a 14.7 Handicap Index in the US is the same as a 14.7 Handicap Index in England, Spain or Turkey.
Differences however do arise in the Calculation of Course Handicaps depending on the location of the course being played, because some jurisdictions have not adopted the WHS in toto.
Depending on where you are playing your round and/or who you are playing with – you may or may not be required to include Course Rating and Par in this calculation. Check with the golf club, the Committee, or the Authorised Association.
When you use the R&A Course Handicap Calculator, determine the location of the course you wish to play.
From the location, determine whether Course Rating minus Par is used:
1. Without Course Rating minus Par – (GB&I)
2. With Course Rating minus Par – (Rest of the World bar Australia)
3. Australia uses the Course Rating minus Par but then applies a 0.93 Multiplier so the R&A Calculator will not work for Australian Courses.
So, using your example with the R&A Course Handicap Calculator:
1. Choose between a 9-Hole Round and an 18-Hole Round
2. Choose with Course Rating minus Par for your Course in Turkey
3. Enter, Handicap Index, Course Rating, Par and Slope for your Course, if you do not know them Select the ‘Look Up’ Option
4. Select ‘Calculate’ once you have entered all the information.
5. Hey Presto! You will find that both players will play off the same Course Handicap for the same course.
RE: ‘And as for the 95% issue for Strokeplay and stableford….give me strength!’
The whole idea of Handicap Allowances is to provide a fair and equitable way of determining winners in competitions, they do not affect scores submitted for Handicap Purposes
Under the WHS, equity is now based on a top 10% finish, previously it was a top 25% finish. In singles match play, the previous Handicap System slightly favoured the lower handicap player, however it is closer to 50/50 equity with the WHS.
For four-ball and other team formats, the handicap allowances have been slightly reduced to offset the increase in standard equity for individual formats. Essentially, a slight increase in equity for singles match play, as mentioned above, results in a higher handicap player having an advantage in team events. As a result, a reduction in most team formats is appropriate.
Today, a larger number of scores and/or simulations, than previously used, have been used to determine and validate the handicap allowances used in the WHS because of the access to much more data, worldwide, the USGA and R&A were able to generate handicap allowances that met the desired equity.
Previous handicap allowances were validated in the early 2000’s, however no significant changes were warranted at the time. With the opportunity to run completely new tests for handicap allowances with updated scoring data, the R&A and USGA have been able to determine the best handicap allowances to use in the current playing environment.
Just read an article by the WGH , which gives 3 reasons for the system change, 1 to allow more people to take up the game, sorry, got to disagree with that as the handicap system is never considered by people taking up the game,
2, To make it easier to understand, absolute pile of tosh, hardly anybody at my gold club knows what their handicap is, even worse now as you only 95% of your strokes in a stroke or stableford round, (changed because somebody realised that higher handicaps are way too many shots, making it an unfair advantage against a low handicap player.
My last gripe is why should the average joe soap who rocks up at his golf club never goes out praticing, does not hit balls before a round, be on a level playing field with a low handicapper who puts in hours and hours of practice and golf lessons. its is the individual golfers choice to play or practice as and when, so why should they be on a level playing field.
3 Why would most average golfers ever need to compete against the rest of the world. Keep doing what you are doing and you will kill the game altogether or make it totally elitest, we have already lost most of the tradiational major competitions on terrestrial TV, its no wonder the game is not getting taken up.
Sorry, but I am not involved in drawing up the Ruls of Golf or Rules of Handicapping
I just hope to help players understand and implement the relevant rules correctly
Any concerns you have about the WHS are best taken up with England Golf directly.
Couldn’t agree more with your comments! You’ve got it spot on. Horrendous system that favors higher handicappers and confuses the majority!
Mark, this is to maintain the integrity of the system the 2-hour time lag ensures that your round is registered before you start playing your round.
When I click on your link for the calculator nothing happens??? Does it work or not please?
Sorry about that.
Link OK now, takes you to the R&A Website, the Calculator is halfway down the page.
You can also access the Calculator from the MyEG Golf App.
You are 100% right Steve, we have a handicap, or did have, a handicap system which could be simply overseen by the Golf Union and was readily available to clubs through the CDH system. The whole game s becoming a mess, gets more complicated every year. Why can’t we be left to enjoy it as we have for years?
this handicap system is a nightmare and why do we have to be dictated to by the yanks we started the sport we should govern it.