White Lodge Golf Club

The rules of golf went through considerable changes in 2019, but 2020 promises a much bigger transformation, this time concerning the way that the handicap system works.

The World Handicap System (WHS) has been developed by the R&A and the USGA.

Features of the WHS will include:

• A consistent handicap index that is portable from course to course and country to country through worldwide use of a Course and Slope rating system already used successfully in the USA and other countries.
• An average based calculation of a handicap index taken from the best 8 of the last 20 scores submitted in qualifying rounds, but with a safety mechanism to ensure that a player’s handicap cannot increase by more than 5 shots during a 12 month period.
• A calculation (similar to CSS) that considers the impact that abnormal course and weather conditions might have on a player’s performance each day.
• A limit of a net double bogey (for handicapping purposes only) on the maximum score on a hole.
• A maximum handicap limit of 54, regardless of gender

Course Rating and Slope Rating

Course Rating replaces Standard Scratch (SSS) in the new system and represents the score that a scratch golfer is expected to achieve on the course.

Slope Rating represents the relative difficulty of a course from a specific set of tees for a ‘bogey’ golfer compared to a ‘scratch’ golfer. A course with many hazards, long carries and thick rough will have a higher slope rating because these features are more of a challenge to the bogey golfer. A golfer’s handicap for a specific course is determined by multiplying the player’s Handicap Index by the ratio of the course Slope Rating divided by the ‘neutral’ slope of 113.

Watch this space!

The R&A and the USGA have unveiled the new Rules of Golf which will come into force on 1 January 2019, so you better get swatting up on them before next year.

Some of the changes from the proposed changes include dropping from knee height, no penalty for a double hit and elimination of moved ball penalties.

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As most of us are aware there are some major revisions to the rules of golf as well as the introduction of the new World Handicap System, due to be introduced in 2019. It is important that we all keep up to date on these changes so I would like to give a brief summary of where we are so far, and where to find information about developments as they are unveiled over the course of this year.

World Handicap System

The R&A and USGA announced in 2017 that they would be working with golf handicapping authorities around the world to develop a single World Handicap System which would be adopted by all countries worldwide. Firm proposals are expected ‘early this year’ but so far no details have been forthcoming.

When the details are finally announced there will be a period of ‘education’ to familiarise golf clubs and golfers with the new system. The information at present seems to point to a full introduction in 2020.

Rule changes

The R&A and USGA have also announced a major set of proposed changes to the Rules of Golf to be implemented from 2019.

Examples of some of the changes are:

• Flagsticks will no longer have to be removed for balls on the green
• Damage to the green such as spike marks or pitch marks can be repaired before a putt is taken
• Loose impediments such as leaves, stones etc. can be removed from a bunker before taking a shot.
• Time allowed to search for a lost ball will be reduced from 5 minutes to 3 minutes.

A new edition of the Rules of Golf handbook is being prepared which should be clearer and will even have pictures and diagrams!

The details of these changes, featuring some short video explanations can be found on the R&A website https://www.rules.golf/

The England Golf Union also have an informative website www.englandgolf.org

Doug Atchison