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What is a Course Handicap?

What is a Course Handicap?

What is a Course Handicap?

What is a course Handicap?

What is a Course Handicap?

Before any player starts their round they must convert their Handicap Index into a Course Handicap.

The Course Handicap determines the number of strokes a player receives for any set of tees on a course.

 

How to work out a Course Handicap?

England Golf has provided Course & Slope Rating tables to all golf clubs. Tables should be positioned in conspicuous locations around the club to make it simple for golfers to find prior to beginning their round.

Golfers simply have to choose the tees they are playing off that day and cross reference their Handicap Index on the Course & Slope Rating table to ascertain their Course Handicap. It really is as simple as that – they’re then ready to get out on the course and play!

Course Handicap Tables are also available via an App and club handicap software so golfers can view their Course Handicap remotely prior to a round. Should any golfer wish to calculate their Course Handicap manually the formula is as follows:

Course Handicap Key Features Video from the R&A and USGA

Course Rating & Slope Rating

Course Rating & Slope Rating

Course Rating & Slope Rating

KINGSTHORPE GOLF CLUB, NORTHAMPTON

Please see below our official Course and Slope Ratings as approved by England Golf. Conversion charts are available by the first tee before you commence your round of golf.

j

White Tees Men's

Par

69


Length

5854 Yards


Course Rating

68.4


Slope Rating

124

j

Yellow Tees Men's

Par

69


Length

5652 Yards


Course Rating

67.8


Slope Rating

122

j

Red Tees Men's

Par

69


Length

5316 Yards


Course Rating

65.9


Slope Rating

122

j

Winter Tees Men's

Par

71


Length

5270 Yards


Course Rating

66.1


Slope Rating

120

j

Red Tees Women's

Par

71


Length

5316 Yards


Course Rating

71.3


Slope Rating

133

j

Winter Tees Women's

Par

71


Length

5270 Yards


Course Rating

71.1


Slope Rating

133

What is the World Handicap System (WHS)?

Developed by The R&A and USGA in collaboration with existing handicap authorities, the benefit of the WHS over the old system is it combines the Rules of Handicapping and the Course Rating System.

• Attract more players to the game
• Making handicapping easier to understand
• Give all golfers a Handicap Index that can be transferrable from club to club

General Play & Competition Rounds

General Play & Competition Rounds

General Play & Competition Rounds

General Play and Competition Rounds

How to submit a score?

After the completion of a competition round, a player has to submit their scorecard as soon as possible in order for their Handicap Index to be updated. Preferably, scores should be posted at the venue being played and on the same day, as this will be when a player’s Handicap Index will be updated.

Posting of scores is possible by players utilising the technology available at their golf club.

 

How to verify a score?

In order to verify a score and for it to count towards a players WHS, it must be played:

• In accordance with The Rules of Golf

• In an authorised format of play

• Over a minimum number of 10 holes

• With at least one other person

• On a course with a current Course Rating and Slope Rating

 

How your score counts towards the WHS?

Acceptable formats of play for submitting a score towards a player’s Handicap Index include:

• Pre-registered general play ‘social’ scores

• All individual competition rounds, both 9 and 18 holes, whether played at home or away

 

Non-Acceptable formats of play for submitting a score towards a player’s Handicap Index include:

• Scores from fourball better ball

• Other matchplay events

For golfers playing in recreational rounds with friends, either in teams or pairs, even when there is no intention of submitting a score for handicap purposes, they will need to calculate their Course Handicap prior to their round.

What is a Playing Handicap?

What is a Playing Handicap?

What is a Playing Handicap?

What is a Playing Handicap?
What is a Playing Handicap?

What is a Playing Handicap?

A Playing Handicap is a stroke allowance that is implemented in order to maintain the integrity of the WHS when used in competitions. It allows golfers to compete on a level playing field, regardless of their Handicap Index.

The Course Handicap converts to a Playing Handicap for competition purposes and changes depending on the format of play.

The four most important aspects of Playing Handicap to remember are:

• It is only used for competition purposes

• It ensures equity to calculate competition results (via Handicap Allowances)

• Golfers do not need to calculate it (it is generated before their round)

• Golfers should continue to play in the mindset of their Course Handicap in competition rounds

The WHS has been designed with the enjoyment of recreational golf at the forefront. The WHS will allow golfers to play with freedom, therefore changing the nature in which they play the game. The focus for golfers should not be on their Playing Handicap.

Playing Handicap Video from the R&A and USGA

Course Rating & Slope Rating

What is a Handicap Index?

What is the Handicap Index?

The Handicap Index is the most important element of the WHS.

The Handicap Index:

• Is a measure of the ability of a player

• Be portable from course to course

• Allows players to compete fairly and therefore promote inclusivity within the game

 

A Handicap Index is calculated from the best eight scores from the last 20 rounds.

As a new score is submitted, a player’s Handicap Index will automatically update to the most recent 20 scores. A player’s Handicap Index will update promptly overnight after the submission of an acceptable score and be ready before the next time they play.

 

How to obtain a Handicap Index?

For new golfers to gain their Handicap Index they will have to submit a minimum of 54 holes (using any combination of 9 and 18 holes). Their Handicap Index will be the lowest of their three rounds minus two strokes and continue to be built until the 20 scores are achieved.

IMPORTANT

The maximum Handicap Index for any player is 54. To obtain a recognised Handicap Index a player must be an affiliated member of a golf club.

How to safeguard a Handicap Index?

A Soft Cap and Hard Cap will be implemented to limit any extreme upward movement of a player’s Handicap Index within a 365-day period. This has been introduced to act as a safeguard to prevent any handicap manipulation.

The Soft Cap will suppress movement by 50% after a 3.0 stroke increase over a player’s Low Handicap Index (see glossary of terms later in this toolkit). For clarity in this instance, a Low Handicap Index is the lowest Handicap Index a player has had during the previous 12-month period.

The Hard Cap will restrict upward movement on 5.0 strokes over the Low. Handicap Index.

Restricting the extreme upward movement of a Handicap Index will ensure that a player’s temporary loss of form does not cause the Handicap Index to move too far away from their actual ability.

IMPORTANT

Caps only start to take effect once a player has at least 20 acceptable scores in their record.

Handicap Index Key Features Video from the R&A and USGA

What is Slope Rating?

What is Slope Rating?

What is Slope Rating?

Slope Rating
Slope Rating

What is Slope Rating?

Slope Rating is the number which indicates the relative playing difficulty of a course for Bogey Golfers, compared to Scratch Golfers.

It is the difficulty comparison between a Bogey Golfer and a Scratch Golfer from the same set of tees.

 

Slope Rating Graphic
(In simple terms it is the combination of the Course Rating and the Bogey Rating, which allows us to calculate the Slope Rating of a set of tees)

 

The use of Slope allows a player’s Handicap Index to be portable from course to course and country to country. It also enables acceptable scores from any rated golf course in the world to be submitted for a player’s handicap purposes.

The Slope Rating is a key component in calculating the number of strokes each player receives to play a particular golf course.
Each set of tees will have a Slope Rating value between 55 and 155.

The higher the Slope Rating, the more additional strokes a Bogey Golfer will need to be able to play it. The lower the Slope Rating, the less strokes a Bogey Golfer will require.

The Slope Ratings are gender specific and the tee which a golfer plays from must have a Slope Rating for each gender.

IMPORTANT

113 is the Slope Rating value where all players play from their Handicap Index (i.e. the course is as equally hard for both Scratch and Bogey players).

Slope Rating Key Features Video from the R&A and USGA

Course & Slope Rating Table Example (link to download)

Battle of Britain Results 2020

Battle of Britain Results 2020

BATTLE OF BRITAIN 2020 – RESULTS

A GREAT TURN OUT FOR THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN THIS WEEKEND SAW TWO LONG STANDING MEMBERS – WITH A COMBINED MEMBERSHIP PERIOD OF NEARLY 60 YEARS – TAKE TOP SPOT.

Alan Croxford  (15) and Glyn Thomas (6) combined on the card perfectly to finish with 40pts – helped by a 5pt eagle from Glyn on the 6th hole! At 82 years of age, that must make Alan one of the oldest winners of a board comp at Kingsthorpe Golf Club. Hope for us all yet! Well done both!

A close second, and keeping it in the family were Jake Croxford (3) and Paul Croxford (6) on 39pts.

Countback was needed to decide 3rd-5th – 3rd Mark Spence (13) and Joe Treacy (7), 4th Andre Hares (10) and Andy Sibley (11) and 5th Gary Malin (11) and Martin Dunn (9) all finished on 38pts.

Next week the Izzard medal, where 3 Divisional winners get to represent the club at the Izzard Trophy final – which this year will be held at Delapre on Saturday 3rd October.