What is an Acceptable Score for an accurate WHS Handicap Index?

The World Handicap System aims to provide golfers with plenty of opportunity to submit scores for handicap purposes, ensuring their Handicap Index is reflective of their demonstrated ability. The more acceptable scores a player submits, the more accurate their Handicap Index will be.

What are Acceptable Scores for Handicap Purposes?

The current term Qualifying Score is replaced by a new term in the WHS; Acceptable Score.

• 9 hole and 18 hole Singles Competition Rounds in Authorised Formats must be submitted for handicap purposes, subject to the round being played to the Rules of Golf and over a measured course with a current Course Rating and Slope Rating.
• The only exception to this is in the winter months when the Competitions Committee may declare that the course conditions are unsuitable for submitting Acceptable Scores.
• Scores from team comps and match play will not be acceptable in England initially, but this may change based on feedback from other countries that currently include those formats.
• Scores from General Play, called Social Scores, may be submitted, subject to preregistration, in much the same way as you currently do with Supplementary Scores.
• The recommendation from England Golf is that scores from regular organised less formal competitions amongst members (Swindles and roll-ups) are considered preregistered and are submitted for handicap purposes.

This is to enable players to have more scores in their Record – the more scores that you submit, the more reflective your Handicap Index will be of your ability.

Submitting a score for handicap should no longer be considered to be a ‘special event’. Your Handicap Index calculation needs your scores to work properly.

Authorised Formats of Play

The authorised formats of play for Acceptable Scores are 9 hole or 18 hole singles rounds in the following formats:

• Stroke play (Medal)
• Stableford
• Par/Bogey
• Maximum Score