By Kelly Neely, Sr. Dir., Handicapping & Course Rating
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So. Many. Questions. A plethora of ponderings! Even at this early point in the season I feel like my brain has been picked like chicken at a BBQ.    

Honestly, the quirkier the query, the more I seem to enjoy it (Disturbing, I know. I’m beginning to sound like a Rules Official). Even the questionable questions and the downright disagreeable ones I consume willingly and without hesitation like the bad coffee at the OGA office. Hey, it builds character.

While I might be doing my best dog head-tilt at the conundrum just presented, hope springs eternal that I can provide a reasonably thorough and lucid response. So, with my remaining brain cells assembled, as well as our trusty Course Rating Guru Gretchen Yoder weighing in here and there, let’s tackle a few intriguing inquiries we’ve received from OGA members so far this season. Names have been changed or removed to protect the innocent.
 

Q: I have not played golf in four years and have recently rejoined. Is there a reason why my handicap is still being used from 2016 and 2017? I have been unable to score in the low 80s.

A: Once I was told by a member “I’m uncomfortable with my previous scores and want to start over.” (Sounds like the perfect metaphor for 2020). While we were all certainly different people four or five years ago – or maybe even yesterday if we’re rearranging an iffy golf swing – a scoring record is meant to be continual. As long as your old record still exists in GHIN it must be brought forward and used when you rejoin.

That said, if after posting new rounds it becomes dismally apparent that your current demonstrated ability is far different than your previous ability, you can appeal to your club’s Handicap Committee for a review of your Handicap Index. They may decide to give you a break and adjust it but can’t do so unless you’re actively playing, posting and providing evidence. By the way, it might be a small consolation, but you’re in excellent company with your “unable to score in the low 80s” comment.

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Q: Just started my handicap and I’ve posted six scores from the same course and tees. The average score for the six rounds is 92.2. My handicap index is showing a 9.2 where it should be 18-20? Why the 9.2?

A: While it’s amusing to look at the average of all of your scores, it’s not an accurate picture of your Handicap Index. In reality only your best rounds are chosen. In addition, when a player is just establishing their Handicap Index and has only three to six rounds in their record, a few more creative calculations occur. In your case, the average of the two lowest score differentials were chosen out of your six rounds to calculate your Index, and then the system deducted one stroke from that number.

I know what you’re thinking – “I’m working hard to get my Index and you’re only taking two rounds? And then dinging me another stroke?” Fair enough but speaking of fairness, the reason the system is structured this way is just that. When a player has less scoring data than what is optimal (20 rounds represents a full scoring record, when eight rounds are used to calculate your Index) safeguards are employed to “protect the field” by way of additional adjustments. The easy remedy? More tee times.  

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Q: I've started entering hole-by-hole scores and noticed that the hole score data in GHIN does not match the actual scorecard for the course. The scorecard for our nine-hole course has 2284 yards for White tees with a Par 34 rating. GHIN has 35 from White tees and has two Par-5 holes when the only Par-5 on the course is Hole #7. Not sure how to enter my score now.

A: Always rely on the data in GHIN for accurate hole-by-hole and Course Rating information. With the changes brought on by the WHS last year, as well as courses on a regular rotation of re-rating, scorecards from facilities can become outdated. Par, which is derived from the Course Rating System, was not a factor before 2020 and is now of paramount importance so it is crucial to use the data in hole-by-hole scoring to get your proper adjustments for handicap purposes. Bonus points for posing a question highlighting a course with a higher Par in GHIN, as we frequently get nailed for publishing a lower Par than the player expects!

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Q: I have a GHIN number and active membership but I can’t get into the GHIN mobile app because the system can’t find me. I bought it online at ushandicap.com and understand that it will be accepted for tournaments.

A:  This is where the old adage “you get what you pay for” rings true. GHIN is one handicap computation service of many but is only procured by being a member of an authorized golf association like the OGA. A handicap purchased online at ushandicap.com is not an OGA membership carrying many benefits including a GHIN-calculated Handicap Index. Thus, you will not have access to GHIN products like the nifty little mobile app. While other computation services may produce a WHS-compliant handicap, that’s where the distinction ends. And there is no guarantee that a handicap such as this will gain you entry into a tournament, as that is for the Committee in charge of the Competition to determine. And those guys can get persnickety. So, it’s best to just sign up with the OGA and stop shopping at Handicaps-R-Us.

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Q: I noted that I have a red “!” mark next to my handicap. I know I have gone up about 3.5 strokes since last year’s off season. Can you enlighten me please?   

A:  Remember the big ole “R” that stuck to your Index like gum on a theater seat? Well, now you see an adjustment as a very discrete exclamation point. But it’s blood red so we have that going for us. In this case, your Handicap Index has undergone a Soft Cap at 5.2. If your Index was not capped, it would be 5.6. The good news is that the difference of .4 may have zero effect on your Course Handicap. This procedure is meant to quell upward movement of a Handicap Index past a certain point. Soft Caps suppress the movement, Hard Caps restrict it.

The capping procedure kicks in when the player’s Handicap Index increases at least 3.0 strokes above their Low Handicap Index of the last 365 days. Your Low HI occurred on 11/8/20 and was 1.7. Your Low is not frozen at that level, as if you best it, it will be replaced by a better Index (and if you go lower than 1.7 I can’t shake your hand but we could bump elbows). Otherwise, the Low HI will expire this November. The Low HI is very important because it can affect your subsequent Indexes. Because the Handicap System is always going to key into the player’s best demonstrated ability, the Low HI is an anchor point. You can “float” in a Soft Cap zone for a couple of strokes. Of course, each time you post a score, the calculations run again that night. A player’s Index can undergo a Hard Cap if it reaches 5.0 strokes above the Low, after the application of a Soft Cap.

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Q: I am just returning from knee surgery. My scores are up. Can you please remove the Cap that has been put on my handicap?

A:  In a word, no. Meaning, I can’t adjust your Handicap Index, only your club’s Handicap Committee can do that. Since you have a medical reason that has likely contributed to higher scores and thus your capped Index, there’s a possibility your Handicap Committee will extend an act of mercy and grant a modification. But you must appeal directly to them.

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Q: In the USGA’s WHS document for explaining Net Double Bogey they indicate that Course Handicaps 19-36 and 37-54 need to use “triple and quad bogey” respectively as the baseline for max score. How would this affect my max score if my course handicap is 29? Here’s why I am asking: I blew two holes on my round (took 10 strokes on a par 4 where I would get 1 stroke and then shot 9 on a par 4 where I would get 1 stroke). Do I use 7 on both holes for my adjusted score, or triple bogey plus which would bring me to an 8 on both? My previous round was 108 gross w/o any major blowups. The round I need to post was 105 gross (the double bogey plus would make this round 100 instead of 105). Is this correct? Or is it 102 using the triple-bogey plus?

A: It’s a good thing I buy my Tylenol in bulk and I’m willing to share. I think the “triple and quad bogey” baseline concept is confusing you. And please consider embracing hole-by-hole score posting. Because the system is populated with Par and handicap holes, if you put in your gross hole score the adjustments will be automatically made for you. But I do appreciate your desire to understand how to adjust manually, so let’s break this down.

First thing to do is spread out your strokes. You have to look at your Course Handicap and the ranking of the handicap stroke holes (Stroke Index Allocation, or SIA).

If your Course Handicap is 29, you get the following –
On Handicap Stroke holes 1 - 11, you get two strokes.
On Handicap Stroke holes 12-18, you get one stroke.
The total of those strokes is 29.

So, for example, on the Par 4, #6 ranked hole, your max would be 4 + 2 + 2 = 8. On a Par 4, #14 ranked hole, your max would be 4 + 2 + 1 = 7.

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Q: If we have an age group that wishes to play a different tee, like Gold – 67.5/123, while the rest of the field is on White – 69.4/130, do we adjust for the tees minus two strokes because of the Course Rating difference?

A:  With the World Handicap System, you no longer make an adjustment between the Course Ratings of two tees. Instead, you make an adjustment for any difference in Pars. Most people mistakenly assume all Pars are the same per gender. Not always true! Many times, because lack of space, scorecards only list one Par. Check out the National Course Rating Database which lists Par separately for each course / tee - http://ncrdb.usga.org/.

If one set of tees in play was a Par 72 and one was a 70, you would make a two-stroke adjustment. Most of the time you’re going to adjust the smallest number of players in the field. If the guys on the Par 70 represent the smaller number, then subtract two strokes from their Course Handicaps and leave the Par 72 guys’ CHs as they are. Or conversely you can add two strokes to the guys playing the higher Par. Either way, the mathematical result is the same. One group might end up a bit crabby, but this is the World Handicap System, not Disneyland.  

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Q: I have been asked by my club to inquire into our handicaps because they feel inaccurate to most of our players. I understand the system changed when we adopted the WHS, but all of our players handicaps have dropped between 6-8 strokes since new system. I don’t think our Course Rating has changed.   

A: That is a great question. I know this sounds like I have a bridge to sell, but no one has truly lost any strokes. It is all due to the new formula for Course Handicaps that was developed with the WHS. Since everyone is using the new formula, it is just a change across the proverbial board that affects everyone equally. With the WHS taking over, Par was thrown into the mix which complicates things a bit. Please prep yourself to get through this with your personal coping mechanism: a large bucket of balls, a bowl of ice cream, the kind of yoga where you sweat a lot, whatever.

Here is an example using the old USGA formula vs. the new WHS formula –

The old formula was Course Handicap = (HI * Slope) / 113
The new formula is Course Handicap = (HI * (Slope / 113) + (Course Rating - Par)
I’ll use the Blue/Red rating at your course for this example: 66.8 / 106, par 72
 

Showing your Handicap Index (HI) of 11.3

Old formula (11.3 * 106) / 113 = 10.6 which would round up to 11
New formula 11.3 * (106 / 113) + (66.8 - 72)

11.3 (.93805…) + (--5.2)
10.6 + (--5.2) = 5.4 which rounds down to a Course Handicap of 5
 

Looking at someone with a higher Index: Joe Golfer is a 28.5

Old formula (28.5 * 106) / 113 = 26.7 rounded to 27
New formula 28.5 * (106 / 113) (66.8 - 72)

28.5 (.93805) + (--5.2) = 21.5 which would round up to 22  

While this may look like a rather alarming loss of strokes, it is the Target Score that we need to examine. While the old formula calculated the Handicap Index solely to the Slope Rating and was relative to the Course Rating, the new formula is set to make your Course Handicap relative to Par.

In the case of your course and the Blue/Red Rating, you had 11 strokes to get to 66.8, making your Target score 78, and now you have 5 strokes to get you to 72, with a Target Score of 77. For Joe Golfer, his old Target Score was 94 (relative to 66.8) and his new Target Score is still 94 (relative to 72).
  
As you hopefully can see, while the number of Course Handicap strokes may have changed, it is because of the Target being “moved”. No one has lost any strokes and everyone’s Course Handicap is relative to the new Target. Of course, the formula for Handicap Index has also changed with the implementation of the WHS, but that is a subject for another day!

If you’ve read to the end, please pour yourself a glass of Hallelujah.

Questions? Contact Kelly or Gretchen in the OGA Handicapping & Course Rating Department at (503) 981-4653 x226 or Click Here to Email Your Question