Still immersed in the whirlwind of changes to the Rules of Golf, another major change is coming in the not-too-distant future: the new World Handicap System. This seems quite logical since, a few years ago, the R&A and the USGA decided to unify the Rules of Golf, the Amateur Status Rules, and the equipment specifications.

However, it was not easy to get so many parties involved in this process to agree, especially considering the significant differences in how competition is conducted around the globe.

Origins and development of the world handicap system

Historically, handicap systems were developed with the way competition was practiced in each region in mind. Thus, for example, in the British Isles, until this century, women and men had different handicap systems.

Later, once a system became established and proved to work correctly, it was adopted by other regions with minor modifications to adapt it to their specific experiences. The EGA handicap system is a good example of this, as it is based on the CONGU Handicap System with the addition of the USGA Course Rating system.

In the 1990s, the first meetings and discussions took place regarding the establishment of a single handicap system. This initial attempt was unsuccessful, but it laid the groundwork for the expansion of the USGA Course Rating System across all handicap systems. It also served to establish communication channels between the various handicap authorities.

First contacts

Contrary to popular belief, the R&A has no authority over handicap management; that is, it does not have its own handicap system. During the 2011 British Open at Royal St. George, representatives from the R&A, the USGA, Golf Australia (GA), the EGA, Golf Argentina (AAG), and South Africa (SAGA) met to explore the possibility of developing a unified handicap system.

That meeting resulted in a commitment to develop such a system, which was formalized in a founding document detailing the 10 main characteristics that any handicap system should have. In summary, these are:

– To allow the maximum number of players to have a handicap

– To allow players of different levels to compete on equal terms in any field in the world

– To predict with good accuracy the result of a player on any golf course under normal playing conditions

– Base the handicap on sufficient evidence regarding the player's skill level

– Emphasize playing according to the Rules of Golf

– To reflect variations in playing conditions

– Incorporate elements of flexibility to adapt to local requirements

– Easy for players, clubs and federations to understand, while also being inexpensive to implement

– To have the trust of users and administrators

– Review capacity by the main handicap authorities

Work begins

That meeting was followed by others in which the development of this handicap system and the working groups that should be formed to carry out the project were discussed. In 2014, the first of these groups, the World Handicap Research Team (WHRT), was created to study and develop all the technical aspects (algorithms, formulas, etc.). Originally composed of four people, this group has grown to its current size of seven, assisted by one other person.

Another group that was formed was the Handicap Operations Committee (HOC), which is the body that makes the final decisions on each component of the handicap system. It is a large group of fifteen people, representing each of the six current handicap systems, as well as the R&A and some major national federations (such as Canada and Japan).

Currently, there are six working groups developing different aspects of such a complex project. In addition to the two mentioned above, there is the World Handicap Course Rating Committee (WHCRC), which handles the Course Rating System; the Nomadic Task Force, which integrates players who are not club members (a very common situation outside of Spain, especially in the USA); the Book Committee, which is responsible for writing the manual; and the software development working group.

Over the years, multiple meetings have been held with each of the handicap authorities, national and supranational federations to learn their opinions and receive suggestions and recommendations from people with extensive experience, having been involved with handicap issues for many years.

But this data collection didn't stop there; it went a step further, culminating in a global online survey launched in 2016 to gather the opinions of the players themselves. This survey was supplemented by meetings with players in several countries to gain a deeper understanding of their perspectives and experiences.

Current situation

The development of the World Handicap System is virtually complete. Work is currently underway on three main aspects:

– Drafting the manual and support guides

– Development of the necessary computer applications

– Conducting a test in parallel with real results

It hasn't been an easy road. As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, each current handicap system has been developed to meet local needs that vary greatly from one part of the world to another. Here in Spain, players can access competitions relatively easily, and therefore the handicap must offer the possibility of competing fairly against all other players.

In the United States there are hardly any tournaments in clubs and players use their handicaps in friendly games, and this requires the handicap system to have different characteristics: in the United States any round played, whether competition or not, must be taken into account for handicap purposes, there are players with low handicaps who have never played in a competition.

In the opposite world, Australian clubs organize an average of 4 tournaments a week… These examples illustrate the complexity of the process.

However, this process is about to end and throughout 2019 the final launch date of the system will be announced, the adaptation period that each federation will need to change from the current system to the new one, the manual will be published and a great effort will be made to teach all the bodies involved in a handicap system (federations, clubs, committees and players) how to use the new World Handicap System.

In subsequent articles, during 2019, we will expand on the information of how the World Handicap System will work in Spain, both in the Official Magazine of the RFEG and on the website of this federative body.

SOURCE: RFEG Courses and Handicap Committee