HANDICAPS - 9 HOLE SCORES

Ladies who have 9 hole score cards in their handicap record may notice a change in their Handicap Index processed today.

Our "composite" 9 hole green course (holes 4-12) was not set up on the new system and therefore all 9 hole scores were wrong (assumed the scores were for the Front 9, ie holes 1-9 not 4-12)

I have now had the correct course set up by Scottish Golf and amended all the ladies 9 hole cards I could find. If you have a 9 hole score in your record and this is not now described as Green Composite 9, please let me know as I might have missed a couple!

Jan

HOW MANY STROKES DO I GET NOW?

The new WHS appears to have introduced the need for maths and calculators before we play golf. However, there is an easier way. Lookup tables should be available to keep everyone right.

Unfortunately, revised information on the Slope Ratings for our courses was received from Scottish Golf after our initial stationery had been ordered. Consequently, the information available in the hallway may not be correct for ladies.

I have therefore prepared 2 documents (one for the Red Course and one for the Green Course) that I will pin up on the main noticeboard on the left hand wall as you enter the Ladies Locker Room, which you can all consult as necessary.

The documents are basically tables which you refer to along the lines of the Greensomes Stroke Allowance sheets we used to have.

Find your Handicap Index by looking down the left hand column and move across to find the stokes you should receive for each type of play.

HOW TO FIND YOUR NEW HANDICAP INDEX

Your new Handcap Index can now be found on the Scottish Golf App by clicking on the "More" tab (three dots at bottom right hand side of home screen), then under "My Handicap" and "My WHS Index"

WHS STARTING TOMORROW 2 NOVEMBER 2020

The new World Handicapping System (WHS) comes in tomorrow, 2 November 2020. Hopefully you will all have been able to read about it over the last few weeks, including the Scottish Golf "Bite-size" posts that Morag has shared here on the blog. The data conversion has been a massive task and there are bound to be some anomalies but here are the main things to keep in mind:

1) Don't panic!

2) You can find your "projected" new Handicap Index - and from tomorrow your new Handicap Index - on the Scottish Golf App.

3) All other things being equal you would expect your new Handicap Index to be LOWER than your current handicap.

This is because your Handicap Index is NOT the number of strokes you will receive when playing at Ranfurly Castle. 

Your Handicap Index will be multiplied up using the course Slope Rating to work out your Course Handicap.

From the most recent certification from Scottish Golf, the ladies' Slope Rating for the Red Course is 130 and the Green Course is 129.

Therefore your Course Handicap will be found by multiplying your Handicap Index by 130/113 (ie 1.15) for the Red Course or 129/113 for the Green Course.

Example: Handicap Index 20 = Course Handicap 23 for the Red Course and 22.8 for the Green Course.

(Further complication involves taking a percentage of this Course Handicap depending on what type of competition you are playing eg 95% for an Individual Strokeplay competition such as a Medal, but I'm not putting all that detail in here now).

4) There are definitely some errors, in that the historic CDH data used to calculate everyone's new Handicap Index is not 100% perfect. This has been admitted and explained by Scottish Golf. 

For example, my own projected Index omits 2 of my scores from 2019 (ironically the 2 that were run by Scottish Golf at the medal finals!) and some of the scores do not have the Red/Green course distinction correct. However, the outcome is broadly in line with what I would have expected.

I suggest that if your Index is broadly in line with what you would have expected, we will all need to just accept this. Some errors may be corrected over the next few weeks by data refinement and others will sort themselves out in due course as we enter future scores.

5) However, if your projected Index is MARKEDLY different from what you might expect eg Current Handicap 32, projected Handicap Index 10 or vice versa, please let me know. This will require further investigation and correction.

I'm sure that after some initial adjustment (change is hard!) we will all get used to this new system and come in time to prefer it to the "up 0.1" CONGU system.

World Handicapping System - Bite Size - Day 9

 Soft and Hard Cap

A player’s Low Handicap Index is remembered within the handicap formula – this is the lowest Handicap Index they have held within the last 12 months. 

The Low Handicap Index provides a reference point against which the current Handicap Index can be compared.

This is to help ensure that the player’s current Handicap Index cannot stray too far away from their demonstrated ability, in too short a space of time

If the new Index is more than a certain number of strokes above the Low Handicap Index, the cap is triggered.

The soft cap suppresses upward movement when the difference between the new calculated Index and the Low Index is greater than 3. 

The increase is suppressed by 50% of any value over 3.

The hard cap prevents further upward movement by placing a hard ceiling at 5 above the Low Index.

The soft cap and hard cap procedures only start to take effect once a player has at least 20 acceptable scores in their scoring record

World Handicapping System - Bite Size - Day 8

 Exceptional Score Reduction

A score differential which is at least 7.0 strokes or more better than the player’s Handicap Index at the time the round was played.

Score can be from any format of play, competitive or general play and this is not restricted to competition scores.

When a player submits an exceptional score, the handicap formula applies an additional adjustment to the player’s updated Handicap Index.

This adjustment is in addition to any reduction caused within the 8/20 calculation.

The Handicap Committee can override the adjustment if they deem necessary.

World Handicapping System - Bite Size - Day 7

 Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC)

At the end of each day, a playing conditions calculation (PCC) takes place automatically, behind the scenes, to determine if scores made at the course were significantly higher or lower than expected.

If scores were unusually low or high, a PCC adjustment of between –1 and +3 will be applied to your score differential calculation to reflect the playing conditions on the day.

When abnormal playing conditions cause scores to be higher or lower than expected on a given day, a Playing Conditions Calculation will adjust score differentials to better reflect the player’s actual performance.

This means that a higher score on a tough day may still be a good score and one of your best 8, used to calculate your updated Handicap Index.

The PCC considers all acceptable scores submitted on a golf course on a given day (all formats, competitive & recreational, 9 & 18 holes).

For a PCC to be calculated, at least eight acceptable scores must be submitted by players with a Handicap Index of 36.0 or below.  The PCC is automatically applied within the calculation of score differentials for all players.

World Handicapping System - Bite Size - Day 6

 Course and Slope Rating

The Course Rating system forms the foundation for the Rules of Handicapping. The system enables handicaps to be portable by adjusting a player’s handicap according to the relative difficulty of the golf course being played.  

What is course rating?

An indication of the difficulty of a golf course for the scratch player under normal course and weather conditions

What is a bogey rating?

An indication of the difficulty of a golf course for the bogey player under normal course and weather conditions

What is a Slope Rating?

A Slope Rating is the number which indicates the relative playing difficulty of a course for bogey golfers, compared to scratch golfers. 

It is the combination of the Course Rating and the Bogey rating that allow us to calculate the Slope Rating of a set of tees.

Details of these ratings for courses across Scotland will be available on the Scottish Golf Website and App from 2nd November 2020 for a course rating database lookup.

World Handicapping System - Bite size - Day 2

Handicap Index Calculation 

https://scottishgolf.org/calculating-your-handicap-index-under-whs/

One of the most common questions golfers will ask each other is, “what is your handicap?”

Under WHS, the way in which a handicap is calculated will change slightly, and golfers will receive a new Handicap Index.

A Handicap Index is designed to represent your demonstrated ability.  It is calculated by averaging the best 8 score differentials out of the most recent 20 within your scoring record. Can be made up of both competition and general play scores.

For example, see below the calculation for one of our own Handicapping and Course Rating team:

By taking Adam’s best 8 from his last 20 scores, his Handicap Index is calculated as 12.0.

If your record does not have 20 scores on it already, a modified calculation will be carried out to provide you with a Handicap Index.  The below table highlights how this will be done: 

A Handicap Index will be the measure of a player’s demonstrated ability calculated against the Slope Rating of a golf course of standard playing difficulty (that is, a course with a Slope Rating of 113).

Your Handicap Index provides you with a portable measure of your demonstrated playing ability that is consistent with how all other golfers will be measured around the world. It can be used to track your progress and to play in a casual or a competitive round with any other player from course to course and country to country.

How do I get one?

For new players:

Once you have joined a golf club and you have submitted scores from a total of 54 holes, made up of 9 or 18-hole scores, you will be allocated an initial Handicap Index. 

You are then able to return competition and general play scores (pre-registered).

For existing club members:

We will be using you existing scores on you CDH record to calculate your Handicap Index

What is a score differential? 

The difference between a player’s adjusted gross score and the Course Rating, taking account of Slope Rating. It is the value ‘played to’ on a specific course on a specific day.

World Handicapping System - Bite size - Day 1

 Ladies

Scottish Golf is publishing a guide to the World Handicapping System in easy to read chunks every day over the next two weeks starting today.

Here is Day 1 "The Purpose of the World Handicap System"

https://scottishgolf.org/why-are-we-moving-to-a-new-handicap-system/

With WHS coming into play in Scotland on 2nd November 2020, many golfers across Scotland will be asking, “why are we moving to a new Handicap system?”

WHS aims to provide maximum enjoyment for all who play the game. The new system will enable players of any ability, from anywhere in the world, to play and compete with others on a fair basis. This will be the case whether in competition, or during a casual round.

WHS will encourage as many golfers as possible to obtain and maintain a handicap and once a golfer has their handicap, players of differing abilities, genders, and nationalities will be able to take their handicap to any course in the world where they will be able to compete on a fair basis.

Another key aim of WHS is that it will indicate, with accuracy, the score a golfer is reasonably capable of achieving on any course around the world, playing under normal conditions.

NEW HANDICAP SYSTEM - POST 2

NEW HANDICAP INDEX

1) On 2nd November, every player will have their Handicap recalculated to produce their new HANDICAP INDEX.

2) This will be done "as if by magic" by Scottish Golf in a black box calculation which will take into account all the scores that are available in the CDH database attached to YOUR CDH NUMBER.

This is why it is very important to have any outstanding issues resolved immediately regarding registering your details with the Scottish Golf App/linking and having only one CDH number.

Please let me know if you have any outstanding problems with this.

3) In calculating your new Handicap Index, scores going back as far as 2017 will be taken into account.

If you have a full handicap record of scores, your Handicap Index will be the AVERAGE of your BEST 8 scores out of your LAST 20 scores.

If you have less than 20 scores in your record, there is a sliding scale of how many will be used and how it will be calculated.

Here is a useful table for anyone with a low number of scores.

[Please remember, you don't actually have to understand all the maths (and there will be a lot more maths to come in future posts!) - it will all be worked out for you]

NEW HANDICAP SYSTEM

WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW

As it is currently not possible to have a meeting and presentation about the new World Handicap System, I am going to put up a series of Blog Posts covering what we need to know in bite-sized chunks. 

Once the series is complete I will invite questions by email to answer any outstanding concerns or puzzlement.

Post 1 - Introduction

1) The new system will start on Monday 2nd November 2020

2) It is a myth that going forward you have to put in a score every time you play, even in bounce games

3) Most people's opinion (including mine) is that (once we get used to it) the new system will be better and fairer and encourage people to play more competitions (no more threat of "up point one" each time you play).

SCORES FOR NEW HANDICAP SYSTEM

Morag recently posted that there will be no requirement to submit 3 cards for handicap this year.

This is technically correct, in that your handicap will not lapse if you don't have 3 cards in this year.

However, having recently read more detail on how the new system will calculate handicaps I would STRONGLY ADVISE everyone to try to submit at least 3 cards, particularly in the next few weeks while the weather is (usually!) playable - either by playing in the upcoming stableford competitions or by submitting Supplementary Score Cards.

Otherwise, there may be some anomalies thrown up by the new system and your handicap may not reflect your current playing ability - especially if you do not have many cards submitted last year either.

CARDS FOR HANDICAP

Ladies,

You will all know that in normal circumstances we each require to submit 3 scores every year to retain our handicaps.

In view of the disruption to our golfing activities this year, this requirement is waived. No handicap will lapse at the end of the season for lack of scores.

You can, of course, play in counting competitions and/or submit supplementary cards if you so wish.

Competition scores should be submitted via the Scottish Golf app, as detailed in previous messages.

If you wish to submit a supplementary score for handicap, could you please inform me before play by text or email, and email me a photo of your card after play is completed. 

I can be contacted on 07776 151659 or cunninghammorag58@gmail.com

Many thanks

Morag Cunningham (Handicap Secretary)

FUTURE COMPETITIONS

This Wednesday 22nd July will be the second non-counting trial stableford (green tees), to practise using the VMS App again.

The following Wednesday 29th July, we will have some relief from phone scoring by having a tri-am like we had in days of old Wednesday bounce games. The club has reserved us a one-hour slot on the tee sheet between 9.30-10.30 that morning, and there will be 21 spaces.

You will need to enter in advance and the teams of three will drawn (low/middle/high handicap per team) and posted together with the tee times here on the blog by Monday evening (27th July).

Details of how to enter for this bounce tri-am will be posted here on the blog by this Wednesday (still being finalised).

UPDATE: From Wednesday 22nd, a Zoned Draw should be available to book using your Club V1 App (below the Casual Bookings). This will allow 21 entrants. Draw will then be done manually by me and posted on the blog.

Wednesday 5th August and Saturday 8th August will be the first handicap counting competitions (more details nearer the time)

Remember if you want handicap counting scores before then you can submit a supplementary score card at any time. Send a photo of your completed, signed card to handicap secretary Morag Cunningham.

CDH (Central Database Of Handicaps)

You may have noticed since we started using the above that some of your away scores have been duplicated. In one instance there was even a duplicated score from an unknown club. When it has been brought to my attention, I have deleted the duplications but, for some unknown reason, some are reappearing on the Handicap Records.
To keep you in the picture, I have spoken to CDH technical department and have been advised they are aware of and are in the process of dealing with this problem. In the meantime , however, could I ask everyone to be vigilant and make a point of checking your Handicap Records on a regular basis. Remember, we are all responsible for our own handicap record.
To access your record on line, log onto RCGC website, click on EVENT ENTRY & RESULTS, HANDICAPS, MY HANDICAP LIST. Alternatively, I will be happy to print you an updated copy on request.

Vicky
27/7/2012

Central Database of Handicaps (CDH) --- UPDATE

The Scottish Golf Union, Scottish Ladies’ Golfing Association and Golf Union of Wales (GUW) have committed to producing a Central Database of Handicaps (CDH) for golf clubs and their members in Scotland and Wales.

Aimed at providing a wide and vitally important range of benefits to golf club members, clubs and their administrators and the governing bodies, the CDH project will be delivered by the Unions as a service to affiliated clubs.
As presented at the SGU Club Seminars at the end of 2009, the development of the Scottish/Welsh CDH is now reaching its final phases.To read more --- Click on the following link
Scottish Golf Website

Central Database for Handicapping

The SGU and SLGA have committed to producing a Central Database of Handicaps for golf clubs and their members in Scotland.
Click here to find out more information on this new development
To find answers to your questions about the CDH click here
To see the benefits for players and handicap administrators click here

New SLGA Medal Formats for 2009

From the SLGA Website
The LGU has advised the National Organisations that LGU Medals will cease to exist from 1st February 2009 and they will be replaced by SLGA Medals. To see a summary of the changes click Click Here.

The SLGA Medal Competitions may be run in the following formats :
1 Single Day Medal
2 Alternative Day Medal
3 Dual Day Medal
To read and print out the full conditions Click Here.

Submit your Away Score On Line

As a trial run you can submit your AWAY SCORE by clicking on the link on the RHS of this Website. The results will go to our Handicap Secretary Vivien Howe. She would like you to also submit your scores in the book in the locker room as well with a wee note against it saying you have submitted your score to the website.
Any problems or comments please email Vivien