Summary of WHS 2024 Changes
Fourball Better Ball (4BBB) Scores For Handicap Purposes – from 1st April, scores from 4BBBs may count towards a member’s WHS handicap records, providing certain criteria are met:
- The 4BBB must be an official competition, with scores run through ClubV1. General Play 4BBB scores aren’t considered Acceptable Scores.
- A pairing must score 6 under or 42 points in a Stableford
- A player must be on the card 9 times
- A player’s score will be made up to an 18 hole score. Where a player fails to register a score, or doesn’t feature on the scorecard, they will be awarded Stableford points for those holes, based on their partner’s scores as follows:
1 point where their partner achieves 1 point
1.5 points, where their partner achieves 2 points or better
- If after this calculation a player achieves 36 points or better, a Score Differential will be added to a player’s WHS records. This may lead to a decrease, or increase in their Handicap Index.
Please Note:
There is no need for both player’s to hole out on every hole
Only one hole score should be entered on the scorecard, and then input into ClubV1:
The lowest gross / net score achieved by the pairing, or
If both achieve a similar net score, the player who completed the hole first should have their score recorded.
EXCEPTION – where both players have entered the “2’s Club”, and both players achieve a 2 on the same hole, both scores should be recorded and input into ClubV1.
Course Handicap Calculation – with the introduction of “Course Rating Minus Par” into the calculation of a golfer’s Course Handicap, members of West Bradford will see a reduction of 1 shot in their Course Handicap for 2024.
With this change, the calculation of a Course Handicap becomes:
Handicap Index Multiplied By (Slope Rating 125 Divided By 113) Minus (Par 69 Minus Course Rating 68.1)
So with our Par of 69, and a White course Rating of 68.1, all players will lose 0.9 from their Course Handicap calculation, which will become 1 full shot once rounded. From Yellow tees, the difference is 2.0 shots.
New Handicap Tables will be located around the club and by the first tee on 1st April.
Playing Handicap Calculation – member’s may experience a difference in their Playing Handicap when playing in Strokeplay competitions run through ClubV1 (all individual Medals, Stablefords and 4BBBs), and
when Course Handicap Tables are used in other forms of play i.e. Matchplay, 3 or 4 person team events and the Sunday Swindle. England Golf confirm that both are OK and are to be expected. The difference arises as ClubV1 will use an exact, “unrounded” Course Handicap, whereas the tables use a “rounded” Course Handicap.
We are required to use the “unrounded” calculation where competitions are run through ClubV1. As yet we have not received anything from ClubV1 that they will implement the change into their software on 1st April. If not, all Course Handicaps will be calculated from the tables.
Here’s an example to demonstrate potential impact. I’ve chosen a Handicap Index of 4.9, as this is one index which creates different Playing Handicaps.
Rounded
4.9 x (125/113) = 5.44 Minus (69 – 68.1) = 4.55 Rounded to 5 x 95% = 4.75 Rounded to 5
Unrounded
4.9 x (125/113) = 5.44 Minus (69 - 68.1) = 4.55 x 95% = 4.32 Rounded to 4
If you want to study this more closely, please see this video which provides additional information: https://www.whs.com/articles/2020/playing_handicap_cr_par.html
Having run some examples of a random selection of Handicap Indexes, I expect very few members to see any difference in their Playing Handicaps, as a result of the different calculations.
Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC) – PCC is an algorithm used by WHS to increase or decrease Score Differentials used to calculate your Handicap Index, to take into account difficult playing conditions i.e. strong winds (when scores are higher than WHS expects), as well as an easing of conditions i.e. fast running summer fairways (when scores may be lower). The algorithm has changed for 2024, resulting in a likelihood that we’ll see a PCC applied in more cases in 2024, than we did in previous years. For those with long golfing memories, PCC is a little similar to adjustments we used to make to Standard Scratch Score (SSS).
Please see this video which provides additional information: https://www.whs.com/videos/WHS-2024-Playing-Conditions-Calculation.html
Mixed 4BBB Matchplay – Ladies – in a change to recent years, ladies will now receive their additional shots based on the difference in par between the men’s White course, and the ladies Red. Previously the difference in Course Rating was used. Ladies will therefore add 3 additional shots to their Course Handicap, before the 90% Handicap Allowance is applied.
To assist all members calculate “shots” in 4BBB matches, I’m looking to put a worked example of shot calculation on the Members website by the end of the month. I also have a calculator in Excel format, and looking to add this also. Limited understanding of Microsoft Excel will be required, as well as the Excel app on your mobile phone, tablet or PC.
Mixed Individual & Mixed 4BBB Medals – to recognise the higher par for the Red tees (72), versus that for the men’s White tees (69), Ladies will continue to receive a three shot positive adjustment to their Course Handicap. The calculation is Course Handicap multiplied by Handicap Allowance (95% or 85%) plus 3 = Playing Handicap
Mixed Individual & Mixed 4BBB Stablefords – no adjustment is necessary in Stablefords. Ladies calculate Stableford points against the Red tee card, where 3 holes have higher pars for Ladies. When a mixed Stableford competition is played from Yellow tees (Men) and Red tees (Ladies) i.e. the Winter League, the current practice of Ladies receiving a 1 shot allowance will cease. This follows the upcoming introduction of Course Rating minus Par into Playing Handicap calculations, and with it our male members losing 2 shots from Playing Handicaps. Par for the Yellow tees is 69, but Course Rating is 67. Again, the calculator can be used to confirm Playing Handicaps in Strokeplay competitions. When using the calculator, it will be essential that the correct calculator is used i.e. White & Red tees or Yellow and Red tees.
Holes Not Completed – going forward, where a player fails to complete a hole, or doesn’t attempt a hole (for a valid reason), the player will be given an “expected score” rather than a simple net double bogey (hole not completed) or net par (hole not attempted).Valid reasons for not completing a hole are personal injury and illness, personal emergencies, failing light and adverse weather i.e. lightning. I’ve been asked by England Golf to remind all players that under the Rules of Handicapping a golfer is required to “attempt to make the best score possible at each hole”. So where a ball is lost, or a ball is hit out of bounds, a second ball should be played so that the hole is completed. If in doubt, play a provisional. This applies to both Medal and Stableford competitions. In other words, “No Returns” are no longer acceptable, and the term “No Return” is now erased from handicapping terminology. Golfers who repeatedly fail to submit a full 18 hole score, may have their Handicap Index suspended.