Information from TLQMC Handicap Chairman   

January 14, 2020

 

 

 

Welcome to the new World Handicap System. Following is a listing of the significant changes to the USGA handicap system.

 

 

 

- Each player will now have only one Handicap Index which will be at his Home Club. The player will determine their Home Club which should be where the most scores are recorded, or which Club is most frequently played.

 

 

 

- The USGA Course Rating System will be used worldwide. The course rating will be used in the calculation of your Course Handicap. This previously was not the case.

 

 

 

- Your Handicap Index will now be the average of the lowest 8 of the most recent 20 Score Differentials. Tournament scores do not count differently than regular play scores.

 

 

 

- The new Handicap calculation formula is:

 

 

 

Course Handicap = Handicap Index x Slope Rating for Tee played / 113 + Course Rating for the Tee played – 72

 

 

 

The current handicaps listed on the website used this formula.  As many of you have noticed the handicaps are very different from the previous calculations. This change makes it no longer necessary to adjust handicaps for tees played in our competitions.

 

 

 

- Scores should be posted the day of play. You must play 7 holes to post a 9-hole score, now 14 holes to post an 18-hole score. Holes not played should be scored Par plus your hole handicap.

 

 

 

- There no longer is an Equitable Stroke Control – ESC table. The maximum allowable score is now a net double bogey. This is Par + 2 + your Handicap Strokes for the hole.

 

 

 

- Your handicap will be revised daily. You will no longer receive bi-monthly reports from the SCGA. The handicaps reported by the SCGA on the Friday before competitions will be used for the Monday or Tournament play. These will be posted on the website each Friday.

 

 

 

- There are new adjustments in the system to safeguard against extreme changes to your Handicap Index:

 

 

 

Exceptional Score Reduction - If your Score Differential for a posting is 7 to 9.9 less than your Handicap Index, the previous 20 Score Differentials will be reduced by 1 stroke and a new Handicap Index will be calculated. If the differential is 10 or more, the 20 previous Score Differentials will be reduced by 2 strokes and a new Handicap Index will be calculated.

 

 

 

Hard Cap / Soft Cap – Hard Cap will restrict upward movement of the index to 5.0 strokes over the Low Handicap Index. Soft Cap will suppress upward movement by 50% after a 3.0 stroke increase over the Low Handicap Index has been reached.

 

           

 

Playing Conditions Calculation – Score differentials will be adjusted to reflect     either very favorable or unfavorable playing conditions. The adjustment will range from -1 to +3 depending on conditions.

 

 

 

The SCGA will be doing all the calculating for us. We need to only post on time and pay attention to our Current Handicap Index and Playing Handicap. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Bruce McGraw-vincemcgraw@hotmail.com