Hey golfers, big news! The R&A and USGA have just announced some major changes to the World Handicap System (WHS). These changes are all about making things more accurate, consistent, and fair, and they’re set to kick in from January 1, 2024. One of the coolest changes is that the overall length requirements for Course Rating are getting a makeover. Now, a set of tees on an 18-hole course can be as short as 1,500 yards, and for a nine-hole course, it’s allowed to be as short as 750 yards. This means that a bunch of shorter length courses, including par-3 courses, will now be part of the WHS, and more golfers will be able to get and use a Handicap Index.
But wait, there’s more! They’ve also improved the way they handle holes that aren’t played. Instead of using a score of net par, they’ll now base it on a player’s expected score, which will give a more accurate reflection of a player’s ability. Plus, with golfers playing more nine-hole rounds, an expected score can be used to convert a nine-hole round into an 18-hole Score Differential. This means that in some countries, nine-hole scores will be considered in the calculation of a player’s Handicap Index right after the day of play, without having to wait to combine with another nine-hole score.
And that’s not all! The Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC) has been tweaked to increase the chances of an adjustment for abnormal playing conditions. Plus, there’s a new recommendation for handicaps committees to conduct reviews regularly, or at least once a year. They’ve even come up with new reporting tools to help national associations with the review process.
Claire Bates, Director – Handicapping at The R&A, said: “We have made good progress in the early stages of the WHS but we know there are always areas that can be improved as we gather more data and information on the system from around the world. Conducting a regular review process is important in terms of good governance and enables us to examine some of the key areas in which we have received feedback. We will continue to work with the handicapping bodies and national associations around the world to ensure that the WHS is providing golfers with a system that provides a sensible balance between inclusivity and integrity, making it as easy as possible to get a Handicap Index, subject to meaningful safeguards.”
Steve Edmondson, Managing Director – Handicapping & Course Rating at the USGA, added: “The game of golf continues to evolve and the WHS has embraced those changes in a dynamic way to help all golfers, everywhere they play. It is a monumental time in golf, and improving both the accessibility of obtaining a Handicap Index and leveraging powerful data and technology to easily and accurately track performance is a great step forward.”