NEED SOME INSPIRATION?

Getting your head around the specifics may take time, but here are nine reasons why the new World Handicap System could be the best thing for your game...

Throughout February, Youtube star Rick Shiels walked four miles each day while carrying a full set of golf clubs and his efforts helped to raise over £41,000 for mental health charity, MIND.

Your handicap now reflects your current form

Unless you played an absolute blinder, it was actually quite difficult to see a handicap reduction under the previous system. But this is no longer the case under the World Handicap System, which uses a rolling average and calculates your handicap based on the best eight of your past 20 scores. The idea is that the system will better reflect your current playing ability, which can only be a good thing for declining golfers and those who’ve been stuck on the same handicap for the last two years. You know who you are!

You don’t need to be a golf club member to get a handicap

As we revealed last month, non-members of golf clubs in England will soon be offered an official handicap in exchange for a small fee, paid on an annual rolling basis. The exact cost is yet to be revealed but England Golf have confirmed that a handicap index and personal liability insurance will be available to all golfers by the end of June.

Tougher courses are now easier to compete on

For all the confusion surrounding what is a course handicap and playing handicap, the WHS can actually help to manage your expectations by giving you a few extra strokes on a course which is more difficult. Of course, the reverse does apply when playing on an easier course, but saying you’ve played to your handicap on an Open course probably carries more weight than doing likewise on your local muni.

The buffer system is gone!

We all know someone who had a habit of collecting point-ones like Paul Scholes used to collect yellow cards. But under the new WHS, the buffer zone has been launched into the out of bounds, never to be seen again, and a cap has been introduced which prevents players’ handicaps from going up and down too quickly. And for those bandits who had a habit of playing in an open competition overseas and keeping their performance a secret, every score submitted will now reach their home club long before they do, ready to be included in their record.

There are no 0.1 increases

If you’re having a bad round, it doesn’t mean your handicap will go up automatically. Your score only counts towards your handicap index if it is one of the best eight of your most recent 20. Plus, the maximum hole score is limited to net double bogey, so no one needs to know about those three drives you hit out of bounds.

Playing in competitions is no longer as important

It used to be that people who worked or were unable to play at weekends were at a big disadvantage if they wanted to get their handicap cut. But now it doesn’t matter when or where you play. As long as you’ve pre-registered before teeing off, any social round which adheres to the Rules of Golf can count towards handicap and effectively act as a competition. The cash prize won’t be the same, but it beats waiting another month for your good form to be rewarded if you miss next week’s medal.

No returns in competition now carry a greater penalty

If you do have a meltdown and decide to walk off the course without returning your card, the Handicap Committee now have the option to apply penalty scores, re!set a handicap index, consider disciplinary action, or withdraw a handicap index for an agreed period. Even more reason to stop being so hard on yourself and accept that everyone has a bad day. Who knows, it may help you learn from your mistakes and be a better playing partner as well.

You’re probably a lot better than you think

We’ve always wondered how our handicap stacks up against every other golfer in England but we never had a way of finding out until now. This feature is not available on the England app yet but if you log in through the England Golf website, there’s a stats section on the top right of your screen which shows how your handicap index compares against people in your club, county and the rest of England. We now know the average handicap in England for a male golfer is 16.9, and 26.7 for a female.

The England Golf app can improve your game

You no longer have to worry about printing off your handicap certificate or asking behind the desk what your handicap is. The free England Golf app tells you what your course handicap is for any course in the country and updates your handicap index within 24 hours of your last score being submitted. The fact you can see all your holeby-hole scores may even help to pinpoint where your game management needs improving.

‘ANY SOCIAL ROUND WHICH ADHERES TO THE RULES OF GOLF CAN COUNT TOWARDS HANDICAP AND EFFECTIVELY ACT AS A COMPETITION’