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Handicap Information

The new World Handicap System, has now been implemented
The new system will feature the following:
• Flexibility in formats of play, allowing both competitive and recreational rounds to count for handicap purposes and ensuring that a golfer’s handicap is more reflective of potential ability
• A minimal number of scores needed to obtain a new handicap; a recommendation that the number of scores needed to obtain a new handicap be 54 holes from any combination of 18-hole and 9-hole rounds, but with some discretion available for national or regional associations to set a different minimum within their own jurisdiction
• A consistent handicap that is portable from course to course and country to country through worldwide use of the USGA Course and Slope Rating System, already successfully used in more than 80 countries
• An average-based calculation of a handicap, taken from the best eight out of the last 20 scores and factoring in memory of demonstrated ability for better responsiveness and control
• A calculation that considers the impact that abnormal course and weather conditions might have on a player’s performance each day
• Daily handicap revisions, taking account of the course and weather conditions calculation
• A limit of Net Double Bogey on the maximum hole score (for handicapping purposes only)
• A maximum handicap limit of 54.0, regardless of gender, to encourage more golfers to measure and track their performance to increase their enjoyment of the game


 POINT TO NOTE:

The Cap Regulation


  • The Cap regulation only operates for players with at least 20 scores in their handicap record. Its purpose is to eliminate the capacity for extreme outward movements of your GA Handicap within short spaces of time. As a result, a temporary loss of form will not cause your GA Handicap to move too far from a level which is consistent with your underlying ability.

  • Your 'Low GA Handicap' is defined as being the best GA Handicap you have achieved during the 12-month period that preceded the most recent round.
    NOTE: The World Handicap System came into effect in Australia on 30 January 2020. GA Handicaps calculated under the previous handicapping regulations are not eligible to be a ‘Low GA Handicap’. As a result, a player is not eligible to have a ‘Low GA Handicap’ until they have played a handicap round under the World Handicap System.

  • Your GA Handicap is allowed to increase at 100% of the '8 of 20 scores' calculation UNLESS it reaches 3 strokes above your 'Low GA Handicap'. If in this Soft Cap zone, GOLF Link only allows your GA Handicap to increase by 50% of the calculated amount – unless it reaches the Hard Cap. The Hard Cap is an absolute limit on the upward movement of your GA Handicap. When your NEXT round is processed through GOLF Link, the GA Handicap that will be calculated for you can not be any more than 5 strokes above your current 'Low GA Handicap'

How to calculate a Daily Handicap

Full Technical Procedure for Calculating a GA Handicap

STEP 1 – Use the table below to determine the number of scores to be included in the GA Handicap calculation:

Number of Scores in Player's Handicap Record

3 to 6

7 or 8

9 or 10

11 or 12

13 or 14

15 or 16

17 or 18

19 or 20

Note: When the handicap record contains more than 20 scores, the GA Handicap calculation uses the best 8 of the player's most recent 20 scores.

STEP 2 – Calculate a ‘Played To’ value for each score (this is the value that is listed in the ‘Played To’ column on www.golflink.com.au).

‘Played To’ values are calculated as follows:

A = Course Par plus Daily Handicap minus (Stableford Points Total minus 36)

B = A minus Daily Scratch Rating

C = B multiplied by Neutral Slope Rating (ie 113)

D = C divided by Slope Rating

D (rounded to one decimal place) = â€˜Played To’

Exception: Where D is calculated to be more than 40.0 for men or 50.0 for women, the ‘Played To’ value will be deemed to be 40.0 for men or 50.0 for women.

STEP 3 – Average the ‘Played To’ values being used (as determined by the above table)

STEP 4 – Multiply the average by 0.93. (The 0.93 factor is the ‘Multiplier’. The Multiplier is a mathematical balancing factor, the purpose of which is to help to achieve national results patterns for net competitions that are as equitable as possible. Its necessity is the result of the different standard deviations of net scores exhibited by players on different handicap levels.)

STEP 5 – After applying STEP 4, delete all numbers after the tenths’ digit. Do NOT round to the nearest tenth. (For example 23.6983 becomes 23.6.)

STEP 6 – In the example provided in STEP 5, the GA Handicap is therefore 23.6 (although note the Cap Provision below). (The maximum values are 45.4 for women and 36.4 for men.)

NOTE: CAP PROVISION – GOLF Link will automatically prevent a player’s GA Handicap from increasing by any more than 5 strokes beyond their best exact handicap from the previous 12-month rolling period.

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