Handicaps

Here are the current handicaps – let the Captain know if you have any updates or concerns

2021 Global Handicap Nonsense

There has been a lot of confusion around the world following the introduction of the new World Handicap System. Adding to this is the fact that a number of society stalwarts are now actually fully paid up members of a golf club, and are submitting cards. We also appear to be opening the 2021 season with a trip to some par 3 track in the south west, which is likely to be an outlier.

But never should it be said that an opportunity for extended pointless debate has been passed up by the members instead of considering pragmatism.

This has lead to a call to overhaul the WHV system to take account of course slope, which is ignoring the fact that the WHV system has been ahead of the rest of golf for some time. Whilst there is likely to be some need to review the WHV approach, I am proposing we hold off on this until we start to see any evidence of actual issues with WHV events.

We have a diminishing number of members who are not affiliated with a club, and those are typically the occasional attendees. As in the days before half of the society joined Robin Hood, those members with club caps will perceive themselves to be disadvantaged by the less relevant caps of the people who simply play with the society a couple of times a year. But we always have the example of Hall, who has played some of the worst golf we’ve ever seen and still has a WHV handicap lower than some perennial winners – like Noz or Butters.

I’ve updated the handicap sheet and tracker shown above – members are obliged to make sure that their latest WHS/Congu cap is provided to the Captain so that the sheet is correct. In the meantime, Pete and I will consider what updates we can make to take account of course slope – or even possibly moving over

2015 The Return of the Prof

As your returning Players Rep, the estimable Richard Ash took it upon himself to revise the handicapping system for the society, including the production of an excel application to make things easier, and to incorporate pretty much every round any one of us has played on tour.

As you might also expect, there has been considerable debate by the handicapping committee – The President, the Captain, the Players Rep and Noz – about how we adjust the options that Pete has created for us. After much tinkering and UAT work, we have landed on a set of parameters for handicap bands, rounds considered, penalties for winning events and winning the tour and have arrived at the starting handicaps for 2015.

The amendments to the constitution to reflect the small changes – we now follow a USPGA approach to handicaps – I will add Pete’s explanatory text to this page in due course, but as we have an event coming up, I need to let you all know the off season damage to your handicaps.

What you can see above – because it needs some explaining, apparently;

old system – where your handicap was at the end of the 2014 WHV Open, our last full event under the previous system
start 2015 – just for interest, to keep track of where you ‘start’ under the new system, even though it calculates things right back to your first ever WHV event, except for the data vacuum that is 2008 (pre-Donk)
previous – if your handicap moves, this will show where you previously were
actual – is your tracked position in the system – gross handicap as it were
current – is your net handicap, in full strokes, inclusive of any rounding and winning penalties – which remain in place until you return a card for a WHV event a minimum of 13 months after the win

Everything below here reflects the history of WHV Handicapping, and is no longer valid!

2014 The Society Handicap Scoring System

It is not the clearest to most people how the handicap system currently works, and indeed the Captain/Secretary wasn’t 100% on the finer details of Category Z, so here’s the relevant set of rules – I’ve updated the wording in places to reflect the current process;

WHV Handicap System

T9.1

Each group should nominate 1 person to record all of the players scores. Gross scores and stapleforth scores worked out for each player and cards handed to the Captain (handed to President if Captain not present).

T9.2

The Captain will record the scores in an XL spreadsheet. The spreadsheet will also be displayed on www.whvgolf.com

T9.3

Players will receive strokes on the course subject to their handicap and taking the strokes on the lowest stroke indexes. Where a player’s handicap exceeds 18, the player will receive the extra strokes on the lowest stroke indexes (ie player of 24 will receive 2 strokes on holes with stroke index’s 1 to 6 and 1 stroke on holes with stroke index’s 7 to 18). Players whose handicaps are – (minus, but referred to as plus) will have strokes taken from them on the easiest hole, unless stated otherwise on the card of the course. (ie a player with a handicap of -2 will have a stroke taken away on holes with indexes 17 & 18).

T9.4

Current exact handicaps are rounded up (where X=whole number) from X.5 and down from X.4 to give member’s playing handicaps. In minus handicaps they are rounded up (where X=whole number) from –X.6 and down from -X.5 to give member’s playing handicaps.

T9.5

At the start of each Tour year, the incoming Captain has the option to propose an increase or decrease the starting handicaps of individual Members compared to the prior year’s closing handicap.

T9.6

The Captain has the right to vary exact handicap on general play.

T9.7

The Captain will undergo a mid season handicap review of every player and will make any handicap adjustments that he sees fit.

T9.8

There are 4 handicap categories, Category A, Category B, Category C, Category D.

A is for playing handicaps of 0 (or better) to 9
B is 10 to 18
C is 19 to 27
D is 28 to 36

T9.81

Any WHVGS Member who has had a WHVGS Playing Handicap of 28 or below at any time will have a capped maximum Handicap of 28.4, eg, a maximum Playing Handicap of 28. Anyone who is capped at 28.4 will be classed as a Category Z golfer. The Captain will keep a record of the “real / uncapped” handicaps based on performance for Category Z golfers. Category Z golfer’s Actual Handicaps are capped to a Playing Handicap of 28.4 and in the event that they score better than 36 (adjusted for CSS) they will be cut from their “playing” handicap of 28.4 as normal, their “real / uncapped handicap” is just maintained for interest.

T9.9

Handicap categories reflect the amount player’s handicaps will decrease following an official WHV Event. The handicap revision following an event is taken from the number of shots above or below the CSS (refer to T9.10) a player finishes. Handicaps are then adjusted down by category at the following rates:

Category A 0.1

Category B 0.2

Category C 0.3

Category D 0.4

Handicaps going up will be at the rate of 0.1 x the number of shots over the CSS they finish, with a maximum increase of 0.5 per event.

(For Example: If the average of the field is 26 points and Dougal Baxter wins the event with 41 points off a handicap of 22, he will be 6 under the CSS and therefore be cut by 6 x 0.3 = 1.8.

In the same tournament if Chris Gregory finished last with 18 points off a handicap of 20 he will finish 9 over the CSS and will go up by 0.5 as he will be rounded down from 0.9).

T9.10

A competition scratch score (CSS) will be calculated for every stapleforth event (not relevant for Skins or Matchplay Events). The CSS is important as players post-event handicap adjustments will be worked out from the CSS as opposed to the Par of the course. The CSS will be worked out by calculating the average stapleforth scores recorded by all players in the event and then an adjustment made from the par of the course up or down as follows:

Average of all Players Stapleforth Points:

36 or above -3

35 to 34 -2

33 to 32 -1

31 to 29 0

28 to 26 +1

25 to 24 +2

23 or below +3

T9.11

The winner of an event will be cut by a minimum of one full stroke, even if the calculation in T9.9 results in a cut of less than one full stroke. There will be no additional handicap cut or handicap increase for finishing 2^nd.

T9.12

The handicap adjustment process remains the same for every tournament regardless if the tournament is a major or minor.

T9.13

The Captain reserves the right to introduce a Buffer Zone mechanism into the handicap structure half way through the year. The principal of the buffer zone is to help players handicaps not increase. The Captain should review the new handicap at the half way point at the same time as the half year general handicap review.

T9.14

New members handicaps will be allocated based on the information supplied by the introducing member, If this handicap proves to be lenient, the introducing member will be penalised as will the new member suitably as agreed by the Board.

T9.15

WHV has a male member maximum handicap of 36, there is no low handicap limit. As there are no current female members there is no allowance for female handicaps. Should a female be permitted to join the WHVGS the Captain reserves the right to introduce a female member handicap system.

2013 – “Live” Handicaps

What you see below is the sheet, created by Noz, on the system proposed by Ron, and now hosted and maintained by the Donk – this is the live handicap sheet for the society. We create a new sheet every year, and whilst this one is not a perfect reflection of the current conditions (any adjustments for scores over 32 in stapleforth are resolved manually, but that’s just because I haven’t updated it).

2012 Pre Season Update

From the desk of our Captain:

Good Morning Everyone,

As your new second choice Captain for the season I have the privilege of administering the handicap system for the year and wanted to garner opinion on whether we want to leave as is or whether there should be changes.

I think we all largely agree that the ex-Captains (and first choice Captain for this year) has worked well in most cases and the tour has very nearly reached a point where everyone has an equal chance of winning an event when they turn up in the morning.

I’m considering a slight change whereby the winner of a major or minor receives a 1 shot cut for a win. In my mind this helps to more quickly “correct” any slight inequalities in handicaps. If we look at last seasons OOM winner he would have finished the season (best case scenario) of 4 shots lower (assuming he would still have won each tournament with less shots) and only scored 39 points rather than the 43 he actually scored.

I’ll consider any responses I get and try to implement accordingly, obviously if you simply don’t care that much and don’t reply I’ll assume tacit support for my suggestions

I’ll also be reviewing the end of season handicaps and then chopping Bacon.

2012 Pre-Season Handicaps

Player	Movement	Starting 2012 Handicap	Category
Ron		2.9	A
Idiot		12.2	B
Campo		14.5	B
Coops		15.8	B
Huge		18	B
Bacon	-3.9	18	B
Juice		18.9	C
Web Donkey		19.2	C
Aust		19.5	C
Millers		20.5	C
Curt		22.5	C
Noz		22.6	C
Tour Director		23.6	C
Pal O Onions		25.4	C
President		26.1	C
Pedro		28.2	D
Ads		36.0	D

At the start of the year - all I have done is cut Mike to 18, as per the word of the Captain- may need to be ratified officially

2011 Pre Season Update

Dear WHVGS’ers,

With only a few days before the first round proper of the 2011 WHVGS Season, I thought it timely to release the new handicaps and the new handicap system that will be in place for the season – please see attached if you wish to familiarize yourself with the way it all works. Later this week I will release the new Unofficial Golf Society Bookies branding and associated starting pricesfor the Gibbon along with some additional betting opportunities for those gamblers amongst you that want to try and make a few quid – Following the marvelous footsteps of ‘Pedro Power’ the new bookies will continue to make generous contributions to the GS (subject to returning a profit!) Look forward to seeing you all at Shirley GC for the Gibbon this weekend,

Cheers

Skip

New Handicap System Explained:

WHV Handicap System For 2011 Season