From the Clubhouse: We talk WHS with England Golf’s Head of Handicapping James Luke
We don’t want you to think of us as one-trick-ponies but it’s another podcast and another week talking about the World Handicap System.
That’s because Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll took the From the Clubhouse podcast, in association with TaylorMade Golf, on the road and visited Woodhall Spa, the headquarters of England Golf, to speak to James Luke, the governing body’s new Head of Handicapping and Course Rating.
We get stuck into course rating, PCC, interoperability, and much more besides – including if higher handicappers are actually dominating competitions, the vital role of the marker in protecting the integrity of the system, and what might be coming in the future.
There are some funny stories along the way too so let’s get stuck in…
From the Clubhouse podcast with England Golf’s Head of Handicapping James Luke
Listen to our views and hear what James has to say on the World Handicap System on the From the Clubhouse podcast, in association with TaylorMade Golf, in the player below, or on your preferred podcast platform.
More on the World Handicap System
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Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
