Changes that would allow clubs to alter handicap allowances in competitions have been postponed by England Golf.
In a message to counties, the governing body revealed they’ve delayed measures piloted in Ireland, which gave competition and handicap committees wider powers over how they applied the Playing Handicap in singles and fourball competitions.
Golf Ireland have been trialling a project agreed by Golf GB&I, the body that replaced CONGU in administering the World Handicap System in the four home nations, with England Golf, Scottish Golf and Wales Golf set to adopt it from 2026.
But WHS chiefs at Woodhall Spa now say there won’t be any changes in the country before 2028.
In a ‘Playing Handicap Allowance update’ included in a county newsletter, England Golf said: “After careful consideration and consultation, including feedback from counties, committees, club staff and volunteers, we have decided to postpone any adoption of changes to Playing Handicap Allowances until 2028, in line with the wider WHS review cycle.
“Between now and then, we will use this time to evaluate existing measures designed to improve competition equity, along with further analysis of Playing Handicap allowances.”
What were the proposed changes to handicap allowances?
Back in March, we reported how Irish club committees could alter the way they implemented the Playing Handicap in singles competition and fourball stroke play, Stableford and V-Par events from April 1.
The Playing Handicap is a golfer’s Course Handicap adjusted for any allowance. Designed to provide equity, high profile allowances include 95% in individual stroke play and Stableford events and 85% in fourball stroke play and Stableford.
In GB&I, these allowances have been mandatory.
But this season, in singles competitions which counted for handicap, Irish clubs were able to keep the current allowance of 95%, reduce it to 90% or 85%, or increase it to 100% – effectively removing it altogether.
In fourball stroke play competitions, they could keep the current allowance of 85%, reduce it to 80% or 75%, or increase it to 90%.
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Explaining those measures, Golf Ireland said they had received consistent feedback which showed clubs wanted more options to deal with issues they were experiencing in competitions, as well as a trend of lower handicappers at some clubs feeling less competitive since the introduction of the World Handicap System at the end of 2020.
But despite being given the freedom to make alterations, lots of clubs did not. Preliminary feedback in August revealed just under 60% of those who responded to a Golf Ireland survey “did not make changes to the previously mandated handicap allowances”.
Nearly half of those did so because they felt the “allowances were about right”.
Golf Ireland shared the results with the rest of GB&I Golf “in advance of a potential full rollout of this change across GB&I in 2026”.
But with the new year rapidly approaching, England Golf have now shelved any possible changes for at least two years.
Now have your say on this Playing Handicap decision
What do you make of England Golf’s decision to postpone a change to Playing Handicaps? Let me know by leaving a comment, email me at s.carroll@nationalclubgolfer.com, or get in touch on X.
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