What does the future of the World Handicap System look like for England Golf? Should scores be weighted? How can we increase confidence and trust in the system?
Over the last few months, we’ve been posing various World Handicap System questions – both in articles and reflecting views submitted by you.
On the fifth anniversary of the calculator’s arrival in Great Britain & Ireland, we put some of those questions to Sarah Barter, England Golf’s head of handicapping and course rating.
In the first part of our two-part interview, she assessed the impact of the World Handicap System, complaints from golfers, and why the governing body can’t say more about the mechanics behind course rating.
Now she addresses questions on time-limiting scores, adjustments for away scores, and when we might be able to post our rounds around the globe.
Do handicap committees need to do more to help with WHS?
It’s a very delicate balance in getting that information across. We appreciate that most people on committees are volunteers and giving up their time freely and some have more time than others to commit to the role.
Firstly, they are not on their own. There is a support network around the system to help with the education of members. If they need help, they only need ask for it.
They should also be working as part of a wider committee. There is a minimum of three people as per terms of affiliation. It’s not just on one person to educate their members. It’s a group collective.
In our workshops, we talk about the key information. Obviously, they know their members better than anybody else and that’s why we don’t stipulate how that information gets out to members.
I don’t think it’s a case of whether they need to do more. I just think they need to possibly review how their members receive their information and work with the club manager and staff to help promote that message to as many people as they can in whatever means possible.
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Is it realistic to expect golfers to do the right thing with the rules of handicapping? There are always going to be people who want to take advantage…
Ultimately, WHS is a calculator. It’s there to calculate your handicap based on score information you submit. The more information you put in, and the more accurate and honest you are, the better it’s going to be.
Our sport is predominantly based on integrity and trust and it’s something of which we’re very proud. That will always be the case with the sport going forward. We need to make we’re encouraging those values by the processes we have in the system. That’s what we do as England Golf.
That’s what the system is. If people want to manipulate it, they will, but committees have more reports, more information, and more insight than any other system they’ve ever had. They never had this with CONGU, for example.
They couldn’t tell when somebody registered their score intent. They couldn’t see when someone went out and played unless they went through the tee sheet manually. It’s a lot more robust than it has probably ever been before.
Should WHS scores be time-limited so they are more indicative of demonstrated ability?
I think expiry is tricky and I don’t know whether we’ll ever get to that. We encourage golfers to put in as many scores as possible.
When circumstances change and you’re able to play more regularly, and you’re putting in those scores initially, you’re well within your rights to speak to your handicap committee. We have a handicap committee on iGolf, for example, that can adjust people’s indexes to make sure it reflects their ability.
To get that, you need to put some scores in initially. If you’re doing that, and then speak to the committee to make changes, they will do that. I’d fully encourage people to be aware of that and if they need to flag it then do so.
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It’s important and you’ll earn more respect with your committee by saying, ‘I want to play off a handicap that’s reflective of what I’m playing at’.
Should there be an adjustment for scores submitted at clubs that aren’t your ‘home’ course?
It’s not anything I’ve heard in my short time in post. When general play scores are submitted via the MyEG app, club committees can see all the information behind when it was registered and so on and the information is still key.
In this country, golfers have choices over whether they submit those scores or not so if being unfamiliar with a golf course is something that is a concern to people, they don’t have to submit a score if they don’t want to.
I like the idea of having a score from certain places on my record and I like to keep track but I’m not too bothered whether I play poorly or well around those places. It’s just nice to have a score.
This isn’t something I’m hearing on the ground, or that the team have mentioned to me as something we need to look at. But if the general feeling within the population is we need to consider that then we’ll feed it back as we always do.
People say general play scores aren’t the same as competition scores – that they aren’t as committed as they are in competitions. Could there be a weighting to reflect those concerns?
I think you’re in danger of going into a two-tier handicap system. The whole point is you have one index and that’s reflective of your best eight scores over your last 20.
As I’ve said throughout, a score is a score. If everyone is adhering to their responsibilities and is aware what’s required of them then, in theory, there is no issue with a general play or competition score.
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If you do that, then there’s nothing you need to worry about.
Interoperability – or the lack of it – has been a frustration for some. You’re hoping for some progress in the next 18 months. Is that realistic, as it’s not really within your gift?
No, it’s not and it would be unfair for me to comment on that. I’ve been told that within the next 18 months we should have a road map – if that’s the correct term – or something pretty soon as to what that looks like. I know that’s a focus for the R&A.
Our system is ready to go. We’re ready to talk to other countries and receive their data. Likewise, we’re ready to send our data to them when it comes to handicap scores and records. We’re waiting patiently for this to go ahead.
It was a big selling point of this system. It is a World Handicap System and, therefore, there is an expectation that everyone should be able to talk with each other.
Looking forward, are you optimistic about WHS?
I think it’s only going to get bigger and, obviously, the more countries people can play in is going to help with that.
I think the way that golf is played now, we encourage people to use the apps and people have their phones on them nearly 24/7 these days. It’s even easier to submit scores than before.
Education is really key – and getting that education out to people on what their responsibilities are. Over the next five years, that’s our biggest task: how we can diversify that because it’s set out in a certain way and it’s very one dimensional. We’ve got to be embracing all types of information.
We’re working internally as a team to look at how different audiences get their news, their information, and how they learn so we can work with those and try and be better. I think that’s the key thing for us. It’s definitely going in the right direction.
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Now have your say
What do you think of the second part of our interview with Sarah Barter, England Golf’s head of handicapping? Do you agree the World Handicap System is making progress? Let us know in the comments, email me at s.carroll@nationalclubgolfer.com, or get in touch on X.
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