From the Clubhouse: Has a big flaw in the World Handicap System been exposed?
England Golf’s pilot Championship Entry policy, which could potentially deny access into some tournaments for players with too many general play scores in their handicap records, has catapulted the controversial World Handicap System back into the headlines.
But has the governing body’s actions, which are designed to ensure integrity and a high standard of entrants into competitions, exposed a deeper issue within WHS?
On this week’s From the Clubhouse, a podcast from National Club Golfer, Tom Irwin and I look in detail at the new policy, discuss what it will mean for those golfers who could be affected, and whether it shows that WHS is flawed.
We look back at the old CONGU handicap ways – refusing to don the “rose-tinted spectacles” worn by some when reflecting – and consider the impact England Golf’s pilot could have on our own competitions as clubs wage war in the fight against handicap manipulation.
Do club committees need to do more, or are they hiding behind a shield of the perceived ills of WHS?
WHS has been an emotive topic ever since its introduction in late 2020, and we don’t hold back expressing some strident views.
Where do you stand? It’s certainly an interesting listen…
World Handicap System podcast
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More podcasts from National Club Golfer
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; Caley 01T irons 4-PW; TaylorMade Hi-Toe wedges, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
