Is it time to limit the number of general play scores?

You can’t deny they are popular. In England alone, more than half a million general play scores were submitted last year. There is every indication that record will be smashed in 2025.

For those that love them, they provide a flexibility to handicapping which just wasn’t available under the old system. No longer is tracking progress tied only to playing in events.

Many golfers, time poor and unable to meet the whim of a competition calendar, have been able to maintain handicaps that may otherwise have been lost.

Some would argue that alone has kept them in the game and paying subscription fees. For those who have no interest in competitions at all, it has allowed them to measure how they are playing.

And yet there are others with serious misgivings about general play – who see it as nothing more than a “cheat’s charter”.

They say it’s made manipulation easier and has affected the integrity of competitions. Claiming it’s either too easy to move a handicap index – whether up or down – and even trickier to catch those who are smart about how they do it, they believe it has lessened the enjoyment of teeing it up in big club days.

Some golfers say they have stopped playing in competitions altogether.

General play is certainly divisive and every time we write something at NCG about it, plenty of you are quick to tell us what you think.

Our mailbox has been so busy with World Handicap System letters that we’re printing a selection of them over a series of pieces.

We’ve already shared your overall thoughts on the system and we’ll also be featuring what you think of Golf Ireland’s WHS pilot scheme that could be coming to Great Britain next year.

This time, we’re revealing what you feel about general play. Do the number of scores a golfer can submit need limiting? Should they be reduction only? Would WHS be better or worse without their presence?

What do you think about general play scores?

John emailed: “I strongly believe that the root of all evil currently is that there is no limit on the number of general play scores a player can submit.

“There is no doubt in my mind that it’s a cheat’s charter. Under the old system, you could submit up to 10 cards per year. Nothing wrong with that. And for those players submitting scores at that time, I’m sure that in most cases they were playing to the rules and trying to achieve the lowest score possible. And probably putting out as well.

“I wonder how many players putt out when submitting a general play card now. I would suggest very few.

“At the present time, a player can be almost any handicap they would like to be within a relatively short space of time. And that applies not only to people that want to inflate their handicaps but also to some that imagine they are considerably better than they could ever be.”

Andrew said: “In my opinion general play scores should only count if you score 36 points or equivalent.

“This would remove the pressure when playing on a course you are unfamiliar with. It would also prevent someone from getting their handicap up prior to an upcoming competition.”

Roger emailed to say: “The solution, in my opinion, is simple. We could do away with General Play cards, but I realise that may be regarded as a too radical step by some.

“As a compromise, I suggest the number of GP cards that a player can submit is restricted to 12 in any calendar year, and no more than one a month.

“The only other way for a handicap index to change would be through competition play. Overnight, the problem of handicap manipulation would be greatly reduced, if not eradicated.

“This will stop players entering up to 14 General Play cards a week and greatly reduce the enormous work overload that Handicap Secretaries currently face.”

Alan added: “How about your casual rounds can only result in a reduction in handicap not an increase? Would this not prevent false handicaps – other than foolish idiots wanting to reduce their handicaps to their own detriment?

“The handicap committee would review all players at the end of the year that have failed to match their handicap in competitions during the year.

“With our computer run lifestyles it should only take a few minutes and a couple of buttons being pressed to identify people that are struggling with their golf due to injury, age, or amount of playing time.

“This would result in it taking a year to gain a shot or two and hopefully deter these well-known manipulators of the WHS.”

John opined: “It seems to me that allowing too many GP scores is the charter to cheat, so a restriction on the number that can be submitted on a monthly basis would slow down any manipulation.

“It could be that eight GP scores could be the minimum submitted before any change is implemented and that change would be only one change based on the average of the 8 scores.

“Alternately perhaps general play scores should be reduction only and that would cut out any notion of a cheat’s charter. Anyone lowering their scores would only be cheating themselves.”

Finally, Peter wrote to say: “Myself and my friends try to put in a card every time we play golf as the WHS allows this. Within the last 12 months I have had, and still have, four out of my eight qualifying rounds from courses other than my own.

“We have just returned from five days golfing in Scotland and three out of the five rounds are now qualifying scores on my WHS, even though I have never played them before.

“Personally, I prefer to have a card in my hand with something to play for, rather than just playing for the sake of it and so do my friends.

“I don’t think that any of us has increased our handicap by more than 2-3 shots in the past year and often come back down when we hit a purple patch. I do agree that it is open to the club bandits, but I’m not sure if we will ever be able to stop them?”

Now have your say

What do you think? Are you happy with the World Handicap System? Do you feel your concerns are being addressed by your club or by WHS chiefs? With WHS not going anywhere, what needs to happen for you to be happier with it? Email me at s.carroll@nationalclubgolfer.com or leave us a message on X.