Golf clubs in Ireland will soon be able to alter handicap allowances in a massive change to the way the World Handicap System is implemented.
Golf Ireland have announced that, from April 1, competition and handicap committees will have new powers over how they implement the Playing Handicap in singles competitions and fourball stroke play, Stableford and V-Par events.
The governing body are piloting measures agreed by Golf GB&I, the body that has replaced CONGU in administering WHS in the four home nations, with England Golf, Scottish Golf and Wales Golf set to adopt them from 2026.
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 previously been mandatory.
But Golf Ireland are changing the rules – in an apparent acknowledgement of criticisms from low handicappers, who say they’ve have found it difficult to compete in competitions since the arrival of the global order in 2020.
They say: “If circumstances have been observed in a club where lower handicappers are struggling to compete, the Committee in charge of a competition may wish to consider a lower Playing Handicap as a means of enhancing the equity of a competition.
“The feedback which Golf Ireland has received through tracking surveys in the past year suggests that this is an acutely felt issue in a number of clubs.
“The general guidance provided in Appendix C of the Rules of Handicapping is that a lower Playing Handicap allowance is more likely to provide equity [in] larger fields (i.e. in excess of 100 golfers) where the difference in shots between the lowest and highest Handicap Index in the field is significant.”
So what have Golf Ireland announced?
The governing body say in singles competitions which count for handicaps, clubs will be able to take three actions when calculating Playing Handicaps:
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- They can keep the current allowance of 95%
- They can reduce that allowance to 90% or 85%
- Or they can increase the allowance to 100% of the Course Handicap. This would remove the Playing Handicap
For fourball stroke play competitions, including Stableford and V-Par where scores can sometimes count for handicaps, clubs can choose to:
- Keep the current allowance of 85%
- Reduce the allowance to 80% or 75%
- Increase the allowance to 90%
Why have Golf Ireland done this?
In a notice to clubs, the governing body say the feedback they have consistently received shows clubs want more options to deal with issues they’re seeing in competitions.
“Moreover, a similar trendline in the feedback has indicated that lower handicappers in a number of clubs feel less competitive as a result of the changeover to WHS, and in some cases are even less inclined to play in club competitions,” it states.
“In these circumstances, the option to lower the Playing Handicap allowance is one that club committees may wish to consider.”
A higher allowance can be considered in smaller fields whether there is not the breadth of difference between the lowest and highest handicaps.
And the notice also says clubs have indicated members are struggling with the complexity of WHS. In “scenarios where there are comparatively few golfers playing in competitions, there is a question as to whether there is a need for such complexity.
“In such clubs, having a Playing Handicap that is directly equal to the player’s Course Handicap (i.e. 100%) goes some way to simplifying the handicap calculation that is made for competitions.”
The governing body say the changes will give clubs a “degree of flexibility in responding to their own specific challenges with regard to handicapping in their own competitions.”
How will clubs be able to use the new rule?
Golf Ireland are advising it is “probably desirable” – should clubs wish to utilise the new options – to apply a new Playing Handicap to all competitions “in most cases to give players clarity”.
But they say it is also at the discretion of the committee and they could apply different allowances to different competitions, or take a different approach to men’s and women’s competitions.
“Whatever approach is taken, the decision should be made following consideration of the size of fields and the spread of Handicap Indexes in order to rationalize their decision.”
When will the rest of GB&I come on board?
David Kernohan, head of commercial and partnerships at Scottish Golf and a board member of Golf GB&I, explained why the rest of the home nations will bring in the changes in 2026.
He said: “Golf GB&I made the decision at a recent board meeting to move from mandatory playing allowances to recommended allowances.
“This was based on a recommendation from the GB&I Technical Handicap Advisory Group who based this on data research since the implementation of WHS and feedback from golf clubs and golfers.
“Golf Ireland will be piloting the change in 2025 with England, Scotland and Wales implementing the change in 2026.
“We believe this change will allow golf clubs to set the relevant competition allowance based on the handicap make up and field size of each competition providing the best chance of creating equity in their events.
“There will be specific guidance to help support golf clubs on making the best decision. By piloting this in Ireland first it will give the home nations the chance to look at competition data from this phase to ensure we get the recommendations and guidance as accurate as possible before implementing across the whole of GB&I.”
Listen to The NCG Golf Podcast
Have low handicappers been getting a raw deal under WHS? Tom Irwin and Steve Carroll debate the issue in this episode.
Now have your say
What do you think of Golf Ireland’s changes? Would your club bring them in? Should the other home unions follow the same path and announce their Playing Handicap plans? Let us know by leaving a comment on X.
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