Should competition scores be the ultimate way of administering handicaps? Is it time to accept golf should treat casual scores differently?
Though the World Handicap System has been in place for nearly seven years, argument continues to rage online as critics claim allowing general play scores makes it too easy for people to manipulate their marks. Those in favour of the system, meanwhile, laud the WHS for its flexibility.
In a recent episode of The NCG Golf Podcast, we got stuck into the debate and co-host Tom Irwin said he was leaning towards the view that it’s scores achieved in the pressure and intensity of club competitions that should form the main plank of our handicap indexes.
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“What you’re trying to do with a handicap system is create equitable competition and that is very difficult to do when people play on different golf courses with different equipment,” he said.
“The one thing you can control is the environment they’re doing that in and the competition environment is very particular from a casual round of golf environment. I think it’s similar to cricket nets versus being out in the middle.
“So we can all go into a cricket net and swing away and connect with three out of four shots and tell ourselves they would have gone for boundaries – and ignore the ones we edged or hit the stumps because they don’t count in the nets.
“But as soon as you get in the middle in an actual match, you’re completely exposed and your mistakes count. You can be a very impressive net cricketer and be a terrible member of a cricket team.
“Golf is similar in the sense that it’s very possible to be quite an impressive casual golfer, and forget the odd one that went out of bounds, give yourself the odd putt and write that in your app, but when you get to a competition you have to adhere to the Rules of Golf and there’s tension and there’s pressure and there’s people watching. That’s a totally different thing.”
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Should the World Handicap System separate competition from casual scores?
Irwin said there was no reason why those who didn’t play competitions, or were looking to keep track of their scores, couldn’t enter them into digital apps to monitor their progress.
But he argued players should have a separate number which is based on competition play and is used in those events.
“For the people who just want to put in a score that they feel they’re putting into their app, because they’re just tracking their casual rounds, that’s fine and it’s up to them,” Irwin added.
“But I don’t think they’re that interested in competition golf. They’re doing it for a different reason and the ones that [interested] are obviously trying to abuse the system. I think it needs to be a two-speed system.
“You should have a way of tracking your scores, and you should be able to have an index that is you versus you. If you’re someone whose life means you can’t make the club competitions, but you’re still playing golf and want to see where you are versus last week and the week before then, fine, track it in the app and let it be called a handicap index.
“But you should have a separate number, which is your competition handicap, which is based on the scores you shot in competitions.”
Now have your say on WHS
What do you think? Should competitions be the ultimate arbiter of handicaps? Is it ok to have a two-tier system within the World Handicap System? Let us know in the comments, or get in touch on X.
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