‘I play with higher handicap golfers who are disappointed with a score under 40 points’

Has the World Handicap System done “irreparable damage” to the concept of a level playing field or are critics just moping for moaning’s sake?

I argued in a recent column why some golfers were misguided for expecting that playing to their handicap – scoring 36 points – should bring them anything more than the satisfaction which comes with playing a steady round.

That motivated a lot of you to start typing about Stableford scores. We’ve had another busy postbag at NCG and here are a selection of your views below…

‘I just can’t compete’: Should we think again about Stableford scores?

Mark wrote: “My mindset changed under WHS from hitting your handicap or buffer zone under the old system, to delivering a ‘counter’, bettering one of your eight counting scores to get a handicap reduction.

“Prizes these days have little real value (you have to win several times to purchase anything decent) and the only time when winning has merit is if the competition is for an honours board engraving.

“Ironically most honours board competitions are single division with a handicap max of typically 24, so not super high but still favouring the twenty somethings.”

Jeremy, meanwhile, said the challenge was to make sure players entered their cards. He said: “I would say that a lot of people protect their handicaps by not registering social cards or cards from away courses because they know it will reduce their handicap and they like to keep all their shots, which in its form is a kind of cheating.

“Regularly I play with higher handicap golfers who are disappointed with a score under 40 points, me off 9.5 would be delighted! I just can’t compete.

“But how do we challenge all clubs to make sure people are putting in their cards? It’s an impossible task, the only way to compete is to join them. I find the WHS pointless, even worse now that people can get 54 shots, ridiculous!”

After I said clubs could distribute prizes across a wider section of players by adopting divisions, Tim got in touch to say: “We had the divisional system. That was ideal for senior players like me, around the 12/13 handicap mark, then someone (one person), playing off 24, complained.

“They stopped the system and around 8/9 of us don’t play in the seniors Stablefords because we can’t compete!

“Each and every week, a 25/28/30 handicap player comes in with 40/42/44 points. We just can’t even compete, never mind win! The best golfer we have is a scratch golfer. [On] Captain’s Day, he came in three under for the day (18 holes). He didn’t get in the top six! Pointless, he’s since packed up playing seniors golf! Can’t blame him.”

After I began my article with an analogy to scoring in the professional game – mainly the idea that level par doesn’t get you anywhere on tour – AJ replied: “We are not on tour though, are we? We play in a Saturday comp with the hope of playing on a level playing field [and] not having to shoot a club record score just to be denied a prize by yet another high handicapper shooting 10 under. 

“[The] Course record was equalled at our club in a midweek Stableford. He didn’t win. What more do you have to do? [WHS] Rewards mediocrity with no incentive to improve. Putting a limit on how many shots you get in a comp is the only way forward.”

Peter, meanwhile, thinks little has changed about Stableford scores despite the arrival of the World Handicap System. He said: “As far as I can remember going way back before WHS (I am 73 now) it usually takes 40+ points to win a singles Stableford competition and often well above that for a 4BBB so very little seems to have changed.”

Per opined: “I am a 75-year-old golfer who remembers when your handicap was supposed to reflect your best golf. You dropped 0.5 for every point over 36 you scored in a very good round and went up just 0.1 for every round below 33.

“Then 36 points would definitely be reason for pride, if not a top place and a pro-shop gift card. Today, when your handicap is the average of your eight best rounds out of the last 20, 36 points is still grounds for quiet satisfaction, but not prize worthy. 

“After all, you have probably three or four better rounds in your last 20, so you know you can do better.”

Finally, Mike felt my argument was flawed and concluded: “Bottom line, no matter what arguments you may advance in support of WHS, WHS has denuded the game of the ethos behind handicap golf and added nothing of value to the game.

“The vast majority of recreational players, being handicap golfers who have to play at weekends and thus incur a competition entry fee, see this fee as nothing more than an additional cost of playing nowadays.

“Few see any prospects of success except in the event of more flukes and good fortune than any others and, in particular, not in consistently over 18 holes playing to their abilities and capacity. 

“Dress it how you wish but WHS has done irreparable damage to the ethos of a level playing field.”

Now have your say

What do you think? Are you happy with how Stableford scores perform in WHS? Do you feel your concerns are being addressed by your club or by WHS chiefs? Drop us a comment below, email me at s.carroll@nationalclubgolfer.com or leave us a message on X.

• NOW READ: Will changing handicap allowances make any difference to competition results?
• NOW READ: How to improve WHS: Listen to the golfers who have the lived experience