FAQs for USGA Implementation of the World Handicap System

At what age should a golfer be allowed to play the forward tees? ... The Golf Course. Who provides the Course Rating and Slope Rating® for each golf course? skiptomaincontent FAQsforUSGAImplementationoftheWorldHandicapSystem™(WHS™) ShowFAQsforWorldHandicapSystem(WHS)BackgroundandOverviewFundamentalsofHandicappingHandicapIndexCalculation101HandicapIndexSafeguardsAdjustmentofHoleScoresCourseHandicapandPlayingHandicapPostingScoresHandicapCompetitionsHandicapCommitteeTheGolfCourse  WorldHandicapSystem(WHS)BackgroundandOverview WhatistheWorldHandicapSystemallabout? WhatarethebenefitsoftheWorldHandicapSystem? HastheWorldHandicapSystemimpactedthewaythegameisplayedintheUnitedStates? FundamentalsofHandicapping WhatdoesaHandicapIndex®represent? HowdoIgetaHandicapIndex? HowmanyscoresdoIhavetopostbeforeIgetaHandicapIndex? Someoneasksmewhatmyhandicapiswhenwearestandingonthefirsttee.WhatdoItellthem? Whatispeerreviewandwhyisitimportant? Irecentlypostedscores,butmyHandicapIndexhasnotchanged.Why? HandicapIndex®Calculation101 WhatisaScoreDifferential™andhowisitcalculated? HowisaHandicapIndexcalculated? Ialwaysplaythesameteesatthesamecourse.IsmyHandicapIndex"established"fromthatset? WhatisthemaximumHandicapIndex? HowoftenisaHandicapIndexupdated? HandicapIndexSafeguards Whatistheplayingconditionscalculation(PCC)andhowdoesitwork? IforgottopostmyscorethedayIplayed.WillIstillgetthePCCadjustment? Whatisan"exceptionalscore"andwhathappenswhenIpostone? WhatismyLowHandicapIndex™andwhyisitdisplayedinmyscoringrecord? IstherealimitonhowmuchaHandicapIndexcanincrease? AdjustmentofHoleScores Whatisthemaximumholescoreforhandicappostingpurposes? Istartedaholebutdidnotcompleteit.WhatscoredoIpost? Ididnotplayahole.WhatscoretodoIpost? Howmanyholesmustbeplayedtopostanacceptablescore? CourseHandicap™andPlayingHandicap™ WhatisthedifferencebetweenaCourseHandicapandPlayingHandicap? HowdoIcalculatemyCourseHandicapandPlayingHandicap? Whenplayerscompetefromdifferenttees,dowehavetomakeanyadjustments? WheredoesroundingoccurwithinthePlayingHandicapcalculation? PostingScores HowdoIdetermineifascoreisacceptableforhandicappurposes? Iaccidentlypostedthewrongscore-howcanIchangeit? Iwouldliketoplayfromasetofteesthatarenotratedformygender.HowcanIpostascore? Arescoresdesignatedas"Competition"scorestreatedanydifferently? Iplayedaroundbymyself.Whycan'tIpostthescore? Idon’tknowtheCourseRating™andSlopeRatingfortheteesIplayed,howcanIpostthescore? CanImanuallyentertheCourseRating,SlopeRatingandparforacourseIplayed? HandicapCompetitions Whatarehandicapallowancesandwhyaretheyrecommendedforvariousformatsofplay? Whenrunningamulti-roundcompetition,shouldtheHandicapIndexbeupdatedbetweeneachround? ShouldmatchplayscoresbepostedevenifIdonotholeoutoneveryhole? WhydoestheplayerwiththelowestPlayingHandicapplayatscratch(0)inmatchplay? Atwhatageshouldagolferbeallowedtoplaytheforwardtees? Onwhichholesdoplayersreceivestrokesinacompetition? Whatscoresshouldbepostedas"Competition"scores? HandicapCommittee Ihadarecentinjuryandcannolongerplaytomyhandicap.CantheHandicapCommitteemakeanadjustment? Thereisaplayeratmyclubwhoalwaystendstoplaywellduringneteventsandwinsoften.Arethereanyprovisionsinplacetoensurethateveryoneisplayingonafairlevel? WhatisaPenaltyScore?Howandwhenisitapplied? HowdoestheHandicapCommitteedeterminethestrokeindexallocationattheircourse? Iamamemberofmultipleclubs,whydoIhavetodesignatea"homeclub"? TheGolfCourse WhoprovidestheCourseRatingandSlopeRating®foreachgolfcourse? WhatisaCourseRatingandwhatdoesitrepresent? WhatisaSlopeRatingandwhatdoesitrepresent? DoesacoursehavetobeacertainlengthtohaveaCourseRatingandSlopeRating? YoucanalsocontacttheUSGAHandicapDepartmentbyphoneat(908)[email protected].