Author: James Hill

Update to the WHS system / Par Implications?

Here is the link: https://static.clubhouse.scottishgolf.org/clubs/1000/uploads/files_and_docs/2024%20whs%20system%20update.pdf

There are no details yet on the ‘standardisation of par’. However, since the par on a hole is important in the calculation of adjusted gross and scaling up scores, it is essential that all clubs follow the same rules (i.e. no club discretion on a hole that falls below the minimum distance for a certain par),

The new standardisation of par may enforce the following, as this is how other golf authorities have implemented it:

This may leave us in something of a quandary when the course is rated, since the 7th hole is 238 yards from tee to green (a par 3 is never measured as a dogleg). This falls below the minimum distance required for a par 4.

For a scratch golfer, it’s not a hard par 3 (slightly downhill, no trouble round the green), but obviously for those who don’t hit the ball the distance of a scratch golfer, it is unreachable in one shot. The committee will discuss solutions to this in due course.

Presumably, the Club will still be able to choose the par for a hole that falls within the set distances. For example, while we may not be able to choose par if the hole is 238y (par 3) we may be able to choose the par if the distance is between 240 and 260y (par 3 or 4). This applies on the 4th, which could either be par 4 or par 5. It depends on how Standardisation of Par is implemented by Scottish Golf.

Our simplest solution is probably to move the 7th tee back 10 yards to avoid any issues. Or to build a new tee further back.

It’s worth noting that par has no effect on scoring. In stroke play, total shots count. In stableford, all shots are still received, though the specific holes where they are received would vary. Handicap golfers, of course, get shots to make up for distance — so-called ‘regulation’ on a par 4 for a scratch golfer is 2 shots, but for an 18 handicapper it is 3 shots.

Our handicaps are calculated based on Course Rating, not par, which in our case is 69.2 for men (not far off par, in fact, if 4 was par 4 and 7 was par 3 (70)). When the course is rated, I would expect our CR to go up to 70-71, but that remains to be seen.

Our winter course will hopefully be rated at the same time.

JH

The 95% Rule

The 95% rule is a part of the World Handicapping System and is applied to all Scottish strokeplay and stableford competitions. The purpose of the rule is to normalise scores between higher and lower handicap players.

For example, a 26 handicap player has much more variability in their scores than a 5 handicap player. The 26 handicapper can easily have a good day and shoot 10 shots under their handicap by completing a par 74 course in 90 strokes. However, the 5 handicapper would have to shoot 5 under par for the course to compete, which would be an extremely unlikely event. The 95% rule is meant to compensate for this.

In the example above, the 26 handicapper would have a competition handicap of 25 rather than 26. The 5 handicapper also has 95% applied to their handicap:

High Handicapper: 26 x 0.95 = 24.7 = 25 competition handicap
Low Handicapper: 5 x 0.95 = 4.75 = 5 competition handicap

The low handicapper still has to go 4 under the card, which is still extremely unlikely, but one shot makes a huge difference at that level of play.

It is only a subtle change, but it is supposed to balance results over time. It used to be that the 95% rules was not applied to small fields (less than 30), but now Scottish Golf have ruled it applies to all competitions. It is causing some confusion for us at the moment, because your scorecard in the app shows your course handicap, not your competition handicap.

The competition handicap is 95% of your course handicap and the 95% adjustment is applied before rounding. It produces some strange results which appear to go against the spirit of the rule, but Scottish golf have confirmed that the rule must be applied.

In the May Medal 2023, Edgar and I both shot the same score and we both had the same course handicap of 15. The competition results showed the following:

The handicap index is converted to a competition handicap by the following formula:

index x (slope rating/113) x 0.95

For Edgar: 14.5 x (118/113) x 0.95 = 14.385 = 14 competition handicap

For me: 14.8 x (118/113) x 0.95 = 14.682 = 15 competition handicap

Naturally, Edgar queried the result, since his scorecard showed his course handicap not his competition handicap. I eventually realised that the 95% rule was the culprit. I had a long conversation with our Scottish Golf liaison about it and the result has to stand.

The only place to see the competition handicap in the system is on the results sheet. I have so far not found any way to print out a competition handicap listing. You can calculate it for yourself using the above formula.

So there you go. If the handicap that appears in the results for the competition is not the same as your course handicap, the reason is the 95% rule.

The Scottish Golf rules were correct and current at the time of posting. There is every possibility that rules may be reviewed and changed on a future occasion.