PROGRESSIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW HANDICAPPING SYSTEM
The first package of changes to the Australian Men’s and Women’s Handicapping System will take effect on Friday 9 April 2010. This package incorporates the following only:
(i) Calculation of Handicap – Commence Operation of the USGA’s Rolling Sample Method.
(ii) Remove CCR for Men’s Handicapping (CCR was removed from Women’s handicapping in 2007).
There will not be any changes to the operation (at our Club’s end) of the Golf Link system. Changes will be in the processing functions of the Golf Link computer system. This includes the creation of new handicaps and the processing of competitions.
Rolling Sample Method. The ten best scores of the last twenty scores are used. When a new score is added, the oldest drops out of the calculation. The handicap differentials of the ten best scores are averaged and the result multiplied by 0.96. The result of this calculation (to the first decimal place with no rounding) then becomes the exact Australian Handicap.
If there are less than 20 scores then there is a table setting out the number of best scores to take from the number of scores recorded – eg: 9 from 19, 6 from 15 or 16, 3 from 9 or 10, 1 from 3 to 6. There is no requirement for a player’s most recent 20 scores to have been returned within a timeframe – ie: they may span a period of three months or three years. The following regulation has already been deleted “ If on 1 January of a year, a player goes from having at least three ‘live scores’ in their handicap record to having less than three live scores, their handicap will be considered to be a lapsed handicap…etc….etc.”
When the first package of changes becomes effective (9/04/2010) the ‘rolling sample’ handicap calculation method will make use of scores already contained within a player’s Golf Link handicap record. As a result players with existing Australian Handicaps will not need to return any new scores to get a handicap under the new calculation method.
Removal of (Men’s) CCR. The AMCR/AWCR is to be used to calculate all handicap differentials used in the calculation of an Australian Handicap – not any CCR which may have been determined at the time a round was played. Therefore all ‘played to’ values stored and displayed in each player’s Golf Link handicap record from prior to 9 April 2010 will be recalculated according to this changed rule.
Definitions
Handicap Differential = Gross Score – AMCR/AWCR
AMCR Australian Mens Course Rating
AWCR Australian Womens Course Rating
CCR Calculated Course rating
FUTURE CHANGES TO HANDICAPPING SYSTEM
The next Package of Changes which will include the requirement for all scores to be converted to Stableford scores for handicapping purposes is tentatively scheduled for late 2010. From 9 April 2010, handicaps will be recalculated immediately on processing a player’s score details, however the frequency of recalculations will most likely change to twice a month or some other time interval. The Slope component of the USGA handicapping system cannot be implemented until all Australian Courses have been re-rated (expected in 2012).
Lance Fredericks
Captain