Members Area
World Handicap System Summary
A summary of WHS terminology and acceptable score requirements for members.
WHS terminology
- Course Rating: replaces Standard Scratch Score and represents the score a scratch golfer is expected to achieve on a given course.
- Slope Rating: the relative difficulty of a course from a specific set of tees for a bogey golfer compared to a scratch golfer.
- Handicap Index: a handicap to one decimal place, based on the average of the best 8 scores from the last 20 rounds.
- Course Handicap: a player's handicap adjusted to reflect the difficulty of a specific course.
- Playing Handicap: the handicap used in a specific format of play on a specific course, rounded up to the nearest whole number.
Handicap allowance
- Individual Stroke Play, Stableford, Par/Bogey and Maximum Score: 95%.
- Individual Match Play: 100%.
- Fourballs Stroke Play and Stableford: 85%.
- Fourballs Par/Bogey and Match Play: 90%.
- Foursomes: 50% of combined team handicap.
Acceptable scores
- Individual or singles rounds in Stroke Play, Stableford, Par/Bogey or Maximum Score.
- Played over a minimum number of holes on the measured course.
- Played by the Rules of Golf.
- Pre-registration is required before the round is played.
- Played in the company of at least one other person or player.
- Certified by a marker before submission.
- The course must have a current Course Rating and Slope Rating.