CONTENT: WHS Application in Mizuno Golf Pairs Tour Events and Match Play, and Golfbreaks Events and Match Play
LAST REVISED: 9th December 2020
Mizuno Golf Pairs Tour Handicap Committee has fully adopted WHS from 2nd November 2020 along with all CONGU affiliated golf clubs.
WHS is CONGU. Some people think it’s WHS or CONGU but WHS is the new CONGU so please don’t get confused with our reference to CONGU in these rules.
Please note since we are applying the official rules across our competitions, if you do not like the rules, please raise your complaints with your respective unions and not our support team.
We are adopting the official rules in their entirety, which as a prospective authorized affiliate of CONGU and the Golf Unions we are required to do.
If any part of our rules do not align with current WHS rules please advise our support team at events@golfpairs.com who will be glad to know of changes.
We require all golfers to be comfortable with the new WHS rules - here are the official documents you need.
Player Reference Guide - Step By Step
WHS Handicapping Advice - Official CONGU Document
CONGU Handbook - Official CONGU Document
How we are adopting and applying these rules is laid out below.
Please note - these rules are changing constantly as the whole country gets more used to WHS. We are updating our rules as quickly as we can to align with the official WHS rules. But if in any doubt whatsoever - we apply the formal CONGU rules of handicapping throughout our competition and the CONGU Handbook takes precedence over anything in our rules.
SUMMARY
MATCH PLAY
Course Handicap = Handicap Index x Slope / 113
Playing Handicap = (Course Handicap X 90%) + (Difference in Course Ratings if Mixed Tees)
Competition Handicap = Playing Handicap - Lowest Playing Handicap
*Mixed Tees under new WHS rules play from their respective cards. Please see WHS handicap guidance page 41. This is a change from the old rules.
STABLEFORD
Course Handicap = Handicap Index x Slope / 113
Playing Handicap = (Course Handicap X85%) + (Difference in Course Rating Less Par)
Competition Handicap = Playing Handicap
*Mixed Tees continue to play from their own Par and SI
To calculate your competition handicap take your handicap index, multiply by the slope rating and divide by 113 to get your course handicap. Adjust for mixed competitions if required (stableford adjusted by comparing course rating with par, matchplay adjusted by subtracting bigger from smaller course ratings) and take 90% for better ball. Finally for match play you the
player with the lowest Playing Handicap plays off zero strokes relative to the other
player(s). The other player(s) receive(s) the difference between their own Playing
Handicap and that of the player with the lowest Playing Handicap.
Handicap Index - you will get this from your club or on HDID. It replaces your old handicap and is based on the average of the best 8 of your previous 20 rounds since 2018, or fewer than 8 if you have played less than 20 rounds. It’s a number between -8.0 and 54.0
Course Handicap is your handicap for playing the course and tees in question - calculated by multiplying your handicap index by the slope rating divided by 113. It’s rounded to a whole number.
Slope Rating - Specific to the course and tee - set by the club - a number between 55 and 155. This is NOT the course difficulty, but the relative difficulty for a bogey golfer versus a scratch golfer. Scratch golfers are completely unaffected by slope - it’s not a difficulty rating at all.
Playing Handicap - this is your handicap with adjustments on course rating taken into account.
Match Play Four ball - 90% adjusted then you deduct higher course rating from the lower course rating and the difference is made up by adjusting upwards the lower number.
In order to make this fair, all competitors must play from the forward tee card.
Stableford Four Ball - you play from your own card, but first you take 85% of your course handicap, then you take course rating and subtract par for each course and compare. If one number is higher than the other then this number is added or subtracted from the relevant card.
Competition Handicap - this the the handicap you will use for the competition
For match play this is your adjusted playing handicap, rounded to the nearest whole number with the lowest handicapper in the fourball subtracted from it. If you are the lowest handicapper you will receive 0 strokes.
For stableford this is your playing handicap.
All this is best illustrated with some examples which should help.
EXAMPLE 1
Non Mixed Match Play Competition
- Start with Handicap Index
Bob (4.5) Jim (10) Dave (18.4) Barry (2)
- Establish Course Handicap
Course Slope Rating 90
Course Handicap = Handicap Index x Slope / 113
Bob 4.5x90/113 =3.6 rounded to 4
Jim 10x90/113=7.9 rounded to 8
Dave 18.4x90/113=14.7 rounded to 15
Barry 2x90/113=1.6 rounded to 2
- Establish Playing Handicap
Match Play: Playing Handicap = (Course Handicap x Allowance) + (Difference in Course Ratings)
Match Play Better Ball Allowance is 90%
Bob 5 x90% = 5
Jim 7 x 90% = 6
Dave 14 x 90% = 12
Barry 2 x90% = 2
- Work out Competition Handicap
The player with the lowest Playing Handicap plays off zero strokes relative to the other player(s).
So Bob is 5-2=3
Jim is 6-2=4
Dave is 12-2=10
Barry is 2-2=0
EXAMPLE 2
Non Mixed Stableford Competition
- Start with Handicap Index
Mary (14.5) Jane (21.7) Jen (6.1) Diane (9)
- Establish Course Handicap
Course Slope Rating 130
Course Handicap = Handicap Index x Slope / 113
Mary 14.5x130/113 =16.7 rounded to 17
Jane 21.7x130/113=25 rounded to 25
Jen 6.1x130/113=7 rounded to 7
Diane 9x130/113=10.3 rounded to 10
- Establish Playing Handicap
Playing Handicap = (Course Handicap x Allowance) + (Difference in Course Ratings)
Stableford Four Ball Allowance is 85%
Mary 17 x 85% = 14.45 (14)
Jane 25 x 85% = 21.25 (21)
Jen 7 x 85% = 5.95 (6)
Diane 10 x 85% = 8.5 (9)
EXAMPLE 3
Mixed Match Play Competition
- Start with Handicap Index
Mary (14.5) Bob (4.5) Jen (6.1) Dave (18.4)
- Establish Course Handicap
Course Slope Rating 130
Course Handicap = Handicap Index x Slope / 113
Mary 14.5x130/113 =16.7 rounded to 17
Bob 4.5x130/113=5.1 rounded to 5
Jen 6.1x130/113=7 rounded to 7
Dave 18.4x130/113=21.1 rounded to 21
- Establish Playing Handicap
Match Play: Playing Handicap = (Course Handicap x Allowance) + (Difference in Course Ratings)
Match Play Better Ball Allowance is 90%
White Course Rating 72 Par 72
Red Course Rating 75 Par 72
75-72=3
Red course players course handicaps are adjusted by 3 shots upwards
All players play from Red Course Par and SI
Mary 17 x 90% = 15+3 = 18
Bob 5 x 90% = 5
Jen 7 x 90% = 6+3 = 9
Dave 21 x 905 = 19
- Establish Competition Handicap
The player with the lowest Playing Handicap plays off zero strokes relative to the other player(s).
Mary 18 - 5 = 13
Bob 5 - 5 = 0
Jen 9 -5 = 4
Dave 19 - 5 = 14