Handicap Review

The World Handicap System proposes statistical tools to support the handicap review by Handicap Committees, to ensure that a player’s Handicap Index reflects their demonstrated ability (Rules of Handicapping – Rule 7, Appendix D and Rule 3.2 of the Local Guidance for Golf Club Committees).

The review process should take place at least once a year, but may happen more frequently, such as every 6 or 3 months.

HANDICAP COMMITTEE PROCEDURES

1. Consult the statistical tools:

Range Test

– Club:

Globally assess the handicaps of the players federated by the Club and identify those flagged by the test.

Club Area -> Administration -> Handicap Review -> Set starting date -> Calculate

Take note or export the flagged players.

– Player: Individually assess each player flagged and others identified by the Handicap Committee:

Club Area -> Players List -> Search Member File -> Handicap Review button -> Calculate

Consider the ‘Review Value’ indicated and print it.

Print button -> Select Printer or Save as PDF -> Adjust margins or scale to page size.

Different review periods (e.g. last year or last six months) can be tested to compare with recent performance.
Additional Measures
On each player’s specific Handicap Review page, additional statistical information is available in order to:

– Evaluate the statistical measures by ‘Result Origin’ and “No. of Holes” of the score differentials, in terms of number, average, net average, maximum and minimum, and identify differences or patterns,

– Assess the number of ‘No Returns’ and possible repetitions,

– Check if previous Handicap Index adjustments have been made by the Handicap Committee and if automatic Handicap Index calculation control mechanisms have been applied:
. Cap
. Exceptional Scores

2. Consider other aspects:

Evaluate the player’s complete scoring record and its evolution, including upward or downward trends and years with handicap. Check:

– The last time and how long ago the player played to their Handicap Index, i.e. that they had a score differential identical to the current Handicap Index.

– Whether the best rounds included in the calculations are more recent, older, or evenly distributed.

Club Area -> Players List -> Search Member File -> Handicap Index -> Check Calculations icon -> rounds in red.

– For players with a Handicap Index higher than 36.0, check for the effective application of ‘reductions only’ (Appendix Z of the Rules of Handicapping).

Club Area -> Member List -> Search Member File -> Handicap Index -> Check Calculations icon -> ‘Score Average’
It is possible to export the handicap record to Excel and carry out additional calculations, such as comparing scores home and away scores.
Consider all known information about the player’s performance, such as scores in formats of play not acceptable for handicapping, information provided by other players or clubs, training frequency, etc.

3. Decide on the Handicap Index:

Follow the appropriate administrative procedures:

– Make a record of the decision and state the reasons for it in the Handicap Committee’s minutes or report,

– Give the player the opportunity to contribute, to the extent possible, towards the Handicap Index adjustment process and inform them of the decision,

– In the event of an adjustment, publish the decision, by putting it in effect through the national central handicap computation system.

Software instructions: Link
Follow the appropriate regulatory and technical procedures:

– Once the review process has begun, proceed promptly and, if necessary, recalculate.

– Even if the ‘review value’ suggests an adjustment of more than 2 strokes, the Handicap Committee should only consider making an adjustment of more than 2 strokes in exceptional circumstances.

– Adjustments that increase the Handicap Index by more than 5.0 strokes or result in a Handicap Index lower than 2.0 require ratification by the CHCR of the FPG.

– When there is a decision to freeze the Handicap Index (Rule 7.1 ii), the request may be made to the Hcps Dept. of the FPG, duly supported.

4. In the event of an appeal by the player:

Decisions made by the Handicap Committee can be appealed by the player to the HCRC of the FPG.

– Before appealing, the player should analyse the matter with the Handicap Committee of their Home Club. The player will be informed that the Handicap Committee has the right to apply an adjustment as part of the handicap review and is directed to appeal internally first at Club level.

– If an appeal is made to the HCRC of the FPG, as part of the technical review process, a report will be requested from both parties.

– Appeals to the HCRC of the FPG follow the procedures set out in Rule 3.2 of the Local Guidance for Golf Club Committees of the Rules of Handicapping.

DESCRIPTION OF THE STATISTICAL TOOLS AVAILABLE IN THE CLUB AREA

Data Used

Player’s current Handicap Index®
Score Differential™ (SD) of rounds acceptable for handicap, from individual stroke play and calculated according to the definition in the Rules of Handicapping.
Review period, corresponding to the period of time between the start date and the end date.

Range Test

Terminology and Definitions

Current Handicap: The player’s current Handicap Index.
No. of Scores: Number of score differentials included in the review. Includes information on the number of scores that would be required to flag the player.
Review Value: Handicap Index value identified by the algorithm at the end of the review calculation.

Note: In exceptional cases, the calculation can result in both up and down values for assessment.

Up/Down Review: Adjustment suggested by the algorithm in the calculation. It refers to the whole process, or to a specific step.

E.g. Review Up of 0 represents no change; Review Up of 1 represents a rise of 1.0 in the Handicap Index.

Steps: Number of steps in the iterative procedure.
Hcp Up/Down Handicap Index value to be tested for possible handicap increase/decrease.
Upper/Lower Flag Level: Limits of the range test.
No. Scores High/Low: Number of score differentials above/below the flag levels.

Objective

To determine whether a player’s score differentials, during the period of analysis, are adequately within their expected range given the current Handicap Index and to flag players with consistently score differentials above or below the expected range.

How the algorithm works

The algorithm uses the current Handicap Index as a reference and determines the upper and lower limits of the expected range of scores. It then counts the number of scores outside these limits. If the number exceeds what is expected, the player is flagged for review.

The process is repeated until it finds a ‘Review Value’ corresponding to a suitable Handicap Index, where the score differentials would be within the limits.

Observations on the algorithm

The statistical range is wide, detecting only a small percentage of players.
The test detects unexpected scores in relation to the current Handicap Index, however, in specific cases, the direction of the ‘review value’ may not be appropriate, and requires careful evaluation by the Handicap Committee, such as in situations of:
. High variability of scores,
. Rapid player evolution,
. Different time periods for analysis, which may justify considering different intervals for evaluation.

Additional Measures

Terminology and Definitions

Additional statistical analyses, also referring to the review period, which include:

Origin of Scores: Identification of scores by typology (Total, Competition, General Play, International and Imported) and No. of Holes (18 and 9 holes).
No. of Scores: Counts the score differentials recorded.
Average SD: Average of the score differentials.
Average SD Net: Average of the net score differentials, i.e. the difference between the differential score and the player’s Handicap Index, at the time of the score.
Example: SD=23.5 and Handicap Index = 22.0 -> SD Net = 1.5

Notes:

Positive values, with no sign, represent scores that are worse than the Handicap Index; negative values, with a ‘Plus’ sign (+), represent scores that are better than the Handicap Index.

Net SD Totals do not include imported scores.

It is not recommended to consider this measure for dates before the initial handicap assignment, as a Handicap Index value of 54.0 is automatically applied.

Max SD: Maximum value of the score differentials.
Min SD: Minimum value of the score differentials.

Observations on Statistical Measures

These measures do not directly propose a review value but help to assess the player’s demonstrated ability.

– Source of Scores
The number of scores in the period and the measures by type make it easier to understand the player’s profile in terms of the most frequent formats of play and their performance in them. Huge disparities are not expected and if they do exist, they should be researched. At a national level, it is somewhat more frequent to see better scores in general play compared to competitive play than the other way round, but it is to be expected that this difference, if it exists, is not extreme.

– No. Return Scores: The repetition of no return scores, not acceptable for handicapping, requires the intervention of the Handicap Committee. The Handicap Committee should consider what possible impact these scores would have on the Handicap Index and apply an adjustment.

– No. Caps: Number of handicap calculations limited by the Soft Cap or the Hard Cap.

– No. of Exceptional Scores: Number of Exceptional Scores.

– No. of Handicap Adjustments: Number of handicap adjustments applied by the Handicap Committee.

18/09/2024

DESCUBRA AINDA

ÁREAS DE INTERESSE

OUTRAS PLATAFORMAS A NÃO PERDER

SOFTWARE SUPPORT

HANDICAP REVIEW

HANDICAP COMMITTEE PROCEDURES

DESCRIPTION OF THE STATISTICAL TOOLS AVAILABLE IN THE CLUB AREA

Player’s current Handicap Index®

Score Differential™ (SD) of rounds acceptable for handicap, from individual stroke play and calculated according to the definition in the Rules of Handicapping.

Review period, corresponding to the period of time between the start date and the end date.

Range Test

Current Handicap: The player’s current Handicap Index.

No. of Scores: Number of score differentials included in the review. Includes information on the number of scores that would be required to flag the player.

Review Value: Handicap Index value identified by the algorithm at the end of the review calculation.

Note: In exceptional cases, the calculation can result in both up and down values for assessment.

Up/Down Review: Adjustment suggested by the algorithm in the calculation. It refers to the whole process, or to a specific step.

E.g. Review Up of 0 represents no change; Review Up of 1 represents a rise of 1.0 in the Handicap Index.

Steps: Number of steps in the iterative procedure.

Hcp Up/Down Handicap Index value to be tested for possible handicap increase/decrease.

Upper/Lower Flag Level: Limits of the range test.

No. Scores High/Low: Number of score differentials above/below the flag levels.

Additional Measures

Additional statistical analyses, also referring to the review period, which include:

Origin of Scores: Identification of scores by typology (Total, Competition, General Play, International and Imported) and No. of Holes (18 and 9 holes).

No. of Scores: Counts the score differentials recorded.

Average SD: Average of the score differentials.

Average SD Net: Average of the net score differentials, i.e. the difference between the differential score and the player’s Handicap Index, at the time of the score.

Example: SD=23.5 and Handicap Index = 22.0 -> SD Net = 1.5

Notes:

Positive values, with no sign, represent scores that are worse than the Handicap Index; negative values, with a ‘Plus’ sign (+), represent scores that are better than the Handicap Index.

Net SD Totals do not include imported scores.

It is not recommended to consider this measure for dates before the initial handicap assignment, as a Handicap Index value of 54.0 is automatically applied.

Max SD: Maximum value of the score differentials.

Min SD: Minimum value of the score differentials.