I'm Loving Golf More Than Ever And I Have The World Handicap System To Thank
There’s no question the World Handicap System is divisive, but as a nomadic golfer, it’s made me enjoy every round more
I remember the days when I used to stand on a tee and be asked the question: “What’s your handicap?” I’d pause awkwardly and consider how to frame my response, which was usually something along the lines of “I don’t have an official handicap, but I’ll play off 18.”
Even though I was almost always playing with friends, family or colleagues – I wasn’t able to enter competitions without an official handicap – I felt slightly uncomfortable producing a number I felt was right instead of one I knew was right.
It wasn’t my fault, of course – I stopped being a club member when I went off to university and it hasn’t been a viable option for me since then. So, in the days before the World Handicap System, my only choice was to make an educated guess if I wanted to have any sort of competitive game, whether with myself or others in my four-ball.
But if I started well, it wasn’t long before the word ‘bandit’ inevitably appeared. It was almost always in jest, but it still used to rankle me somewhat; partially because I’d never purposefully cheat and partially because I had no recourse – I didn’t have an official handicap, so my retorts would always fall on deaf ears.
This was a dilemma every non-club golfer used to face before the introduction of the WHS in January 2020. Competitive golf doesn’t just take place in official club competitions; it happens during ‘casual’ rounds with friends or at charity, work or corporate golf days.
For any sort of competition to take place – whether a four-ball better-ball match for bragging rights or a singles competition with money on the line – handicaps are required.
Before 2020, you either had to produce an unofficial number – some people’s best guesses were more accurate than others – not have any in-game matches or not compete for the prizes, none of which felt ideal.
Now, even though I’m not a golf club member, I can stand on the 1st tee and proudly bellow my official handicap index and course handicap. If people want to find fault in that – as some absolutely do – then that’s on them, not me.
I put a card in every round, whether I'm playing well or badly
'I don't care what they think'
Naturally, many club golfers absolutely still have reservations about nomadic handicaps. Some, like my colleague Elliott Heath, don’t understand why nomadic golfers even need official handicaps.
Others feel handicaps forged outside of club competitions aren’t legitimate because of a perceived lack of pressure, while more still believe non-member handicaps are more open to manipulation.
But, to be honest, I don’t care what they think. That’s their problem. I don’t cheat or manipulate – all I want to do is track every round, attempt to shoot my best score every time I set foot on the course and try to get my handicap as low as possible.
I know it happens and is probably far more common than it should be, but why anyone would put effort into falsely engineering their index up or down is beyond me.
I’m a huge advocate for submitting a scorecard every time you play and doing so elevates my enjoyment of the game. I’m out on the fairways to have fun, spend time with friends and family, get exercise and be outdoors, but I also love competing with myself and experiencing all the emotions you feel when you have a good round going.
If you’re not putting in a card, it’s not the same. Is it still fun? Of course. But has the ability to submit a handicap score every round enhanced my enjoyment of the sport? Absolutely. I have the WHS to thank for that.
What’s so good is I can put in a card even if no one else in my group is. The WHS has enabled me to get exactly what I want out of golf while not demanding others follow the same path. For nomadic golfers who are semi-competitive and don’t play as much as they’d like, it’s been a godsend.
I understand the objections people have to the system and I’m not saying they’re wrong - who am I to tell someone who thinks the WHS has ruined golf for low-handicappers how to feel? Plenty of people agree and thousands upon thousands would much prefer to go back to the previous CONGU system.
But the WHS has been a fantastic development for me. I don’t have to choose between casual and competitive; I can have both. Now, I don’t have any feelings of hollowness or invalidity if I produce a high Stableford score as I know my handicap is legitimate.
I hope those who complain endlessly about the WHS will take some comfort in learning it’s enhanced many nomadic golfers’ enjoyment of the sport.
