Have You Got Your New Handicap Index? England Golf Website Goes Live

(Image credit: Tom Miles)

published 22 October 2020

It's time for golfers in England to find out their new Handicap Indexes ahead of the World Handicap System launch on 2nd November

Have You Got Your New Handicap Index? England Golf Website Goes Live

Today is the day in England where golfers can find out their brand new handicap indexes ahead of the World Handicap System launch on 2nd November.

England Golf's World Handicap System Members Early Access portal is now live and all you need is your CHD number to find out what you're new index will be.

Visit the England Golf World Handicap System platform here

Once you've entered in your CDH number, you'll be able to see your new Handicap Index and the 8 scores that contributed to it - if your club has uploaded your email address to the platform.

My club hasn't yet uploaded my email address so I cannot see which particular scores were taken into account, but I have seen that my CONGU handicap has gone from 4.7 to a Handicap Index of 4.9.

This isn't cast iron just yet as England Golf are warning that it may still change between now and launch.

One of my usual playing partners, who hasn't had the best of successes in competitions recently, has seen his handicap rise from 9.0 to 11.2.

Another playing partner has seen his handicap rise from 14.2 to 18.7!

Let us know your new Handicap Index on social media

How is a course rated?

Two calculations are made – Course Rating and Bogey Rating.

Course Rating is how many strokes a scratch golfer (someone with a Course Handicap of 0) should take on that course.

Bogey Rating measures playing difficulty for a bogey golfer (someone with a handicap of roughly 20 for a man and 24 for a women).

Knowing these two ratings allows WHS to determine the difficulty of the course and to produce a Slope Rating for each set of tees which allows all golfers to work out how many strokes they will receive on a particular course – Course Handicap.

At a course where all players compete from their Handicap Index, Slope Rating is 113.

And how do I work out my Course Handicap?

Every club should have clear signage displaying Course and Slope Rating for every set of tees.

A player will then cross reference their Handicap Index with the table to find what their Course Handicap will be.

They then go out and play to that number.

To calculate your Course Handicap yourself, find the Slope Rating and divide by 113, then multiply that by your Handicap Index.

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Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV

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