In life, they say you can never escape death or taxes. In golf, controversy around rules, handicaps and the World Handicap System is similarly unavoidable. Even though many perceive the WHS – which has been tweaked for 2024 – to be flawed, I think it functions rather well. Admittedly, I’m an average golfer and therefore don’t experience the WHS frustrations that many low-handicappers do, but I’m very much in favour.
The WHS makes a lot of sense to me in a globalised world – although I must admit I’m not sure about par-3 courses being added into the system – and it combines so well with iGolf, which enables nomadic golfers to keep an official handicap despite not being members of golf clubs.
For so long, this wasn’t an available option, so I now take every opportunity to put in a card. When I’m playing in a work competition or on a friendly but competitive outing with friends, no longer do I have to say “I’ll probably play off 12 as that seems fair” – often the precursor to recrimination if you end up winning.
I don’t really understand why any nomad wouldn’t sign up to iGolf and put in a card every round, and while I appreciate the situation is slightly more complex for club golfers, I still think General Play scores are the way to go.
While some choose not to attach themselves to a golf club because they feel there’s better value to be had picking and choosing and they value variety, most nomads aren’t club members because they simply don’t play enough golf for it to be viable. As such, it makes sense to put in a card every round they do play.
Something On The Line
Golf is just better when every shot means something. It gets the competitive juices flowing and there’s nothing quite like the pre-round hope of something special when you have a card in your hand. If it’s not your day, it doesn’t matter – that shouldn’t detract from the fun you’re having with friends or family. After all, golf is very good for your mental and physical health.
And if it does happen to be your day, you won’t lament the fact you decided against putting in a card. Yes, you can manipulate the system and decide to hand in a card after the fact, but that feels wrong to me.
Puzzlingly, some people don’t want to be cut or have a handicap that’s totally representative of their current ability. Why? Because it can help them win competitions. Well, if that’s you, any victory is totally hollow. It’s akin to breaching the rules on the way round.
Others don’t want to put in a card in case they play poorly and their handicap goes up. What a sad and negative approach to golf. Getting as low a handicap as possible is something every golfer should strive for – there’s nothing quite like hitting a career low. You have to be prepared to take risks to achieve that, like putting in a card when everything is pointing towards an indifferent round. This game is so unpredictable that you’re depriving yourself of possibility every time you say ‘I’m not feeling it today, I don’t think I’ll bother doing a card’.
A Negative Mindset
Picking and choosing based on how you’re feeling, the current state of your game, past form or weather conditions is depriving yourself of an accurate yardstick by which to measure yourself. Yes, there have been concerns about the Playing Conditions Calculation and yes, some of these are valid. But the weather isn’t always good, especially in the UK, so only putting in a card when conditions are favourable can lead to an inaccurate reading of your ability. And, we’re all more than capable of playing terrible golf when the weather is perfect, so just put in a card whenever you’re playing.
Others don’t want to register an official score when they’re playing on a course they feel has been incorrectly audited in terms of Course Rating and Slope Rating. That’s a fair concern, but again, what if you have the round of your life? It’s symptomatic of the negative mindset golfers are often plagued with.
Of course, there are golfers out there who simply don’t care about their handicap – perhaps those in the senior ranks or people who love the outdoors and feel liberated by not having a scorecard in hand. If that’s you, it’s hard to say anything other than fair enough. And if you play multiple times a week, I do understand why you wouldn’t put a card in for every round. But I genuinely believe those who play once a week or less are missing out on so much if they don’t track every score officially.
I started the year at 14.7 and now I'm 9.6, and there were plenty of indifferent scores in there. Here's to putting in every card again in 2024.
