How much do your members know about the new World Handicap System (WHS) which comes into play on 2nd November?

Don’t worry if you feel they need to learn more, as the team at England Golf have been working hard over the last few months on an exciting new WHS education campaign. 

This will also feature a bespoke toolkit for golf clubs and assit clubs in helping their members knowledge of the WHS.

The toolkit will become a go-to guide with a multitude of handy resources golf club can use and publicise further through digital channels and is the latest innovation from England Golf as part of its extensive WHS education process for clubs and golfers.

The World Handicap System will – for the first time – unite six handicapping bodies across the globe under one standardised system, making handicaps truly portable and creating a fairer and more equitable system of accurately calculating a golfer’s current playing ability.

The National Governing Body has, since October 2019, hosted 80 plus seminars across England addressing a total audience of over four and a half thousand club committee members and secretaries.  Attendees gained key insights into the WHS process for calculating handicaps with the hope of a seamless transition to WHS later this year.

The new step-by-step toolkit will be distributed to golf clubs across the country early in July and will include detail around:

• The purpose of WHS
• Calculating a Handicap Index
• Course and Slope Rating
• Playing Handicap and
• Acceptable formats for scoring

Also included will be a comprehensive FAQs section for golfers keen to learn more details about WHS as well as an introduction to ‘Know the Score’.

‘Know the Score’ has been developed to provide consistent messaging on WHS for all golfers and explain in simple terms key elements of the new index.

Clubs will be able to download education resources such as posters, social graphics and videos to utilise both on-site at the club and across their various communication channels.

Additionally, club representatives will also be able to access resources, including information on how to host their own members’ WHS seminars and presentations, to bring golfers up to speed.

“It’s important to realise that WHS does not change how golf is played, just how a handicap is calculated, said England Golf CEO, Jeremy Tomlinson. 

“I’m confident golfers will very quickly understand the system and embrace the change. This toolkit has been designed with the priority of supporting our affiliated clubs. The ‘Know the Score’ campaign will make it easier for golfers to quickly understand and adapt to the new handicapping index. 

“We believe the introduction of a global, portable, fair and equitable handicapping system is another key element in the modernisation of our great game.”

Gemma Hunter, Head of Handicapping & Course Rating at England Golf, added: “Under the new system there are more ways than ever to submit scores for handicap purposes, aside from playing in competition rounds, the WHS gives golfers the freedom to go out and enjoy the game anywhere in the world. The feedback from golf clubs on the back of the WHS seminars we staged has been really positive and we’re excited to see the adoption and roll out of WHS from 2nd November.”

Clubs will be able to download the toolkit from early July via the WHS pages on the England Golf website here

You can also receive WHS updates from England Golf on social media:

Twitter: @EnglandGolf

Instagram: @england.golf

Facebook: @EnglandGolf