The World Handicap System (WHS) has made it easier for golfers to keep track of their scores and post them for handicap purposes, allowing for greater accuracy and reflection of how the game is played today. With updates to the WHS that went into effect at the beginning of this year, golfers can now track their scores for rounds of any length, including 9 or 18 holes, par-3 courses, and executive layouts. These changes have made the WHS more inclusive and accurate than ever before.
One of the key updates to the WHS is the inclusion of short courses in the rating system. Short courses, as short as 750 yards for 9 holes and 1,500 yards for 18 holes, are now rated by the USGA to determine their difficulty level for both scratch and non-scratch golfers. The Course Rating System assigns two numbers, a Course Rating and a Slope Rating, that appear on the scorecard and provide valuable information on the difficulty of the course. This process involves a significant amount of math and careful observation to accurately rate each course.
Scott Hovde, the director of course rating and handicap research for the USGA, is leading the effort to rate short courses across the country. With the help of 1,200 course raters at local golf associations, Hovde and his team are inspecting every aspect of these courses to determine their difficulty level. Factors such as hazards, green sizes, landing areas, and obstacles are all taken into account when rating a course, with each obstacle assigned a degree of difficulty on a scale of zero to 10.
The rating process for short courses follows the same rigorous procedure used to rate championship courses, ensuring accuracy and consistency across all courses. By rating short courses, golfers can get a better understanding of the difficulty level of these courses and make more informed decisions when playing them. The goal is to rate all short courses in the country by the end of next year, with approximately half of them already rated.
The rating process for short courses is essential for the WHS, as each course must be rated before it can be included in the system. With the recent updates to the WHS and the inclusion of short courses in the rating system, golfers can now track their scores for rounds played on any course, making the system more accurate and reflective of the modern game. As golfers continue to play on a variety of courses, the rating system will play a crucial role in determining the difficulty level of each course and ensuring fair competition for all players.
