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On Monday, the USGA and R&A announced the projected rollout dates for the much-anticipated World Handicap System, a universal, transportable system that will allow golfers of varying skill levels to post scores and make games anywhere they play.
The rollout has been a bit like herding cats. More than 3,000 golf courses around the globe have been rated for the first time and associations in many different countries have been busy implementing the rules of handicapping and the ratings that will make the World Handicap System work.
Steve Edmondson, the USGA’s managing director of handicapping and course rating, had just gotten off a plane from Marrakesh, Morocco, last week when he told GGP, “Just like we did in 1952 (when the Rules of Golf were consolidated around the globe), I think it’s great for the game to have a single set of rules for handicapping and making sure that courses are rated the same worldwide. The portability that we tout through this system should make the game better.”
The system will go into effect throughout 2020. The first countries to come online in January will be the United States, Canada, Australia, South Korea, India, Mexico and other nations throughout Central and South America. After a brief blackout period at the beginning of the new year during which all systems will be reset, golfers in those countries will receive updated handicap indexes. Those indexes might change, although it is unlikely that the adjustment will be a full stroke in either direction.
As the year goes on, more countries are scheduled to come online. Hong Kong, Singapore, Sweden and New Zealand should be ready between February and April. Other European nations should come onboard throughout the summer while Great Britain and Ireland will bring up the rear in the fall, implementing the new system in October through December.
“When the golf community works together, everyone benefits,” USGA CEO Mike Davis said in a statement. “We have seen the benefit that handicapping has provided for decades, providing greater enjoyment for all who play. To have a single set of rules of handicapping for the game will connect golfers from country to country, and we are excited to bring the best of all worlds together through this initiative.
“It is one of the many ways we are investing in golf’s future, to strengthen and foster growth of the entire game for years to come.”
Martin Slumbers, the R&A’s chief executive, added in a statement, “The game of golf is transforming to meet the needs of the modern-day golfer; modernizing the rules this year was an important step forward in that regard and the World Handicap System will be another.
“Our hope is that the launch of the WHS will be a catalyst for change, signaling the start of a new era of golfer engagement, being inclusive by embracing all golfers, whatever their level of ability, and broadening (golf’s) appeal to a much wider audience.”
Steve Eubanks