New Year, More Accurate Handicap For 2024

Well, it’s hard to believe, but another year has just about passed us by.  And with the new year rolling in, so will a few changes by the USGA to the World Handicap System.  There are three notable ones which will go into effect in January, 2024.  The changes aren’t too complicated and they are, in fact, meant to simplify things when you’re inputting your scores next year (think more accurate handicaps).  In short…

#1  No more waiting on 9-hole scores to combine.

Currently, when you post a 9-hole score, it doesn’t count until partnered with another 9-hole score, creating an 18-hole score.  In other words, nine-hole scores are not currently calculated into your handicap index.  With the change  “a premium will be placed on the 9 holes you did play, and will then be combined with an expected Score Differential for consistency and fairness,” creating an 18-hole score.  One caveat here, you must post your score hole-by-hole feature in the GHIN app — not a lump sum for 9 holes as you could do in the past.

#2  Providing more score-posting flexibility.

Before January, 2024, a player must play at least 14 holes to post an acceptable 18-hole score to GHIN.  As we ring in the new year, using Expected Score Differential, scores can be posted when 10-17 holes are played.  The expected score differential will calculate a player’s likely score, rather than using a score of net par.  This will provide more flexibility to golfers when posting. But again, you must post your score using the hole-by-hole input feature. You must also remember that there still must be a valid reason for the non-completion of the round, i.e. darkness, unplayable weather conditions, injury, etc.

#3  Integrating shorter length courses.

As it stands right now, courses under 3,000 yards for 18-holes and 1,500 yards for 9-holes cannot be given a Course or Slope Rating under the Course Rating and Handicap Systems.  In the new year, these yardages will drop by half. Courses as short as 750 yards for 9-holes and 1,500 yards for 18-holes will be eligible for Course and Slope Ratings.  This change will enable more golfers to obtain a Handicap Index and is in direct response to the growth of par-3 courses. Issue: initially, you may find it difficult to learn the slope and rating for a shorter course.  It will take local golf associations time to get to these courses with a ratings team.

Notable:  #4  Playing conditions calculation (PCC) adjustments made more frequent.

When I was doing research on what exactly the changes were, I came across a notation that stated the Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC) has been modified to increase the likelihood of an adjustment for abnormal playing conditions (think if you’re playing in super crappy weather but you tough it out anyway, you get bonus points!). National associations were given discretion, beginning in July 2022, to introduce this revision within their computation platforms, which will be complete by April 1, 2024.

It will be interesting to see how all this works exactly.  I hope this information is helpful as you play in 2024.  Should you wish to dive in further, check out the USGA’s site for more information.

Wishing you a happy, healthy and good golfing year!  XO Tracey