Handicap settings can be managed in various places:
Default Settings: These settings are used for all events and leagues that are created in your account.
League/Event Profile: These settings are used for the specific event/league and are originally propagated from the Default Settings.
Round Profile: These settings are used for a specific round within an event/league and are originally propagated from the League/Event Profile.
Advanced Handicap Settings for a Tournament: These settings are used for a specific tournament created within an event/league.
In this article, we will discuss the Advanced Handicap Settings for a Tournament.
Advanced Handicap Settings for Tournament:
To access the Advanced Handicap Settings for a tournament, go to the tournament setup and select "Handicaps" in the "Advanced Options" section. Depending on the tournament format the location of the advanced handicap options may vary slightly. In most cases, the handicap options will be displayed in the "Advanced Options" section (as shown below).
For a 3/3/3, 6/6/6, and 9/9 format, the advanced handicap options will be displayed in the "Tournament Format" section under the proper hole set as "advanced Handicaps," since each format can have different handicap options (as shown below).
Remember that the options selected in these settings will only apply to the specific tournament or set of holes.
Handicap Index or Playing Handicap?:
There are two options:
Use Index to calculate Playing Handicap: Convert the Handicap Indexes (using Course Slope and Rating) stored in the roster as Playing Handicaps.
Use Index as Playing Handicap: Do not convert the Handicap Indexes (using Course Slope and Rating) stored in the roster. Instead, use the Indexes as the Playing Handicaps. This is often done when a roster is uploaded via spreadsheet with the Playing Handicaps rather than the Handicap Indexes. For more details on using Handicap Indexes as Playing Handicaps, Click Here.
After applying these settings, go to Rounds > Handicap Analysis to ensure the Playing Handicaps are being computed as expected.
Maximum Handicap Index:
Select the maximum 18-hole and 9-hole (if applicable) Handicap Index that can be used for the tournament. If you have genders specified in the roster, you can apply maximums specific to gender as well.
If a maximum Handicap Index has already been set in the League/Event Profile or Round Profile, that maximum will already be set within the tournament. However, you can override (or remove) that maximum, if necessary. It will not affect other tournaments in that round.
For more details on maximum Handicap Indexes, Click Here.
After applying these settings, go to Rounds > Handicap Analysis to ensure the Playing Handicaps are being computed as expected.
Apply Handicap Allowances:
The Handicap Allowance (%) sometimes differs in the tournament depending on gender. For instance, men may have a Handicap Allowance of 90% and women may have 95%. If this is the case, you can set the different Handicap Allowances for men and women here.
For instructions on setting the gender for your players and different Handicap Allowances, Click Here.
After applying these settings, go to Rounds > Handicap Analysis to ensure the Playing Handicaps are being computed as expected.
Maximum Playing Handicap:
Select the maximum 18-hole and 9-hole (if applicable) Playing Handicap that can be used for the tournament. If you have genders specified in the roster, you can apply maximums specific to gender as well.
If a maximum Playing Handicap has already been set in the League/Event Profile or Round Profile, that maximum will already be set within the tournament. However, you can override (or remove) that maximum, if necessary. It will not affect other tournaments in the event/league.
For more details on maximum Playing Handicaps, Click Here.
After applying these settings, go to Rounds > Handicap Analysis to ensure the Playing Handicaps are being computed as expected.
Limit the Difference in Playing Handicap Between Team Partners:
For tournaments with two person teams, it is sometimes necessary to make further adjustments to Playing Handicaps when the difference in Playing Handicaps between partners exceeds a certain amount. Select one of the following options:
If difference in partner Playing Handicap is greater than X strokes, reduce each player's unrounded Playing Handicap by an additional X% or Strokes: This option allows you to reduce the Playing Handicap of both players by a percentage or number of strokes if the difference is exceeded. Examples:
Percent Adjustment: The maximum difference allowed is 8 with a Playing Handicap reduction of 10%. Bill (PH of 8) is partners with Steve (PH of 18). Because they have exceeded the maximum difference allowed, an additional 10% reduction is applied to the Playing Handicap. After the adjustment, Bill's PH is reduced to 7 and Steve's is reduced to 16.
Stroke Adjustment: The maximum difference allowed is 8 with a Playing Handicap reduction of 2 strokes. Bill (PH of 8) is partners with Steve (PH of 18). Because they have exceeded the maximum difference allowed, a 2-stroke reduction is applied to the Playing Handicap. After the adjustment, Bill's PH is reduced to 6 and Steve's is reduced to 16.
Limit the difference between partners to X strokes, reducing the high handicap: This option allows you to reduce the Playing Handicap of the partner with the high Playing Handicap if the maximum difference is exceeded. Example: The maximum difference allowed is 8. If the difference is exceeded, the partner with the high Playing Handicap will have his/her Playing Handicap reduced by 2 strokes. Bill (PH of 8) is partners with Steve (PH of 18). They have exceeded the maximum difference allowed so Steve's Playing Handicap is reduced to 16. Bill's Playing Handicap is unaffected.
After applying these settings, go to Rounds > Handicap Analysis to ensure the Playing Handicaps are being computed as expected.
Maximum Range of Playing Handicaps:
(Note: This option is available only in foursome v. field competitions.)
The Maximum Range of Playing Handicaps option keeps the Playing Handicaps of the field within a certain range of the lowest Playing Handicap in the field. If a player's Playing Handicap exceeds the allowable range, their Playing Handicap is reduced.
Example:
The limit between any player and the lowest Playing Handicap is set to 10 Strokes (as shown below).
Below is the initial Playing Handicaps for a foursome with the maximum range of 10 and the lowest Playing Handicap in the field of 2.
Player A: (10 PH)
Player B: (12 PH)
Player C: (13 PH)
Player D: (21 PH)
After applying the maximum range, Players C's Playing Handicap is reduced to 12, and Player D's Playing Handicap is reduced to 12 to come within range of the lowest Playing Handicap in the field.
Limit the Team Playing Handicap:
(Note: This option is available only in pair v. field/flight competitions.)
This option allows you to set a maximum combined Playing Handicap for all of the pairs. If a pair's combined Playing Handicap exceeds the limit, you can adjust using one of the following options:
Reduce the higher handicap
Reduce each handicap proportionally.
Example:
Maximum Combined Playing Handicap = 20
Player A (8 PH)
Player B (14 PH)
Player A & B's combine Playing Handicap = 22 (Exceeds limit by 2. Needs to be reduced to 20.)
If adjusting only the Higher Handicap, Player B is reduced to a 12 CH. If adjusting proportionally, both player's Playing Handicaps will be reduced by 1.
Rounding Playing Handicaps (Standard or Decimal):
Playing Handicaps are typically computed and rounded to whole numbers (USGA Standard Handicapping Method). However, you can also round to:
Nearest .5
Down to .5 or .0
Tenths
Hundredths
Below is an example foursome v. field scramble tournament using Decimal Playing Handicaps rounded to the hundredth.
For more information on using Decimal Playing Handicaps? Click Here
Stroke Limitation:
There might be certain circumstances you want to limit strokes. Use one of the two options below:
Disallow Strokes on Par 3 Holes: Often used in skins tournaments, this option removes any Playing Handicap strokes on all Par 3 holes. The Playing Handicap strokes removed from the par 3s will not be redistributed to other holes.
Reduce each Hole Handicap Strokes by 50% (Half Shots): When selecting this option, every handicap stroke will be reduced by 50%. In other words, all full strokes will be reduced to half strokes on the scorecard. For more information on the different methods of applying "half strokes", Click Here.
Par/Bogey Competition (WHS Customers Only):
Typically the maximum score allowed to be posted is net double bogey. However, there are exceptions made at the national level that allow for a minimum and maximum score to be applied to scores posted as part of a Par/Bogey competition, where the minimum score posted is a net birdie, and the maximum score posted is a net bogey. For more information, Click Here.