3. How do I use HowDidIDo App on mobile or computer to enter my scores into the WHS and get or adjust my Handicap index?

First of all make sure you know your 10 digit Membership Number (England Golf CDH number).  If in doubt ask for this from a member of the Clubhouse staff or contact your Handicap Secretary who will have access to the information.

How will I register my score?

The easiest way to register your score is direct onto your smart phone using the How Did I Do App which you can download from your App Store.  This Youtube clip will help you download and understand the App https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nmq6oreD10.  With the App installed, if you are playing in a competition, all you will have to do is:

• Launch the App on your smart phone before you go out to play
• Select “Today’s Golf” from the dropdown menu at the top righthand corner of the screen, sign in and select the competition that you are playing
• Follow prompts for other information
• Complete a paper card for your game – you will need to post this in the Competition box before you leave the club
• At the end of your round agree your scores with your marker and enter them into the App, following any system prompts

I don’t have a smart phone – what do I do?

If you don’t have a smart phone you can file your scores on-line using your home computer.       You will do this by taking a copy of your card home and visiting https://www.howdidido.com/Account/Register.  Follow the on-screen instructions.  You will only need to register once.  When you are in the site select the competition you have played, enter your scores and follow the prompts, before 2359hrs on the day of play.

I don’t have a smart phone or a home computer – what about me?

We realise that there may be some members who don’t have access to the internet.  If this is you, then speak with the organizer of the competition you are playing.  In the short term it will be possible for the Handicap Committee to enter scores manually.  In the longer term, post COVID, there are plans for a Clubhouse tablet on which scores may be entered.

What do I do with my score card?

Whichever way you enter your score you must remember to leave your card in the appropriate competition box in the foyer at the Clubhouse before you leave.  All competition cards will be validated by our Handicap Secretaries as before and they will also undertake random checks on cards submitted for recreational golf (Casual or Social rounds you play with fellow members with a Handicap Index outside of competitions).

PRINCES RISBOROUGH GOLF CLUB

The World Handicapping System (WHS)

INTRODUCTION

One of the delights of golf is that the handicap system enables all players of all ages, experience and talent (or lack of) to play with each other on a level playing field. It is the handicap range that enables all to be competitive with each other and for those who are new to golf the following principles are worth noting:

• Scratch Golfer: this means that every time the player goes on the course, he/she is expected to take no more shots than the par or course rating stated on the card.
• Handicap Golfer: this is where all our members sit. We are not expected to play the course in par or the course rating and are given a Handicap Index of between 1 and 54 which reflects how well we can play
• Plus Golfer: not applicable at PRGC but there are some amateurs who are so good that they are routinely expected to beat par whenever they play. In this case you find handicap indexes up to plus 5 and these players will be expected to shoot 5 birdies in every round to deliver a par score! We can only dream!!

The WHS is now THE standard handicapping system and came into effect in the United Kingdom on 02 November 2020, just as we started Covid 19 lockdown #2 so really good timing! The WHS replaces the CONGU system of handicapping and brings the 6 global golf authorities onto a common system.

HANDICAP INDEX

All players will now have a Handicap Index (HI) rather than a handicap.  (H/cap as shown on the current PRGC card). This HI is expressed to the decimal point and put simply will reflect the average of the best 8 cards out of the last 20 submitted for WHS upload. The HI can change after every round of golf that is uploaded to the WHS so it is important members register with England Golf and have access to the national database wherein their personal golf history and current HI will be found. The members current HI will also be found on the How did I do (HDIDo) App.

COURSE RATING AND SLOPE RATING

Course Rating: All golf courses have been measured to determine how many strokes a Scratch Player should take to complete the course and this is used to calculate the difficulty of the course. The measurement is then expressed as a Course Rating and this replaces the Competition Standard Scratch of old.

Slope Rating: the course has then been assessed for relative playing difficulty by comparing Bogey Golfers against Scratch Golfers. The combination of the Course Rating and Bogey Rating is then used to calculate the Slope rating off a particular set of tees.

Course Rating and Slope Rating Table: the combination of these two measures produces the Course Handicap Table for each tee block assigned to men and women. At PRGC this table is posted on the outside of the club house.

The beauty of the Course and Slope rating is that it provides an accurate measure of each golf course for the scratch and bogey golfer (by far the majority) and provides a “difficulty index” for each.

It has long been a grumble at PRGC that the handicaps achieved at home do not travel to courses that are longer or more difficult. The Course and Slope rating removes that problem at a stroke.

Course handicap (for Recreational Golf): Your HI is NOT your course handicap. You work out the handicap for the course you are playing by looking at the Course Handicap Table of that club, which like PRGC, is usually on the wall outside the clubhouse. You read off from your HI the course handicap you will receive on that course. The average Slope Rating figure is 113 so if you are playing a course with a higher slope rating you are likely to receive more shots than your HI. If the slope rating is less then you are likely to receive less. SIMPLE!! Well, that is the formula for recreational (non-competition) golf.

Playing handicap (Competition Golf):  If you are playing in a competition you will actually receive an adjustment to the course handicap and the shots you receive in competition will be 95% of the course handicap on the wall chart.

To be clear this is 95% of the course handicap referred to above and NOT 95% of your handicap Index. In simple terms, in competition the playing handicap is recalculated and for those using the HDIDo App in competition play, this deduction will be applied automatically. For those without the technology the ready reckoner is as follows:

Course handicap of 0-10 =           no deduction

                              Course Handicap of 11-30 =        1 shot deduction

                              Course handicap of 31-50 =        2 shot deduction

                              Course handicap of 51-54 =        3 shot deduction

MIXED COMPETITIONS

The Course Handicap Tables referred to above provide a common standard for all members playing within the designated group e.g., Men Playing White Tees, Ladies Playing Red tees etc.  Where members from different designated groups (e.g., a mixed Men and Ladies event or a men’s event off the white, yellow and blue tees) all play in the same event competing for the same prize there is a separate algorithm which has to be applied. Thankfully HDIDo have developed a “mixed event” mode within the APP so when we run a mixed event the handicaps will be calculated automatically. Without the APP it does get a bit complicated so members just need to know this may affect the competition outcome.  The planned mixed events at PRGC are the regular Friday Stableford and the Fowler Bowl.  

UPLOADING CARDS TO THE WHS

Recreational (Casual) Golf: A member of PRGC can upload any recreational round to the WHS. Recreational golf can be any round played outwith a formal club competition including the TOFFS, WAGS, Grumpies, SODS and Friday Stableford (see below). In all cases the following discipline must be followed:

• The intention to upload the round MUST be declared before play commences. At PRGC this means the round must be declared to the marker and playing partners on the first tee. Once we can use the Computer Tablet in the Clubhouse this intent can be registered digitally
• The marker must hold a valid WHS handicap index, be independent of the player and a member of PRGC
• The round is played to the rules of golf as set out by the R&A and the local rules of PRGC
• The round is played over the measured course (Yellow, Red or Blue) and primarily on the main greens (see the note on adverse weather conditions below)
• The member should upload his/her card directly to the WHS via the HDIDo App or by close of play on the day from home. The round should be registered as a casual “qualifying” round and can be played in the Stroke play (medal) or Stableford format
• The signed card must be placed in the WHS CASUAL CARDS box for assessment by the PRGC Handicap Secretary. The round will NOT be validated and will not count for HI calculation unless the card is submitted to and authorised by the PRGC Handicap Secretary who has sole responsibility for validating the card entry to the WHS

Competition Golf: all the formal PRGC club competitions will be routinely uploaded to the World Handicapping System (WHS) via the HDIDo methodology. The discipline stated above for casual golf still applies with one exception.

The completed and signed cards for formal club competitions must be placed in the traditional Competition Box for checking by the Handicap Secretaries.

The following Q&A will help members better understand competition play and WHS upload

What are qualifying competitions and why do I need to play them??

Under the new handicapping system most formal Club competitions (see below) will continue to be classified as “qualifiers”. All the cards from these competitions will go forward to the WHS and count towards your Handicap Index. In order to participate in the annual Club, Knock Out and Board Competitions members must have entered results from a minimum of 6 “qualifying” competitions for the men’s full club competitions and 3 for the Seniors and Ladies competitions in the preceding 12 months.

Which PRGC competitions are set up as WHS qualifiers?

The following competitions will always be established as qualifying events and available for WHS upload:

• Club Monthly Medals
• Club Monthly Stablefords
• Men’s Seniors Monthly Medal (Summer)
• Men’s Seniors Monthly Stableford (Winter)
• All Singles stroke play board competitions
• All four ball better ball stroke play board competitions (both scores must be marked in full on the cards)

Are there organised recreational events where cards can be routinely uploaded to the WHS?

Yes.  If an event is played at PRGC to R&A rules and conditions, with an independent designated marker who is also a PRGC member, then these events will be set up within the How Did I do (HDIDo) system as suitable for WHS upload. Cards submitted for these events will automatically be uploaded to the WHS to form part of the rolling 20 cards from which the best 8 are taken to determine members current Handicap Index (HI).

These “recreational” golf competitions will include all Singles and 4BBB pairs golf currently played in the following PRGC groups:

• TOFFS
• WAGS
• SODS
• Grumpies
• Friday Stableford

Adverse weather conditions

The current temporary greens at PRGC are designed for frost alleviation and not competitive golf so when these temporary greens are wholly in play the card cannot be uploaded to the WHS at all.

Occasionally, the green keeping team will “rest” a main green and we will have 1 temporary green (2 holes) in play. In this case the full course can be played and the card can be uploaded to the WHS.

In the unlikely event we have between 2 and 4 temporary greens (between 4 & 8 holes respectively) in play, the card can still be uploaded to the WHS but the player should skip the temporary green, holes.  In this case the temporary green holes must be marked as DNP (did not play) on the card.

In a 9 hole round all 9 holes must be completed and all must be played on the main greens for the card to go forward for WHS upload.

Are there are any regular events where cards cannot be uploaded to WHS?

YES. Some pre-arranged team events are not WHS compliant and will not qualify for Handicap Index adjustments or count towards your annual requirement for participation in Club Board Competitions. The HDIDo system may be used to collate results but these will not be transferred to the World Handicapping System. These include:

• Christmas Eve Florida Scramble
• RyderHeim Cup
• 3 Club Challenge
• Nine Hole Club Championship
• TOFFS team events
• Other informal team games such as those played by the Ladies on some Wednesday mornings

What about Match Play Golf?

Match play golf does not qualify for the WHS system as gimmies are a key element of the format. For such games no cards are submitted.

Can I submit a card for casual golf?

YES. As noted above any singles golf that is played to the R&A rule book and local rules with a designated independent marker can be submitted via the HDIDo App.

On the HDIDo App, Members should sign in for a “casual” round and then

• select the “qualifying” icon
• select the course to be played (men’s yellow, ladies red etc.)
• select the strokeplay (medal) or stableford option

The intention to upload this card must be registered before the start of play by signing in to HDIDo APP. Those members without the APP must declare their intention to the marker on the first tee.

The signed card must be placed in the WHS CASUAL CARDS box for assessment by the PRGC Handicap Secretary. The round will NOT be validated and will not count for HI calculation unless the card is submitted to and authorised by the PRGC Handicap Secretary who has sole responsibility for validating the card entry to the WHS

Those players without the HDIDo App, must make a duplicate copy of the card to upload to WHS later on the same day using their home computer or tablet.

Who are designated independent markers?

A designated independent marker is a full member of PRGC with a current Handicap Index who is independent of the player

BW

02 February  2021 (V4)