Tournament Handicaps

 

With the new World Handicap System implementing that your Current Low Handicap Index will be calculated daily instead of just on the 1st and 15th of the month the question has been raised, "When is my tournament handicap going to be figured for the club's tournaments?" The Executive Board has passed a resolution that SSBGC Tournament Handicaps will be based on the Low Handicap Index of members on the 1st and the 15th of each month like it always has been. A report will be generated on these days through the GHIN website and be saved so it can be referred to when handicaps are determined for a club tournament. 

 

Who is Dean Knuth?

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Dean Knuth, was past Senior Director of USGA who also developed the USGA Slope system and the USGA Course Rating system you see in place for every course in the United States. That 69.0/117…is his invention. In January 1992, Section 10-3 of the USGA Handicap System manual, Reduction of USGA Handicap Index Based on Exceptional Tournament Scores, was put into effect. Section 10-3 is designed to reduce the Handicap Index of a player who scores much better in tournaments than in casual play. 

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Knuth, in reviewing net tournament results and addressing concerns from member clubs, came to the conclusion that Section 10-3 may not be doing enough to insure that all competitors are competing on any equal basis. 

While it is true that some competitors do play better in competition than they do in everyday casual play, it is the opinion of many that most competitors seem to not score as well in competition as they do in their casual rounds. There are competitors that finished near the top quite often, yet never seem to play well enough to have their handicap reduced under Section 10-3.

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Knuth’s Tournament Point System has been adopted by over 1000 golf clubs to date as well as many USGA Associations as their defacto standard for tournaments in order to make tournaments fair and equitable for all players.

How Will This System be used in Our Club?

 

In essence this system will create tournament handicaps for all members of our club based on where they finish in our tournaments only. A small percentage of the membership will have their handicap reduced based on these results. In this system, depending on the number of golfers in each flight, the top-3 or 4 Net finishers in every flight will accrue points for placing in their respective flights in all team and individual tournaments.  Based upon the points accrued and the number of tournaments played, a member’s tournament index may indicate a reduction.  Their USGA Handicap Index is not changed. 

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The system examines a 12-month “rolling” performance in which a tournament is added and the oldest tournament is dropped.  Points and tournaments played are then recalculated and improvements or reductions may occur for the next tournament a member participates. Reductions stay in place until the # of points and/or the # tournaments played changes, based upon the tables you will see below. 

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For the purposes of our club we will implement this point system starting back in July of 2018. Members will earn points based on their finishes that correspond with the number of golfers in their respective flights for tournaments played from that point forward. Initial point totals for all members will be based on their finishes from July 2018- December of 2018. Those dates will be used as a starting point for points earned by each member. There will be no handicap reduction at the December 2018 Tournament. Starting at the January 2019 tournament members whose point totals warrant a reduction to their handicap will have their tournament handicap reduced by the corresponding strokes. See table below:

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There are two charts used to determine your SSBGC Tournament Index: 

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The following chart assigns points for placing in all SSBGC tournaments, for all flights, individual tournaments or team tournaments. The first column is with up to 20 competitors in your flight the second is 21-49.

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    Finish                                      Up to 20                              21-49

First Place                                  3pts                                     4

Second Place                                2                                        3

Third Place                                   1                                        2

Fourth Place                                0                                        1

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As of 11/2023 - New Rule - Team events will now be given Knuth points in the following way. 2 points for all team members that place 1st and 1 point for all team members that place 2nd. No points will be given for 3rd and 4th place.

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The following chart determines if index reductions are warranted:

 

# Tournaments >>>                    8 or less               9-12                     13+

-2 strokes                                          7 pts.                10 pts.               13 pts.

-3 strokes                                          9 pts.                12 pts.               15 pts.

-4 strokes                                          11 pts.               14 pts.               17 pts.

-5 strokes                                          13 pts.               16 pts.               19 pts.

-6 strokes                                          15 pts.               18 pts.               21 pts.

-7 strokes                                           17 pts.              20 pts.               23 pts.

-8 strokes                                          18 pts.              21 pts.                24 pts.

 

Examples:

· Player has played in 16 events with 10 points = no reduction

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· Player has played in 6 events with 9 points = 3 stroke reduction

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Player has played in 12 events with 10 points = 2 stroke reduction

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Example: Ray Sandoval Jr. 

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July 2018 – Did not finish in the money i.e. “Place” zero points

August 2018 - Did not finish in the money i.e. “Place” zero points

September 2018 - Did not finish in the money i.e. “Place” zero points

October Solvang 2018 Day 1 – First Place – 3 points

Day 2- Did not finish in the money i.e. “Place” zero points

Day 3 – 2nd place 3 points (because between 21-49 golfers in flight)

November 2018 – 2nd place 3 points (because 21-49 golfers in flight)

December 2018 – Did not finish in the money i.e. “Place” zero points

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Total points = 9 points for 8 tournaments. -3 stroke reduction to handicap. 

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So for the January Tournament his USGA Handicap index is 15.5. With the reduction to his handicap it is now 12.5. After calculation for tournament handicap, which the slope is 115 from the white tees and Rating is 72.0 for par 72 , his tournament course handicap will be 13.

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At the January tournament he did not finish in the money. His total points now are 9 points but now it is for 9 tournaments. So because it is 9 tournaments his adjustment would drop off for the February tournament based on the chart that determines stroke reduction on points accrued and total tournaments played. So for the February tournament his handicap would be my USGA handicap adjusted to course slope and rating.

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This is a rolling yearly total. So since we started in July of 2018 once we go to August 2019 the July 2018 tournament result will fall off. That will continue as the months go by. August 2018 will fall off the system for September 2019 etc. etc. This may affect your point total or number of tournaments played and thus changes your handicap reduction. 

If this system is put in place the stroke reductions will begin with the January Tournament. All point totals will be published like the tournament results are on our web site. After every tournament all tournament player stats and any reductions will be indicated. If a player is reduced it will be in effect for all tournament rounds, including any Match Play Championship Tournament rounds.

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Please be aware if you are not reduced, you will play to your current USGA handicap index.  If you happen to be reduced, you will play to a lower handicap index.  As always, course handicaps will then be calculated using the normal slope system based on your lowered index.

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