In 2004 the governing bodies of golf made some changes that most golfers might not be fully aware of. They changed how a player posts a round between 10 and 17 holes. They have also started the push for players to post their scores hole by hole. Several
agencies in the World Handicap System require players to post their score hole by hole not by total strokes.
Prior to last year, you would post an 18-hole score once you finished at least 13 holes. Players just posted par plus their handicap
on the holes they did not complete. Today players should post hole by hole to where they finished on rounds between 10 and
17 holes. With last year’s revision, when 10-17 holes are played, an 18-hole Score Differential is determined by adding the player’s Score Differential from the holes played to an expected Score Differential for the number of holes not played. Since a player’s expected score is not specific to a course or reliant upon the course’s stroke index allocation (as net par was previously), this will lead to more consistency. So, as you review a peer’s handicap you might see scores that are lower than normal without it showing as an exceptional score. Another place a player should use this is when playing match play. Once a match is completed, the
competition conditions change so players should post up to that point.
The other major change is 9-hole scores are no longer combined to make an 18-hole score. This change eliminates the potential volatility of an abnormal amount of time or playing conditions taking place between 9-hole rounds. Today, when a player posts a 9-hole score, it is combined with their expected Score differential over 9 holes to create an 18-hole Score Differential for immediate use – with expected score based on the player’s Handicap Index at the time the round is played as well as a course of standard difficulty.
These changes are meant to address areas where abilities and playing conditions might not be equal. When posting your scores please follow these revisions. Also, the more you post hole by hole scores the better it is for courses to properly allocate how the strokes are given.
