Handicap adjustment when competing from different tees
Over the years, traditional methods of handicapping have changed. For example:
Pre-2020:
handicap =
gsIndexxgsSlope/ 113
Post-2020:
handicap =
gsIndexxgsSlope/ 113 + (gsRating- Par)
Prior to 2020, to compete fairly from different tees, you had to first calculate the handicap as shown above in the "Pre-2020" instance. After you did that calculation, you had to adjust the forward tee player's handicap by subtracting the rating difference of the forward and back tee from the forward tee player's handicap or adding the difference to the rear tee player's handicap. For instance, if the forward player's tee had a 68.0 rating and the rear player's tee had a 70.0 rating, that's a 2.0 stroke difference. Two strokes were taken away from the forward player's handicap, or two strokes were added to the opponent's handicap. See below for a more complete explanation.
After 2020, no such additional adjustment is necessary. The blue print portion of the above formula ~ + (gsRating - Par) ~ automatically adjusts each golfer's handicap for competing from different tees.
Prior to 1/1/20 - Handicap adjustment when competing from different tees
How does a tournament committee make competition fair when golfers play from different sets of tees or men play women from the same set of tees?
Don't player handicaps make play fair?
It is important to note, right at the start, that golf handicaps level the playing field when competing from the SAME tees. Comparing scores posted from the same tee is analogous to comparing apples to apples (unless it is mix-gendered competition). Handicaps in golf, though, do not level the playing field when players golf from different sets of tees or from the same tee with different gsRating values (i.e., men and women's ratings). Comparing scores from different sets of tees or different gsRating values is like comparing apples to oranges_.
Making play fair
In order to make competition from tees with different gsRatings fair, an adjustment to players' handicap must be made. An upward adjustment in handicap for players playing from tees with higher gsRating or a decrease in handicap for player playing from tees with lower gsRating can be applied.
Rule of thumb
When golfers compete while playing from tees that have different gsRating, either add OR subtract strokes...
Two-player example
In this two-player competition, Fred plays from the Blue tees and Tom plays from the White. In a simple situation where you just have two players, we recommend adjusting the handicap of the player playing from the tees with a higher gsRating. In this case, Fred is playing from the Blue tees with the higher gsRating of 71.3, so you would add the difference in gsRating (rounded to nearest whole number) to Fred's handicap of 12.
Blue gsRating - White gsRating = Difference in gsRating
71.3 - 68.7 = 2.6 rounded to 3
Tee
Blue
White
Index
11.2
16.7
gsSlope
125
116
gsRating
71.3
68.7
Handicap
12
17
Handicap Adjustment (option 1)
+3
0
Player Handicap (option 1)
15
17
Handicap Adjustment (option 2)
0
-3
Player Handicap (option 2)
12
14
If you have a tournament with, say, 100 players and 88 play from the Blue tees (like Fred) and 12 play from the White tees (like Tom), it may be less work for you to adjust the 12 players' handicaps than the 88 playing from the Blue tees. In such a case, you can adjust the 12 White tee players' handicaps downward by 3 strokes. The effect is the same.
Three-player example
In this three-player competition, Fred plays from the Blue tees, Tom plays from White and Dave plays from Gold tees. In a simple situation where you just have two players, we recommend adjusting the handicap of the players playing from the tees with higher gsRating. In this case, Fred and Tom playing from the Blue and White tees with the higher gsRating of 71.3 and 68.7, so you would add the differences in gsRating (rounded to nearest whole number) to Fred and Tom's handicap of 12 and 17.
Blue gsRating - Gold gsRating = Difference in gsRating
71.3 - 66.3 = 5
White gsRating - Gold gsRating = Difference in gsRating
68.7 - 66.3 = 2.4 rounded to 2
Tee
Blue
White
Gold
Index
11.2
16.7
21.2
gsSlope
125
116
108
gsRating
71.3
68.7
66.3
Handicap
12
17
20
Handicap Adjustment (option 1)
+5
+2
0
Player Handicap (option 1)
17
19
20
Handicap Adjustment (option 2)
0
-3
-5
Player Handicap (option 2)
12
14
15
In a tournament situation where you have many players, you can determine what the most efficient route to adjust handicaps would be: adjusting handicaps of player playing from higher gsRating, or lowering the handicaps of players playing from tees with lower gsRatings. The effect is the same. In the above three-player example, if we chose to lower the handicaps of players playing the two sets of tees with the lower gsRating (White and Gold), then Fred's player handicap would remain at 12, Tom's would lower to 14 and Dave's would lower to 15.
Men and women competing from same tees with different gsRatings
In this two-player competition, Fred plays from the Blue tees and Tom plays from the White. In a simple situation where you just have two players, we recommend adjusting the handicap of the player playing from the tees with a higher gsRating. In this case, Fred is playing from the Blue tees with the higher gsRating of 71.3, so you would add the difference in gsRating (rounded to nearest whole number) to Fred's handicap of 12.
White gsRating for women - White gsRating for men = Difference in gsRating
72.8 - 68.7 = 4.1 rounded to 4
Tee
White
White
Index
11.2
16.7
gsSlope
116
119
gsRating
68.7
72.8
Handicap
11
18
Handicap Adjustment (option 1)
0
+4
Player Handicap (option 1)
11
22
Handicap Adjustment (option 2)
-4
0
Player Handicap (option 2)
7
18
In summary...
If your event includes two sets of tees or women and men competing from the same tee which has a different gsRating, either add strokes to the players playing from the higher gsRating (increase their handicaps) OR subtract strokes from the golfers playing from the lower gsRating (decrease their handicaps).
If your event includes more than two sets of tees or includes players playing from more than two different gsRatings, then keep the handicap for the players playing from the lowest gsRating and add strokes, or increase handicaps for players playing from higher gsRatings. Alternatively, keep the handicap for the players playing from the highest gsRatingand subtract strokes, or decrease handicaps for players playing from the lowergsRating`.
League Manager and Tournament Manager simplify the task of adjusting handicaps when your event includes players playing from different gsRating values.
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