How Fourball Matchplay shapes WHS handicaps – insights from England Golf’s Sarah Barter
Fourballs received an overhaul as part of the changes to the World Handicap System™ in April 2024.
Not only did competition scores in the fourball betterball format become eligible for your handicap records – if you hit some strict criteria – but the way handicaps are applied in 4BBB and foursomes match play games have also been altered.
In betterball, all four players previously worked out their Course Handicap™ and applied the 90 per cent format allowance to calculate their Playing Handicaps™.
After doing this, they then worked out how many shots they received from the lowest Playing Handicap™.
A guidance document to the Rules of Handicapping, produced by the four home unions of England Golf, Scottish Golf, Wales Golf and Golf Ireland, and outlining all the upcoming changes to WHS™ and how they should be implemented, revealed a subtle change to that calculation.
Players now calculate their Course Handicap™ and then take shots from the lowest golfer. It’s only at this point that they’ll work out the 90 per cent allowance.
In foursomes, it is 50 per cent of the difference between each side’s combined Course Handicaps™. In greensomes, it is 100 per cent of the difference between each side’s combined Course Handicaps™.
The observant among you might note these calculations replicate what happened before the introduction of WHS™ in November 2020.
Fourball match play allowance changes: A more familiar and intuitive calculation
What difference will it make? In a small number of cases, the change in calculation may marginally increase or reduce the number of shots a player could receive compared with the previous arrangements.
But handicap chiefs also say the ‘new’ ways should be more familiar and intuitive to golfers and should make working out shot allocations a far less stressful 1st tee experience.
“Ultimately, players will still get the shots they need to play the format fairly,” said Sarah Barter, Head of Handicapping and Course Rating™.
“There may be the occasional shot difference depending on player combinations, like low versus high handicaps or mixed teams – but the changes are minimal. Our goal working with the rest of GB&I and The R&A is to make future updates to the system simpler and easier to use, especially with the help of digital tools.”
By Mark Shanley
