Golf Ireland is set to launch a new campaign in the coming weeks, aimed at helping golfers and clubs fully understand the World Handicap System™ (WHS™).
Ahead of this initiative, golfers across Ireland may already start noticing one change, as new options relating to Playing Handicap™ allowances become available to clubs, introducing greater flexibility to club competitions.
The measure, which gives Clubs options to increase or decrease the Playing Handicap allowancein their competitions, is being rolled out following feedback from club officials and golfers, including through a tracking survey conducted by Golf Ireland in 2024.
While the options will be available from 1 April 2025, clubs will have ultimate discretion in whether they adopt a change – and may decide to retain the current Playing Handicap allowance for their club competitions. Likewise, a club may decide not to introduce a change immediately, but on another date following 1 April.
In singles counting competitions, the current 95% allowance for Playing Handicaps can be increased to 100%, or decreased to as low as 85%, at the club’s discretion. In this regard, the measure responds to feedback Golf Ireland has received through its annual tracking survey which strongly suggests that golf clubs want additional options to address local issues they might have with the application of the WHS, and that in a number of cases clubs have found that lower handicappers are struggling to compete in club competitions – and in some cases playing less competitive golf at club level as a result.
The change is being rolled out in Ireland with the agreement of the other Home Nations, England, Scotland and Wales, with a decision to follow ahead of the 2026 season on whether to roll it out across GB&I fully in 2026, potentially with additional options depending on feedback received.
The option to amend the Playing Handicap allowance can also be applied to four-ball competitions.
To view a full summary of the options available, click here.
To view the full guidance document for clubs, click here.
Further guidance can be found in Appendix C/1 of the Rules of Handicapping – click here to view.
Mark Wehrly, Championships & Rules Director of Golf Ireland, said about the changes: “The options which clubs will have from 1st April are being rolled out in response to two things we’ve heard fairly consistently – that clubs want more choice in how they apply the WHS™ within their club and that in a number of cases there is a concern that lower handicappers are struggling to be competitive in club competitions.
“We’ve looked at these concerns with an open mind and considered them in light of the data and guidance available to us, in close and detailed consultation with our colleagues in England, Scotland and Wales as well as with The R&A.”
This measure also comes during a period in which Golf Ireland has introduced a significant change to the handicap eligibility rules for inter-club competitions, which resulted in the adjustment of the Handicap Index® of 159 players for eligibility purposes ahead of the 2025 season.
Wehrly continued: “We’ve done a considerable amount of work in sifting through the data, both in terms of club competitions but also in our own competitions, where we have acknowledged that a substantial number of rounds are played in non-counting formats and may therefore be contributing to concerns that some might raise about the fairness of handicapping in our inter-club competitions.
“We’ll continue this data-driven approach, as well as kicking on with our annual handicap awareness campaign in the coming weeks, which will address a wide range of issues including player responsibilities and – in particular – addressing actions which give rise to handicap manipulation, another issue on which we’ve received plenty of engagement from clubs and golfers. We’re also very grateful to be working with our colleagues in the other Home Nations, and with The R&A, on a joint communications campaign which will be rolled out over the coming months and which will reinforce these messages.”
