By Jim Cowan, Chief Governance Officer
Spring is in the air!
Oh, the sights!
The smells!
The sound of phone calls enquiring about the “cap” placed on their Handicap Index!
But what exactly is a “cap?”
Both the “soft cap” and “hard cap” are an automatic part of the World Handicap System calculation that determines a golfer’s Handicap Index. They are designed to prevent an extreme upward movement of the Handicap Index.
How do they work?
Every time a Handicap Index is updated, the new value is compared to that of the golfer’s Low Handicap Index of the past year. Whenever this fresh calculation creeps more than 3.0 strokes above the Low Handicap Index baseline, the calculation will start to tap the brakes on any additional upward movement.
At first gently, by slowing the increase above 3.0 strokes by a factor of 50% (soft cap).
In some instances, harshly, by not allowing a Handicap Index to increase more than 5.0 strokes above the Low Handicap Index (hard cap).
This is the time of year where caps tend to peak due to golfers posting fewer scores in harsher conditions over the winter. During the month of March, for example, more than 12,500 NCGA scoring records were subject to a cap (less than 7% of the hard cap variety), with most soft caps impacting a golfer’s Handicap Index by mere fractions of a stroke.
What should a club do when a member is subject to a cap?
Absolutely nothing! Caps are a natural part of the Handicap Index calculation and, barring special circumstances, should be allowed to run their course. Research finds that golfers who have experienced significant upward movement in their Handicap Index would, without caps in place, be more likely to score at or below their Handicap Index compared to more consistent players. In other words, caps promote equity.
But in rare instances in which a golfer experiences an injury, illness, knee replacement, etc., since the time of achieving their Low Handicap Index, by all means, a club should intervene and set matters right. Most clubs, in such circumstances, utilize the GHIN Admin Portal and raise the value of the Low Handicap Index, thus reducing or eliminating the impact of the cap.
For more information on overriding a cap, clubs can reach out to the Customer Service Team at the NCGA.
Follow this QR code for more information on caps including a brief 68-second explanation video.