Lower handicaps aren’t penalised (though it feels like it). They just had an unjust balance before, so the playing field has been levelled a bit.

The odds of a mid/high handicapper ‘having a day’ are far more likely than a low handicapper, and there are usually a lot more of the mid/high players so the chances just increase of one of them playing well.

If worried about winning stuff, enter scratch comps and test your game.

All I can say, I would rather be a 4 and try my hardest at my game than win £12. Well done on all your hard work

I had to give someone 36 shots in a match

4 holes stick out in that match, 2 par 3s & 2 par 4s. The first par 3 was 190yds and stuck it to 5ft and lost the hole before i sunk my birdie putt. The 2nd par 3 once again I had lost the hole before my putt so picked the ball up. With the par 4s I birdie both and lost 1 and halted the other!

Only time I was level with him was on the first tee box.

When you’re needing hole in 1s and eagles on par 4s to win the hole that tells you that system isn’t correct.

Hi, as a +3 handicap, I think the system on the whole is ok but the old system was better.

The argument about cheaters has always been around and anyone that wants to up their handicap used to do that anyway. No issue with anyone having a lower handicap than their ability as its only hurting them.

However the one thing that needs to change is how you can get more shots than your actual handicap. On the old system if you played off 0 and played against a 15 handicapper, it was near impossible to beat them in matchplay due to various reasons. Now it is impossible as that 15 handicapper now gets 19 shots at my course!!

That's why the points are also so high now as they are playing with an inflated handicap due to the system. Bring back the days that your handicap is just that! If you play off 15, you get 15 shots, not 19, then getting 40 plus points!

I dont play any comps now unless they have a lowest gross.

Oh and for reference the reason I stopped playing in comps was because I shot the course record playing off +1 and didnt even finish in the top 15 or even get a mention after at the presentation, just well done to the 20 handicappers that got 45 plus points. That was the end for me.

I dont make a thing of it though, just play in scratch or fun comps only and now dont enter any handicap matchplay or Stablefords.

Much more likely for a higher handicapper to have a significantly good day, than a low handicapper.

Comps with scratch only or ones with a much lower % of the handicap given or rules regarding what handicaps are allowed (eg handicap only from playing in the comps, etc) etc.

I have only played when WHS was in place.

Why were comps with the old system more favourable to lower handicaps vs today's?

In stableford comps yes but in Medal no. If they lose a ball or run out of shots in a stableford, its not a big lose as they can pick up on the next hole. In a medal they have to keep playing or NR

this is an age old debate- and it was the same issue Pre WHS.

the issue isn't WHS, its the divisions that clubs set up for comps

its also a numbers game- majority of handicaps are from 10-25= more people= more chance a winner will be from that group.