flowchart LR
A[Index] --> B(CH) --> C([x Allowance])
C --> D([+ adjustment]):::foobar --> E(PH)
classDef foobar fill:#f96
The changes in 2024 in the WHS introduced a ‘scoring tee’ for calculating Course and Playing Handicaps for Foursomes, Greensomes and Scramble formats.
Previously, any adjustments for multiple tees for these formats were done after applying Handicap Allowance to the Course Handicap.
The purpose of selecting a scoring tee for calculating Playing Handicaps in the above team formats is simply to bring the mixed-tee par adjustment forward by applying it to Course Handicaps instead. The Course Handicaps of all players are recalculated based on a common par used by all the players, i.e the par of the scoring tee.
flowchart LR
A[Index] --> C(Adjusted CH)
B([Par of scoring tee]):::foobar --> C(Adjusted CH):::foobar
C --> D([x Allowance]) --> E(PH)
classDef foobar fill:#f96
Some implications of Adjusting Course Handicaps
It simplifies the calculations as no further adjustments are needed. The Course Handicap now includes CR-Par and hence any adjustments for multiple tees is needed only for some formats and if there is a difference in pars in the tees. Therefore, if all tees have the same par, the choice of scoring tee will not affect the Course or the Playing Handicaps.
The Handicap Allowance is now also applied to the mixed-tee adjustments. This means that adjustments for individual players on the team may be different and the total adjustment for a team may even be smaller than before. For example, the adjustment for a mixed 4-player scramble team is now 70% of the adjustment we had prior to the 2024 changes.
This method of adjustment corrects an anomaly previously observed in mixed foursomes and greensomes stableford formats in which the mixed-tee adjustments were based on the individual par rather than the par of the common scoring tee.
Choice of Scoring Tee
The strong recommendation from England Golf is to use the forward tee for scoring in mixed or any-mix team competitions of alternate-shot or scramble formats. This is often the ladies’ tee and the one with the highest par. There are certain advantages to using the forward tee for scoring in mixed competitions.
For mixed match play, the choice of the scoring tee is an important consideration when the stroke indexes of the tees are different. However, it has NO effect on the strokes in a foursomes or greensomes match. Changing the scoring tee will simply result in the PH of both teams either being increased or decreased by exactly the same amount. Therefore, any such change in the team PH due to the choice of the scoring tee will cancel out when determining the strokes in a match.
Similarly, the choice of the scoring tee for medal scoring will have no effect on the standings in a competition as the PH of all teams will either increase or decrease by the same amount.
However, the choice of the scoring tee for stableford scoring may have a different relative effect on teams. For example, changing the scoring tee for two teams with PH of 1 and 31 may increase the strokes by 3 to give PH of 4 and 34. The lower handicap team will be more likely to benefit from the 3 extra strokes than the higher handicap team.