INSIGHT
What has been the impact of the World Handicap System?
Five years after it was introduced into Great Britain & Ireland, the data is clear: more engagement, more players and more rounds
FOR many, a handicap was always more than just a number. It was a symbol of golfing identity.
Traditionally, handicaps were earned and governed through competition. You couldn’t have one without participating in the other.
But five years ago, on November 2, 2020, the World Handicap System (WHS) swept that aside in Great Britain & Ireland. Golf became more accessible, illustrated by the ability for any player to obtain a handicap.
Almost as soon as it arrived, the sport had to take a back seat as the globe struggled during the Covid pandemic. Yet when courses reopened, there was a sudden surge in participation as people reconnected with the outdoors and reached for their clubs. That growth has yet to subside.
The principal beneficiary has been WHS. Governing bodies can now record and track participation with unprecedented accuracy – revealing clear trends in players, rounds and engagement that was previously impossible to measure.
So how does the system look half a decade after its introduction? What do the numbers reveal about its impact?
“To an extent it’s still in its infancy,” says Sarah Barter, England Golf’s Head of Handicapping and Course Rating. “Five years is very short in comparison to CONGU (the predecessor of WHS in GB&I).
“But it’s definitely bedding in, and the positives of the system are starting to come through, and that is reflected in the number of scores that we’re seeing.”
In 2025 to date, that has consisted of some 10 million in England alone. To put that in context, in 2021 there were 8 million scores submitted during the whole of that year.
England Golf’s independent golfer scheme, iGolf, which gives non-club members a handicap in return for an annual subscription, has flourished.
It has surpassed 70,000 members since its launch in 2021, and more than 20,000 players have transitioned into club membership.
Across the Atlantic, the picture is similarly striking. In the United States, golf’s expansion has been dramatic. There were 800,000 more golfers in the country with a handicap in 2024 compared with 2020, with 3.4 million now enjoying an index.
While some of that initial increase can obviously be attributed to the post-Covid boom, the growth has continued year-on-year. More than 80 million scores were submitted in 2024, up from 74.1 million in 2020.
“The reality is we know when golfers have a handicap index that they’re more likely to stay within the sport and engage with the sport”
“The reality is we know when golfers have a handicap index that they’re more likely to stay within the sport and engage with the sport,” adds Barter.
“Promoting an independent handicap through iGolf, and also through club golf and iPlay – as a form of people getting a handicap index – is really important and it’s great to see that coming through in the scores.”
What’s particularly revealing in the data isn’t just the rise in numbers but how golfers are playing the game.
While much attention has been given to the off-course boom – with adventure golf and driving range simulators thriving – WHS has also transformed how traditional on-course golfers record and experience their rounds.
In the United States, there has been a huge increase in players submitting nine-hole rounds. A total of 14.1 million short rounds were posted in 2024, up from 10.1 million just five years earlier.
In England, there is also a clear shift away from traditional competition scores dominating the data. General play, which allows golfers to pre-register and post scores flexibly, is on track to become the dominant format within the next couple of years.
“We keep track of the split of general play scores and competition scores and that does really start to tell the story,” explains Barter.
“In men, it’s an equal split in the type of scores being submitted. It’s 51% to 49% in competition versus general play. In 2021, that was 69-31.
“We’re seeing nine-hole scores slowly increase in men. Nine per cent of scores submitted this year have been nine-hole but, for women, it’s 22% - showing that more women are interested in nine-hole rounds as opposed to a full 18.
“We’re seeing a real shift in the type of golf that’s being played. It’s not just traditional 18-hole competition. It’s nine-hole, general play, 18-hole general play and, as we see shorter courses come into play, it’s something else we need to factor in looking at the future of WHS.”
While WHS certainly has its detractors – particularly those concerned about the potential for manipulation and who often dominate social media debates – there appears to be a different story on the ground.
On the greens and in the clubs, golfers are voting with their scorecards and participating strongly.
With interoperability – the ability for players to post their scores at clubs around the globe – also on the horizon, it’s likely we’ve only begun to see what WHS can achieve.
“I think it’s only going to get bigger and, obviously, the more countries people can play in is going to help with that,” says Barter.
“I think the way that golf is played now, we encourage people to use the apps and people have their phones on them nearly 24/7 these days. It’s even easier to submit scores than before.
“It’s definitely going in the right direction.”