WMC Thursday League “Cool Down” Handicap Control Plan 

Updated June 2020 & August 2020 

 

Willows Men’s Club uses a handicap control plan developed over many seasons known as “Cool Down”.  From time to time, a player may play ahead of the ability of the WHS system to adjust, especially when playing 9-hole events.  The goal for Cool Down is to help level the playing field for 9-hole events, so more players have a chance to win.  This plan addresses exceptional rounds on Thursday league night, adjusting a player’s Playing Handicap (Course Handicap) for shooting an exceptional score.  The cool down period was reduced in 2020 from three consecutive rounds to two consecutive rounds.  

 

9 Hole (Thursday) Events 

 

  1. Pattern of Performance: If a player shoots net 2-or-more-under for 9 holes twice within any 4 consecutive Thursday night league play events, the player will be assessed a 1-stroke 9-hole Playing Handicap reduction.  

  1. Exceptional Score 1: If a player shoots net 4-or-5-under for 9 holes, it is considered a single exceptional score and the player will be assessed a 1-stroke 9-hole Playing Handicap reduction. 

  1. Exceptional Score 2: If a player shoots net 6-or-more-under for 9 holes, it is considered a single exceptional score and the player will be assessed a 2-stroke 9-hole Playing Handicap reduction.  

 

Notes 

  • The handicap adjustment will be assessed for the next two Thursday rounds in which the player participates.  

  • Reductions for multiple exceptional scores in subsequent weeks are applied cumulatively (same as WHS) and restart the adjustment period.   
        Examples:  

  • Shooting 2-or-more-under while in the penalty period will add 1 additional stroke per (1) above.  

  • If you have a 2-under round within the prior three consecutive Thursday nights, shooting 4-or-more-under in the current round will add 2 additional strokes – one per (1) above and one per (2) above. 

  • Shooting 4-or-more-under while in the penalty period from (1) or (2) above will add 2 additional strokes – one per (1) above and one per (2) above. 

  • WMC handicap control adjustments are local assessments only and do not affect the official USGA handicap or events outside of WMC events. 

  • WMC Handicap Control will not be applied to 18-hole Major, Match Play events, or road trip events.  

 

 

Appendix: Background for the Cool Down Adjustment policies 

 

The USGA World Handicap System™ enables golfers of all skill levels to compete on an equitable basis. This means a level playing field with the opportunity for anyone to win on a given day, creating more winners throughout the season. In order to do this effectively, the Willows Men’s Club must at times address certain players’ handicaps and abilities by adjusting the player’s handicap index used in Thursday League play.   

 

The pre-2020 USGA Handicap Reduction policy addressed a pattern of performance when a player betters his handicap by 3 strokes in Tournament events 2 times in the prior 12 months, an automatic adjustment is enforced.  Willows Men’s Club Cool Down uses two strokes over 9 holes across four events as a modified 9-hole version of this policy, and is based on similar recommendations for the Tournament Point System by Dean Knuth, co-inventor of the Course Rating and Slope handicap system used by USGA. 

 

Over the past several years the WMC board has also discussed immediate reductions if a player shoots 4 strokes under in a single round – effectively the same number of strokes but all in one event. The new WHS inludes a single score reduction policy exactly like this.  Under WHS, if a player shoots 7 strokes below their handicap index, there is an automatic 1 stroke reduction; if they shoot 10 strokes below, there is a 2 stroke reduction.  Reductions for multiple exceptional scores are applied cumulatively.  At WMC, we need to react quicker since we play 9-hole rounds.  The “exceptional score” cool down adjustment for four and six strokes is based on the WHS single score reduction policy of 7 and 10 strokes adapted to the 9-hole league.