WHS - Understanding - Adjusted Gross Scores

Thank you for your enquiry about the Adjusted Gross Score shown on a Players Handicap record.

The World Handicap System (WHS) came into being on January 1, 2020. 

One of the items that changed with the WHS is how the Adjusted Gross Score is determined.

In the Rules of Handicapping, Rule 3, Adjustment for Hole Scores states:  A score for handicap purposes should not be overly influenced by one or two bad hole scores that are not reflective of a player’s demonstrated ability.

In addition, incomplete scores and/or scores where a player did not hole out on every hole can provide reasonable evidence of the player’s ability and can be used for handicap purposes.

Rule 3 covers the circumstances where scores may be acceptable and how these hole scores should be adjusted.
The main method of arriving at the Adjusted Gross Score is to adjust each hole downward to net double bogey, if necessary.

That means, for handicapping purposes, a player can have up to Par + 2 (strokes) + any handicap strokes received on that hole.

For example, if par is 5 and a player receives 1 stroke on the hole, for handicapping purposes, the hole score is limited to 5 + 2 (strokes) + 1 (handicap strokes received on hole), or 8.  Each hole where a player shoots higher than net double bogey must be adjusted downward to net double bogey.

The number of strokes a golfer receives is determined using their full, unrestricted Daily Handicap.

The Daily Handicap is rounded to the nearest whole number.