Golf RSA in conjunction with HNA will be implementing a new Course and Slope Rating System  which will in turn influence your Handicap Calculation. Here is some terminology that you will need to understand:

1. Handicap Index – This will be your standard handicap that will be calculated by HNA and will appear on your profile. It will allow for a decimal of one tenth. IE- Your Handicap Index could be 11.6. This is not a playing Handicap

2. Slope Rating – Every set of tees on every Golf course has a slope rating which has been determined by the degree of difficulty in accordance with the USA Course rating system. The maximum Slope rating is 155(hardest) and 55(easiest). The standard Slope rating is 113.

3. Course rating – every set of tees has a course rating similar to the existing system, but will also allow for decimals.

4. Course Handicap – this is the handicap that you will play off on that day that will be calculated using your Handicap Index, the slope rating of the tees you play off and the Course rating of the same tees.

On 3 September 2018 South Africa will be implementing a new Course and Slope Rating System

which will influence your Handicap Calculation. Under this system, your course handicap on any

given day will be determined according to the difficulty of the course you choose to play.

GolfRSA believes that this will be fairer than our current handicap which does not equalise

the higher and lower handicaps well on a difficult golf course. It will also bring SA in line with

the rest of the world when the World Handicap System is implemented and make our Handicap

Index portable from country to country.

What are the features of Slope?

• Every set of tees on every golf course around the country has a Slope Rating (SR) which has been determined in accordance with the USGA Course Rating System (USGA CRS).

• The maximum Slope Rating is 155 (highest) and the minimum is 55 (lowest). The Standard Slope Rating (SSR) is 113.

• Every set of tees also has a Course Rating (CR).

Why will our Handicap alter on 3 September, 2018

• At 0:00 on 3 September, HNA will calculate a nationally-standardised handicap for every player and this will be called the Handicap Index (HI).

• The Handicap Index will be calculated as presently but converting the players’ score history using the USGA Course.

Rating and Slope Rating of the courses played.

• The Handicap Index is not a playing handicap.

What is the handicap that I will play off?

• This will be known as the Course Handicap.

• A calculation using your HI, the SR of the set of tees you choose to play off and the CR will be used to calculate your handicap for the day. This is called the Course Handicap (CH).

• The Handicap Index will be displayed in your HNA record on www.handicaps .co.za

What is the difference between my Handicap Index and the Course Handicap?

The Handicap Index (HI) is an indication of the potential of the golfer. It will be calculated using the best 10 of your last 20 rounds (the same as present.) The Course Handicap is the conversion of your HI for the Course you are about to play. It is the handicap you will play off for that particular set of tees and is obtained from the Registration Desk, Mobile App, the HNA Terminal, or from Course Handicap Conversion Tables at the club.

What do I have to do before each round I play?

Decide which set of Tees you are going to play from. When you open your round, inform the person at registration which course (set of tees) you will play, they will then give you your Course Handicap – or you can go to the Club Terminal, use your phone App, or use the Conversion Chart at the Club and look up your Course Handicap.

How will Slope make things fairer?

Generally speaking, a higher handicapped player finds it harder to adjust to a difficult course than a low handicap does. Slope adjustments will play a balancing role. For example, if the Yellow Tees are harder than the White Tees, a high Handicapped player may play the Yellow Tees off a handicap of 28 and the White Tees off 24. The elite player finds it easier to adjust, so they may play the Yellow Tees off 4 and the White Tees off 3. GolfRSA believes this is fairer than having the difference between the elite player’s handicap and the high-marker’s handicap always stay the same.

Can I play in a competition from a different Tee as what the rest of the field is playing?

Yes, unless there is a Condition of the Competition stipulating the use of a specific Tee. If not, the calculation of your Course Handicap takes into account the fact that the Course Rating of the Tee you are playing from is lower/higher than the one the rest of the field is playing from, therefore you can play in the same competition from a different Tee.

Can men and women play off the same Tee and compete?

Definitely, this is one of the reasons why the system is being introduced. There are no Men’s, Senior’s or Women’s Tees anymore. We will be referring to the various courses by the colour of the Tee. All the Tees have been rated for men while only certain Tees have been rated for women. If the women at the club feel that they want more options they can request that from the Slope Committee of GolfRSA.

I know that I will be playing off a Course Handicap when I visit another club, but what handicap do I use at my Home Club?

Whether you are playing at an away club or at your Home Club, you will need to check your Course Handicap for the tees you are playing from.

Home Club Example: A player with a Handicap Index of 22.3, when playing off the Blue Tees (e.g. Slope Rating of 119) at their Home Club, will play off a Course Handicap of 23; and when they play off the White Tees (e.g. Slope Rating of 136) will play off a Course Handicap of 27. (Note: The same calculations would apply if the example was for an away club).