TGF HANDICAPS - A golf handicap truly leveling the field
Compete with MAX Confidence
Compete with MAX Confidence
Compete with MAX Confidence
The Golf Fellowship's goal is for every TGF Member, regardless of skill level, to confidently & fairly compete in our handicapped side games and season points races, knowing that if they can beat their own handicap, they will have success.
In other words, we want personal improvement to be rewarded.
Established after 27 Holes
Compete with MAX Confidence
Compete with MAX Confidence
New Members who have existing handicaps with other organizations will be adjusted to 75% of that Handicap Index until their TGF Handicap is established after only 27 Holes of TGF Event play.
Only TGF Events
Only scores from TGF individual stroke play competitions are used to ensure equity and fairness.
9-Hole Differentials
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Updates after every event
A golfer's best 8 of their last 20, 9-hole differentials is used to determine their TGF Handicap.
This is the same as the World Handicap System standards except uses 9-hole differentials rather than 18-hole differentials
(See Differential Table)
Updates after every event
Updates after every event
Updates after every event
Player scores are posted after every event to both GHIN, if a player has listed their GHIN ID# on their Golf Genius profile, and to Handicap Server, which is the service TGF Handicaps are calculated. All TGF Handicaps may be viewed in the League Portal for each City under MEMBERS / TGF HANDICAPS
Plus handicap adjustment
Updates after every event
Plus handicap adjustment
To additionally combat winning probability differences between low and high handicap players in the traditional handicap system, we make an additional adjustment.
If a player's adjusted Course Handicap for a course calculated with the WHS formula is a +, we divide that number by 2 and round it to the nearest whole number.
The proof is on the CUP
Updates after every event
Plus handicap adjustment
Every handicap level from PLUS to high handicaps have had and continue to have success in The Golf Fellowship.
This is proven by the wide range of skill levels represented on our most prestigious prize, The Fellowship Cup, as well as on the prize money leaderboards each season.
Further Explanation of TGF Handicaps
Just like GHIN, the TGF Handicap is your best 8 of your last 20, 9-hole differentials, rather than 18-hole differentials.
Example: If you shoot 35 and then 45 for 18 holes, or 2-9 hole events
- GHIN adds those two producing an 18-hole differential that does not reflect the potential of the 35
- TGF Handicaps takes both 9-hole differentials and recognizes the 35 as the sign of a player’s potential, which is what golf handicaps are meant to represent.
This specifically protects the field in a predominantly 9-hole league.
We used to see net 28s and net 29s. Those scores are unfair to a low handicapper, especially a + handicapper to contend with that and many will not join a league that uses handicaps because of that. Because GHIN Handicaps only calculate 18-hole differentials, it would wait for another 9 to be paired with that, so the player’s handicap would not adjust until after the following event, which left the field vulnerable.
We needed more volatility for handicaps to move up and down based on recent play.
What we have seen since incorporating in 2022:
- Far less unreachable scores. Rarely do players shoot more than -3 in a 9-hole event now
- A balance of skill levels winning, including plus, low, mid & high handicappers
Plus Handicap adjustment formula
Example: Bob's Course Handicap after applying the WHS formula equals +2.6 which would round to a +3 Playing Handicap. Additional TGF Calculation:+2.6 / 2 = +1.3 which rounds to a +1 Playing Handicap
TGF Handicap Differential Table
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