PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE: This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf. Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon, as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist. This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.

Yes, this is a blog about golf, one of my favorite subjects.

A major change is coming at the first of the year, January 1, 2020. It is the date of implementation of a new World Handicapping System.

No longer will there be six separate systems around the world. There will be one system.

If you don’t know what handicapping is in golf, here is a quick definition as provided by the United States Golf Association (USGA):

“The USGA defines handicap as a measure of his current ability over an entire round of golf, signified by a number. The lower the number, the better the golfer is.” A handicap essentially signifies how many strokes above or below par a golfer should be able to play.”

And, whatever else is true, the handicap system allows golfers of any ability to play straight-up against any other golfer.

To prepare for the new one world system, Oregon Golf Association (OGA) handicap director Kelly Neely has provided a summary for golfers in Oregon. And, without apology, given Neely’s credentials, I repeat here what she wrote. [By credentials, I mean that Neely just completed 25 years as the OGA handicap manager and all of us in Oregon are lucky to have had her involved on our behalf.]

Here, then, is what she wrote.

There are several items to keep in mind as we prepare for the new World Handicap System set to debut in 2020. Below is a sneak peak at what’s to come.

1) The minimum number of scores to establish a Handicap Index will be three 18-hole rounds made up of any combination of 9 or 18-hole scores. A new player establishing a Handicap Index will use PAR + 5 as their maximum score per hole.

• Current system requires five 18-hole rounds (or 10 nine-hole scores combined)

2) For a full scoring record of 20 scores, the system will take the 8 lowest score differentials to calculate the Handicap Index.

• Current system takes 10 lowest score differentials

3) When abnormal playing conditions cause scores to be unusually high or low on a given day, a Playing Conditions Calculation, or PCC, will adjust score differentials to better reflect the player’s actual performance.

• Current system has no comparable adjustment

4) Net Double Bogey (or Double Bogey Plus) will be used when a player’s actual score or most likely score exceeds a maximum number derived using the following formula. All players, no matter their Course Handicap, will use Net Double Bogey:   Net Double Bogey = Par + 2 +/- Handicap strokes received or given on a hole

• Current system uses Equitable Stroke Control and can change according to the Course Handicap range in which the player falls

5) The Maximum Handicap Index for men and women will be 54.0. This will encourage more novice golfers to get a Handicap Index.

• Current system has a max of 36.4 for men and 40.4 for women

6) Under the World Handicap System, a Handicap Index will update daily. This feature ids designed to encourage golfers to post their scores immediately following their round.

• Current system updates Indexes on the 1st and 15th of each month

There. Now you know about the new system. It will be good for golf.