British Handicaps Are Fairest of Them All

Research conducted at the University of North Carolina has shown that the handicap system endorsed by the Council of National Golf Unions in
the UK is fairer to high-handicappers than the USGA's equivalent procedure.

The American system calculates handicaps from the best 10 scores in every 20, taking little account of the inconsistencies to which high-handicappers are more prone. The British system includes every
score that is handed in, however, to produce a more rounded handicap.

Larry Kupper, professor of biostatistics at the university, proved the point by monitoring hundreds of scores at a nearby golf club. His team's results show that a low handicapper is 60-70 per cent more likely to defeat a high-handicapper in a match using the American handicaps.

"Since poorer golfers are less consistent than better golfers, which we demonstarted using real data, this means that the poorer golfer gets a handicap that is less representative of how he typically plays than does the better golfer," said Kupper

The American system is clearly more aspirational, giving golfers a handicap to aim for, whereas the British system is more accurate and gives British high-handicappers a better chance in competitions.

"A system like the British one," adds Kupper, "which takes every score you return into account, is much less unfair, as it tackles the problem that worse golfers are much more variable in their performances. I would say that British handicaps are better."

"Our system is based very closely on how you actually play," agrees the
English Golf Union's James Crampton, "not some idealised version of how well you play when you are playing at your best. It is common sense to see that it is fairer."

Despite the scientific evidence, the USGA system is used more widely than any other system in the world, with over 4.5 million golfers subscribing to it.