Posting Your Score the Same Day You Play Matters – Here’s Why

By Terry Benjamin, USGA

The World Handicap System (WHS^™), launched in January 2020, includes safeguards designed to protect the integrity of your Handicap Index^®. One of them is the playing conditions calculation (PCC). What is it and why does it matter? Let us explain:

The PCC is entirely based on scoring data

The PCC compares the actual scores made at a given course each day to the expected scores of the players who made them. If the number of players who score at or below their expected score is higher than anticipated, the course played easier. If the number of players who score at or below their expected score is lower than anticipated, the course played more difficult.

If, for example, harsh weather conditions cause golfers to shoot higher scores than they normally would based on their Handicap Index, the PCC takes that into account to better reflect performances on that day.

PCC adjustments, which range from -1 to +3, are applied automatically and clearly identified within a player’s scoring record. Keep in mind that, on most days, the PCC results in a value of 0, meaning the course played to its difficulty as indicated by the Course Rating™ and Slope Rating^® of the various tees.

The more scores, the better

For the calculation to take place, at least 8 scores must be posted at a course by players with a Handicap Index of 36.0 or below – and the more scores that are posted, the more reliable the data becomes.

When you post matters

The PCC takes place at the end of each day, so only scores posted on the day of play will contribute to the data pool. That is why we encourage all golfers to post their scores on the same day as their round. If you post on a later day, the result of the PCC will still be applied after your score is posted – as long as you use the correct date for when the round was played.