The system rules

The system will make 3 adjustments to handicaps based on 3 simple dimensions.

1. Placement. 1st through 4th will be cut 4, 3, 2, 1 strokes. Last 4 places will gain 4, 3, 2, 1 strokes respectively.

2. Average. An average of the day's scores will be taken. Anyone under the average gains 0.2 strokes, anyone above loses 0.2 strokes.

3. Event. Anyone wining a nearest the pin, longest drive, 'bounty' hole, etc. is cut 0.2

4. There are no limits on minimum/maximum handicaps for tracking. However, Cutting events or tours may have limits placed on them (for example, CE1~CE4 max H/C is 36, TD1~TD4 max H/C is max 28). The year's tour organisers can make these decisions, as they see fit.

Optionally, if there are very large, or very small events, we might scale up and scale back the placement adjustments. For example, if there are only 8 players, we might cut 1st 3 stokes, and 2nd 1 strokes rather than 1st through 4th cut 4, 3, 2, 1 strokes. This would be a headache to calculate, but it's an option should we need it.

Final thoughts

This is essentailly everything. Handicaps are adjusted if they are placed in the highest or lowest score. We do a small adjustment based on average just to keep it moving around a little, and we lightly 'punish' people for achieving a great tee-shot, just so we can tease them about it.

• Previously we had a maximim cut that could go 7.2 strokes if you came first and got an event, this is reduced now to a maximum of 4.4 strokes. 

• This system removes the 'blob death spiral', and makes a 'recovery' from an exceptional win much shorter plus adjustments are smoother stopping handicap pinballing. 

• If 'overcut' when then causes a player to hit the bottom 4 places, moving back up is faster and fairer.

• Sandbagging detection and 'anti-cheat' is implemented because you are adjusted based on where you place, and if you don't know how well people score, you can't fiddle your own score to place 5th because you don't know how well others do.