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UPDATE: the New System is rolled out nationally with effect from 2016. See the CA website
for details. Though essentially the same as the new national scheme, the 2015 EACF trial details
are retained here as a matter of record only.

To convert your existing handicap to the New System:

(a) If your existing handicap is in the range 3 to 12, convert your index as follows:

(b) If your existing handicap is 12 and you have been struggling to get your index much above 0, ask your club handicapper to reset your handicap to 14 with a new index of 1050.

(c) A new complete beginner should be started on 16 – with an index of 1000 (but start with a lower handicap if they have some previous experience – see Setting Initial Handicap.)

(d) If your existing Actual Handicap is 2 or below, take your current CGS Grade ('ranking grade') and use that as though it were your handicap index, to lookup your new handicap from the trigger point table (Table 1). Take the handicap of the next trigger point at or below your grade. Note however that if this method would result in your handicap increasing, then instead keep your existing handicap but with the new index taken from Table 1 for that handicap.

Example for (d): if under the existing system you are a -1 Actual Handicap (-5 Effective Handicap) with a CGS Grade of 2383, you will start on the New System as a -3 with an index of 2383.

Handicap Card

For 2015, continue to use the existing type of handicap card. You may continue with a card you already have or start a new one, as you wish. Please make clear on the card where the games switch to being under the New System – perhaps by ruling a line across and writing 'New System' as a title.

Analysis and feedback

At the end of the 2015 season, handicap cards will be requested from clubs across the EACF area, so that an analysis can be undertaken of how fairly and accurately the New System works. Feedback from clubs and individuals will also be sought – comments may be sent to .

Playing opponents under the existing 2014 Trial System

As the CA wants to trial the New System before rolling it out nationally, it may be that at times during 2015, your opponent might be on a different handicap system to you. The following explains the solutions.

Handicap play

There are just 5 events in the CA Fixtures Calendar for GC handicap play – as most handicap play is within a federation rather than a nationally-advertised event. For the majority of players, their handicap under the New System will start out the same as their handicap under the 2014 Trial System (the 'existing system'), with only players at the extremes of the range being directly affected – so in many cases any impact of a 'clash of systems' will be negligible.

If the event is held in a federation running the existing system, then a visiting player from the EACF area should take with them a) their previous handicap card under the existing system, and b) their new handicap card under the New System. They must make a point of showing these to the Tournament Manager or Handicapper before play begins, to agree what handicap they should play off during the event. Results for these games should be recorded on the players' handicap cards, and contribute to their index, but with a note of which system they were played under.

If the event is held in the EACF, running the New System, then a visiting player from outside the EACF area should take with them their handicap card and must make a point of showing it to the Tournament Manager or Handicapper before play begins, to agree what handicap they should play off during the event. Results for these games should be recorded on the players' handicap cards, and contribute to their index, but with a note of which system they were played under.

Note: the All England Handicap Final at Colchester will be run under the existing system.

Level play

To maintain your handicap card and include all level play games where the players are from the two different systems, you may use the following table to convert the opponent's handicap to show on your card and make your index calculations:

a) Handicaps 12 to 3 - just use the opponent's handicap directly

b) To convert Existing System Actual Handicaps 2 down to -2 to New System EITHER [accurate method] find their CGS Grade and use Table 1 OR [approximate method]:

  •  2 becomes 1;
  •  1 becomes 0;
  •  0 becomes -1;
  • -1 becomes -3;
  • -2 becomes -5
c) To convert New System h'caps to Existing System Actual Handicaps:
  •  1 becomes 2;
  •  0 becomes 1;
  • -1 and -2 become 0;
  • -3 and -4 become -1;
  • -5 and -6 become -2

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