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03/08/2020
Worldwide Handicapping System Update by England Golf

In recent weeks, England Golf has started to promote the WHS ‘Know The Score’
campaign, which includes the interactive WHS Club Toolkit and we encourage you if
you haven’t already, to utilise the full range of assets in order to help educate your
members and get them fully up to speed on the basics of WHS well ahead of November.
Thank you to those golf clubs that have already uploaded their course information onto
the new England Golf WHS platform and if you have not yet done so, please get in
contact with the WHS team at WHS2020@englandgolf.org.
England Golf, as the national governing body, has the responsibility of administering
the WHS system, moving to a higher integrity level of handicapping for and on behalf
of its members.
In terms of handicap and competition software that is currently provided to clubs by
Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), both existing and new ISVs will be able to
continue to work with clubs to provide relevant products and services as they do under
the existing CONGU handicap system.
This will include the ability to display a member’s
WHS Handicap Index and playing record through the ISV software.
The two main changes under WHS are:
• The England Golf WHS platform will be the unique calculation hub for all
member’s handicaps, as opposed to previously the ISV software calculating at golf clubs
• (Scores will continue to be inputted through ISV software, which will then link
to the EG WHS platform)
• The England Golf WHS platform will be the originating depository of all member’s
playing records
Golf clubs and golfers will have direct access to the EG WHS platform to be able to view
their latest handicap information through the EG website and EG app (to be launched
in November and provided FOC to all affiliated golf club members).
As part of the licence agreement with ISVs, there will be an initial data transfer to the
EG WHS platform that will include:
• First name
• Surname
• Gender
• Date of birth
• E-mail address
• Home club
• Membership category
The transfer of information, which will be fully compliant with GDPR is required to
ensure player identification, communication and to eliminate the duplication of handicap
records.
If a club or individual refuses England Golf access to the required information, then a
WHS Handicap Index will not be issued.
England Golf will be working with the following ISVs who have signed up to the terms
and conditions of our CONGU licence to deliver the WHS system:
• Club Systems International
• DotGolf
• Golf Autoscore Ltd (Book & Play)
• GOLFBOX
• Golf Genius Software
• HandicapMaster(TM) Limited.
• IntelligentGolf Limited
• Nexxchange Services
As part of the terms and conditions, ISVs will display a privacy notice relating to England
Golf being a data controller in respect of its members’ data.
England Golf has a contract
with its members, namely individuals who are members of affiliated golf clubs. The
details requested in the licence, including e-mail address, are necessary for the
performance of that contract in accordance with the terms of Article 6 of the GDPR.
Full details of the lawful basis or bases for England Golf’s processing of its members
data will be set out in the required privacy notice as required by the GDPR, which ISVs
are required, under the terms of the licence, to include in their end user agreements.
A per club licence fee of £74.50 (plus VAT) will be charged to the ISVs on a half yearly
basis, which covers implementation and ongoing maintenance costs of the WHS in
England. (This represents a £10.25 per month increase on the current per club fee).
England Golf looks forward to continuing to support golf clubs on the implementation
of the WHS and further information is available at www.englandgolf.org/whs or please
e-mail WHS2020@englandgolf.org if you have a specific query.