What is a "Soft Cap"

The soft cap is part of the World Handicap System™ and helps prevent your Handicap Index® from increasing too quickly following a period of poorer scores.

It only applies once you have 20 scores in your handicap record.

The aim is to make sure that a temporary loss of form doesn't cause your Handicap Index® to move too far away from your demonstrated ability.

When does the soft cap apply?

The soft cap uses your Low Handicap Index™ - the lowest Handicap Index® you have held during the previous 365 days - as a reference point.

If your newly calculated Handicap Index® is more than 3.0 strokes higher than your Low Handicap Index™, the soft cap starts to apply.

Any increase above those 3.0 strokes is reduced by 50%.

You don't need to do anything yourself - if the soft cap applies, it will be included automatically when your Handicap Index® is updated.

An example

Let's say:

• Your Low Handicap Index™ is 14.8
• The average of your best 8 Score Differentials™ would give you a Handicap Index® of 19.71
• The difference is 4.91 strokes

The first 3.0 strokes of the increase are allowed in full.

That leaves an additional increase of:

4.91 - 3.0 = 1.91

The soft cap reduces this additional increase by 50%:

1.91 ÷ 2 = 0.955

Your new Handicap Index® would therefore be approximately:

14.8 + 3.0 + 0.955 = 18.8

So, rather than increasing to 19.7, your Handicap Index® would increase to 18.8.

Why is there a soft cap?

Golfers naturally go through periods of better and poorer form. The soft cap helps make sure a shorter spell of higher scores doesn't cause your Handicap Index® to rise too quickly.

It also helps keep Handicap Indexes® representative of a golfer's demonstrated ability and reduces the potential for handicap manipulation.

You can find more information in the WHS™ Rules of Handicapping.