Master Craftsman Bob Vokey’s relentless mission to design and craft better performing, better feeling wedges has reached a new height of innovation with the introduction of his Vokey Design SM8 models, the most accurate and forgiving Vokey wedges yet.

The groundbreaking Progressive Center of Gravity (CG) design concept that originated with Vokey Design SM6, and was refined with SM7, has experienced one giant shift forward in the new SM8. By moving the CG forward, to a position that actually hovers in front of the wedge face, Vokey and his R&D team have produced a wedge that wants to square every time. The result is improved distance and trajectory control, better feel and increased stability for more consistent results.

These advancements – enhanced by Bob’s six tour-proven sole grinds for precision fitting, and 100% inspected Spin Milled grooves for maximum spin – have SM8 poised to continue Vokey’s historic run as the #1 wedge on tour since 2004 and counting.

In golf shops beginning March 6, 2020, Vokey SM8 wedges are available in four finishes – Tour Chrome, Brushed Steel and Jet Black, plus the tour-preferred Raw finish (custom order only).

SM8 PERFORMANCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Great wedge play comes from distance control, shot versatility and spin. Bob Vokey and team have designed SM8 to improve performance in all three areas through the following key innovations:

• Reimagined Progressive CG: Vokey’s Progressive CG design philosophy aligns the center of gravity with the impact position – lower in the low lofts, higher in the high lofts – for better trajectory and distance control. SM8 takes the next innovative leap, pushing the CG forward while maintaining the vertical CG position to create a more consistent, better-feeling strike. To achieve this, Voke’s team lengthened the hosels and counterbalanced that weight with high-density tungsten low in the toe. This high, forward CG position boosts MOI (up to a +7% increase in the higher lofts) producing a more solid feel, improved ball flight and a club face that simply wants to square up at impact for more consistent results.

“When Kevin Tassistro (Director of Wedge R&D) brings me new prototypes, he knows I won’t have feedback until I’ve watched tour players hit them,” Bob Vokey said. “The proof is in their results and their reactions. That’s been my validation process from day one.”

“The first time I had guys hit SM8 was on the range at Riviera,” Vokey said. “I always listen to the sound they’re making at impact, and it was phenomenal. ‘Solid but soft’ was how they described it. They loved it. That means they’re getting the proper feedback that you need to execute every type of wedge shot, whether you’re in the fairway, in a bunker or around the green. They also talked a lot about the flight. It’s in a better window, it’s more consistent, and they have more control of it. Overall, guys just kept telling me how easy it was to hit every type of shot they wanted to hit. They just felt like they were getting more of out of the wedge – and that’s because Kevin and his team were able to push that CG forward out in front of the face, to a place we never would have imagined 20 years ago.”

• Refined Sole Grind Options: Developed through decades of work with the best shot makers in the game, Vokey’s six Tour-proven sole grinds – F, S, M, K, L and D – allow golfers of all skill levels to be precisely fit for their swing type (steep, neutral, shallow), shot making style and course conditions (firm, neutral, soft). SM8 continues to feature the most complete lineup of grind, bounce and loft options, allowing for more creativity and consistency, and giving players of any level the ability to create multiple shots around the green.

• One of Vokey’s preferred setups is pairing a higher bounce sand wedge (i.e. SM8 56.14 F) with a lower bounce lob wedge (i.e. SM8 60.08 M). This type of setup – which empowers a player to adjust to firm or soft conditions from the turf or in a bunker without having to change technique – is utilized by both Jordan Spieth (56.10 S and 60.04 L) and Justin Thomas (56.14 F, 60.06 K). Based on this insight, and current PGA Tour tends, the D Grind has been extended to the 54.12 and 56.12 SM8 models, providing players with versatile mid to high bounce sand wedge options.

100% Inspected Spin Milled Grooves: SM8’s patented Spin Milled grooves are meticulously engineered and cut to the edge to maximize spin and shot control. The Vokey R&D team continues to improve upon its industry-leading groove cutting tolerances, with each groove on every head individually cut and 100% inspected for conformity to the rules of golf. Micro-grooves are individually cut in between grooves, which maximize spin on partial shots. A proprietary heat treatment is applied to the impact area to double the durability of the groove without impacting feel – making it the most durable groove in golf.

VOKEY WEDGE SELECTOR

The Vokey Wedge Selector tool on Vokey.com helps golfers select the proper loft, bounce and grind options for their swing and course conditions. Vokey recommends that golfers visit their local Titleist fitter to confirm the results. Click here to learn more.

#1 WEDGE ON TOUR

SM8 wedges made their PGA Tour debut in late November at the RSM Classic. More than 100 SM8 wedges were immediately put into play by 37 players, including the eventual champion, Tyler Duncan (54.08 M, 58.04 L). Just two events later at the Sony Open, the first full-field event of 2020, a total of 167 SM8 models were in the bags of 60 players, supplanting Vokey’s prior generation SM7 models as the #1 wedge on the PGA Tour. The winner, Cameron Smith, had four Jet Black SM8’s (46.10 F, 52.08 F, 56.08 M, 60.10 S) in play. New SM8 wedges (54.10 S, 60.12 D) were also in the champion’s bag the following week at The American Express.

Additionally, Vokey SM8 wedges became the #1 wedge on the European Tour the first week they were available at last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Ian Poulter, Rafa Cabrera Bello and Bernd Wiesberger were among those with new SM8’s in play.

The rapid conversion was foreshadowed last February at the Genesis Open, when Vokey tested unmarked nearly-final SM8 prototypes with eight players on the range at Riviera, including Max Homa, J.T. Poston and Jimmy Walker. All eight players asked him when they could put them into play.

In late December, Adam Scott won the Australian PGA Championship with four new models in the bag (48.10 F, 52.12 F, 56.10 S, 60.06 K). Scott was also one of four players on the International Presidents Cup team to game SM8’s, in addition to Smith, Sung-Jae Im and Ben An.

In total, more than 200 players have already made the switch to SM8, as the tour seeding and validation process continues around the world.

NEW SM8 FINISHES

Golfers can choose from four different finishes available in SM8. The new Tour Chrome features a softer chrome finish than the prior generation. The darker Brushed Steel is more textured and dynamic than the polished SM7, while maintaining a non-glare finish in the playing position. The raw Jet Black is enhanced with black paint fill in the logos and graphics. Raw – the most popular option among tour players, in which no additional finish applied to the 8620 carbon steel – is available through custom order. All four finishes are available through Vokey.com.

ADVANCED PERSONALIZATION AND CUSTOM OPTIONS

SM8 wedges feature a more modern, clean look, which also provides a canvas for customization. Inpsired by Aaron Dill, Vokey’s trusted PGA Tour player rep (@VokeyWedgeRep), the WedgeWorks custom options are expanded to include:

• Six unique toe engravings;
• Expanded stamping options, including 10-character Straight/Freestyle stamping, 15 characters around the toe, and two lines of 10 characters each; and
• Custom paint-filled Loft, Bounce and Grind markings and BV Wings logo.

SM8 wedges can also be custom ordered with a wide range of specifications and personalization, including an industry-leading selection of shafts, grips, shaft bands, ferrules, stamping and paint fill. For a complete list of options, visit Vokey.com.

STOCK SHAFT & GRIP

• Stock shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold S200
• Stock grip: Tour Velvet 360 White

AVAILABILITY

The new Vokey Design SM8 wedges are available for pre-order in Canadian golf shops beginning Feb. 11. They arrive in shops March 6 starting at $219 CAD.

The new easy-launching, super distance Titleist T400 irons are designed to provide moderate swing speed golfers with the most forgiving Titleist experience possible.

Available for fittings February 27th (and in golf shops March 27), the new Titleist T400 irons utilize an advanced split sole design, super-thin face and wide body, hollow head construction fortified by extreme amounts of high-density tungsten to help golfers effortlessly launch it higher and hit it farther.

The addition of T400 to the strikingly new line of Titleist T-Series irons – joining the T100, T100•S, T200 and T300 models – ensures that every player is able to experience the engineering ingenuity and breakthrough performance that has made Titleist the longstanding #1 iron on the PGA Tour.

“T400 is the super distance Titleist iron. This club is engineered to get the ball in the air and launch it as far as possible, even when the strike isn’t perfect,” Josh Talge, Vice President of Marketing, Titleist Golf Clubs. “There are so many golfers, particularly players with moderate swing speeds, who can benefit from this technology. T400 gets the absolute most out of your swing while still providing the playability of a Titleist iron along with that look, sound and feel that dedicated players demand.”

T400 PERFORMANCE & TECHNOLOGY

Designed to help moderate swing speed players score lower, the new T400 irons maximize performance on every shot through the following key technologies:

• Wide body shape with advanced Split Sole design provides optimal turf interaction for a smooth and easy strike.
• Hollow head construction produces an extremely high MOI that maximizes forgiveness on off center shots.
• Extreme High-density tungsten weighting (up to 100g per head) creates a low CG, working in combination with a super-thin forged SUP-10 L-Face Insert (5-7 irons) to produce explosive launch off the turf.
• Progressive set design – with progressive blade lengths, sole widths and hosel lengths – delivers optimal CG positioning with preferred shaping through the set.
• Lightweight materials – with stock grip and shaft options – promote increased swing speeds for longer distance.

FREE TRIAL & FITTINGS

Beginning March 12, golfers can experience the performance of T400 irons by attending a Titleist Trial & Fitting Event (including Titleist Thursdays), or visiting a Titleist Fitting Partner at one of hundreds of locations nationwide. To find an event or fitting location, golfers can visit https://www.titleist.ca/fitting.

LIGHTWEIGHT STOCK SHAFT & GRIP

T400 offers a premium lightweight graphite shaft option to help moderate swing speed players maximize performance. The Mitsubishi Fubuki MV IR – MV stands for “Maxiumum Velocity” – produces higher ball speed through its ultra-lightweight iron-specific graphite design.

Mitsubishi Fubuki MV IR | Mid-High launch, mid spin | 50g

In addition, Titleist offers an industry-leading number of custom shaft choices, many at no upcharge.

T400’s 43-gram stock grip, the Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 Lite+, weighs in 9 grams lighter than the T-Series stock Tour Velvet 360 model.

T400 AVAILABILITY

New Titleist T-Series T400 irons will be available in Canadian golf shops beginning March 27, starting at $265 per club.

The introduction of the all-new Titleist T100•S irons meets the need for a fully-forged player’s iron that plays stronger to produce greater distance.

Modeled after the tour-refined design of the new Titleist T100 models – which have quickly become the most played irons this season on the PGA Tour – the new T100•S irons are individually calibrated with 2-degree stronger lofts to give better players the distance they need to score lower, while preserving the feel and precision required for superior shot shaping.

Available for fittings March 12 (and in golf shops March 27), T100•S is a direct result of player feedback and the engineering ingenuity that has made Titleist the longstanding #1 iron on the PGA Tour. Joining T100, T200 and T300 in the strikingly new T-Series iron family, the T100•S introduces a new fully-forged Player’s Distance iron model unlike anything else in the category.

“T100•S was developed as a Player’s Distance iron with an emphasis on the word Player’s. We’ve taken the most popular irons on the PGA Tour and carefully engineered them to maximize distance,” said Josh Talge, Vice President, Titleist Golf Club Marketing.

“As we were launching the new T-Series, we met a lot of golfers who were really excited about T100 but had become accustomed to playing stronger-lofted iron sets. It would have been really easy to just take T100’s and bend them stronger for those players. But by doing that you start to sacrifice the incredible feel and turf interaction – the reasons why players were gravitating toward them in the first place. So our engineers went back and redesigned each individual iron to give these players the stronger lofts and distance they’re looking for, while preserving the performance of that pure forged shape and sole.”

T100•S PERFORMANCE & TECHNOLOGY

T100•S irons are masterfully designed to deliver the same tour-level precision and signature forged feel as T100, in 2-degree stronger lofts for longer distance:

• Carefully calibrated T100 design with 2-degree stronger lofts enhances carry distance throughout the set.
• New fully-forged dual cavity construction provides precise distance and control
• Thinner, more responsive face increases ball speed across the face.
• Co-forged dual-density tungsten (with an average of 66 grams placed in the heel and toe of the mid and long irons) delivers exceptional stability.
• Tour-refined sole shape (same as T100) features a thin topline, minimal offset and enhanced camber for improved turf interaction.
• Progressive set design – with progressive blade lengths, sole widths and hosel lengths – delivers optimal CG positioning with preferred shaping through the set.
• Available irons: 3 (19º), 4 (22º), 5 (25º), 6 (28º), 7 (32º), 8 (36º), 9 (40º), P (44º), W48.

“While we’ve engineered T100•S for distance, this still a precision product,” said Marni Ines, Director, Titleist Irons Development, Golf Club R&D. “To be a great iron player you need to be in control of your distances and have the ability to work the ball when the shot calls for it. The design of T100•S simply allows players to hit their number from even farther away – with the tight dispersion and proper trajectory they need to hit it close.”

FREE TRIAL & FITTINGS

Beginning March 12, golfers can experience the performance of T100•S irons by attending a Titleist Trial & Fitting Event (including Titleist Thursdays), or visiting a Titleist Fitting Partner at one of hundreds of locations nationwide. To find a fitting event or location, golfers can visit https://www.titleist.ca/fitting.

T100•S STOCK SHAFT

T100•S’s stock shaft – the True Temper Projext X LZ (Mid launch, low spin | 120g) – enhances ball speed and launch for maximum distance with the proper trajectory to stop shots closer to the hole.

In addition, Titleist offers an industry-leading number of custom shaft choices, many at no upcharge.

 T100•S AVAILABILITY

New Titleist T-Series T100•S irons will be available in golf shops worldwide beginning March 27, with fittings beginning March 12.

After an intensive training camp with Golf Canada’s national amateur squad, coach Tristan Mullally is excited for the future of the women’s game in this country.

Mullally worked with Quebec City’s Sarah-Eve Rheaume, Noemie Pare of Victoriaville, Que., Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., and Mary Parsons of Delta, B.C. last week at The Legacy Golf Club in Phoenix. The camp focused on the ongoing development of all four players, preparing them to make the leap to the professional ranks.

“We’ve got a young, dynamic group that are a little bit light on experience but have some of the best attitudes that I’ve ever seen in terms of our national team,” said Mullally on Wednesday. “It’s very easy to improve their golf when their attitude is the way it is.

“I’m expecting over the next couple of years to start to see some of these players starting to be those next discussion points.”

Of course, right now the biggest discussion point in Canadian golf is Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. She became the winningest golfer in Canadian history last season and is ranked eighth in the world. Henderson and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp represent the Canadian contingent on the LPGA Tour this season.

It’s a reversal of fortunes from last year when five Canadians were LPGA regulars with Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay and Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee joining Henderson and Sharp.

The injury bug bit, however, with Tanguay having to take a one-year sabbatical to heal an ailing back and focus on personal projects. Lee’s season was derailed by ongoing issues with her wrist. She’ll have partial LPGA status this season as she plays under a medical exemption.

Longtime Symetra Tour player Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., retired in the off-season after finishing 30th on the second-tier tour’s money list, further depleting Canada’s presence in the pro ranks.

But Mullally is optimistic about the next wave of young Canadian golfers playing in the NCAA.

“All of these athletes are on the national team for a reason, they know how to work hard to be efficient with their time,” said Mullally, who collaborates with the players’ university coaches to design individual development plans. “They’ve all done that, they’ve all come back a little bit better than when they left the last national camp and we want to continue that.”

Thibault is coming off of a career season where she competed in the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur, won the Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship and the NCAA’s Mountain West Conference Championship. That led to her being named the female amateur of the year by the Golf Journalists Association of Canada.

She and Parsons were also part of Canada’s bronze-medal team at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, with Austin Connelly and Joey Savoie.

The largest core ever produced by Titleist golf ball engineers drives longer distance and better short game performance in the new Titleist Tour Soft, available beginning Jan. 23 in Canadian golf shops.

Titleist Tour Soft was first introduced two years ago, utilizing new material and process technologies to deliver the best performance in its category – offering a superior combination of soft compression feel, very fast speed for commanding distance and excellent short game spin and control.

For golfers who prefer a softer-feeling golf ball, the new 2020 Tour Soft improves upon its prior generation with real performance advancements to help them play better:

• Titleist’s largest golf ball core is now even larger, delivering faster ball speeds for category-leading distance off the tee.
• The larger core size required engineers to make Tour Soft’s high performance 4CE grafted cover system even thinner, producing increased short game spin around the green.
• Enhanced aerodynamics – a new spherically-tiled 342 cuboctahedron dimple design – provides a more penetrating ball flight.
• Doubling as an alignment aid, the new Tour Soft “T” sidestamp provides golfers the option for easy alignment on the tee or green.

“Golfers wanting to play a softer-feeling ball shouldn’t have to sacrifice yards off the tee or control into the green. We know they have real golf to play and their ball has to be much more than just soft,” said Michael Mahoney, Vice President, Titleist Golf Ball Marketing. “The new generation of Tour Soft continues to show what’s possible in a lower compression design. Our engineers have developed a longer, all-around better performing golf ball that maintains the soft and responsive feel that golfers love about this product.”

The new Tour Soft, offered in both white and high-optic yellow, is manufactured by Titleist associates at Titleist’s owned-and-operated Ball Plant 2 in North Dartmouth, Mass., ensuring the most consistent performance and quality in every dozen and every ball.

NEW ALIGNMENT STAMP

Tour Soft’s sidestamp has been redesigned and integrated into a new alignment aid feature for 2020. The alignment stamp – resembling a “T” shape – makes it easier for golfers to line up their Tour Soft on the green or tee, without having to mark lines on the ball.

“When we began offering alignment aid stamps through our My Titleist customizer (on Titleist.com) in February of 2018, they instantly became the most popular options among golfers choosing to add custom logos to their golf ball,” said Michael Fish, Titleist Golf Ball Product Manager. “Our research and testing with Tour Soft golfers showed an overwhelming preference for using an enhanced alignment stamp and they put this ‘T’ mark at the top of their list.”

TOUR SOFT PERFORMANCE & TECHNOLOGY

The new Titleist Tour Soft is engineered to provide golfers with better performance for their game, delivering responsive soft feel, commanding distance and excellent short-game performance through the following key technologies:

• Reformulated, Larger and Faster Core – the largest of any Titleist golf ball – delivers longer distance and responsive feel.
• Thinner 4CE Grafted Cover – developed using ultra-thin TCU process technology – generates more greenside spin for better control into and around the green.
• Spherically-Tiled 342 Cuboctahedron Dimple Design provides a more penetrating and consistent ball flight.

AVAILABILITY

The new Titleist Tour Soft available in Canadian golf shops beginning Jan. 23. MAP $44.99.

The World Handicap System is designed to offer golfers plenty of opportunities to submit scores for handicap purposes. The more acceptable scores a player submits, the more accurate their handicap index will be.

Click here for more information.

Alberta Golf (Calgary) – Over the winter we will be doing player profiles on our high performance athletes. This week’s profile is on Tommy McKenzie of Calgary.

Tommy grew up in Calgary playing hockey, basketball, did some boxing and of course played golf with his brother and dad from a young age.

“I first hit balls when I was 8 years old at the driving range with my dad and brother,” McKenzie said ” I kind of got into it because my brother was playing in the summer and I just wanted to hang out with my brother and my dad so that’s how I got into it.”

VIDEO: Tommy McKenzie in his own words.

The 16-year-old from Calgary says there’s nothing quite like competitive golf.

“It’s awesome being outside in a good environment,” McKenzie admitted. “It’s casual but it can be really competitive and I love competitive golf, you get the competitive juices going and I just love that.”

McKenzie was highly competitive in 2019 winning both the Future Links Canadian Western Championship at Wolf Creek Golf Resort and the Alberta Juvenile Championship at Highwood Golf in High River. He says 2019 was his best year yet.

Tommy Mckenzie 2019 Alberta Juvenile Champion

Annabelle Ackroyd & Tommy Mckenzie

Tommy McKenzie 2019 Future Links Canadian Western Boys Champion 

“Playing in the Western Championship at Wolf Creek is probably my favourite golf memory,” McKenzie said. “The first round I shot an 80 which I was really disappointed with but the second day I just went out to have fun and I pulled off a 66 and it was a boost of confidence, I’m happy I got to win that one.”

This winter McKenzie is working with his long time swing coach Jay Myren at the Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club indoor performance centre. He says he’s proud to be on the Alberta Golf High Performance Squad and also happy he can use his Alberta Golf Scholarship towards his coaching.

“It’s a pretty big honour,” Mckenzie beamed. ” I get to keep my coach Jay which is awesome and put that money towards jay helping me and also being sponsored with Titleist I get to play a club that I really love.”

Sporting a Montreal Expos cap, the Bishop Carroll High School 11th grader says it’s cool to go to the same school that Atlanta Braves star pitcher Mike Soroka went to and it’s making him think about where the future will take him.

“My strength is consistency. I do hit the ball off the map a couple of times but usually it’s just keeping it in play,” McKenzie admitted. “Hitting greens in regulation, two putting and making sure it’s all consistent, my goal this season is to play well and pick up where I left off last year and my goal is to get a Division One scholarship.”

Alberta Golf (Calgary) – Over the winter we will be doing player profiles on our high performance athletes. This week’s profile is on Kehler Koss of Calgary.

Kehler grew up in Calgary honing her skills from a young age at Earl Grey Golf Club and more recently at the Glencoe Golf & Country Club. A multi-sport athlete growing up excelling in Volleyball and Ringette, the Ernest Manning High School grad played her first competitive Alberta Golf event when she was 14-years-old.

“I think there’s such a camaraderie in Alberta Golf,” Koss admitted. “It was such a close knit community, a family, everybody plays together, gets better together, everybody pushes each other so Alberta Golf supporting young athletes is awesome.”

VIDEO: Kehler Koss in her own words.

At the age of 18, Koss won her first Alberta Golf title winning the 2017 Alberta Junior Championship at Coal Creek Golf Resort and built on that win last summer by winning the CLGA Calgary City Ladies Amateur Championship by 7-strokes at Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club.

Kehler Koss – 2019 Calgary City Ladies Amateur Champion

Now a junior at New Mexico State University the 21-year-old says she’s matured so much playing University golf.

“You grow up real fast that’s for sure,” Koss said. “Going down there I was not expecting it to be as challenging but it’s really made me grow as a person and it’s awesome that I can travel and see these amazing courses and meet amazing people.”

Koss has worked with Alberta coach Luke Workman for 6 years and says it’s cool that Luke and her coach at New Mexico State work together to improve her game.

“Calgary is home and always will be home and everybody who’s helped me get to where I am is here so it’s awesome to come back and visit.” Koss said. “It’s an interesting dynamic including your college coach with your personal coach, I’ll send Luke videos every now and then to make sure things are looking good. He’s been very involved in helping me succeed.”

Koss plans to enjoy her final year and a half at New Mexico State and then give professional golf a shot but long term giving back to the game she loves is on her mind as well.

“I’d really love to be a Grad Assistant one day and get my Masters Degree,” said Koss who’s majoring in Business Management with a minor in Finance. “I’d love to help young female athletes who are coming up through the system.”

Alberta Golf (Calgary) – Alberta Golf is excited to announce that John Deneer has joined our team on a full-time basis as Competitions and Event Manager. Deneer brings 15-years of PGA experience in the golf industry in Alberta.

During a 14-year career at Bearspaw Country Club in Calgary, the Manitoba native did everything from manage golf services, assist in all golf shop operations to eventually becoming the Head Teaching Professional. No stranger to Alberta Golf, during that time Deneer also spent 7-years in an Alberta Golf coaching role focused on elite juniors and says he’s excited to run competitions for all levels of golfers across the province.

John Deneer – Alberta Golf Competitions and Event Manager

“I’m excited to work with local clubs and professionals across the province to deliver first class competitions,” Deneer said. “I’ve enjoyed working with top level juniors for the past half decade and now I’m looking forward to seeing golfers of all ages and abilities compete at our events in Alberta.”

Deneer will lead all aspects of Alberta Golf off-season competition planning and manage in-season events throughout Alberta. Welcome to the team John !

To contact John Deneer:  John@albertagolf.org

Welcome to Golf Handicaps for Dummies: Why having a handicap is not a handicap.

No, I’m not calling you a dummy, but if you’re a golfer of any ability who doesn’t maintain an accurate and consistent handicap, you’re not taking advantage of one of the fundamentals that makes golf the most democratic of sports. And that’s just dumb.

With all due respect, you can’t go one-on-one with a pro basketball player or hope to score on an NHL goalie. They’re not going to let you shoot at a basket that’s lower than regulation or a net that’s 10 feet wide and six feet high.

But golf’s handicap system allows you to compete on an equitable basis with players who are more or less accomplished than you are. Maintaining a handicap also allows you to monitor your progress every time you play. It’s an integral part of your golf experience.

And, starting Jan. 8, the new World Handicap System makes that scenario even more attractive. More user-friendly, in other words.

“The new system gives golfers an increased opportunity to have fun and compete equitably across all skill levels and ages,” says Shaun Hall, Golf Canada’s senior manager of handicap & course rating.

“You don’t have to be a competitive golfer. If you simply enjoy playing, having a handicap makes the game more enjoyable and allows you to track whether you’re improving.”

I reached out on Twitter with the question, “Do you maintain a handicap and why?”  and received some testimonials.

Ontario golfer Donal Byrne says, “I’m a huge fan of keeping a handicap. I was thrilled to have closed the season inside of 20 [Handicap Index] for the first time. We should celebrate everyone who plays, no matter how they play. I just won’t play anyone who doesn’t have a handicap for money!”

And from Charlottetown, Jeff Craig, whose Twitter profile says he’s “dedicated in my quest to break par,” says, “It bugs the Hell out of me when someone [without a handicap] says, ‘Well, I usually shoot in the mid-80s and wants to play for something.’”

On a personal note, my wife loves the game and posts every score. Her pride in seeing her handicap decrease is evident. Because she is diligent about maintaining her handicap and improving her skills, she was able to win the ladies’ net championship at her club. As a side note, she plays annually in a member-guest at another club where you must have an official Golf Canada Handicap Index to participate.

When she first took up golf, she had waffled about establishing a handicap because, in her words, “I don’t think I’m good enough to have a handicap.”

And that’s the most common excuse recreational golfers give for not caring about a handicap. “I’m not good enough.” Hall disputes that, especially given the fact that under the new system the maximum Handicap Index (which replaces the previous “Handicap Factor” in Canada) has been raised to 54.0 for both men and women. Previously, it was 36.4 for men and 40.4 for women.

Another significant change is to Equitable Stroke Control (ESC). Starting in 2020, net double bogey on any hole is the maximum allowed, whether it’s a par 3, par 4 or par 5. So, for handicap purposes, you can count a maximum of two strokes over par plus any strokes you are entitled to, based on the stroke allowance for that hole.

Obviously, from its name, the World Handicap System is now accepted globally, meaning the same parameters are in place no matter where you play, a boon for Canadians who travel and golf outside the country. As before, all scores can be conveniently posted on the Golf Canada Score Centre, club kiosk or Golf Canada app from your phone or tablet.

3 more significant innovations

1. Only three 18-hole scores (or the equivalent combination of nine-hole scores) are needed to establish a Handicap Index. Previously, the minimum was five. What golfer doesn’t play more than 54 holes in a season?
2. Only eight of your lowest 20 most recent scores will be used to calculate your Handicap Index, rather than the previous 10.
3. And a Playing Conditions Calculation will analyze how you played that day compared to your expected performance on that particular course, taking into account weather and course setup.

Don’t ask me how that last one works, because I’m a tech dummy.

If you want to delve deeper into the mechanics and details of the new World Handicap System, click here.

But even if you don’t, don’t be a dummy. Take advantage of the new World Handicap System in 2020.