In addition to revising the Rules of Golf for the upcoming year to stress simplicity, the USGA also released changes to their handicap system on Monday that will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2016.
The changes, which will affect approximately 10 million golfers, focus on several different aspects of the game, including the new anchoring ban and playing alone.
“The USGA handicap system is constantly evolving to ensure that the system works for the game today and tomorrow,” said Steven Edmondson, the USGA’s managing director of handicapping & course rating, in a release. “As we examine the game domestically and globally, these revisions support the integrity and reliability that millions of players around the world expect of this system.