Golf is open to all
World Handicap System
Course Rating in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar
28 Nov 24
2 mins
As part of The R&A’s continued commitment to World Handicap SystemTM (WHSTM) education, Gemma Hunter and Josh Telfer from The R&A Handicapping Team recently visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar to work with the respective golf federations to deliver some Course Rating training and to rate some courses that had undergone recent changes.
In preparation for the in-person education sessions, attendees completed online education sessions via The R&A’s online education platform, the WHS Learning Hub.
Once on site, we delivered a refresher session in a classroom environment before getting out on the course to put the learning into practice.
In Dubai, a group of ten delegates rated five 18 hole courses, each time, taking on more responsibility for the ratings while being guided and overseen by more experienced raters. The progress of the delegates over the course of the week was noticeable.
In Doha, a group of eight delegates consisting of staff from local clubs, who will help the Federation moving forward attended the sessions. They rated three 18-hole courses, one 9-hole course, and two par-3 courses. One of the courses was completely sand-based, which was a new experience for everyone.
A successful visit to both the UAE and Qatar ensures that at least 15 raters across the two countries will now be able to help support the wider golf network in the region.
