Poland is reshaping its handicap oversight. On 2 November 2026, the Polish Golf Union (Polski Związek Golfa, PZG) opened applications for three seats on a distinct Handicap Committee for the 2026–2030 term. The move is part of a reorganisation of the former combined course-rating and handicap commission. Applications close on 16 November, according to the union's official announcement.
Twelve club representatives and three open seats
The new committee will have up to 15 members. Twelve positions are reserved for representatives of the handicap committees at the 12 largest PZG-affiliated golf clubs, ranked by their number of members holding an active PZG licence on the date the committee is appointed. The remaining three positions will be filled via the open call. This is neither a vote by all Polish golfers nor an announcement of the final membership: the PZG board will decide on the ultimate composition and chair.
Committee work will be voluntary and unpaid. Applicants should understand golf and the World Handicap System (WHS). The union particularly welcomes expertise in statistics and data analysis, law and sports regulations, appeal procedures, and independent decision-making.
What the committee will be responsible for
Its mandate includes overseeing clubs' implementation of the WHS, monitoring handicap data and reviewing players' indexes, considering appeals against club handicap committee decisions, preparing guidance, and working with PZG's office on the digital tools that support handicap administration. These are changes to governance and oversight, not the announcement of a new Handicap Index calculation formula.
The R&A's Rules of Handicapping outline separate responsibilities for players, club Handicap Committees and authorised national associations. That division matters whenever golfers compare results across courses or seek a fair review of an index. Handicap Index describes demonstrated playing ability, while Course Rating and Slope Rating describe a course's relative playing difficulty and feed into the course-handicap framework; the two should not be confused.
Deadline and what happens next
Applications must include contact details, a short account of education and professional experience, previous involvement in golf, and reasons for wanting to serve. Candidates should email biuro@polski.golf by 16 November 2026, using “Nabór – Komisja Handicapowa PZG” as the subject line. The PZG board will subsequently appoint the committee members and its chair. As of 3 November, this is an open recruitment process—not a completed appointment.
The significance lies in giving Polish golf a dedicated national forum for handicap review, club guidance and dispute handling within the existing WHS framework.
