The new World Handicap System has been hammered by its critics as high handicappers appear to dominate the prize winners, and low handicap players feel they have no chance of mounting the winner's podium ever again.

Emotions are running high, and it remains to be seen if there's a cultural problem with handicap-building in this country or whether the kinks in the current WHS will be ironed out over time.

What is clear is that the advent of handicaps as high as 54 has been a useful tool for introducing new players to the game and encouraging them to strive to reach the next competitive level.

There is no better example of this than the Carton Cup, the brainchild of Carton House's current Lady Captain, Róisin Lyons, who felt there should be an Inter-Club event for women with handicaps of 37 and above.

This Saturday, the second edition of the Carton Cup will come to a climax on the O'Meara Course at Carton House where two five-strong teams of high-handicap ladies from the host club and Newlands will do battle in the final.

The entry for the event doubled from eight teams in 2020 to 16 teams this year as clubs play five singles matches in each round over nine holes.

Organisers expect 32 clubs to enter next year and there are plans in place to make it a national competition in 2023.

"It's a ladies competition for those with a handicap in excess of 37," explained Róisin. "It was started to encourage clubs running the Get Into Golf programme to get their new members ready to play on an Inter-Club team.

"These ladies are embarking on their first Inter-Club experience now when in the past, they had to wait to try and make a Challenge Cup or a Minor Cup team.

With the handicap limit of 26 in the Challenge Cup and 21 in the Minor Cup, higher handicappers who had just been introduced to the game knew they were unlikely to make a club team for several years, if ever.

But the Carton Cup is different in that it gives ladies playing off 37 or far higher the chance to make friends, represent their club, improve their golf and discover the thrill of Inter-Club competition.

"When I started playing golf 11 years ago, it was hard to make an Inter-Club team so starting this event felt the right thing to do," Róisin explained. "No longer was the maximum handicap 36; it was 42 at the time, and then it moved up to 54. Suddenly there was a gap where there and an opportunity to create something for the higher handicaps.

The 2021 Newlands team that qualified for the Carton Cup final this Saturday

"It's been hugely popular. My Lady Captain's Prize winner and President's Prize winner were both members of our Carton Cup squad, and another member of our team won the Captain's Prize to the ladies.

"Its intention is to encourage good golf and to take these ladies to the next level, which is the Challenge Cup and the Minor Cup."

Carton House defeated Killeen Golf Club in the final of the 2020 edition, which was not played until this summer due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Now Carton House, who beat Killeen in the semi-finals, are hoping to defend their title against Newlands, who saw off Lucan Golf Club to make the decider.

Sinead Keane, who is heavily involved in the running of the event, is hugely enthusiastic about its future.

"Every player that played in the 2020 event had never played a match in their lives," she told Golf Ireland. "The excitement at every venue was like one of an All-Ireland Final.

"Some teams were so disappointed getting eliminated early that they set up matches with other teams that got knocked out to give the players more opportunities to play.

"We recommended that every player in the competition would have a caddie. This would be someone who knows the rules, helps with counting and keeps it fun. We kept the caddies after Covid, but they were not allowed to touch the players' clubs or bags and acted as guides."

Roisin added: "We had a pilot in 2020 and our intention is to bring it to the three regions of Leinster in 2022. Golf Ireland absolutely love it. It's meeting a need that hasn't been met before. They all love it and there's been zero negativity about it."

To give as many players as possible a chance to pull on the club jersey, many players who played in the 2020 competition have not featured in 2021, with clubs totally refreshing their teams.

"It's all about getting experience for these women," Sinead said. "Once they are over 37.0, we are happy for them to play and represent their clubs."

Carton House Golf Club is also going from strength to strength, fielding a team in the AIG Women's Senior Cup for the first time this year, only losing to eventual All Ireland champions Elm Park in the Leinster semi-finals.

"We are quite a young club, but we are serving those at the lower end of the handicap spectrum as well as those at the high-end," Róisin explained.

"The aim of the Carton Cup is to encourage new golfers to get better and more comfortable so they can stand on the tee box with an audience and represent their club."

With the 2021 final taking place only months after the delayed 2020 final, Keane hopes the competition will find a permanent place in the calendar next year, possibly in summer.

"We need to tie down when the best date is," she said. "After the first competition, we asked all clubs what went well and what didn't. We will do the same after this weekend's final with the 16 teams.

"I do think October is a little late to conclude the competition, though. We would hope to run the event starting in March with the FinalFinal in the summer, but that still needs to be finalised."

2020 participants

Black Bush, Carton House, Castleknock, Killeen, Lucan, Luttrellstown, Naas, Stackstown.

2021 participants

Beech Park, Black Bush, Carton House, Castleknock, Castlewarden, Headfort, Killeen, Lucan, Luttrellstown, Millicent, Naas, Newlands, Rathfarnham, Royal Curragh, Stackstown, Westmanstown.

Carton Cup Final 2021

2.10 pm Jackie S. Lee (Newlands) v Alice MacCanna (Carton House)
2.20 pm Rita Concannon (Newlands) v Triona Murphy (Carton House)
2.30 pm Niamh Duggan (Newlands) v Maura Bergin (Carton House)
2.40 pm Mary McDonagh (Newlands) v Marie Cunningham (Carton House)
2.50 pm Siobhan Nolan (Newlands) v Paula Keogh (Carton House)

Subs — Eunice Mohan (Carton House), Helen Bagnall (Carton House), Tracy Power (Newlands), Eileen Keating (Newlands)

Managers — Louise Allen (Carton House), Mary Pat Prendergast (Newlands); Assistant Manager, Sheila Church (Newlands)