What are soft and hard caps on a Handicap Index, and is there a limit on how much it can increase?

The World Handicap System uses soft and hard caps to limit the upward movement of a Handicap Index. A soft cap slows the rate of increase by 50% when a player's Index is more than 3.0 strokes above their Low Handicap Index from the past 365 days, while a hard cap stops further increase beyond 5.0 strokes. These caps help manage significant increases, often due to injury or illness, and can be reviewed by the golfer's club Handicap Committee for adjustments. Check out the USGA's website for more information on soft and hard caps.