Handicapping
Handicap FAQ's
- How do I establish an Official Handicap Index? See: Establish a Handicap
- How do I start a Handicap Group at My Golf Club?
- Do I have to obtain a USGA Handicap Index through a golf club?
- Can I post scores via the Internet?
- How do I know if my club has agreed to accept Internet scores?
- Can I view my score history and USGA Handicap Index via the Internet?
- What does the letter(s) after each score mean?
- What does the letter mean next to my Handicap Index?
- What does an "R" mean next to my USGA Handicap Index?
- How do I change my address on my handicap sticker?
- How do I correct an erroneous score that has been posted to my handicap?
- What is a multi-member?
- How many scores do I need to establish a USGA Handicap Index?
How do I start a Handicap Group?
Two options:
Do I have to obtain a USGA Handicap Index through a golf club?
Yes. In order to obtain a USGA Handicap Index, a golfer must join through a golf club that is licensed by the USGA to utilize the USGA Handicap System.
Golf clubs must have at least ten individual members that have a reasonable
and regular opportunity to play golf together, follow the Rules of
Golf and the USGA Handicap System, and operate under bylaws
with committees to supervise golf activities, so that scores
posted are subject to peer review and the integrity of the USGA
Handicap System is maintained. Click Here to view a list of golf clubs licensed by the USGA to use the USGA Handicap System.
See: Establish a Handicap
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Can I post scores via the Internet?
The USGA Handicap System gives clubs
the option to allow their members to post scores via the Internet.
If a golfer is a member of a club that accepts Internet scores,
scores can be posted directly to the
Internet by clicking on the Post On-Line icon or visiting www.GHIN.com. The scores will immediately become part of the golfer's
scoring record and be included in the golfer's USGA Handicap Index
by the next revision. The scores will appear on the club's handicap computer
the next time the club connects to the GHIN network.
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How do I know if my club has agreed
to accept Internet scores?
If you are unsure whether or not your club allows Internet score
posting, please contact your club or enter your GHIN # and
last name at the Internet score posting screen. If your club has accepted the Internet
score posting option, the next screen will prompt you for your score.
On the other hand, if your club has not adopted Internet score posting,
you will receive a message telling you so.
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Can I view my score history and USGA Handicap
Index via the Internet?
Yes. Visit www.GHIN.com
to view the following information about your active GHIN account: the 20 scores that were used
to compute your USGA Handicap Index, your USGA Handicap Index, and your
20 most recent scores. Only the scores posted via the Internet and
scores that have been transmitted (sent) from clubs to the GHIN
server will be listed.
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What do the different letter(s) mean
next to my scores?
The letter(s) immediately following each adjusted gross score
indicate(s) specific aspects of a score within a player's scoring
record. The following is a list of possible score types:
Away Internet Away Internet Penalty Combined Nines Tournament Tournament Internet Combined Internet Scores
(at least one nine posted via Internet)
What does the letter mean next to my Handicap Index?
Nine Hole USGA Handicap Index exceeds 18.2 for men and 20.2 for women USGA Handicap Index exceeds 36.4 for men and 40.4 for women Modified Index (by the golfer's Handicap Committee Nine Hole USGA Handicap Index Reduction - for more information, click here.
What does an "R" mean next to my Handicap Index?
The "R" signifies that a "reduction" has been placed on your Handicap
Index. The USGA has a section in its Handicap System that automatically
reduces the Handicap Indexes of players who consistently score better
in competitions than in informal play. To be used, the procedure
requires that a player have two or more eligible tournament scores
and a minimum of two tournament score differentials which are at
least three strokes better than the player's current USGA Handicap
Index.
What most players don't realize is that an eligible tournament
score under Section
10-3 of the USGA Handicap System Manual is a tournament score
made within the current year or a tournament score contained within
the player's last
twenty scores.
All tournament scores posted will stay on a scoring record
for a year from the date that they were shot. A tournament score
may stay on a record longer if in a year it is still a part of the
most recent twenty scores. The Handicap
Committee at the golfer's club, not the Minnesota Golf
Association, may decide to override a reduction in certain cases.
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How Do I Change my Address On My Handicap Sticker?
If you know that you will be moving or if your correct address
does not appear on your handicap sticker, please contact your club
where your handicap membership is held. They will be able to change
your address. Once they transmit that information, your record
will automatically be updated on GHIN. You can also change your address
by contacting the MGA at (952) 927-4643 ext 901 or email us at info@mngolf.org.
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How do I correct an erroneous score that has been posted to my handicap?
To correct or delete incorrect scores in your record, contact
the handicap chairperson at your club. He/she can make the corrections
(this also applies to scores posted via the Internet). After your
club has made the correction, it must transmit (send) it to the
GHIN server. Once this has been done, your handicap score history
will be corrected. The scoring record which appears
online at www.ghin.com will not be updated until
the
next Handicap Revision. However, if you click on "View 20 Most
Recent Scores"
on www.ghin.com, the change will
be reflected immediately.
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What is a multi-member?
A multi-member of the MGA is a member who belongs to more than one
MGA golf club. A player should be issued only one GHIN number no
matter how many MGA member clubs the player joins, unless the player
has a 9 hole handicap at one course and a 18 hole handicap at another
course. In that case, the player will need two different GHIN numbers.
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How many scores do I need to establish
a USGA Handicap Index?
You will need five 18 hole scores or ten combined 9 hole scores
to establish an 18 hole USGA Handicap Index or five 9 hole scores to establish
a USGA Handicap Index (N) (a 9 hole Handicap Index).
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