Jump to content
IGNORED

Do You Have An Official USGA Handicap?


ragontona
Note: This thread is 6481 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

0  

  1. 1. Do You Carry An Official USGA Handicap?

    • Yes, I've got a card and everything!
      25
    • No, I'm not serious enough to get one, and it's too complicated.
      0
    • I use an online handicap tracker (unofficial index).
      8
    • I just kinda guess what it is.
      6


Recommended Posts

Just curious about this, and I'm not sure if it's been covered before. A lot of people I know actually don't carry a USGA handicap index, and usually figure out their average scores in relation to par and give that number (added: which is wrong, as we should know). Or they use an unofficial handicap tracker found on-line...

How about ya'll?

"I played like shit." -Greg Norman after the '96 Masters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


I'm working on mine now as we speak but you can't just go by the "par for the course" on the scorecard. You have to figure in the "Slope" and the "course rating". Both apply to your real handicap!

Golf is not a game, it's a way of life!

Driver...Cubic Balance offset
Fairway wood......Flying Saucer
3-Wood....Cleveland LauncherIrons.......Callaway Great Big Bertha w/graphite shaftswedges....Cleveland sand wedge, Callaway Lob wedge putter....Claveland VAS.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


I never had one before this year but finally joined the Golf Galaxy Golf Club which uses NGN . Nice when people ask you "what is your handicap" you can actually give them an answer instead of some BS of "well, I'm about a . . . "

Alan Olson

Follow The Sand Trap on Twitter!
Check out our Facebook page!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

  • Moderator
I'm using the Golf Galaxy club as well. It's nice for those of us who don't play the same course all the time. Golfsmith also has one now.

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.
Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.
--Groucho Marx

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

i dont have one but i want one...i just dont know where/how to get one...since i cant get one through my muni and we dont have any golf galaxy or golfsmith around here

In My Bag:
9.5 degree Mizuno MX-500
15 degree Titliest 904F
Mizuno MP-32 3-PW
Cleveland CG10 Black Pearl 52 degree
Vokey Spin-Milled 56.14
Ping i5 Anser

Link to comment
Share on other sites


...since i cant get one through my muni and we dont have any golf galaxy or golfsmith around here

If your muni has a men's club you should be able to get one. Is there one of those computers at your club where people are punching in their scores? if so you should be able to get an index, but probably have to join the men's club.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


If your muni has a men's club you should be able to get one. Is there one of those computers at your club where people are punching in their scores? if so you should be able to get an index, but probably have to join the men's club.

nope, theres not...not a computer(except the one i use to do tee times and the such) or mens club. most people that play there are members at another course, but play there cuz its in town and reallly cheap. is there any way i can get an official handicap over the internet or through the mail? cuz i would really like to play in some state junior tourneys but they require an official handicap

In My Bag:
9.5 degree Mizuno MX-500
15 degree Titliest 904F
Mizuno MP-32 3-PW
Cleveland CG10 Black Pearl 52 degree
Vokey Spin-Milled 56.14
Ping i5 Anser

Link to comment
Share on other sites


I joined the Golf Association of Michigan and they allow online posting from any rated courses on their list. Which, I have yet to find one not on list. I had to select a home course/club. I signed up at a large off course golf store similar to a Golfsmith or Golf Galaxy. I can go to the website and post my scores. I have a card and get my twice monthly update stickers. The membership was $20 and well worth it.
Driver: 9.5° 905R Stiff Aldila NV 65
3 Wood: 15.° Pro Trajectory 906F4 Stiff Aldila VS Proto Blue
Hybrid: 19.0° 503 H Stiff Dynamic Gold S400
Hybrid: 21.0° Edge C.F.T. Ti Stiff Aldila NVS
Irons: 775cb 4-GW w/S300 Sand Wedge: Vokey 58° Puttter: Laguna Mid-Slant Pro PlatinumBall: ProV1Bag: Li...
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Another nice place online to get a USGA handicap index is at nethandicap.com. Signing up for the site automatically joins you to a virtual club of players in your area. However, in order to retain your handicap the following year, you have to play at least three rounds with another member of the club. Not too hard to do.... what I did was got three of my friends to sign up, and I meet the requirement easily.

"I played like shit." -Greg Norman after the '96 Masters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


but you still have to pay right?

For nethandicap, yeah, but it's pretty nominal. Can't remember exactly, maybe 20 or 30 bucks.

"I played like shit." -Greg Norman after the '96 Masters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


I also use nethandicap... its a cool service but you don't get a GHIN number so signing up for Mass. golf tournaments was difficult for me..

Daniel Duarte
905R UST Proforce V2 76g 44" S
904F 15, Graphite Design YS6+
MD Hybrid, 19 Degree, UST V2 Hybrid S
Pro M Gunmetal 5-PW, Nippon 1150GH Pro SVokey Oil Can 52 - RAWVokey Spin Milled Oil Can 56, 60 - RAWTEI3 Newport II - Torch Copper- Prov1x

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Being an Aussie I have an AGU handicap, not a USGA one. This links gives a pretty good overview of our handicapping system > http://www.golfvic.org.au/dir127/vga...t_HCap_Changes

From what I can gather, our current handicapping system here in Australia tends to give us a few more strokes to play with than do your USGA ones, for example an AGU handicap of 10 is about equivalent to an USGA handicap of 8 or so the common theory goes.

We've had something called Golflink up and running for about the last 3 or 4 years http://www.golflink.com.au/ and it's been a great system. Most clubs are hooked up to the system, after every competition round your scores are entered in to the golflink system and within a few hours of the competition being over everyones handicap has been updated. Members of participating clubs (and it's just about all of them) have a card you swipe when playing in Open Day comps at other courses, it's a good system that keeps everyone pretty honest. You can also log in to Golflink at any time via the internet and check your handicap as well as view a list of all the scores you have had entered.
Link to comment
Share on other sites


I carry my card with me.. I just put the updated stats on

Titleist 983K 8.5* Prolite V2 stiff
Callaway Hawk VFT 3 Stiff
Taylor Made 16 & 21* Raylors
TM oversised irons 3-sw Rifle stl shafts
Titleist Vokey spin milled 60*Titleist Vokey 52* Tour

Link to comment
Share on other sites


i dont have one but i want one...i just dont know where/how to get one...since i cant get one through my muni and we dont have any golf galaxy or golfsmith around here

The Golf Galaxy I picked is 45 minutes from my house so you should be able to pick any of the three in Virginia (Newport News, Richmond, Virginia Beach) and then just sign up to be part of their club ($30). Its all done online so you don't have to live close to a GG. I was able to pick a course that is close (20 minutes) from my house but I haven't played it yet this year. I've only played one course that wasn't on NGN. NGN also has different clubs you can join up as well. PM me if you want more details . . .

Alan Olson

Follow The Sand Trap on Twitter!
Check out our Facebook page!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Another way is to form your own golf club. It takes a minimum of ten golfers, and you must play at least three rounds with some of the group, as well as one "sanctioned club" tournament... to be held by your club. The set-up fee is $100, and you can get the information at USGA.org. I may not have captured the language of the USGA rules, but I am in the ballpark.

It seems fairly simple to arrange a club with your golfing friends who do not belong to a private club. I used the Golf Galaxy system last year and it is very easy and affordable.

Driver: Srixon Z-RW
Wood: Exotics XCG-4
Irons: Mizuno MX-20
Wedges: Ping, Pelz sand,  Mizuno Faldo 60*
Putter: Odyssey Tri-Hot Rossie

Ball: TaylorMade Tour Preferred

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Note: This thread is 6481 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • TST Partners

    TourStriker PlaneMate
    Golfer's Journal
    ShotScope
    The Stack System
    FlightScope Mevo
    Direct: Mevo, Mevo+, and Pro Package.

    Coupon Codes (save 10-15%): "IACAS" for Mevo/Stack, "IACASPLUS" for Mevo+/Pro Package, and "THESANDTRAP" for ShotScope.
  • Popular Now

  • Posts

    • Agree. The next omission needs to be that ridiculous team concept. Nobody cares about a team when they really don’t represent anything except being a group of diminished morality and/or washed up pro golfers. Or wait, we’ve also got total nobodies who’ve accomplished nothing who now get a participation trophy! Doesn’t that sound invigorating!
    • LIV moving to 72 holes is a subtle admission that 54 holes was nothing but a joke all along. 
    • I was going to start a thread, but this seems like the place.  Yesterday I played my matchplay match at my local club.  My opponent is a notorious sandbagger by reputation.  The pro once pulled his tournament rounds from the past several years and said that it is impossible his tournament rounds are legit based on his handicap. here is what happened last night.  I am getting 4 shots from him.  His current handicap index is 15.3 i shot 45 on the front.   Was down 4 after nine, he had three birdies and shot even par. I was closed out on thirteen, we halved with a bogey.  That bogey put him one over par for his round.   He then took a triple on 14 and then left. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he lied about his score.   I wrote down on my scorecard what the score was.  He put higher values that didn’t affect the outcome of the match to pad his score and apparently make it not look as obvious.   He shot 36 on the front, but claimed 40.  The higher values for his score were in the online scoring app our club uses.  He did it this way: I won #7. He had a 2 foot putt for par that if he made would still lose the hole.   He picked up and said it didn’t matter since I won.  He took a 5 instead of a 4 after picking up a gimme. on #8 his approach shot on this par 4 was 8 inches.  I verbally conceded the putt but I had hit into a hazard.  I finished the hole with a 6.  Instead of birdie he put in for par. on #9, another par 4, his approach was to 18 inches.  I missed my par putt and then knowing how close I verbally conceded the putt.  I missed my bogey putt, he never conceded mine.  Instead of birdie he put down a bogey. He padded his score by 4 shots on the front.  And then did again on 10.  I rinsed one and made 6 on a par 4.  I putted out and he was fishing balls out of the lake so I drove off to the next tee.  He had 15 feet laying two but claimed a 5.     love to know the odds of a 15 handicap being even thru 12 holes on a round of golf. 
    • They've been chuckling since they hooked the shark. I think Greg doesn't realize the jokes on him.
    • to confirm, I'll need a hotel for Friday and Saturday, planning to share with you
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.

The popup will be closed in 10 seconds...