USGA GHIN API

[Zippo]

Any of you folk out there programmers? I've been attempting to access the USGA GHIN API via VBA and JSON but, so far have not been completely successful. I've done the usual search thing on the interwebs but I thought I'd check and see if any of you had attempted this as well.

Dagnabbit! Sorry about the case use on the subject line - again.

[iacas]

Why would they allow you to do this? And what is it that you're trying to do?

[Zippo]

13 minutes ago, iacas said:

Why would they allow you to do this? And what is it that you're trying to do?

You would have to ask them why they allow it since they're the ones who created the API. 

I'm doing some "work" for a local golf group (around 80 members). Basically, we need to retrieve hdcps from the API to calculate net scores.

[iacas]

40 minutes ago, Zippo said:

You would have to ask them why they allow it since they're the ones who created the API. 

I'm doing some "work" for a local golf group (around 80 members). Basically, we need to retrieve hdcps from the API to calculate net scores.

You're missing my point: why would they allow you to do it? They can create an API for authorized access. They could restrict access any number of ways.

The existence of an API only means that some systems can access it. Not any system.

So, Dozey, I think they've made some changes recently that restricts access to some APIs to authorized programs. you may not be able to do some of the things you may have been able to do four years ago.

[Zippo]

32 minutes ago, iacas said:

You're missing my point: why would they allow you to do it? They can create an API for authorized access. They could restrict access any number of ways.

The existence of an API only means that some systems can access it. Not any system.

So, Dozey, I think they've made some changes recently that restricts access to some APIs to authorized programs. you may not be able to do some of the things you may have been able to do four years ago.

I get your point. But, all I'm looking to do is pass a ghin number and get back a handicap. Why would they not want me to do that? I can do that by logging into their website and visiting the "Following" page - whether I'm following a golfer or not. The API has a functon to return a handicap index given a ghin number so there's nothing nefarious about the request.

But, you are correct. This is not 4 years ago.

 

[iacas]

Because while you’re doing it on a small scale it could be done on a larger one? One that takes resources and would slow the site for others, cost money, etc.?

Maybe it’s possible. I don’t know. Probably not a lot of people hacking at the GHIN API here. 🙃

[Club Rat]

@Zippo A better way would be to simply ask the Admin of the club who hosts your Ghin to send you the daily roster updates via email.
Another method would be to copy and paste the players hdc info needed to a spreadsheet. (an option if you only need an update a few times a week or maybe once)
And as an option, I believe USGA allows groups to form their own group. It still requires the annual fee per player. 
 

[iacas]

22 minutes ago, Club Rat said:

@Zippo A better way would be to simply ask the Admin of the club who hosts your Ghin to send you the daily roster updates via email.

That assumes that he's looking for the GHIN info for members of one club.

22 minutes ago, Club Rat said:

Another method would be to copy and paste the players hdc info needed to a spreadsheet. (an option if you only need an update a few times a week or maybe once)

That's not a viable option to a programmer. "Viable" isn't the right word there because it would "work" but it's not really something a programmer would do for something like what he may be looking to do.

[Club Rat]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

That's not a viable option to a programmer. "Viable" isn't the right word there because it would "work" but it's not really something a programmer would do for something like what he may be looking to do.

True, but his objective is to simply obtain the groups (80 players is a small group) daily hdcp updates.

And / IF the group maintains their hdcp all from the club / association, then having the admin send him a daily report is a simple solution. Our groups did have players from various courses and often we had guests play.
For them it required a manual lookup. I used the copy and paste method from my friends list for those players who were members at different cubs, no biggie. 

Also, not knowing the timeframe requirements needed, daily, once a week, twice a week, he could request reports for only days required. 

And as you mentioned, the USGA will not likely grant him access to the data unless he forms his own group and pays the annual fee per player maintained. 

[iacas]

9 hours ago, Club Rat said:

IF the group maintains their hdcp all from the club

Well that's a big leap.

And it still requires a lot more work than pulling the selected data from an array of GHIN #s and pre-filling stuff out programmatically.

[Zippo]

2 hours ago, iacas said:

Well that's a big leap.

And it still requires a lot more work than pulling the selected data from an array of GHIN #s and pre-filling stuff out programmatically.

Exactly. But, if it ain't doable then it ain't doable. I think I'm close, though. It's now returning an "invalid email/password" error where previously it was returning a no content error. That tells me that I'm probably not formating that data correctly when I send it to the API.

I did send a request for info to the USGA GHIN folk, but I'll be very surprised if I get a response. I'm sure they're shorthanded and busy like everyone else.

[Zippo]

On 2/28/2022 at 7:21 PM, Zippo said:

Exactly. But, if it ain't doable then it ain't doable. I think I'm close, though. It's now returning an "invalid email/password" error where previously it was returning a no content error. That tells me that I'm probably not formating that data correctly when I send it to the API.

I did send a request for info to the USGA GHIN folk, but I'll be very surprised if I get a response. I'm sure they're shorthanded and busy like everyone else.

So, I did get an answer to my request for info from the USGA GHIN folk. It wasn't the answer I was hoping for, but I do sincerely appreciate them getting back to me. Basically, what he said was, "they have a requirement that your software supports 10 clubs or 1,400 golfers." That's clear enough so I'll get with the league folk and see about other options.

[iacas]

2 hours ago, Zippo said:

So, I did get an answer to my request for info from the USGA GHIN folk. It wasn't the answer I was hoping for, but I do sincerely appreciate them getting back to me. Basically, what he said was, "they have a requirement that your software supports 10 clubs or 1,400 golfers." That's clear enough so I'll get with the league folk and see about other options.

In other words, we can't just have everyone scraping our stuff for piddly little stuff. 😄

[phan52]

On 2/28/2022 at 7:51 AM, Club Rat said:

@Zippo
Another method would be to copy and paste the players hdc info needed to a spreadsheet.
 

His “club” should be able to do that without copy and paste. Unless the system has changed. I did that a couple of years ago to set up a book for a tournament.

[Zippo]

57 minutes ago, phan52 said:

His “club” should be able to do that without copy and paste. Unless the system has changed. I did that a couple of years ago to set up a book for a tournament.

Sorry. There is no club.

2 hours ago, iacas said:

In other words, we can't just have everyone scraping our stuff for piddly little stuff. 😄

Yeah. Actually, I probably could scrape the info off their website at the "following page" but that's closer to "hacking" than I'm comfortable doing and it's far more resource intensive on their site than the API would have been.  No worries. There's always a plan B.

[Whirlwind]

@Zippo,  did you end up figuring this out.  I have the same problem getting HI by GHIN from clubs I can't get the pro to send me a report.

D