Your handicap index

[Camo]

I searched first, lot's of handicap threads but didn't see my answer. How many of you guys are carrying an official USGA handicap index vrs. Some other method of coming up with the number ? If you don't have an official USGA index do find playing partners less willing to accept the number ? If you do have an official USGA index, what do you use it for ? Entering pro-ams, wagering ' ect ? my goal for 2011 is to establish an official USGA hci , just curious how many people actually use it and for what.

[2bGood]

I have an official RCGA (Canadian version). I am a member of a private club and we are pretty strict about our caps as are all the private clubs in our area. Our handicaps committee does take action members who cap is fishy when needed.

As for use - need it for any and all net tournements at our club and all inter-club play. We have a pretty active match committee so you could play 100+ matches per year and most are net.

Also most rounds are played for a wager at our club and caps factor into the bet.

[highscoreinky]

Can't play in any of our clubs events without an established USGA handicap so it's a must have for over 95% of the golfers at the club. Can't play in scrambles at one club I know of without having a USGA handicap. Would be hard to wager with someone who didn't have an established, verifiable handicap. Blackberry's and other phones with internet access have certainly had an impact on this portion of golf. Now before you give someone strokes you're checking their handicap online so you don't get a sandbagger playing you on the ifrst tee box.

[walk18]

  Camo said:

Originally Posted by Camo

I searched first, lot's of handicap threads but didn't see my answer.

How many of you guys are carrying an official USGA handicap index vrs. Some other method of coming up with the number ?

If you don't have an official USGA index do find playing partners less willing to accept the number ?

If you do have an official USGA index, what do you use it for ? Entering pro-ams, wagering ' ect ?

my goal for 2011 is to establish an official USGA hci , just curious how many people actually use it and for what.

Mine is official, I get it through a golf league I'm in (part of the fee). In addition to the league, it's good to have for club championships and the local county amateur I sometimes enter. Someday when I improve more, it'll be nice to have for maybe the state am or something like that.

[TN94z]

I carry an official index or at least it was official until this past year when I spent so much time on the range and not playing any.  I basically only got my index so I could enter some state tournaments that required it.  That is the only reason I got it.

[Tugglife2]

Mine is unofficial from oobgolf and truth be told, I'd be a 30+ right now if I were entering scores.  I got to a 25 this summer, stopped playing for a few months (way too busy) then started again a months ago and I can't break 100 to save my life.

[DaSportsGuy]

I keep an official index through my club. I really have no reason to keep an official index other than for personal pride(I guess). Next season I'm probably going to be leaving my club though and becoming a daily fee, play all over the place guy because of the increase in membership cost that I did not agree with. The conditions of the course were absolutely awful last year after the course I guess got a disease? Nobody really knows and their were a ton of rumors. Yet they jack up the price this year another $1,000 and create a "must be 18 to take a cart rule". Your telling me I can drive a car that can go upwards of 100 mph but cannot control a freakin golf cart that tops out at maybe 15-20mph? I don't really mind the cart rule because I usually prefer to walk most of the time, but it's kinda frustrating when you go out with your dad and your brother and someone has to walk.

Anyway, if you do not belong to a club and keep your handicap through them, is their any other way to obtain an official USGA Handicap Index?

[TourSpoon]

I get my USGA handicap through a local muni that I almost never play.  They only charge $20 so it is a deal and I post everything online.  My buddy joined the online club that the FSGA has set up for $30 a year.  I keep it to chart my progress and to have in case I want to enter a tournament that requires it.

[plum]

never cared for an official one.

I play regularly with 2 guys who do carry an official one. i can beat one 9 out of 10 times (he is a 13.x) and the other i can play straight up most of the time, he is a 10.x

so its a total guess.

[TaylorMadeTaylor]

Mine is not official, I just put 9.2 because my last 20 rounds averaged 9.2 over par.

[CassinoNorth]

  DaSportsGuy said:

Originally Posted by DaSportsGuy

Anyway, if you do not belong to a club and keep your handicap through them, is their any other way to obtain an official USGA Handicap Index?

Your local muni probably has USGA handicap services and in most cases you don't even have to play there really.

[ohiolefty]

Mine is unofficial. I am not a member at a country club, and do not want to pay for a handicap service. I keep my scores (and, thusly, my handicap) at http://www.golfhandicapcalculator.org/

I used to keep my sig updated with my average score from my last 20 rounds (which GHC tells you). Don't do that anymore. I do keep my handicap updated on here based on the GHC calculation. However, it's an unofficial handicap.

[goblue107501]

Mine is unofficial.  I don't play in anything that would require an official handicap so I just keep track of it myself, no point in paying for it.  The formula is the same no matter who does it so I just built my own Excel spreadsheet for my scores and it calculates the handicap for me.

[canadaddy]

I hold an official RCGA (Canada) handicap but am not a member of a club, here in Ontario we have a Public Players program which allows us to access the RCGA handicap system for a little over $30/year. I use it to track my progress as well as for entry into various amateur tournaments.

[ghalfaire]

Mine is a USGA handicap and I keep it through a club.  But the club is only open 6-8 months of the year so many of my rounds are enter via the internet.  My handicap index is updated every two weeks (I'll try to be more diligent here in keeping it up to date here but it is current now).  I do use it to play tournaments and for gambling (no big stakes $20 max) upon occasion.  I don't gamble with folks that don't have a USGA handicap unless I know them and their game well.  In the Summer months I mostly play the club course with other members and in the Winter I play a lot of different course with some of my long time buddies (we do play USGA rules).  We usually play the tees that are closest to 6300 yards and slopes are all over the place (real easy to real difficult).

[Arsenal8807]

Using Oobgolf, my handicap is 9.9. It's surprising because I thought it would be higher, but because of the slope and course rating I guess its lower than I think? Anyways its better than what I thought but I know its what I should be at. I score an average of 84...

[2bGood]

  TaylorMadeTaylor said:

Originally Posted by TaylorMadeTaylor

Mine is not official, I just put 9.2 because my last 20 rounds averaged 9.2 over par.

Good chance your index is lower then that, as your best 10 rounds only count and then multiply by .96. If the courses you play have a higher slope you might be closer to a 7. I know I would play you as a 6 if we were betting

[Splifton]

I have an official one through NCGA/USGA. I use for all NET tournament events I enter via my club of through the NCGA.

You could probably get one through an eClub or so.  Most likely will have to pay a yearly membership fee.

It is worth it.  Ever since my club started up, everyones handicaps have been going down.  It is a great way to track how your playing.

Go and get one it is worth it.