Stupid Question For A New Golfer Regaurding Handicap

[RunOfTheDill]

My home club is a club listed as a course that issues USGA Handicap Indexes using the GHIN Handicap Program. What exactly does that mean. I would like to develop a handicap. I golf on a few courses that are on the list I looked at. How do I get signed up so I can start submitting a handicap. Thanks.

[Dent]

Usually there is a computer in your clubhouse and you should have an account. Log on and You just keep entering all of your scores. To me a handicap is an assigned number for the average of all your scores. Shooting low 80's Represents a 9 handicap. The lower you shoot the lower your handicap. Ask your manager at your club about it. Also ask your club pro or someone your Account Name and password so you can log on.

[RunOfTheDill]

So next time I go to my home club just tell them I wish do get a handicap index and they shall assign me a number and account? Also, does it cost?

[Dent]

Since your a member of the course, you get a free account. Yes if you ask them they should have your account name and password. You log on to the computer and you have a page where you enter all your scores.

[RunOfTheDill]

Not a member. I just called the course I usually golf at my home club. Its just a public course.

[Dent]

that may be a different story, check this site for more information,

http://www.usga.org/playing/handicaps/handicaps.html

sorry about that, i didnt know you werent a member.

[royalwulff]

It cost me $35.00 to join at my local course and that money goes to USGA.

[RunOfTheDill]

I could pay at golfsmith and only pay 30$. Will my club problaby offer some other benefits? Im planning on asking next time I go btw.

[MGP]

I could pay at golfsmith and only pay 30$. Will my club problaby offer some other benefits? Im planning on asking next time I go btw.

A lot of times when you join at your local course you will also be joining the club's "Men's Association" or similar. You might check and see if this is the case at your course. The benefits of this are being able to play in the club championship, match play championship or other club sponsored tournaments.

Even if you are not a really competitive golfer, these events can be a lot of fun and they'll often have drawings and giveaways as part of the entry fee. They are also another reason to get out and play.

[RunOfTheDill]

Okay, one more question. I should have asked this before I started all of this. Should I even start a handicap. I'm really bad. I shoot around a 52 on my 5 outing this year. I play at least once a week if not more.

[lamebums]

Okay, one more question. I should have asked this before I started all of this. Should I even start a handicap. I'm really bad. I shoot around a 52 on my 5 outing this year. I play at least once a week if not more.

Absolutely. The handicap is an excellent way to gauge your progress over dozens of rounds. It's something I wish I had done this time last year, even though I'd hacked up the course to the tune of 110-120 strokes back then. When you get 5 rounds or more, get a handicap index, and then do it again once every 10 rounds or so. When the number goes down you know you're getting better. (a 52 isn't horrible - for 18 holes that would make 104, and that's not

horrible to begin with...)

[$2 Nassau]

Your handicap is not your "average" as mentioned above, it is a representation of your best potential. It takes your 20 most recent scores and uses your best 10 to calculate your handicap. Simply shooting 10 over par does not mean you are a 10 handicap, factors like course rating and slope (which give a snapshot of how difficult a course is) play into your handicap calculation.

[Jeepthrills]

I agree. You should set up a handicap even if it's a high number, it gives you something to track how you improve. Scores alone don't always work. If you are playing at two different courses you could have two very different scores relative to the same par. For example I play a course that only has a par of 31 for my Wednesday night league. It is 4 par 4's and 5 par 3's. The longest par 4 is barely 320 yards and flat. Conversely I play one up North that has two nines that are par 30's. It is 3 Par 4's and 6 par 3's per side. On the back the shortest par 4 is 350 and plays straight up hill. There are two more that are 370 uphill and 400 with a dogleg left and OB inside the dogleg. At first glace you would think 31 par is tougher than 30, but in reality the 30 is a mucher more challanging course.

There are several ways you can get an actual handicap. The easiest is to sign up at your home course. You can post scores there after you play. They should also allow you to post "away" scores for rounds played at other courses. You can also join at some affiliated golf shops like Golfsmith. This is what I did. I can go online and post my scores anytime I want.

One very important thing to keep in mind. If you are looking to have a legitimate handicap, you need to follow all of the rules and post every score from rounds played on rated courses. If you don't you will end up with a lower handicap than you can play too. This may not seem like a big deal until you play in a flighted tournament and you get put in a group with guys that are all 15's and you are actually a 25.