Handicap app - Diablo golf

[No Mulligans]

I set up a spreadsheet to calc. my handicap and have been using it for the last 6 months.

But, just this week I started using Diablo golf.  I like it so far, I've posted my last 20 rounds.  It's free.

From their website:

[DaveP043]

I'm curious, Frank, are you using this for personal tracking, or are you establishing an official USGA handicap?  The Diablo website mentions a couple of additional requirements to comply with USGA rules, and I'm wondering how you handle that.

Conforming Golf Clubs
DiabloGolf will assist golfers seeking to joing a golf club that is licensed to the USGA Handicap System. DiabloGolf automatically places members into the clubs that are within 50 miles of them.

Peer Review
Golf clubs licensed to use the USGA Handicap System must offer "reasonable and regular opportunity to play together. A handicapping committee reviews all scores, members playing at least 3 scores with other members, and members playing in at least 1 club-sponsored events per year. It also requires all members to provide the Club with proof of identification.

Obviously if this is just for tracking your scores for personal use, those additional steps aren't necessary.

[No Mulligans]

I'm curious, Frank, are you using this for personal tracking, or are you establishing an official USGA handicap?  The Diablo website mentions a couple of additional requirements to comply with USGA rules, and I'm wondering how you handle that.

Conforming Golf Clubs

DiabloGolf will assist golfers seeking to joing a golf club that is licensed to the USGA Handicap System. DiabloGolf automatically places members into the clubs that are within 50 miles of them.

Peer Review

Golf clubs licensed to use the USGA Handicap System must offer "reasonable and regular opportunity to play together. A handicapping committee reviews all scores, members playing at least 3 scores with other members, and members playing in at least 1 club-sponsored events per year. It also requires all members to provide the Club with proof of identification.

Obviously if this is just for tracking your scores for personal use, those additional steps aren't necessary.

Thanks for that information, I wasn't aware of those requirements.  I'm just using it for personal use but I wouldn't mind having an official handicap.  However, I'm not ready to join a club.  Correct me if I'm wrong, wouldn't the HI number be the same for personal use as for official use?

What I'm most interested in is tracking my progress and hopefully lowering my handicap.

[DaveP043]

Thanks for that information, I wasn't aware of those requirements.  I'm just using it for personal use but I wouldn't mind having an official handicap.  However, I'm not ready to join a club.  Correct me if I'm wrong, wouldn't the HI number be the same for personal use as for official use?

What I'm most interested in is tracking my progress and hopefully lowering my handicap.

As far as I know, they should calculate your handicap the same way, whether its for personal use or for an official USGA handicap. You should probably make sure to use the Equitable Stroke Control when you post your scores, if you want it to be as close as possible to the USGA number

I think the difficulty of the online handicap services has been with the USGA requirement for peer review.  The Diablo FAQs mention a lawsuit between Diablo and the USGA that has been settled.  The section I quoted seems to be a compromise Diablo and the USGA have reached to cover that requirement.  Its my guess that the Diablo system would put you in touch with a local golf club that plays at public courses, not necessarily a private "country club".

[RussUK]

Thanks for that information, I wasn't aware of those requirements.  I'm just using it for personal use but I wouldn't mind having an official handicap.  However, I'm not ready to join a club.  Correct me if I'm wrong, wouldn't the HI number be the same for personal use as for official use?

What I'm most interested in is tracking my progress and hopefully lowering my handicap.

You dont need to join a club these days to get an official handicap. There are a number of online handicap providers out there, just google "online handicap". Todays golfer here in the UK offer one that is transferable between clubs

[14ledo81]

Best 82 in a long time. Stuck ball much better than that just a few bad boinces. Three bad bunkers lies in a row but made three good bogeys.

Am I missing something here???

[DaveP043]

You dont need to join a club these days to get an official handicap. There are a number of online handicap providers out there, just google "online handicap". Todays golfer here in the UK offer one that is transferable between clubs

Russ, the USGA Handicap Manual requires a player to be a member of a "golf club" to get an official USGA handicap.  The golf club doesn't have to have a physical location, but is required to have a Handicap Committee, a minimum number of members, and meet a few other conditions.  My interpretation is that they want to make sure that the scores posted are accurate, and are subject to peer review by other members of the club.  I'm sure this is an effort to minimize the use of highly inflated handicaps (i.e sandbagging).  The way I read the info in the FAQs for Diablo is that they've worked with the USGA to come to an appropriate way for them to offer online handicap services while still meeting the USGA requirements, and that system has to include meeting the "golf club" requirements.

[RussUK]

Russ, the USGA Handicap Manual requires a player to be a member of a "golf club" to get an official USGA handicap.  The golf club doesn't have to have a physical location, but is required to have a Handicap Committee, a minimum number of members, and meet a few other conditions.  My interpretation is that they want to make sure that the scores posted are accurate, and are subject to peer review by other members of the club.  I'm sure this is an effort to minimize the use of highly inflated handicaps (i.e sandbagging).  The way I read the info in the FAQs for Diablo is that they've worked with the USGA to come to an appropriate way for them to offer online handicap services while still meeting the USGA requirements, and that system has to include meeting the "golf club" requirements.

We have providers such as Golfshake.com that provide recognised official handicaps (with certificate etc), and other such as todays golfer require signed score cards.

CONGU do things a lot differently to the US handicap system such as minimum rounds needed to obtain a handicap and the calculations etc. tbh im not a fan of CONGU as it seems a complicated and dated system

[DaveP043]

CONGU do things a lot differently to the US handicap system such as minimum rounds needed to obtain a handicap and the calculations etc. tbh im not a fan of CONGU as it seems a complicated and dated system

I've known for a while that CONGU does things differently, but I don't know that the USGA system is any less complicated.  I do think it incorporates some reasonable procedures to take into account the differences in difficulty for the various courses.  I read a rumor (or rumour) in another thread here that there's a move to unify the two handicap systems, perhaps by the year 2020.  I'll be interested to see what happens then.

[RussUK]

I've known for a while that CONGU does things differently, but I don't know that the USGA system is any less complicated.  I do think it incorporates some reasonable procedures to take into account the differences in difficulty for the various courses.  I read a rumor (or rumour) in another thread here that there's a move to unify the two handicap systems, perhaps by the year 2020.  I'll be interested to see what happens then.

Makes sense as many players from the US have a handicap that may be the same number as a UK player but is actually different (and vice versa)

[Dave2512]

Am I missing something here???

lol yeah my tablet bounces everything around when pages load. Where I tap could change in an instant. I spend a lot of time backing up.

[DaveP043]

Makes sense as many players from the US have a handicap that may be the same number as a UK player but is actually different (and vice versa)

I'm not so sure I'll welcome that change.  Next thing you know, they'll want all of us actually speaking the same language! Ah dinna ken i' ah can to tha'.