DQOTD: USGA Handicap Online?

[Midpack]

From what I can find, it's not possible to initiate and maintain a USGA handicap entirely online, I MUST physically go to a local club to register. I gather once I register and pay $25 at a local club, they will give me a GLIN number that will allow me to lookup my handicap and scores, if not enter future scores. Correct? Our local club has a dinosaur of a PC stuck in a corner for handicaps (and nothing else?), hopefully I don't have to use that ongoing...

[mcanadiens]

You can go online at ghin.com and enter your scores from anywhere. 

My home courses have the same old pc in the corner. The old heads that play there often leave their cards piled up next to it for the admins to enter. I just go online and enter them myself. About a quarter of my rounds are at different courses anyway.

[Midpack]

3 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

You can go online at ghin.com and enter your scores from anywhere. 

My home courses have the same old pc in the corner. The old heads that play there often leave their cards piled up next to it for the admins to enter. I just go online and enter them myself. About a quarter of my rounds are at different courses anyway.

But you have to go physically register at a local club first? And then you can use GLIN thereafter? Or can I do everything online from the start? That's what I was trying to ask?

Edited August 3, 2017 by Midpack

[David in FL]

14 minutes ago, Midpack said:

From what I can find, it's not possible to initiate and maintain a USGA handicap entirely online, I MUST physically go to a local club to register. I gather once I register and pay $25 at a local club, they will give me a GLIN number that will allow me to lookup my handicap and scores, if not enter future scores. Correct? Our local club has a dinosaur of a PC stuck in a corner for handicaps (and nothing else?), hopefully I don't have to use that ongoing...

Many state golf associations allow you to establish a handicap online.  Unfortunately, Illinois doesn't appear to be one of them.  You'll have to stop by your course to do so.  Once established, you can renew online though.  https://www.cdga.org  

Once you have a GHIN number, you can then use either your association website, or the USGA app available for your phone to enter your scores.  

 

Edited August 3, 2017 by David in FL

[dennyjones]

It's not fashionable but check out "TheGrint".   They allow you to have an official handicap and you join a virtual club that is within 50 miles of your location.   There is a free membership or a $20 year membership option.

[saevel25]

10 minutes ago, Midpack said:

But you have to go physically register at a local club first? And then you can use GLIN thereafter? Or can I do everything online from the start? That's what I was trying to ask?

I believe in Ohio, we have to actually go to a golf course to sign up for a GHIN handicap account. It might be recommended to post the score at the course after your round, but you can post your score online at the GHIN website.

 

 

 

[Midpack]

52 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Many state golf associations allow you to establish a handicap online.  Unfortunately, Illinois doesn't appear to be one of them.  You'll have to stop by your course to do so.  Once established, you can renew online though.  https://www.cdga.org  

Once you have a GHIN number, you can then use either your association website, or the USGA app available for your phone to enter your scores.  

 

 

44 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

I believe in Ohio, we have to actually go to a golf course to sign up for a GHIN handicap account. It might be recommended to post the score at the course after your round, but you can post your score online at the GHIN website.

 

 

 

Thanks, just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. I'll go pay and register this AM and use GLIN after that.

Edited August 3, 2017 by Midpack

[Missouri Swede]

54 minutes ago, Midpack said:

 

Thanks, just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. I'll go pay and register this AM and use GLIN after that.

Why do you refer to it as GLIN?  There's GHIN, but I've not heard of GLIN.

[Midpack]

14 minutes ago, Missouri Swede said:

Why do you refer to it as GLIN?  There's GHIN, but I've not heard of GLIN.

My (subconscious) mistake, it's GHIN, thanks. This is new to me. GLIN is a weather service I've used for decades...

Edited August 3, 2017 by Midpack

[Missouri Swede]

Okay, I just didn't know if I had missed something along the way.

[DaveP043]

A few things from the USGA Handicap Manual:

Quote

3-1. Obtaining a Handicap Index

In order to obtain a Handicap Index, a player must join a licensed golf club and post adjusted gross scores.

From the Definitions of club, you CAN join a Type 3 Club:

Quote

Type 3. The members of a Type 3 club had no prior affiliation and a majority of the recruiting and sign up of the membership is done by solicitation to the public (e.g., newspaper, Internet).

This would include obtaining a handicap from an online service like Grint, which wouldn't require an in-person sign up.  Grint does NOT use the GHIN network, they do the calculations in-house using the formulas required by the USGA.  GhHIN is a computational service that the USGA makes available to its authorized associations and clubs, but they may use a different computation service, including in-house, as long as the follow the procedures required by the USGA.  You don't have a GHIN handicap, you have a USGA Handicap Index.  Once you have a USGA handicap established through GHIN, those records are transferred wherever you may happen to move, as long as your new local association has decided to use GHIN too.  For instance, my handicap is currently maintained under my home club in Virginia.  If I retire to Pinehurst, my GHIN number won't change, I'll just move under the oversight umbrella of whatever club I might join in that area.

Anyone interested in learning more about the USGA Handicap System should go to the USGA website:

http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/Handicapping.html

The Handicap System Manual is at:

http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/Handicapping/handicap-manual.html#!rule-14367

This may read a bit like intentionally obscure legalese to you, but its actually a LOT more intelligible than the manual they use in the UK under the CONGU System.