Handicapping FAQs

A golf handicap index is a numerical value that reflects a golfer’s demonstrated ability, calculated from their best scores in recent round and adjusted for course difficulty. The lower the handicap, the more skilled the golfer. The handicap system allows players of varying abilities to compete fairly based on their handicap. Handicap indexes are dynamic and change as new scores are recorded, ensuring it accurately reflects a player’s current skill level.

GHIN (pronounced ‘jin’), which stands for Golf Handicap and Information Network, is a service provided by the United States Golf Association (USGA) that allows golfers to establish and maintain a handicap index. Golfers can use GHIN to track their progress, compare their performance with others, and ensure fair play in competitions. It’s widely used across the United States and is essential for golfers who want to participate in official tournaments or just keep an accurate measure of their playing ability.

Establishing a golf handicap is beneficial for many reasons:

• Enhanced Fairness in Competition: It allows players of different skill levels to compete on an equal footing. The handicap system adjusts scores based on ability, making games more competitive and enjoyable, regardless of individual skill levels.
• Tracking Personal Progress: A handicap provides a clear, numerical indicator of your golfing ability and improvement over time. Watching your handicap decrease can be a significant motivator and a rewarding way to track your development in the sport.
• Eligibility for Events and Tournaments: Many golf clubs and tournaments require a verified handicap for entry. Having a handicap broadens your opportunities to participate in various competitive events, leagues, and social gatherings within the golfing community.
• Goal Setting and Self-Improvement: Knowing your handicap can help in setting realistic, measurable goals for improvement. It offers a specific target to aim for, whether you’re working to break 100, 90, 80, or even par.
• Social Interaction and Networking: Being part of a handicap system often involves joining a club or an online community, leading to new social interactions and networking opportunities. It connects you with a wider community of golfers, offering chances for both friendly rounds and professional connections.

Every state in the U.S. has one or more Allied Golf Associations (AGAs) that are authorized to issue and provide official USGA Handicap Indexes. If you’re in Washington or Northern Idaho, it’s WA Golf that does this. To get your own handicap index from WA Golf, you need to join a golf club. You can find more about club options on our ‘Join and Renew‘ page.

So, what’s next? After you join a club, you’ll get a GHIN number. Then, you need to play and post at least 54 holes of golf, which can be a mix of 18-hole or 9-hole rounds, into the GHIN system. Once you do that, your handicap index will be calculated. The system updates every day, so you can always check your latest handicap index after you post your scores. Plus, you’ll get emails with updates on the 1st and 15th of every month.

Before your handicap index is established, you’ll see ‘NH’ next to your name, which just means ‘No Handicap’.

Posting your scores is the crux of establishing and maintaining a handicap index. When posting, it is recommend to post ‘hole-by-hole.’ Posting hole-by-hole will automatically apply any necessary calculations to your scores to ensure accuracy.

Here are the recommended ways for posting your scores:

1. Download the free GHIN mobile app from the App Store or Google Play and post scores directly through the app.
2. Visit the ‘Post a Score’ page on our website.
3. Post your scores directly through GHIN.com.

Please note: You must have a profile created through GHIN.com before utilizing the GHIN mobile app.

Each golf course has different sets of tees for players to play from. Each set of tees has some numbers that tell you how hard the course is to play. Think of it like a video game level – some are easier, some are tougher.

‘Course rating’ is what a scratch golfer (someone with a 0.0 handicap index) is likely to score under standard course and weather conditions. The ‘slope’ is a measurement of the difference in difficulty between a scratch and bogey player.

Having a hard time deciding on the set of tees that’s right for you? New USGA research, combined with a growing effort by golf facilities, provides a formula for an improved golfer experience based off how far you hit a 7-iron. Read more.

In golf, when we talk about scores, there are two types: ‘Gross score’ and ‘Net score.’ Gross score is pretty straightforward. It’s the total number of strokes you took to finish the round, including every swing, putt, and any penalties. So, if you hit the ball 80 times and had two penalty strokes, your Gross score is 82. It’s like counting every step you take on a hike.

Net score, primarily used in competitions, takes your Gross score and adjusts it based on your course handicap. So, if your Gross score is 82 and your course handicap is 10, your Net score would be 72 (82 minus 10).

The great thing about the handicap system is it makes the game fair, no matter how good you or your friends are. Let’s say your friend has a course handicap of 14, and you have a course handicap of 21. To level the playing field, they ‘give’ you 7 extra strokes, or ‘pops’, as some people call them. This is like a head start. If your friend ends up beating you by exactly 7 strokes, it’s a tie. But if they beat you by 6 strokes or less, then you win! That’s how the handicap system works – it keeps things fair and fun for everyone, no matter their skill level.

Inactive score posting season runs from November 15th through the end of February in WA Golf territory. If you play golf during the inactive season in our area, those scores are not postable for handicap purposes. But, let’s say you play somewhere else during this time, like California, Arizona, or Hawaii, where they don’t have an inactive season. In that case, you should post that score as soon as practicable.

View a full list of Handicap Active and Inactive Seasons in the U.S.