Q. When do I need to start posting scores in Washington
A. You should start posting rounds played in Washington on March 1st
Q. I played golf outside of Washington during the winter, should I post those scores?
A. If you played in an active area (California, Arizona, Hawaii, Florida, etc.) between November 15th and March 1st, you are required to post those scores
Q. I made a mistake when I posted my score or I have an incorrect score in my file. How do I fix it?
A. To have a score corrected or removed, a golfer must contact the Handicap Chair or Head Pro
Q. I didn’t play the entire 9/18 holes, should I still post a score?
A. For a 9-hole score to be posted, at least 7 holes must be played. For an 18-hole score to be posted, at least 14 holes must be played.
If more than 9 but fewer than 14 holes are played, you must post a 9-hole score – which is then combined with another 9-hole score to create an 18-hole score.
Q. I picked up on a hole without finishing, what score should I enter?
A. When the format of play allows you to start a hole but not complete it, the score recorded for handicap purposes is your most likely score, equal to:
The number of strokes already taken on the hole, plus
Any penalty strokes incurred during the hole, plus
The number of strokes you would most likely require to complete the hole.
A most likely score is a reasonable assessment made by you based on the score you are most likely to make from that spot more than half the time. The following guidelines should be used to determine a most likely score:
If the ball lies on the putting green no more than 5 feet from the hole, add one stroke.
If the ball lies between 5 feet and 20 yards from the hole, add 2 or 3 additional strokes depending on the position of the ball, difficulty of the green and your ability.
If the ball lies more than 20 yards from the hole, add 3 or 4 additional strokes depending on the position of the ball, difficulty of the green and your ability.
Q. What is my Low Handicap Index and why is it displayed in my scoring record?
A. A Low Handicap Index is the lowest Handicap Index® achieved over the 365-day period preceding the most recent score in your scoring record. The Low Handicap Index serves as a reference point against which your current Handicap Index can be compared.
A Low Handicap Index is established once you have 20 scores in your scoring record.
Q. What is my maximum hole score for handicap posting purposes?
A. If you have an established Handicap Index, the maximum score for each hole played is limited to a net double bogey, equal to double bogey plus any handicap strokes you are entitled to receive based on your Course Handicap.
For example: A player with a Course Handicap of 15 receives one handicap stroke on holes with a stroke index of 1 through 15 on the scorecard.
On a par 4 hole with a stroke index of 10, the player’s maximum hole score is 7. Double bogey (6) + 1 handicap stroke = 7.
For players posting scores initial scores to establish a Handicap Index, the maximum hole score is limited to par + 5.
Q. Figuring out my maximum score is a lot of math, is there a better way?
A. Yes, enter your scores using the GHIN Mobile App. The App provides the option to enter Hole-By-Hole or Total Score. By using Hole-By-Hole, you can enter your gross score and the GHIN App will adjust your score based on your maximum score for your Handicap Index.
Q. What is an exceptional score
A. Any score that produces a Score Differential that is at least 7.0 strokes better than your Handicap Index at the time the round was played is considered exceptional and is subject to the exceptional score reduction
If the Score Differential is between 7.0 and 9.9 strokes better, a -1 adjustment is applied to each of the most recent 20 Score Differentials in your scoring record. This has a net impact of reducing the Handicap Index by 1 stroke.
If the Score Differential is 10.0 strokes or better, a -2 adjustment is applied to each of the most recent 20 Score Differentials. This has a net impact of reducing the Handicap Index by 2 strokes.
Q. Why is there a limit on how much my handicap increases
A. To prevent extreme upward movement of a Handicap Index, every time it is updated, the new value is compared to your Low Handicap Index™ and:
If the result is more than 3.0 strokes higher, a soft cap will be applied to slow additional upward movement by 50%.
If the result is more than 5.0 strokes higher (after the application of the soft cap), a hard cap will be applied to restrict any additional upward movement beyond 5.0 strokes.
For example: Player A has a Low Handicap Index of 10.0 and a current 8 of 20 calculation of 13.4. Since any upward movement beyond 3.0 strokes is reduced by 50%, the player’s Handicap Index calculates at 13.2.
Q. Are tournament rounds treated differently than regular rounds?
A. Scores posted with a Competition, or “C” designation are not used any differently for the purposes of calculating a Handicap Index.
The Competition score designation provides a way for Committees to evaluate if any players perform better or worse in competitive versus recreational rounds, which may be used during a handicap review.
Q. There is a player at my club who always tends to play well during net events and wins often. Are there any provisions in place to ensure that everyone is playing on a fair level?
A. There are several safeguards to ensure the integrity of a player’s Handicap Index – including a soft cap and hard cap that limits extreme upward movement over a rolling 365-day time frame and an exceptional score reduction that reduces a player’s Handicap Index each time they post a score that produces a Score Differential™ at least 7.0 strokes below their Handicap Index.
A club’s Handicap Committee, along with the local Allied Golf Association, also has access to reporting tools that provide additional insight.
The Committee in charge of a Competition can protect the field by modifying a player’s Playing Handicap before or between rounds when appropriate.
Q. How often should golfers shoot their handicap?
A. You should average about three shots higher than your handicap. For example, a player with a Course Handicap of 16 on a course with a USGA Course Rating of 71.2 should average about 90, not 87. The USGA Handicap System is based on 96 percent of the best 10 differentials (corrected for Course and Slope Rating) of his last 20 rounds. More than half of your scores should be within three strokes of three over your handicap (87 to 93 in our example). Most golfers will beat their handicap (87 or better in our example) 20 per cent of the time and beat it by three strokes one out of every 20 rounds. For this player to break 80 (beat his handicap by eight), the odds are 1,138 to 1 that his handicap is correct. Do that twice and it would take the average golfer to play over 700 years