A couple of years ago, I was invited to play in a competitive golf event in Georgia. I hadn’t played in a tournament setting for quite a while, and to be completely honest, when I signed up, I didn’t fully grasp what I had agreed to do.
As part of the preparation, they asked me to send over my GHIN number so they could check my handicap. Well … at that point, I didn’t have one — and hadn’t in quite some time.
The good news? I had just come back from a golf trip to Ireland with my son and had plenty of scores to enter. I found the process of establishing a handicap to be surprisingly simple — and I’m really glad I went through it.
Here’s how it works and why I think it’s a great idea for any golfer.
If you’re new to golf, the idea of having a handicap might feel a bit intimidating. But you don’t need to be playing full 18-hole rounds regularly to get started. Even if you’re just playing nine holes occasionally — or not finishing every hole — you can still begin building your handicap. It’s also a great way to track your progress. And when the time comes to try out a friendly tournament, you’ll already have the scores you need.
The USGA’s GHIN app (Golf Handicap Index Network) is incredibly intuitive. It’s designed so that anyone — without any training — can use it right away. The app lets you start tracking your handicap, and it also provides useful info during and after your rounds to help you improve.
This is a big one. You used to have to be a member of a golf club to get a handicap. Now, thanks to updated policies, anyone can get one. Just download the USGA GHIN app from your app store — it walks you through payment and allows you to begin posting scores immediately.
You can post nine- or 18-hole scores easily. I prefer to enter my scores hole-by-hole because it gives great feedback — like how I’m doing on par-3s, -4s and -5s. The app also automatically adjusts for any blow-up holes, factoring in your individual handicap to set a max score per hole.
One of the coolest updates to the app is the GPS functionality. It’s helpful on my home course but especially valuable when I’m playing somewhere new. It shows hole layouts, hazard yardages and distances to the front, middle and back of each green.
Most tournaments require a current handicap, so getting started now means you’ll be ready when the opportunity arises. Tracking your handicap over time also gives you a sense of your progress — and when you might want to get a refresher lesson. Watching that number trend down (hopefully!) is both satisfying and motivating.
The post 6 reasons you should keep a Handicap Index appeared first on Golf.
