Let's address the elephant in the room: not everyone who plays golf has a use for a Handicap Index. If your goal is not keep score, ignore the rules, wonder when the beverage cart will circle back around, and just generally not care about the golf aspect of being on the golf course, a Handicap Index doesn't serve a purpose. My guess, though, is that if you're reading this, that isn't you.
If you've made it to this post, you probably at least have an understanding of what a Handicap Index is. You may even have gone through the effort of signing up and posting scores because you actually care about your progress. But here’s the reality: simply having a Handicap Index isn't the same as using it. Many golfers carry their handicap around like a 2-iron they never intend on actually swinging. If you’re just posting scores and never looking back, you’re missing out on the strategic edge that the system was actually built to give you.
Does this sound like you? Here are 9 ways you may not be tapping in to the full potential of the Handicap Index:
Most golfers have a broad understanding of what a Handicap Index is designed to do, but misunderstand what it actually is measuring. There's a common assumption that your Handicap Index is just generally how many strokes over par you shoot on average. What it's actually measuring is your playing potential. When it's calculated, your Handicap Index only considers your 8 best rounds of your previous 20. So if you head out to the course thinking you'll shoot at least net par for half your rounds, you're only setting yourself up for disappointment.
Would you expect to shoot the same score at Roosevelt GC as you would at PGA West? Or would you expect to play just as well from the forward tees as you would from the tips, even if you're playing the same course? Just like misunderstanding what your Handicap Index measures can affect your understanding of your scores, not knowing how to properly apply it to each individual round is going to cost you strokes...and plenty of frustration.
Even though your Handicap Index may say you're a 12.3, that doesn't mean you should always target to shoot 12 over. In order to get an accurate representation of your goal for the day, you need to factor in the Course and Slope Ratings to get your Course Handicap. That's the number you should add to par to calculate your Target Score. The good new is, there's no math required on your part. Just enter the course and set of tees you're playing from when you go to keep your score in the GHIN app, or use the Handicap Calculator tool.
Speaking of approaching your round the right way...
Ok, you've used your Handicap Calculator and figured out a proper goal for your round. You step up to the first tee with a number in mind, until you see the sign on the tee box that says "par 4". Suddenly that Target Score is left behind on the driving range and you start thinking about marking a 4 on the scorecard as you walk off the green. Wrong idea (probably).
You need to remember that, at the end of the day, "par" is a fictional concept. It represents a potential target for that hole, but it doesn't necessarily represent your target. It makes sense for scratch golfers to chase birdies and settle for pars, but most of you are closer to bogey golf than scratch. When you have an extra stroke on a hole, start thinking of those bogeys as pars and pars as birdies and suddenly your round looks a lot better. Keep this mindset going into each hole and you might even find your scores improving because you're playing smarter. It's ok to strive to do better, but holding yourself to unrealistic expectations is only going to leave you frustrated.
When Jordan Spieth dunks a couple shots into Rae's Creek during the final round of the Masters, he unfortunately has to count all of those strokes and give up the lead. But would he put down the same score if he were to post that round to GHIN? Turns out, no.
The World Handicap System has a procedure in place which states that when posting your score for handicapping purposes, the highest score you can post on any hole is Net Double Bogey. In the Masters, that 7 stayed a 7. But for your GHIN post, the system "caps" the damage so one blow-up hole doesn't break your index. In Spieth's case, his score on the 12th in this scenario would've been a 5. It might be a 6 or 7 for you depending on your Handicap Index, but the point remains that if you post anything higher than a Net Double Bogey, you're unintentionally inflating your scores in GHIN.
If you're new to the SCGA (or been a member for a while and haven't kept up on current events), you may not know that you can do more with your membership than just post scores to GHIN. When you use the GHIN app during your round, you can do so much more than just mark down your score. Using the hole-by-hole scoring option, not only will you have the Net Double Bogey rule mentioned above automatically factored in, you can also track stats like fairways hit, greens in regulation, and putts for each hole. You can even keep scores for your partners and compete in match play utilizing your Course Handicaps. If you're serious about getting better, this is a good way to monitor what's working and what needs work.
Look, I understand that it's not always the best feeling when someone asks what your handicap is and the number is higher than you'd like. But here's two near-universal truths about having a legitimate high handicap:
1. It can only help you on the course. The only thing it can hurt is your pride.
2. Nobody else cares how poorly you play as long as you keep pace and follow etiquette.
So if you're inclined to find ways to fudge your score during a non-competitive round (we don't like it but we know it happens) or just not post those rounds that creep into the triple digits, just know that you're holding yourself back.
There are plenty of phrases (the cynics among us might even call them cliches) that we love to use when talking about the World Handicap System. "Levels the playing field." "Makes the game fair for everyone." "The Great Equalizer." They're all succinct explanations for why it makes golf competition unique, but they only hold true if you play with golfers that use the same system.
Stop letting your friends get away with the same tired excuses. I usually shoot [insert score here], I use some janky handicap calculator with no peer review, I usually never play this well; those all need to come to an end. Get your friends to compete using a Handicap Index and make them earn those skins.
Not every round can be a tournament with an impressive prize pool. At the same time, doesn't it feel like a waste when you put it all together for a round only to get nothing for it but a reduction of your Handicap Index?
That's why we created GHIN Challenges. Add a level to competition to every round with no commitment required. All it takes is entering the Challenge, posting your rounds, and watching the leaderboard. No pressure, all upside. Check out our list of participating courses and make your next round count, whether you're playing with a large group or as a single.
All the examples above are specific examples that boil down to one large point: keeping a Handicap Index is only worthwhile if you use it. It doesn't mean you have to be good. It doesn't mean you can't laugh, joke, trash talk, or enjoy a beer on the course. It just means you want to play with a purpose. What's the point of trying to get better if you never challenge yourself? You can either try to deny it and hold yourself back, or you can join the 200,000+ golfers in Southern California and millions worldwide that know this is the only way to truly golf.
Haven't become a member yet and want to tap into these benefits? Join the SCGA here.