You’ve been posting your scores and receiving eRevision for years. You know your handicap and you use it to your advantage at tournaments. But when it comes to the causal rounds and playing with your buddies who don’t even know what a GHIN number is, it’s a frustrating situation. Playing golf without a regulated handicap system is slow and difficult for differing skill levels to play in harmony. It’s time to share the adrenaline rush from getting strokes during a round and get your friend a handicap.
Here are a few pointers to give you steady ground to convince your friends to start posting!
Level The Playing Field
They must be tired of losing against you, right? How – and why – would anyone willingly play scratch against a 15 handicap? Unless they want to keep buying drinks for everyone after the round, a Handicap Index can create a friendlier competition.
Create A New Tourney Playing Partner
They’re always hearing about the awesome time you’re having while playing SCGA Championships at top-rated golf courses. So, instead of sitting at home watching the live scoring on their phone on the couch, why not join in on that four-ball tournament?
Say Goodbye To Playing Gross
Let’s be honest, regardless of how good you are, playing gross isn’t great when you know a handicap can give you the score you deserve. And nobody wants to watch a score of 90 take the “W” at your weekend matches except for that golfer who doesn’t have a handicap, of course. Explain to your “pro-gross” friends why once you play NET, they’ll never go back.
Keep 'em Honest
Everyone's got the friend who swears they broke 80 last week as you watch them fire off another triple-digit round. The Handicap System is based on the concept of peer review, meaning you (or at least one other person) will have to verify your friend's low score before they can post it.
Can’t Play The Old Course Without a Handicap
Just like every other golfer on the planet, St. Andrews is probably on their bucket list. While for most it remains an uncrossed bucket list item, it can’t become even a thought for golfers who are GHIN-less. Every golfer who can even score a tee-time at the Old Course, must have a handicap in order to be allowed on the first tee.