Bethpage Black
New member
I've read the threads in how to get an official handicap. But I'm still confused. Is it possible to get a GHIN number without being a member of a club? Can't I just log onto GHIN and input my rounds played?
Handicap confussion
There are E-Clubs where you can get a GHIN. there is still a cost involved however.
http://www.ghin.com/eclub/mgalongisland/
this looks like one that might be in your area.
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Use the android/iphone app "The Grint" It allows you a free GHIN handicap (it makes you a member of an e-club in your area.) You upload your scores to the app.
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Since we're trying to remove confusion, not all e-clubs are GHIN. GHIN is just one of several services that maintain USGA approved handicaps. For example, Golfnet provides a USGA approved handicap, but it's not GHIN. The reason this is significant is we aren't the only ones that get confused. Lot's of golfers have reported tournament committees refusing to recognize their handicap because it wasn't a GHIN service handicap.
If you plan to play in tournaments and want to make life easy just join any club in your area or E-Club that supports GHIN. My home course is a public course, Brambleton Golf Club in Ashburn VA, and I pay $40 a year for GHIN service. It's about as cheap as other USGA handicap services but it's MUCH MUCH easier to use for handicap purposes.
Also, by having a GHIN in my state of VA I become a member of the Virginia State Golf Association which gives me access to 50+ 1 day tournaments, state tournaments, and a bunch of discounts. Most of the "one day" tournaments are only $58 and you get to play courses that are sometimes $150 a round.
I recommend just going the GHIN route either through your home course or your state golf association. New York Golf Association here is the link
Also, by having a GHIN in my state of VA I become a member of the Virginia State Golf Association which gives me access to 50+ 1 day tournaments, state tournaments, and a bunch of discounts. Most of the "one day" tournaments are only $58 and you get to play courses that are sometimes $150 a round.
I recommend just going the GHIN route either through your home course or your state golf association. New York Golf Association here is the link
Grint is not a GHIN handicap. It is USGA approved though so can be entered in any USGA events and really any event in general
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What's the difference?
Handicap cinfussion
Handicap cinfussion
The handicap is the same basically but as described above in a post the Ghin is a service. It comes with a fee and number to be able to reference your handicap online.
Haha just another reason it’s confusing
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Handicap cinfussion
The handicap is the same basically but as described above in a post the Ghin is a service. It comes with a fee and number to be able to reference your handicap online.
Haha just another reason it’s confusing
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- Joined
- Sep 26, 2013
- Messages
- 14,140
- Reaction score
- 11,863
- Location
- Usually on an airplane
- Handicap
- 2 Children
That is confusing. My usga handicap which I extended through the grint app came with a year membership to the scga, which hosts all those events I never play
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mski
Active member
The thing with GHIN and I'm sure with all handicap services is after you establish a handicap there is a maximum score on a hole you can register.
I wasn't aware of it until this year when I was playing with a buddy of mine and he blew up a par five and actually scored a 9 on the hole but on the card he put down a 7. I questioned him about it and his excuse was due to his handicap (I think it's a 13) GHIN won't let him register a score higher than a 7 on any hole. Supposedly it prevents sandbagging.
So when he shot his best round at his home course and I questioned him how many "7's" he got he didn't answer me.
I wasn't aware of it until this year when I was playing with a buddy of mine and he blew up a par five and actually scored a 9 on the hole but on the card he put down a 7. I questioned him about it and his excuse was due to his handicap (I think it's a 13) GHIN won't let him register a score higher than a 7 on any hole. Supposedly it prevents sandbagging.
So when he shot his best round at his home course and I questioned him how many "7's" he got he didn't answer me.
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He still needs to card the actual 9, it's only when he is entering his score to GHIN that he puts his ESC score in.
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Scott Cali
Member
Just walk into the proshop at Bethpage and tell them you want to sign up for a handicap. You will have to wait for next season as this season is over and also the pro shop is changing ownership
So yes the esc is a maximum of sorts that a person takes when applying to the handicap. But you still need to put your score down for the hole. A lot of ghin services have you put in hole by hole or if it’s just total, it will say esc score or something like that. Basically if you want to brag about your best scores or play in games with friends/club events, you better be putting down your actual score not your esc score.
The esc is used to curb the blow up holes. Everyone has them, so to not completely ruin your hc or skew it, the USGA decided to add this. Don’t think international handicaps include this. Ours is all screwed up haha.
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This brings up another point. Many states have posting seasons. Like mentioned, most of the north east only allows scores to be posted from March (maybe April?) to I think end of October. It varies by state. Here in S.C. and most of the south east we don’t have a posting season so all scores should be posted when played played appropriately.
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larryw
lov_betti
There is no such thing as a GHIN handicap.
The only handicap that exist is a USGA approved handicap.
GHIN is a handicap service that computes a USGA approved handicap. So is Golfnet, the Grint and several other handicap services. Some charge and some are free but they all follow the USGA handicap rules and are all USGA approved handicaps. (I believe that GHIN is actually owned by the USGA - but that doesn't really matter)
Here is the link for the USGA handicap manual that ALL handicap services must follow to issue USGA approved handicaps.
https://www.usga.org/Handicapping/handicap-manual.html#!rule-14367
It's all clear as mud and if you make it through the whole manual it will really help understand things like "esc scoring" and why it seems important.
mski
Active member
That's the problem. We have a match a few times a year where it's him and his partner against me and my brother. (we are all close friends) The first match we played me and my bro lost. I questioned how and I went hole by hole. Then it was "John had a 7 here and a 7 there". Me and my brother started laughing at how he blew up those holes (one he picked up) and the other was the 9 and he got a 7. That's when he told us GHIN won't let him put anything higher. We did the old WTF?
The irony is when me or my brother blew up a hole the actual score was written down and we never did not finish a hole. The rules were changed after that!
The 2 guys have been good friends for the last 30+ years and we can tell them to go F-themsevles with love. HAHA
Regarding his actual score, he says when he inputs HBH he doesnt put anything higher than a 7. I'll have to ask him where he came up with this. If his pro told him or what.
Haha that’s funny
When submitting a score on the computer you do put your esc. Or the computer will do it for you.
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He is entering his scores correctly, but he is not "keeping" his score correctly if that makes any sense.
If you guys have been entering scores without making the appropriate ESC adjustments yourself then you are guilty of unintentional sandbagging.
bobellis75
Well-known member
So what’s the difference with Grint and swing by swing? They are a few digits apart for me. (I don’t really care because I’ve just started playing again and my handicap is terrible, but curious)
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TheHeez
Well-known member
And to further muddy the waters, the ESC scoring is not based on your handicap. It’s instead based on your COURSE handicap. So just because he’s a 13 doesn’t mean he’s a 13 in the course you are playing! Let that rattle around in your brain for a minute.
Based on handicaps the max ESC (equitable score control) is as follows:
9.9 handicap and lower - double bogey (5 on a par 3, 6 on a par 4, 7 on a par 5)
10.0 - 19.9 handicap - 7 (does not matter par of the hole)
20 - 29.9 handicap - 8 (does not matter par of the hole)
30 - 39.9 handicap - 9 (does not matter par of the hole)
40+ handicap - 10 (does not matter par of the hole)
https://www.usga.org/HandicapFAQ/handicap_answer.asp?FAQidx=9
As far as a match, if I am playing match play and I make more than the max, I write down a 7 but also jot down the actual score because if I make an 8 (max ESC is a 7) and my buddy makes a legit 7 he definitely wins. Luckily that doesn't happen too often.
And in our men's club tournaments we write down gross scores and that is how the the winners are figured, but when they post the scores to our GHIN they update it with any max esc scores.
Just to clarify, your ESC is based on your course handicap, not your handicap index. When you get around 9 to 10 handicap index, your esc can change based on the slope of the course.
Yes, it is your course index, that is also noted in the link. I have not had to worry about that in quite some time but hope to again soon.