USGA Ghin Handicap System

The Importance of using the USGA GHIN Handicap System

                Here in Massachusetts, golfers are allowed to post their scores from April 1st through November 15th in the USGA Handicap System.  Out of all of our rounds played last year during that period less than 10% of those rounds were posted to the GHIN System.  Some other courses that had more than 90% of their rounds were Pinehills, Wachusett Golf Club, and Gannon.   The following will help explain the importance of establishing and keeping an accurate record of your rounds played.

The USGA’s GHIN Handicap System computes a player’s handicap, assuming a golfer has twenty or more rounds posted, by taking the best ten of that golfer’s most recent twenty scores.  Now remember, your best scores are not necessarily the lowest numbers you’ve shot, but rather, the lowest numbers you’ve shot relative to a course’s level of difficulty (defined by the slope and course rating which is then computed using a lengthy and complicated formula which we won’t worry about here).  Hence, a score of 85 shot at RCC might be a much better score than an 85 shot at New Meadows, a much easier course and would therefore be included in the computation of your handicap before the same score is shot at the easier course.  Now, given the system takes the best ten of your most recent twenty scores, we should understand that your handicap is more a measure of your potential than it is an average score.  As such, it again makes sense that we should not be playing to our potential every time we tee it up.  If we did, do you know what would happen?  That’s right, our handicaps would come down!  The USGA tells us that a golfer, assuming his or her handicap stays the same, should only be shooting his or her handicap 20% of the time!  If you play to your handicap more often than that your handicap will creep downward.  Conversely, if you fail to play to your handicap at least 20% of the time, you can expect to see a rise in your handicap.

Now, armed with this information, hopefully we will see a rise in the number of rounds played at RCC posted to the GHIN System.  With that said, we need to go a little easier on ourselves the next time we shoot a few stokes higher than that number we pay such close attention to.  The moral of the story; relax and enjoy your time spent out on the golf course and realize that you are not going to have your best day on the course.