USGA Handicap Index

Notwithstanding my poor play recently, it is time to get serious about getting a USGA Handicap Index. The purpose of a USGA Handicap Index is to permit golfers of all levels to compete on an equitable basis. In addition to posting your 18-hole scores, in order to properly calculate your USGA Handicap Index, you need to post the course rating and slope rating. This allows golfers to match handicaps on an apples-to-apples basis taking into account the difficulty of the courses played and the course on which you are competing. The handicap system is also supposed to discourage "sandbagging". But most importantly, you need a USGA (or R&A) handicap index to play at St. Andrews!

The first step to obtain a USGA handicap index is to join a licensed golf club. This does not mean that you have to become a member at a private country club. I probably should not hold my breath for an invitation to join Portmarnock Golf Club or Phoenix Country Club. The USGA, through its state organizations, licenses its member clubs (both private and public golf courses) to use the USGA Handicap System. You can search on-line to see if your club is a USGA Handicap System licensed club. You can also form your own club! The USGA Handicap System manual, which explains all procedures, can be purchased for $3.00 plus shipping through the USGA Order Department (Golf House, P.O. Box 708 , Far Hills , New Jersey 07931 ).

You have to post at least 5 18-hole scores to get a USGA handicap index. Once you post 20 scores, your Handicap Index is calculated using your 10 best scores, relative to the Course Rating and Slope Rating. The Handicap Index is not your average score for 18-holes, but measures your top performance by discarding ten of your last 20 scores. Your Handicap Index also factors in Course Rating and Slope Rating.

Course Rating is the USGA's determination of the playing difficulty of a course for a scratch golfer under normal course and weather conditions. It is based in part on the length of a course, the difficulty of the putting greens and other factors that affect a scratch golfer's scoring ability. Bogey Rating is the USGA's determination of the playing difficulty of a course for a bogey golfer under normal course and weather conditions. And Slope Rating is determined using the following formula: Bogey Rating minus Course Rating multiplied by (5.381 men, 4.24 women). For example, Pine Valley Golf Club in Pine Valley, New Jersey, is consistently ranked as one of the very best and most difficult golf courses in the United States. From the regular tees, the course rating is 72.7, the bogey rating is 101.2 and the slope rating is 153. The highest slope rating under the USGA Handicap System is 155! You can check the Course Rating, Bogey Rating and Slope Rating for any USGA member club at this site. For some reason, when I search certain clubs the site only shows the women's ratings and not the men's ratings. I wonder if the USGA is trying to tell me something!

I am off to play Sim Golf at Bunker Indoor Golf and Training Center. I will report to my followers tomorrow. I wonder if I can include my score for purposes of calculating my USGA handicap index?