A: A handicap index is a measurement of a player's potential ability on a course of standard playing difficulty. It is expressed as a number taken to one decimal place (e.g., 10.4) and is used for conversion to a Course Handicap. (The USGA Handicap System Manual, Section 2)
Q. Do I have to buy a handicap to play in the Junior Tour? A: A USGA Handicap is provided as part of your membership registration fee.
Q. Why do I need to develop a handicap index? A: Having an up-to-date handicap index allows the hosting courses to pair you with other Junior Tour members of similar ability. It helps keep the skill level around the same level within the pairing. Maintaining your handicap index will help you monitor the progress of your skill. Also, if you ever want to play in a USGA event you will need to have an up-to-date index.
Q. How do I establish a handicap index?
A: You must post at least five 18-hole scores or ten 9-hole scores to establish your handicap index.
Q. How do I get my GHIN number?
A: You will receive an email every two weeks from ghinreports@usga.org. The emails will have the subject "Revision Update from the Sun Country Amateur Golf Asn." Your GHIN number will be in this email, along with your most recent scores. Revisions are effective on the 1st and 15th of every month. These are the dates that you will receive your index update email.
Q. How do I post my scores?
A: Scores can be posted from golf clubs that are members of the USGA's Golf Handicap Network. You can also post online at GHIN.com. Click on the Post button and enter your GHIN number and last name (or club number, which is 35-888-02).
Q. What is an ESC score? A: Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) is an adjustment of individual hole scores (for handicap purposes) in order to make handicaps more representative of a player's potential ability. (For example, if you have a fifteen handicap and normally shoot bogeys on par fours, but you have a really bad round one day and shoot three 9's, ESC lets you adjust the scores to 7's so your handicap isn't distorted).
ESC is applied after the round and is only used when the actual score or the most likely score exceeds a player’s maximum number. ESC sets a limit to the number of strokes a player can take on a hole depending on Course Handicap™. Apply ESC to all scores, including tournament scores. Below is the maximum number a player can take:
Handicap
Maximum Number
9 or less
Double Bogey
10-19
7
20-29
8
30-39
9
40 and above
10
Q. I posted my Junior Tour tournament scores and now the score is showing up twice on my record. How do I get rid of the duplicate score? A: Email us a juniorgolf@suncountrygolfhouse.com. Be sure to provide your full name, GHIN number and the date/location of the tournament. Remember that Junior Tour scores are posted automatically and you should only post rounds played outside of the Tour.
Q. I only play nine hole rounds. Can I still post my scores to GHIN?
A: Yes, just make sure you choose 9-hole round under "Holes."
Q: I posted several nine hole scores but not all of them are listed. A: When you post 9-hole scores, two scores will be combined to make an 18-hole score. These scores will appear as "C" or "Combined" scores. If only one 9-hole score has been posted, it will remain in the background until another 9-hole round is posted and combined with it.
Q: I posted some scores but they don't appear under Score History when I look up my index on GHIN.com. A: You need to wait for a Revision date to pass before your scores show up in the main Score History section. To view your scores in the meantime, click on the "Click here for Most Recent Scores" button.
Q: When are the Revision dates? A: The 1st and 15th of every month
