Not everyone uses GHIN...

[3GoodPutts]

Wonder if this is trending in other clubs. I play in two different weekend golf leagues at two different courses (Saturday/Sunday). Neither league uses or cares about GHIN or what you score outside league play. They use handicap software and only track your scores in their league play. They payout for stableford scoring and have skins based on gross/net scores. Both these leagues are pretty big, always 30-40 players. I like it, makes it less likely sandbaggers will tank a round when they pay into a cash pot each week. For new players, you need 3 rounds in the league before you get a handicap, until then you play as a scratch.

[Sawgrass]

" . . . makes it less likely sandbaggers will tank a round when they pay into a cash pot each week."

 

Does it really? I'm not convinced that providing cash insures anything positive.

[LeoLeo99]

My after-work work league uses our own handicap system. Almost no one in the league has a GHIN or other official type of handicap.

We also need 3 rounds to get a handicap but we play as a 3 until then. It's a 9 hole league. I miss it and hope it starts back up this spring or summer.

[Bonneville85308]

None of the after-work weekday beer leagues I know of use a USGA handicap. I'm aware of a few weekend morning public course ones that do, these tend to attract more serious competitors than the beer leagues, but they require you to play in a certain number of league events and post scores from them before allowing you to be in the running for the cash pot regardless of your USGA handicap history.

[SNIPERBBB]

I think its more to do with the rules involved with the leagues.

 

I play in two 9-hole leagues

First league is a work league with not so good golfers. First tee you can hit two balls and pick the better of the two to finish out the hole. Its a kind of match play, one point for each hole, max double par or whenever the score for the hole is conceded. OB is treated as a lateral hazard. LCP everywhere, every round.

 

Second league is somewhat similiar but its our mens league and more "serious" golfers. Not necessarily better but for guys that play the game a lot and are competitive. AB players have LCP in your own fairway only, CD players everywhere. Normal rules otherwise. Point for winning each hole + 3 possible points for winning 9-hole score. Hole score can be conceded at any time, been a few concessions from the tee box in the past. The points for score helped keeping the intentional blowups(previous league secretaries didnt know what ESC was) from happening.

 

So if you're not playing full golf, its hard to really justify postable rounds when some shenanigans happen. If you got some rediculous concessions its on you to post most likely scores yourself if you keep an official handicap.

[nsxguy]

I'm really not sure what "trend" you're talking about.

9 hole leagues ?

A league keeping their own handicaps (NOT using GHIN) ?

Playing in 2 different leagues ? Having 2 different handicaps ?

[mark m]

A few points:

GHIN is a computation service. They issue (WHS/USGA) a Handicap Index (registered trademark) to golfers who are members of a golf club which implements the WHS. It is this official Handicap Index that many want in order to be able to enter competitions outside of their group/club/league.

There are around 110 Golf Associations in the US. Most use the GHIN service, but some do not. (Examples of those using a different service include Chicago Golf District, Wisconsin, Maryland, and so on).

Many 9-hole leagues use their own handicap and scoring system. From what I've heard, it works really well for their purposes. I believe most if not all were using the same formulas (as the pre-2020 USGA system) to calculate their members handicaps. (They cannot do that now due to the new PCC adjustment.)

My personal opinion is the USGA/WHS system 18 hole Handicap Index has a weakness for 9-hole league play. A determined bagger could manipulate the system by playing well every other week. Consider an example of a guy shooting around 38 on week 1 and then 48 on week 2 for a combined score of 86. He could mop up a lot of winnings in a few short weeks. Hopefully the league administrators would see this and take action. But typically, the adjustment happens late in the process after much harm is done.

Portability: IMO, and depending on the individual, a 9-hole league handicap may be accepted by the pro (or tournament director) for entry into a non-league competition/tournament at the course where the league is played. But that is about it. The bottom line is if a tournament director allows this handicap to be used, and the player "wins", the TD will probably be severely criticized. Handicap Indexes are public information and anyone could look to see if this player is in the system. Also IMO, 9-hole league players should understand this and not ask to be treated as a special case. If you want to play in other competitions where a Handicap Index is needed - do things correctly. Join a golf club (public or private) that issues Indexes and follow the rules. (I have personal experience in this area. I would advise caution in making any exceptions.)

Examples where an official Index is likely needed:

Open tournaments held at clubs, Member Guest tournaments, City or Regional qualifiers/tournaments, State qualifiers/tournaments, USGA qualifiers/championships, and so on.

Sidebar:

Elite ams, professionals, etc: I have played in a few tournaments where there are net payouts and competitors include professionals (no Index) and other top elite ams whose scoring records were incomplete and/or inaccurate. (A number of elite ams do not post all acceptable scores.) Understand they could be competing against other very good players with a legit +2 or +3 Index. Allowing a top local pro to compete at 0 Handicap in this scenario could be totally ridiculous. When I've seen it happen, they typically allow all plus handicappers (and pro's) to play at 0. Is that "fair?" I fully understand most people could care less about this scenario, but it does happen from time to time. The best policy is everyone is in the system and following the rules. We have a long way to go.

 

[SNIPERBBB]

To be pendantic about your sidebar, ams cannot play for cash payout tournaments. There's some ways around it but if it's enough to attract pros to play, it's a pro event

[3GoodPutts]

It certainly does not eliminate sandbagging. Their is one guy who gives up on a hole if he is not going to make birdie. I just don't understand why anyone would take satisfaction of not always trying your best. That's the entire purpose of sport and competition.

[3GoodPutts]

It certainly does not eliminate sandbagging. Their is one guy who gives up on a hole if he is not going to make birdie. I just don't understand why anyone would take satisfaction of not always trying your best. That's the entire purpose of sport and competition.

[3GoodPutts]

It certainly does not eliminate sandbagging. Their is one guy who gives up on a hole if he is not going to make birdie. I just don't understand why anyone would take satisfaction of not always trying your best. That's the entire purpose of sport and competition.

[nsxguy]

Looks like you feel very strongly about it !!! LOL

That guy, MOST of the time, would be scored a PAR on those holes he "gives up on" ("Most likely score"). So, no real sandbagging there.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

Our 9 hole league uses its own HC system. Scores played outside of league are irrelevant. The league system is a modified usga handicap using fewer rounds in the calculation.

[Noles]

Is there a way, using the ghin app or website, to see all the scores posted on a given day at a given course?

[davep043]

No. You can get that report through the Administrators Portal to GHIN, so your pro and/or Handicap Committee can do it, but its not available through the base GHIN site.