How can I show others my handicap (card)?
Let's say you are interested in providing your handicap with the scores on which
it is based to someone or some group to substantiate your handicap. But, you do not
want to give full access to your information via your username and id.
There is a simple way to email this information as a link to allow access only to
your handicap information as it appears on your handicap card. Here's how:
Get to your handicap card by the usual way: Log in, bring up your stats table
and click on "print handicap card" at the bottom of the table. Now you are
looking at your current handicap card as an html file. Just copy the url
address in the Address window at the top of your browser (to copy it, select
it, ie. Make it blue with your mouse/right mouse click/copy)
Now email your friend and in the email body, paste the url address you've just
copied (to paste it, right mouse click and click on paste)
The link you just copied will look something like:
"http://golfcalc.com/cap_card.htm?Biff|Golfman|2000-05-04|12.6|99|83*|96|99|93|89*|92|90|94|81*|77*|"
Then your friend just clicks on this link and your handicap card will come up in a
browser window.
Does GolfCalc issue some kind of "official"
handicap card? Can it be used in sanctioned tournament play?
In order to obtain an official USGA handicap (and handicap card), you must be a
member of a USGA certified "Golf Club". GolfCalc, and any other Internet web
site, cannot be certified as an official USGA Golf Club. This is primarily due
to the concept of peer review. Peer review is the ability to play golf with
other Golf Club members and bring score submission concerns (eg.
"sandbaggers", who omit good rounds from the handicap calculation, or
purposely play poorly in an attemp to artificially raise their handicap) to
the attention of a central handicap committee (see about 'About' GolfCalc
web page). The USGA does not permit any internet sites to use its exact
copyrighted formula. In fact, the USGA has shut down several sites which
used its formula. Therefore, any internet sites stating they give official
USGA handicaps are either misleading you or are in danger of being sued by
the USGA and shut down. While we or any other Internet site cannot give you
an official USGA handicap that you could use for Tournament play, GolfCalc
has created its own proprietary handicap formula which closesly resembles the
USGA formula and calculates an unofficial handicap that is generally
within 1/10th of an official USGA handicap. Our calculations generally return
a handicap index within .1 of the official USGA handicap and using your last
12 out of 25 scores is one way we achieve this. Our suggestions for an
obtaining an official handicap and an official Handicap Card are either
country clubs or a few public golf courses, all of which have been granted
official Golf Club status by the USGA. And most club pros will gladly accept
a GolfCalc handicap for your "official" handicap, for use in sanctioned
tournaments, if you ask them.
Index vs. handicap
Your Golfcalc handicap actually IS an index. It is comparable to the
USGA Index. However, for copyright reasons, Golfcalc, or any other
online handicapping service is not permitted to use the terms "Index"
or "USGA Index." Your Golfcalc Handicap very closely resembles the USGA
Index and while our formula is slightly different, the result is nearly
identical, consistantly coming out 1/10 of a point lower than the USGA's.
Why does my handicap appear so low or high?
Your Golfcalc handicap may initially be calculated lower or higher than it
really is. When you are first inputting scores and have only a couple of
scores, the handicap formula uses only your lowest 1/2 of all your indexes
(indexes are your scores, that are refined by the slope and course rating.
You can see which score it's using by the '*' next to the score). So if
those few scores don't reflect your average score then the handicap that
is calculated will not be your true handicap.
You won't have an accurate (or "official") handicap until you input at least
20 scores. Then, just like the official USGA handicap formula, Golfcalc takes
10 of your lowest indexes to calculate the handicap.
Inputting 9-holes for handicap?
The USGA says that nine-hole scores are to be "posted" when they are
"consecutive" nine-hole scores. This means they must be played without
an intervening 18-hole round. They can be played on the same or
different days, played on the same nine holes twice, or played on
two different nines at the same or different courses.
When consecutive nines are played on different courses and combined,
the course ratings and slopes are averaged from the two courses. In
this case, add your two 9-hole scores together, and average out the
2 course ratings and slopes, and enter the resulting score, rating
and slope to get your handicap.
If two rounds are played on the same nine holes, use the 18 hole
ratings and slopes if nine hole info is not available, and add the
two 9-hole scores together.
That's the official answer.
Now for the last situation, where you have only played 1 round of
9 holes, and you're wondering if you can just use it, for your
handiap calculation by doubling it, and entering it as one score.
That would be a no-no, as according to the above official USGA
rule (the main reason here being that you don't know what score
you would have had for the 2nd 9, plus the first set of 9-holes
will have a different slope and rating as the 2nd 9, on an
18-hole course). But of course, this is an unofficial handicap,
and you could do it in a pinch, as it does represent your ability.
However, as explained above, you should wait until you get your
2nd 9-hole round in, to add to your first 9-hole round,
(hopefully before you shoot an intervening round of 18-holes)
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