NJGA Handicap Club

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  • What is the USGA Handicap System?
  • The purpose of the USGA Handicap SystemTM is to make the game of golf more enjoyable by enabling golfers of differing abilities to compete on an equitable basis. The System provides fair Course HandicapsTM for players regardless of ability, and adjusts a player's Handicap IndexTM up or down as his game changes. At the same time, it disregards high scores that bear little relation to the player's potential scoring ability and promotes continuity by making handicaps continuous from one playing season or year to the next. A USGA Handicap Index® is useful for all forms of play.

    A basic premise underlies the USGA Handicap System, namely that every player will try to make the best score he can at each hole in every round he plays, regardless of where the round is played, and that he will post every acceptable round for peer review.

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  • What is a USGA Handicap Index?

  • A USGA Handicap Index®, issued by a golf club or authorized golf association, indicates a golfer's skill and comes in the form of a number taken to one decimal place, e.g. 9.2. A USGA Handicap Index is issued only to individuals who are members of a golf club.

    A USGA Handicap Index compares a player's scoring ability to the scoring ability of an expert amateur on a course of standard difficulty. A player posts his scores along with the appropriate USGA Ratings to make up his scoring record. A Handicap Index is computed from no more than 20 scores plus eligible scores in the scoring record. It reflects the player's potential because it is based upon the best scores posted for a given number of rounds, ideally the best 10 of the last 20 rounds.

    A USGA Handicap Index travels well from course to course, as well as from one set of tees to other sets of tees on the same course. A player's Handicap Index determines the number of strokes a player receives depending upon the length and difficulty of the course he plays.

    A player locates his USGA Handicap Index on the appropriate Course Handicap Table and finds his corresponding Course Handicap. Course Handicap Tables are posted in the clubhouse or near the first tee. There will be a Course Handicap Table for each set of tees used by men and by women. Course Handicap is the number of strokes a player receives based upon the relative difficulty (Slope Rating) of the course.

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  • What does the letter(s) next to my USGA Handicap Index represent?
  • J = Nine-hole USGA Handicap Index exceeds 18.2 for men and 20.2 for women
    L = USGA Handicap Index exceeds 36.4 for men and 40.4 for women
    M = USGA Handicap Index modified by Handicap Committee
    N = Nine-hole USGA Handicap Index
    R = USGA Handicap Index automatically reduced for Exceptional Tournament Performance
    WD = USGA Handicap Index withdrawn by Handicap Committee
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  • What does the letter(s) after each score represent?

  • The letter(s) immediately following an adjusted gross score indicates specific aspects of a score within a player's scoring record and are designated in the following manner:
    A = Away
    AI = Away Internet
    C = Combined
    CI = Combined Internet (at least one nine-hole score posted via Internet)
    I = Internet
    P = Penalty
    T = Tournament
    TI = Tournament Internet

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  • What scores are acceptable for posting purposes?

  • 1. Scores must be made in accordance with the principles of the Rules of Golf (play the ball as it lies).

    2. If a player starts but does not complete a hole or is conceded a stroke, he shall record for handicap purposes the score he most likely would have made.

    3. If a player does not play a hole or plays it other than under the principles of the Rules of Golf (except for preferred lies), his score for that hole for handicap purposes shall be par plus any handicap strokes he is entitled to receive on the hole. When recording this hole score, precede the score with an "X".

    4. A player must adjust his gross score using Equitable Stroke Control (ESC). ESC sets a maximum number that a player can post on any hole depending on the player's Course Handicap.

    Course Handicap
    Maximum Number On Any Hole
    9 or less
    Double Bogey
    10 through 19
    7
    20 through 29
    8
    30 through 39
    9
    40 or more
    10

    5. A golfer shall post a score as an 18-hole round when 13 or more holes are played and as a nine-hole score when 7 or more holes are played.

    6. Adjusted gross scores from all courses with USGA Course and Slope Ratings, made at home and away, shall be posted by the player, along with the appropriate USGA Course Ratings and USGA Slope Ratings. Away scores from courses with USGA Ratings made in any state or foreign country during its active season shall be reported.

    7. Scores in both match play and stroke play, including those made in team competitions, shall be posted. Scores made in team competitions in which players are requested to pick up when out of contention shall be posted for handicap purposes.

    8. A player who is disqualified from a competition, but has an acceptable score, shall record his adjusted gross score for handicap purposes.

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  • Why have a USGA Handicap Index?
  • A handicap is an important aspect to the game of golf. First, a handicap allows you to track the progress of your skills as they improve and your scores lower. Second, players of different skill can fairly compete against one another in net tournaments and informal games. Finally, a handicap is required for entry into almost all competitive golf events in Nebraska and across the United States.

    The USGA Handicap System
    Under the USGA Handicap SystemTM, a Handicap Index is computed using your ten best scores of your most recent twenty scores and the appropriate USGA Course Rating and Slope Rating for each course played. The Handicap Index is then converted to a Course Handicap.

    A Handicap Index indicates the 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. 6.4) and is used for conversion to a Course Handicap. A Course Handicap is the number of handicap strokes a player receives in a net competition from a particular set of tees at the course being played. It is the number used to calculate Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) hole score maximums for posting all NJGA 18-hole tournament scores.

    The GHIN System
    Nebraska uses the USGA Golf Handicap and Information Network (GHIN) to compute USGA Handicaps for NJGA members. Scores made in both stroke play and match play shall be recorded. A minimum of five 18-hole attested scores are required to establish a Handicap Index. As more scores are posted the more accurate the Index will become. Handicap procedures allow for 9-hole scores to be posted.



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  • What is Equitable Stroke Control (ESC)?

  • Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) is the downward adjustment of individual hole scores for handicap purposes in order to make handicaps more representative of your potential playing ability.  It sets a maximum number you can post on any hole depending on your Course Handicap regardless of par for the hole.  ESC is used only when your actual or most likely score exceeds your maximum number based on the table below.

    Course Handicap

    Maximum Number On Any Hole

    9 or less

    Double Bogey

    10 through 19

    7

    20 through 29

    8

    30 through 30

    9

    40 or more

    10

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  • How can I become a member of the Nebraska Junior Golf Association?
  • To become a member of the Nebraska Junior Golf Association simply fill out a Membership Application and return it with payment to the NJGA office.  Please click on the link below to view and print out the 2006 NJGA Membership Application.
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  • I was just added to eClubhouse and posted three scores to GHIN - where is my H.I.?

  • Your Handicap Index® is updated according to a revision schedule set by the regional golf association in your area. The Handicap Index display in the Members section is a snapshot of scores that were in your scoring record prior to that effective revision date. So, if you were added on June 10, but the last revision in your area was June 5, then no Handicap Index® will appear on eClubhouse until after the next revision.

    In addition, your club can only issue you a Handicap Index® after at least five scores have been posted, in accordance with the USGA Handicap System.

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  • I just entered a score using "Post to GHIN" through my club's eClubhouse site, but I made a mistake. How do I fix it?
  • Your golf club oversees your scoring record and Handicap Index® If you make a mistake, you need to contact a representative from your club to correct the error.
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  • I just entered a score using "myStats Scores", but I made a mistake. How do I fix it?

  • Any score posted using the eClubhouse feature "myStats Scores" can be edited on eClubhouse. However, if "Post Scores to GHIN" was chosen when the score was posted, the score will have to be changed in your record on the GHIN Server as well by contacting your Golf Club.

    To modify a score in eClubhouse, use the "Display/Update Rounds" option in "myStats Reports". Locate the score to be modified and chose "edit".

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  • What do the Search Zip Code and Radius features do on the myGame page?

  • The "Search Zip Code" will populate the "Find Other Players", "Club News", "Upcoming Events", "My Events" and "Weather" modules with applicable public content from eClubhouse sites within a "Radius" of X mile from the center point of the Zip Code you provide. The radius default is 1.0.

    Great to use when planning a golfing vacation! Find out news and events from the area you are visiting! Connect with a golfer from the area and meet up for a round of golf!

    To change the Search Zip Code and populate your dashboard with content from another area, simply click the numerical Zip Code (located above the USGA Handicap Index module). Enter the new Zip Code and press "Submit". When you return from your trip - just change it back to your local Zip Code!

    You can change the radius (i.e. reduce or increase the range of news/events) by using the radius drop-down box and modifying the setting.

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