Oneonta Country Club uses the GHIN Handicapping System under the guidance of the USGA and NYSGA (New York State Golf Association).  The Golf Handicapping Index Network (GHIN) calculates your handicap index using your last 20 posted scores.  The GHIN System uses 18-hole scores as well as 9-hole scores combined to make 18-hole scores so it is important to post both.  Your handicap index is what you use to determine what your handicap would be using a handicap conversion chart.  If you have a 9.5 handicap index you may a 10 handicap at one course and an 11 handicap at another depending on the slope rating and the difficulty of the golf course. 

When you join as a member, if you plan on being involved in tournaments or leagues, it is very important to establish a USGA Handicap Index.  The players are responsible for posting their score at the completion their 9 or 18 hole round.  It is very important that scores get posted to reflect a players’ true ability.  The premise behind a handicap and a handicap index is that it reflects a players’ potential ability.  That is why many times your handicap may be below your stroke average.  It’s also important to keep a handicap to gauge your improvement and set goals to improve.

          One of the other neat benefits of the USGA Handicapping System is the ability to look up any ones handicap index in the country that uses the USGA to calculate their index.  You can log on to www.GHIN.com.  When you get into the website go to “Look-up by name and state”.  Everybody with that name in the state you are looking for who is in the GHIN system will appear.  Another benefit is peer review.  If you need to check whether someone posted their score or posted the correct score you can see from the last 20 scores whether they did or not.

          Members are prohibited from posting their scores on-line however, you may email scores to me, Jeremy Kerr – Head Golf Professional, at jekwunputt@yahoo.com if you would like them posted on the golf shop computer.  If it was an away course please include the course and slope ratings in the email.  They should be located on the scorecard.  If the course you are playing is using the GHIN System you may post your score there if you have your GHIN number with you.  This is a 7-digit number you can print out on a handicap card by coming in the golf shop, bringing up your page on the handicap computer and clicking on “Handicap label”.  This will print out your GHIN number, your last 20 scores and your handicap index.  There are plastic cards by the handicap computer you may place the labels on.  Put this in your wallet and you can carry it with you where ever you go to play golf.

          If you have any further questions you can go to www.usga.org, www.ghin.com, or call the golf shop at 607-432-8950 - extension 2.