Frequently Asked Questions

Q: My club recently assigned me a GHIN number. Should I be able to see my Handicap Index and/or post on-line immediately?
A: The club may not have submitted the data or "transmitted" it to the GHIN database. It is somewhat like a check, which has not been cashed yet. If the club has not transmitted the data to GHIN, accessing GHIN.com will not result in any success.

Q: The club did transmit my data in the above scenario. Should I be able to see my Handicap Index?
A: Your Handicap Index is updated according to a revision schedule set by the regional golf association in your area. The general handicap lookup 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 scoring record or Handicap Index will appear on GHIN.com until after the next revision.

Q: I was newly added to my club and the club transmitted to GHIN. Should I be able to post scores online?
A: If the data has been transmitted, your record has been sent to GHIN and you should be able to post online. However, just because your information has been sent to GHIN, does not guarantee that you can post scores on-line. Each golf club independently makes the decision as to whether its members may post on-line. If you get the message, "Not a member of a club that allows Internet Posting", your club has either decided not to accept scores on-line or has done nothing to activate that feature. If the club wants to allow Internet Posting, it needs to notify the regional golf association from which it receives the GHIN service.

Q: I posted a score on-line today, but went to GHIN.com and could not see that score. What happened?
A: The initial Handicap look-up screen is a snapshot tied to a revision date - that screen will not show recently posted scores . However, if you click on the image link entitled "View 20 Most Recent" at the bottom left of your scoring record, you will see a snapshot of what is in the database at this moment. The score that you posted online should appear there.

Q: I posted at my club or I posted at another club that I played yesterday. I cannot see my score on GHIN.com, even in the "view 20 most recent" section. What happened?
A: Until a club transmits the score from a PC, that score is not in the GHIN database. Once it is transmitted to the GHIN database it will appear in the "20 Most Recent Scores" area.

Q: Our association recently had a revision effective on Friday. I went to GHIN.com on Friday morning and could not access my Handicap Index - is something wrong?
A: There is a small window of time each Friday where GHIN.com is being updated. During that timeframe, the handicap lookup feature is not available. This update occurs early in the day, so try again a little later.

Q: I have been told by my club that after I post five scores I will have a Handicap Index. I posted five scores on-line this morning, but my Handicap Index did not appear or change - is there something wrong?
A: Handicap Indexes are only revised according to a revision schedule determined by the regional golf association. Your Handicap Index will not change until the next revision.

Q: Our revision date was August 12. I posted 8 scores on-line on August 11. These did not impact my Handicap Index - why?
A: There is a little time window between the cutoff for scores counting toward the upcoming Handicap Index and the effective revision date. This window is so that Handicap Indexes can be revised, reports printed and mailed and received by the clubs. In general, Tuesday night at 9pm EST , the window closes for Handicap Indexes being revised effective Friday. For those on monthly schedules, the cutoff window is a little longer.

Q: There is an "if used" column with asterisks on my scoring record. What do those mean?
A: The asterisk in the "If used" column indicates a score that contributed as one of the scores in the calculation of your Handicap Index at the last revision. This is based on a term called "handicap differential" that takes into account the USGA Course and Slope Ratings – it is not just based on raw score.