GolfPlus Aug 2018 Digital Edition (August 2018) | Page 10

WHAT’S IN A HANDICAP?
One wit, when asked, exclaimed “What’s my handicap? My woods and irons”!!
Imagine you and the likes of American, Braden Thornberry Oliver, the world’s number
one amateur, or even our own Rayhan Thomas, ranked 22, competing against each
other, playing off the black tees at DLF, Gurgaon! On this difficult course, despite
your consummate skills at playing this game, you will still need some advantage
over these guys, if you don’t want to lose 10 and 8! That’s where a handicap is
required, to make the game more enjoyable to enable players of differing abilities to
compete on an equitable basis.
service using software such as ehandicap.
net and the like.
NATIONAL HANDICAPPING
SERVICE (NHS)
In India, the USGA Handicap System applies
and the Indian Golf Union (IGU), as the
National Sports Federation for Golf, has
signed an agreement with the United States
Golf Association and has launched the
USGAÊs proprietary service, Golf Handicap
and Information Network, GHIN which has
now become the worldÊs largest handicap
computation service. This is called the NHS
in India.
YOUR CLUB’S HANDICAP
SYSTEMS?
True, many Clubs in India offer a Handicap
Unfortunately only an authorised golf
association or golf club must obtain a
license from the USGA in order to utilize the
USGA Handicap System, to use the USGA
marks and to issue a Handicap Index. Only
an authorised golf association can issue a
USGA Course Rating and Slope Rating. If
a golf club or authorized golf association
does not follow all of the procedures of the
USGA Handicap System, it is not permitted
to use any part of the System or to refer to
any handicap that it issues or certifies as a
„Handicap Index.
In countries outside the United States, this
written authorization must be in place with
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the authorized golf association before a golf
club within the associationÊs geographic
jurisdiction can use the USGA Handicap
System.
ONLY IGU
While the software in use
with clubs is „based‰ on the
USGA handicapping system
they are not „licensed‰ by
the USGA. It is only IGUÊs
NHS-USGA GHIN index that
is authorized and accepted
all over the world.
SO WHY SHOULD YOU
SUBSCRIBE TO THE NHS?
Clubs, their members and
individuals should look at the
ultimate long term benefits
that will accrue to them by
subscribing to NHS.
An NHS member will input
scores from all courses
played which are then
used in calculating his/her
handicap. This provides for
a more accurate handicap
as against using only home
Graphic Courtesy: R&A and USGA
18 G o l f P l u s
AUGUST
2018