Ask Linda #36-New Handicap Rules

A note to my readers: This column was written on January 15, but somehow was never posted on my blog.

Dear Linda,

I have heard that there will be some changes to the golf rules in 2008. Is this true? Can you tell me what they will be?

Lulu

Dear Lulu,

Your sources are correct, dear. The USGA changes, modifies, and does some subtle tweaking to the Rules of Golf every four years, and 2008 is one of those years of change. I would strongly recommend that you and all my readers purchase a new USGA Rules of Golf Book soon, as your old one is now obsolete.

There are a few important changes this year. I will explain them to you early in March. Since I am attending a USGA Rules of Golf Workshop at the end of February, I thought it best to wait until after that class so that I can let you know all the new rules as well as their correct interpretations. [Please see Rules #1 – 2008 Rules Changes, which I posted in February.]

However, I don’t want you to have to leave this communication empty-handed, so I will explain two new changes to the handicap system in 2008 that you will notice as soon as you visit the GHIN.com website.

Prior to January 1, when you visited GHIN.com looking for a fellow golfer’s handicap and scoring information, you would find the date and course on which each round was played. Now you will only see the month and the score, with no reference to the course or the particular day. The USGA made this change because it was concerned with privacy issues. However, the Handicap Committee at your club, fellow club members, and officials in charge of any outside tournaments in which you compete will be able to access your complete record. (You can do this from your computer only if you know the golfer’s GHIN number.)

The other major change to handicap procedures is that GAP and the NJSGA are now set up to accept scores if you are playing winter golf in a state where golf is in an “active” season” (such as Florida). If you winter in the warm and sunny South, you no longer have to keep a record of your scores and post them all at once when you return home. You may post those scores at the club, if it has a GHIN computer, or you may post them online at GHIN.com. Your Handicap Index will be revised once a month from now until April 1, which is the date when golf once again becomes “active” in New Jersey.

So go out and purchase a new rule book, look over the principal changes (located in the front of the book), consider reviewing all the rules in the book (you spent good money on the book – might as well read it), and I promise to explain the changes to you in March.

Happy New Year, everyone!
Linda

Copyright © 2008 Linda Miller