Why should I post my scores?  You’re not!

Why should I post my scores?  You’re not!

Now that many of our golfing friends have returnedg from their winter homes in sunbelt areas such as Southern California or Arizona, handicap committees are double checking to see whether their members have been living up to their responsibility in posting all their scores. It’s not uncommon that those members question why they should be posting their scores while those of us who stayed in Oregon and still played do not during the off-season.

Of course, there is a distinct difference between rounds played in Oregon during the winter, and rounds played in Southern California or Arizona.

Every state and regional golf association is charged by the USGA, the authors of the Handicap and Course Rating Systems, to make a determination of season dates and revision schedules. We are also charged with deciding these dates based on how we’ve rated our golf courses – in mid-season conditions – (which means July 1st conditions), as much as humanly possible. Every golf association adheres to these same rules.

Most often between the dates of December through the end of February, our golf courses do not play to their ratings due to the effect of a variety of weather conditions. Because of Northwest winter weather patterns, it’s not possible to maintain “mid-season” conditions during this period.

Coast and valley courses usually have saturated ground due to prolonged rains.
In the central and eastern parts of Oregon, it’s a different problem with extended periods of ice and/or snow.

Regardless, both have the effect of compromising the playing length of the golf course, a major determining factor of Course Rating.
While no date parameter we choose is going to be perfect (no one can accurately predict what Mother Nature is going to do!) we do the best we can with these dates, and there is no question that this makes the OGA a “seasonal” golf association. We require our members post to the most accurate ratings possible for the integrity of handicaps, and that cannot be achieved during the winter.

Southern California and Arizona (and other Sunbelt states) have made the determination that their weather conditions do not adversely affect their course ratings during the winter, and thus they are “year-round” golf associations making rounds played in their regions legal to post, no matter where you keep that Handicap Index.

This is an integral rule (8-3b) in the USGA Handicap System, and there is no black and white here. Failure to post scores is the biggest reason for inaccuracy in handicapping. Just because a member is traveling and playing golf in another region, while his fellow club members are staying home to play, doesn’t negate their scores for handicap purposes.

Golfers carrying Handicap Indexes must post all legal rounds – members traveling south who do not post scores are subject to penalty scores, or modifications to their Handicap Indexes (Rule 8-4). Not posting those scores is considered an infraction under “failure to post”, and the club Handicap Committee should be taking action.