Did you know you can’t post scores made on most par-3 courses?

The USGA has determined that “regulation” length golf courses must be at least 3,000 yards for 18 holes (1,500 yards for nine holes) to be rated under the USGA Course Rating System. Courses that are shorter in length than this do not normally require the use of a full set of golf clubs. It wouldn’t be fair and equitable to handicap players on shorter courses on the same basis as players on standard courses.

Since the USGA has determined that a score on such a course is analogous to a score made in a competition that limits types of clubs, it is one of only seven “Unacceptable Scores” listed in Section 5 of the USGA Handicap System Manual 2012-2015.

However, scores made on par-3 courses may be used to produce equitable handicaps for use ONLY at such courses.

Several years ago, the USGA developed a procedure for a “Short Course Handicap”, which will measure a player’s potential ability on a defined Short Course. This type of potential ability is measured by a player’s best scores and is expressed as a whole number – unlike a USGA Handicap Index, which is expressed as a number taken to one decimal place. 

For a Short Course to administer this type of handicapping, the golf association must rate the course as per specific guidelines within the Course Rating System (this rating is not termed a ‘USGA Course Rating and Slope Rating’). A Short Course Handicap is not portable to any other golf course, and can’t be used other than where the Short Course Handicap was produced.