In order to establish and maintain a Handicap Index, a player must be a member of an authorized golf club.
In the U.S., each state has one or more Allied Golf Associations (AGA’s) which are the authorized organizations for issuing and maintaining official WHS (World Handicap System) Handicaps. In Northern California, this is the NCGA. To join the NCGA and get a Handicap Index, you must join a club. There are 3 main types of clubs – regular, associate and eClub. Find this information on our Become A Member page.
Then what? Once you join a club and get your WHS #, post a minimum of 54 holes (can be a mix of 18-hole scores and 9-hole scores) in the WHS system and your Handicap Index will be calculated. After that, the system will update on a daily basis, which you can check after posting, but you will also receive updates via email on the 1st and 15th of every month.
Until your Handicap Index is calculated, you will see it listed as ‘NH’ which stands for No Handicap.
Want to learn more? Check out our Handicap 101 resource.