I'm playing in a tourney soon and they are asking for both my handicap and the handicap index. Please explain and if this is not an official USGA, how do I handle that?

Your "index" is the number on your "my game" page. Its an indication of yourplaying potential. Its often just called your "handicap." As in, "Whats your handicap?" "Oh, I'm a 10.4."

As opposed to your index, your handicap is your "course" handicap on whatever course you may be playing and is figured by (index * course rating) / 113 rounded to the nearest whole number. i.e.- 10.4 * 125 / 113 = 11.5 = a course handicap of 12. Assuming its a par 72; you need to shoot 84 to shoot your handicap.

OOB uses the exact same formula as the almighty USGA, you just have to pay for it. Sweet right?

Does that make sense?

Thanks that is clear. So can say that it is an un-official index based on the exact USGA formula? Do you ever hear of people not accepting yours or other similar un-official HCs? Should I print out the Handicap Calculation page and have it with me?

I'm in the process of becoming a tournament director and am finding that it is much easier to require a USGA index than attempt to decipher handicaps from other sources. Not all sites follow the same format for index calculation.

It costs $25 per year to maintain your USGA index. Half a buck a week isn't that bad. Get a 7-11 coffee instead of Starbuck's. Not only can you get your index, you will probably be able to pay for a couple more rounds per year. In my eyes, more golf is worth the Starbuck's sacrifice.

Perhaps OOB could make a little printable label that we can carry in our wallet just like the big boys.

I paid for a Handicap service at a local course for years - I find this site much better - Although I don't think Most clubs would recognize this as an official USGA handicap for a tournament.

I like the fact that I can enter my scores from home when I get there after a round - I would hate getting in after a twilight 18 holes & the clubhouse would be closed or the computer was down - I would have to carry the card around until the next time I got back to that course.

I also like the amount of data this site collects for you - all you entered at the course was your adjusted stroke total.

What difference does it make if the calculations are EXACTLY the same as the USGA? I've seen my buddy's PGA or USGA handicap card and it's just a printed label with last month's scores that he attaches to his wallet card. And it only gets updated once a month. If you ask me, OOB gives a more accurate representation of your index since it's updated after every round, not once a month.

T/F - I don't disagree - I don't pay for the handicap service anymore and I am happy with the data I get from this site - But don't be surprised if your OOB golf handicap is not honored as a USGA Handicap in official tournaments.

If I played in alot of member/guest & official net tournaments - I would probably still keep my cap at a course. I don't currently have a need for an official handicap.

not saying it is any more accurate but it would be official - A cap is only as good as the scores entered
It is based on the honor system just like the game itself

I do think it is a money thing that USGA does to support and bring some extra cash into clubs & public courses

Also - a handicap service at a course does update after each score entered Just like OOB - they just only print out new cards with your index once a month or when you ask for one

AGA (Arizona Golf Association) updates the 1st and 15th of the month. They are affiliated with USGA. My club is registered with them and they keep league and tourney handicaps for in-house events. For outside events it is done by the honor system (all scores entered at AGA website).
By joining the club, they supply me with an AGA membership.

To get an accurate (but not official) handicap index using OOB you have to enter your ESC (aka Equitable Stroke Control) score when posting rounds to OOB. See this link from the USGA: http://www.usga.org/playing/handicaps/manual/sections/section_04.html

For example, I've noticed single digit handicaps posting triple bogeys on their score. This actually inflates their handicap vs. their "true" handicap if computed using USGA rules.

Single,

It seems to me that oob does automatically adjust to the ESC when calculating the handicap based on our actual scores, but I'm not sure.

oob - please comment.

Thanks

Looks like oob is doing something. I edited my most recent score and add 13 strokes to a hole on which I had gotten a 6 (double bogey), raising my total score from 77 to 90. Before the edit, my handicap went from 9.7 to 9.3 based on the round of 77. With the edit and the round of 90, the handicap displayed as 9.7 going down to 9.4. If the full 90 strokes were actually used, my handicap should have stayed at 9.7.

So it looks like there's some ESC adjustment, but perhaps not the exact adjustment that should be used.

p.s. I wonder what % of oob users enter an ESC adjusted score.

OOB does the Equitable stroke adjustment if you enter your scores hole by hole - if you enter a total score - you have to do the adjustment prior to entering your score.

This is the adjustment it does - based on your course handicap prior to playing the round you are posting

Handicap max score
9 or less Double Bogey
10 through 19 7
20 through 29 8
30 through 39 9
40 or more 10