handicap review tool

The USGA has released Phase 3 of the Handicap Review tool for all Member Clubs. Now available through your GHIN Admin Portal to review your entire club roster. This tool is to be used as an additional resource for the Handicap Committee to aid in gathering useful information to be considered as part of the handicap review process.

Below is a brief description of Phase 3:

Player Notification – A club’s Handicap Committee will now have the option to use an automated notification system for golfers who are subject to a Handicap Index adjustment. When enabled, identified golfers will receive an automated email with details about the adjustment, timing, and a link to an appeal form.
Expiration Dates – The expiration window for a recommended adjustment has been shortened from 14 days to 10 days. However, this window operates differently depending on whether the club uses the manual or notify path in the GHIN Admin Portal.
Data Points – Additional data points are available to support Handicap Committee decisions regarding recommended adjustments. This includes an extra reference point for “Played to Handicap Index” and key handicap review metrics broken into quarterly segments to help evaluate scoring trends.

We strongly encourage you to read the USGA Handicap Review documents linked on the right hand side of this page under “Handicap Review Tool Resources” which provides more detail about how to use the new USGA Handicap Review tool.

Important Note: Effective January 1, 2025, the USGA Handicap Review tool will be the only authorized tool to recommend an adjustment to a Handicap Index®.

WHS CLUB AUTHORIZATION

As part of the rollout of the 2024 World Handicap System (WHS) Revisions, all Mass Golf Member Clubs are required to complete the WHS Club Authorization Quiz. At least one staff member or official from each club or facility will need to complete the quiz with a passing score to be WHS Authorized for the 2024 season. Mass Golf will be hosting live webinars and seminars to help educate officials on these changes to assist them in getting authorized for the 2024 season. Take a look at the quick reference guide from the USGA for the 2024 Revisions.

Please also notify courserating@massgolf.org of any changes your facility intends to make to stroke index allocations so that we can update the GHIN system accordingly.