To post your handicap click here to go to the GHIN website or download the GHIN, or MGA, app(s) from the Apple or Android app stores.

A basic premise underlies the World Handicap System, namely that every player will try to make the best score at each hole in every round, regardless of where the round is played, and that the player will post every acceptable round for peer review. – The World Handicap System in association with USGA.

Getting Started
Upon signing up for the Sterling Farms Men’s Club (through this web site or at the pro-shop) our volunteers make every effort to activate you in the GHIN system as soon as possible. Our standard is to activate members (new and renewing) within 10 days of receipt of their application and payment. During most of the season, activations occur much quicker than this. Periodically when there is a large amount of applications, our volunteers can take up to 10 days. If for any reason you are not activated in the system within 10 days, please contact us.

Being activated means that you have been assigned a GHIN # that can be used nationwide and at Sterling Farms Golf Course. Once activated you will be able to search for yourself on GHIN’s handicap lookup page.

If you do not know your GHIN #, open up your email titled “Handicap eRevision Newsletter from the MGA” and click on “Click for your e-revision” near the bottom of the page. The opened web page will display your GHIN # at the top of the page.  If this does not work for you, please contact the Handicap Chairman.

* If you have had a GHIN number in the past year from another club and would like for us to import all of your old handicap information, please include your GHIN # on your application and/or payment.

Posting Your Scores
A. Member Responsibility
All members are responsible for posting their scores played during an official playing season and to properly adjust scores for Net Double Bogey. Handicaps are revised daily and players should post within 24 hours of the round being played.

The rule is simple: Every time you play at least 14 holes of an 18-hole round (7 holes of any 9-hole round) whether at home or away, good or bad, match or stroke play – THE SCORE SHALL BE POSTED.

The Handicap Committee within the Men’s Club is responsible for ensuring that effective sanctions are established and applied to those members who disregard handicap responsibilities.

Posting in the Pro-Shop
One of the easiest ways to remember to post your score is to post immediately after your round is complete on the computer in the pro-shop. Once on the computer you can post a score with your last name. Please ask a fellow member or contact a board member if you are having any difficulty with the computer.

*When traveling to a different course, if they have a GHIN computer, you can post your score on their computer (if you have your GHIN#).

Posting on the internet
Posting your score on GHIN is easy to do if you know your GHIN#, especially if the pro-shop closed before your round was complete. Just don’t forget to go online and post it. If you were competing in an event and do not post your score by Sunday night you will be disqualified.

To post, go to www.ghin.com/login or download the free My MGA Mobile App on your smartphone.

Maximum Hole Score or Net Double Bogey
Net Double Bogey was created to prevent an exceptionally bad hole from significantly increasing your handicap. Under the World Handicap System, Net Double Bogey replaces the former Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) procedure and is intended to create a maximum hole score for Handicap Purposes only. It is the player’s responsibility to adjust scores when posting their score using the Net Double Bogey calculation (unless they are using the hole by hole scoring feature in the GHIN application which will automatically make the adjustment).

To calculate the maximum hole score, simply take the par of the hole, add 2 strokes, and add any handicap strokes (use course handicap and not playing handicap**) that you would have received on the hole to determine your score.  For example, a player with a course handicap of 11 receives one stroke on the first 11 handicap stroke holes.  On a par 4 hole with a stroke index of 6, the maximum hole score is as follows:

Hole Par (4) + Two Strokes (2) + Course Handicap Strokes (1) = Max Score (7)

* Please remember that your Net Double Bogey score is only used when inputting your score into the GHIN system. You must write down your actual score for each hole on your scorecard.  If you are signed up in the weekend event and using the SFMC Golf Genius application, input your actual score and the software will make the proper adjustment when posting.

** Playing handicap is the number of strokes you are allotted based on a competition.  For example, in an event or competition round, handicaps may be set at a percentage of the course handicap…John is playing in a match.  John’s course handicap is a 10 but the event is played at 80% resulting in 8 strokes.

Handicap Active Season
The handicap season for Sterling Farms Men’s Club is April 1 – Mid November. If you play in southern states such as FL, SC, CA, etc. you should post all your scores year round.

Deleting / Adjusting A Posted Score
Once a score has been posted to the GHIN system it can only be deleted or adjusted by a member of the Board of Governors who has administrative permissions. Please contact the handicap chairman for any deletions or adjustments.

Golf Genius
Golf Genius has replaced manual paper scorecards for our Men’s Club events. No need to keep a paper scorecard and submit to the box outside of the pro shop. All members are required to play weekend events and major competition rounds using the Golf Genius application.  Sign ups are required to compete in the events and must do so prior to the event being played.  Only one member in the pairing group needs to enter the scores for the group.

Weekend events require signups by the Wednesday prior to the weekend event.  Flighting will be done so automatically based on your handicap for that event.  Also, scoring will be automatically inputted into the GHIN system for handicap purposes and does not require you to do so.

For all other events, including Competition events, scoring must also be done so using Golf Genius.  Signups must be done prior to the date of the event.  Posting to the GHIN system for Competition rounds is the player’s responsibility and will not be done by Golf Genius.

Competition (C) Scores
We require our members to post Competition (C) scores for specific events. These include:
President’s / VP Cup Qualifying Round
President’s / VP Cup
Member / Member
Club Championship Qualifying Round
Club Championship
Governor’s Cup
Member / Guest
Interclub Qualifier
Interclub
Player of the Year Finals
Shoreline Qualifier
Shoreline

Failure to post a ‘C’ score for these events will lead to disqualification.

In addition to the above events, members that play in golf tournaments such as the Stamford City Amateur Tournament, CSGA & MGA sponsored tournaments and similar such events should post these scores as ‘C’ scores.

Signing Up for weekend events
For weekend events, competitors must sign up using the weekly email Golf Genius link by the Wednesday prior to the weekend event. Flighting will be automatically determined by your handicap at the time of play.

Additional Information
Do you still have handicap questions or would like to learn more about the handicap system? Check out the USGA’s online Handicap System Manual at www.USGA.org